Pauline J. Grabia participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program, and earns from qualifying purchases from links in this post.

Please subscribe to my email newsletter for updates on my website and blog and exclusive access to the Prologue of my novel, Filling the Cracks, posted a chapter at a time each Wednesday on my blog. You can do so in the form found in the footer of this page. Thank you!

Two Conferences:

I had the opportunity to attend two virtual (online) conferences this summer. They were the first writer’s conferences I had ever attended, and despite not being around other writers in person, I found them exciting and informative. There were opportunities to interact with other conference attendees and presenters. The first conference I attended was the Carolina 2023 Writing Day Workshop Writers’ Conference in July, and the second was the Write His Answer Christian Writer’s Conference held at the beginning of August. Many experienced writers, editors, and literary agents led the workshops, lectures, and forums. With so much information shared over dozens of hours, I can’t begin to share everything I learned in one blog post. I will endeavor to pick three important lessons I learned and share them with you.

 

Lesson # 1: Research the Obligatory Scenes, Conventions, and Word Count Expectations of Your Genre.

In a nutshell, I learned that as a writer, I need to not only choose a genre to write in, but I have to know as much as possible about that genre and the expectations of readers of that genre. Most importantly, I need to know what the Obligatory Scene and Conventions are of my chosen genre, and I need to stick to the established word count limits of that genre if I want readers to accept my work, devour it, and come back wanting more. To understand what I mean, I need to define a few concepts. First, what is genre in fiction?

An entire blog post could be written on what genre is and why it’s essential to determine which genre an author writes in, but simply put, genre is “a style…that involves a particular set of characteristics” (The Cambridge Dictionary), a categorization of literature into types, topics, etc. For example, some popular genres of literature include Literary Fiction, Historical Fiction, Christian Fiction, Mystery, Thrillers/Suspense, Romance, Science Fiction, and Fantasy. This is only a partial list of all the genres available and enjoyed. For example, my writing usually falls under the genre of Christian fiction, a sub-genre of which would be romantic suspense. This is a style of books I enjoy reading, as well, though my taste tends to be quite eclectic.

Each genre has certain events and conventions that have become closely associated with it. When they are absent from a book claiming to be of that particular genre, readers are left feeling that something is missing; they are dissatisfied with the product. These are known as Obligatory Scenes and Conventions. They vary depending on the genre, but every genre has them.

Let’s take the genre of thriller/suspense as an example. In thriller/suspense, readers anticipate certain scenes to take place for the story to feel complete. They include the following:

1.     The Crime is Revealed Scene

2.     The Stakes Become Personal for the Protagonist Scene

3.     The Antagonist’s Desire is Discovered Scene

4.     The Victimization of the Protagonist Scene

5.     The Hero is at the Villain’s Mercy Scene

6.     Justice Succeeds (or Fails) Scene

Readers expect each of these scenes to occur at some point throughout the story. If one of these is missing, the story will fall flat and feel incomplete. Anyone writing a thriller/suspense must be familiar with these scenes and include them in their story.

There are certain conventions that each genre follows, as well. For a thriller/suspense novel, these include:

1.     The atmosphere is menacing.

2.     The Antagonist hatches a secret plot (usually sinister).

3.     The Protagonist doesn’t know who to trust.

4.     It becomes personal for the Protagonist.

5.     There are clues and red herrings.

6.     The presence of a Shapeshifter (a character who presents in one way but turns out to be someone (thing) else).

7.     High stakes are involved.

8.     There is often a false ending.

Again, if these conventions are missing from a story, fans of thriller/suspense will be disappointed and dissatisfied with it.

Perhaps just as important as understanding a genre's obligatory scenes and conventions is knowing and sticking to the industry standard guidelines for a genre’s word count. This, too, varies depending on the genre. Writing a story that is either too long or too short for any genre puts the writer at risk of being quickly rejected by literary agents and publishers. The longer a book is, the more expensive it is for a publisher to print it; consequently, the trend has been for publishers to reject longer manuscripts in favor of shorter ones. Also, not many readers are interested in reading longer novels. In an age of instant everything, shorter is better as far as the average reader is concerned. For example, it's recommended by most industry experts that a thriller/suspense novel should fall somewhere within 70-90000 words, with the lower end of that range being preferable. In comparison, a Historical Fiction novel can range from 80-100000 words. Because historical fiction requires more world-building for the modern reader to understand the period and setting better, a higher word count is acceptable. Not sticking to industry standards is a recipe for rejection by both publishers and readers.

This lesson was illuminating for me because I hadn’t previously appreciated the importance of understanding genre and choosing one to base my writing on.

Lesson # 2: Five Rules for Self-Editing Your Manuscript.

In another session, I learned five rules for effectively self-editing one’s manuscript. While it’s recommended that a writer find a second pair of eyes to help edit their work, self-editing is an integral part of the writing process. Author and literary agent Dave Fessenden led this workshop and listed the following rules or steps to take when editing your work.

1.     Pray for Objectivity. If you don’t pray, then will yourself to view the piece of writing as belonging to someone else.

2.     Sleep on it: Lay the piece of writing aside for a few days to a few weeks, and don’t think about it in that time so when you return to it, you can approach it with “fresh eyes.”

3.     Do Multiple Passes, editing for different things with each pass (In one pass, edit grammar and syntax; in a second pass, logical plot progression, etc.).

4.     Experiment with your work. Make random changes and see if it’s better than what you wrote initially.

5.     Be scrupulous and picky. In editing, perfectionism is your friend.

He suggested an exercise to do with your writing: take a portion of about 300 words (1 to 1 ½ pages) and read it through. Determine the piece's beginning and rewrite it in five ways, perhaps using a different thrust or point of view each time. Read the variations again and then decide which is the best. Continue this process with the middle and the ending of the story. Then, reread the entire thing for smoothness, continuity, and logic.

I’ve tried this exercise with several scenes in my story and found it helpful to produce better scenes than I originally wrote.

Lesson # 3: Establishing High Activity on Your Author’s Platform (Marketing) Is Essential Before Querying Literary Agents.

I learned this lesson not during a lecture or workshop but during a Zoom pitch of my manuscript Ashes of Injustice to a literary agent. This agent explained that my idea and presentation were excellent and compelling, and my writing sample from my manuscript was awesome. However, in the end, she would still reject me because of one thing: I do not have a big enough following on my Author’s Platform (my website, blog, email list, and social media accounts) to prove to a publisher that my book has an audience and will sell. Analytics are (almost) everything. If I don’t have 10-20000 followers on my social media or my newsletter email list, I can’t convince a publisher that readers will buy my book. Without that proof, publishers (and literary agents) are unwilling to take a risk with my book. Sadly, the quality of my writing alone isn’t the determining factor, but that’s the harsh reality of today’s traditional publishing market. It’s all about sales, profitability—money.

That is a bitter lesson because I don’t know how to build my platform numbers or make my presence known on social media. I don’t know how to sell myself or my brand. However, I am willing to learn. I’m determined to build my brand and make myself well enough known that a literary agent won’t automatically reject my query simply because my analytics aren’t impressive enough. It may take me a few months of research and learning and then a year or more of practicing what I learn, but I’m determined to get there. Being published and seeing my book on a shelf in the local bookstore is my dream, and I’m not giving it up without a fight.

 

Worth the Time and Money

I learned much about writing and becoming published at the two conferences I attended this summer. They were worth the time and money I invested in them, and I’m glad I finally did so. I would highly recommend to any writer who is serious about their craft, whether as a hobby or a professional pursuit, to attend conferences when they are available, both virtually and in person. I didn’t know what I didn’t know—I didn’t realize how much I missed not attending conferences until I attended one. Now, I see their value as a learning resource and an opportunity to network with other writers and industry insiders. I look forward to the next conference on my list this winter. At the next event, I hope to focus on seminars and workshops on marketing my brand and book since that is the next phase of the publishing journey.

What writers’ workshops or conferences have you attended? Did you find them helpful in your writing career? What were the most important lessons you took from them? I’d love to hear about it. Leave your comments in the space provided below.

I encourage you to subscribe to my monthly email newsletter below. In my newsletter, I keep you updated and informed on what is happening on my website and blog. Those who subscribe will receive a free thank-you gift from me: exclusive access to the Prologue of my novel Filling the Cracks, which I am posting one chapter at a time every Wednesday on my blog. Chapter Six is currently available. You can start with Chapter One by clicking here. Check out my home page on my website, www.paulinejgrabia.com, for more information about Filling the Cracks and my other projects. Check out the list of related blog posts available.

Thank you again for reading! Please share this blog with your friends and family, and return next week for my next post. May God bless you richly!

 

Pauline J. Grabia

Related Posts: