LDStorymakers 2015

Sadly another conference for LDStorymakers is already over. For me, it was a two-day whirlwind where catching my breath (and a cold) have been difficult.

This year was vastly different than any other year, for me at least. With all my studying and house-buying coming to a close, it's been a very busy year. Add teaching a class both days of the conference and you can see how 2015 has started off somewhat hectic. But I was able to laugh and have fun as the pseudo-Survivor meme below suggests. Pretty much, I outsmarted my negative self.


This was the first year the Storymakers was held at the Utah Valley Convention Center. It was an awesome location with acrophobia-inducing escalators. Seriously, when you get on an escalator and it takes at least 90 seconds without walking to get to the top, it's really high up there. Rode an elevator once. Wasn't any faster. Other than that (and the spitting soap dispensers), it was a great place for the conference. The main ball room held the 700-ish people. We were then able to go upstairs or downstairs for one of many classes offered. Besides the 2 I taught, I only attended 3. For some reason, I kept falling asleep sitting in any classroom.

Also, the bookstore was awesome. There was so much to choose from. Good thing I only made 3 choices (one of which was the Whitney Award winner for Best Novel of the Year this past Saturday night. Congrats, Sarah Eden!) But it's amazing to go from what I recall seeing in the bookstore in 2010 at the first LDStorymakers conference I attended and compare it to how much it's not only grown, but also features books written by people I've met before they were published. Or friends who were already published but added a few more books over the years. As I was privileged to help out at the bookstore (because Scott and Julie tolerate someone who knows how to work a cash register), I smiled anytime I saw a book from one of my friends pass through the line.

There was a theme around "this is my tribe" from our conference chair, Melanie Jacobson. The theme definitely fit for me. Last year it just wasn't my best year. With the exception of hanging out in the bookstore, I just had lost all my mojo. But this year, I feel revived. Part of that is last year my annual roommate, James Duckett, couldn't make it. After feeling deflated from an agent's remarks, I just didn't have it in me to enjoy Storymakers last year. This year, complete 180. I felt at home the whole weekend. Following James' example of exerting extrovert energy (how's that for alliteration?) I decided to be social. And you know what, I had fun this year. More fun than any other year I've attended.

And as much as the LDS writing community is a tribe, it's also a family. It felt like a family reunion. I don't feel nearly as comfortable around any group of people as I have with my Storymakers family. Especially this year. This year, I felt at home. I had conversations with people I only see once a year (rarely more) and still felt like I was seeing a cousin or other relative I get along with. And as the conference grows, so does this pseudo-family. Every year I meet or talk to someone who hasn't been before or been in the time that I've been going or has been and we've just never crossed paths. This year, I got to meet all three types of people and adding them to my family like Ash Ketchum collecting Pokemon. Okay, maybe not that creepy sounding.

So, if you missed the epicness of LDStorymakers this year, next year's conference was already announced that May 12-14, 2016 at the Utah Valley Convention Center.

Alien abductions are involuntary, but probings are scheduled.

Plug for LDStorymakers

I've probably talked about this before (and am too lazy to go check), but every spring for the last few years, I've got to go to a writers conference known as LDStorymakers.

To sum it up in one word: AWESOME!

Obviously, the main target audience usually meets two criteria: LDS and authors/writers. Even though I've been going since 2010, I recognize that I am still not published. But at the same time, I've had the opportunity to meet many great people and learn from awesome names in the writing biz.

But having been around for the past few years, I've had some unique opportunities that I can only say are "right place, right time" kind of situations.

I've made some good friends who have gone on to publish, whether on their own or through a traditional publisher. I've also just made some good friends who have stayed in the same boat as me. And of course, I've met plenty of published authors.

After my first year, I wrote a blog post on my own personal blog, which actually was pretty popular. Seriously, I felt so special having a few hundred hits to that post.

Because of my...whatever...because I go...one time I got this great lesson whilst talking to J. Scott Savage. I told him that I just didn't get why people were my "fans". It just didn't make sense to me. He...well...he pretty much told me off in a way that only he can do without offending someone. But it was an awesome conversation and I became a more confident person because of it.

This past year had its ups and downs. I just wasn't feeling it this year. I was kind of like the Storymakers Grinch, without going out of my way to make anyone else miserable. I was unmotivated and displeased with my writing. Pretty much, just down on my self. Thanks to an awesome class taught by Julie Wright, I actually felt much more motivated.

So...in the end, LDStorymakers = Awesome! Really, it's like going to general conference.

Alien abductions are involuntary, but probings are scheduled.

LDStorymakers 2014 and Annual Traditions

This past weekend was the awesome annual event of LDStorymakers (which I've attended for the last 5 years) and the Whitney awards (which I've never attended but have been near the last 2 years.)

Now the only person who seemed to really like the silly idea of framing oneself (besides Julie who created the 'trend') was me. This is the chair of the conference, Don Carey in his framed moment. (see mine below.)

So, there are a couple of annual traditions I have at Storymakers. The first is that I usually end up with one breakfast alone. Yep, I got to sit Friday morning at the restaurant like a friendless loser and listen to Spotify and eat my crepes. (Feeling sorry for me? You should!) Nah, I really didn't mind it that much. It's just funny how many people come up to me and say "Oh, I would've joined you." (Yes, Taffy, that's aimed at you.)


 Writerly friends #selfieday bomb? Storymakers14 @tbronley @juliedaines pic.twitter.com/0xcje37YKP

— Taffy Lovell (@taffylovell) April 26, 2014

(I say I look pensive and awesome. Taffy said I looked concern. There is no vote here and Taffy's wrong. :P )

The other tradition I have is "how many classes do I ditch out on early?" We won't go into my brand of crazy, suffice it to say, sometimes, I just can't stay. But, I really did enjoy the classes I was in.

One of the ones I did not leave early, was taught by the ever awesome Julie Wright. Not only is she a great author (I've read one of her books based for women and would totally recommend it), she's got an awesome spirit about her. What did she teach? Well, the class was called "Taking the Suck out of Success." But really, the true theme I got was "DON'T QUIT!" And yes, that's in caps for a reason.

What made that class so awesome was that it rejuvenated my writing spirit. The previous day, I had another annual tradition of saying "I'm just gonna give up on writing." Yeah, didn't last long, but that's because of Julie. Also, I wouldn't have even had this great spiritual experience had it not been for Scott (Julie's husband) who suggested that Julie feared having no one show up (a common presenter fear) and that Julie and I could just hang out the entire time. So I publicly thank Julie and Scott the awesome Saturday morning experience. (And really, there are no notes I could share because it was just an experience.) And because it was a great experience, I tweeted the following:

If you didn't cry or feel like it in @scatteredjules' class then you're either a Vulcan or a Dalek. #Storymakers14
— T.J. Bronley (@tbronley) April 26, 2014

 And my final "annual tradition" is getting a lesson no one else got. This year, while everyone was hubbubbing in preparation for the Whitneys, I ended up in a conversation with the Storymakers keynote: Orson Scott Card. Now, I know a lot of people (I'm gonna gauge at least 450) who were quite offended by his keynote. However, this conversation was a polar opposite to the hearsay I have of that keynote.

And since this was my only experience in hearing Mr. Card, I have to say that no matter what anyone will negatively state about him, the man has some wisdom to share. And wow, was it awesome. As LDS members, we refer to spiritual experiences. This was such a great spiritual experience between Mr. Card and the four other people in the room, that it made up for everything negative I've ever heard him say. And honestly, you can believe me or you can hold a keynote against him. If you do the latter, than I'll stand high on my soapbox and cry forgiveness. Because he earned it in my eyes.


But the lesson I really learned here is how much I truly let others' hearsay affect my opinion. I didn't stay for the keynote because I'd never heard anything positive of Mr. Card. After speaking to people during the keynote, I had an even lower opinion. That is until I spoke to Scott Wright who helped me understand that not everything said was judgmental and poor. There was a part at the end that was moving (and I don't mean the "moving people out of the room ASAP" parts).

So as much as I did not appreciate some things that he has said, I found a lot of peace and comfort in the lesson that only four friends got. There may not be an excuse for the things he said, but that doesn't give me the right to be offended either.

Alien abductions are involuntary, but probings are scheduled.

Write Away

Have I ever told you that I like to write? I'm sure there are some of you that are here because you know me in a writing community and are interested in seeing me in my geek world. And there are others that are like "Woah, you like to write. Are you published?" To that question let me say this: if I was a published author, I would definitely be shamelessly self-promoting on this blog. Duh!

A lot of people try to tell me how easy it is to be a writer. (I'm sorry, I don't see your book on any shelves.) It really isn't. Writing science-fiction and fantasy, or speculative, in the modern term? Well that's just making stuff up, right? (That person needs a swift kick to the pants.) I really like what my brother-in-law once told me about writing fantasy. He said that's gotta be so difficult to come up with a brand new world with all its own laws, rules, and cultures. I envy his intelligence. (We're talking about my redneck brother-in-law at that.)

Anyway, as a writer, I discovered the awesomeness that are writing conferences. Here is where I hang out with and meet nerds, geeks, and, by all means, dorks. Ever since I attended UVU's Book Academy (it may be UVU's The Book Academy) in 2009 (which was its inaugural event), I was hooked.

Even though I met very few people at that first conference, I still loved going. A few months later I attended LTUE (Life, the Universe, and Everything) in Provo and enjoyed it. I did feel more alone at this conference because I didn't know anyone and had too much introvert energy to get me talking.

But then I went to LDStorymakers in May 2010 and that really changed my perspective of being a future author. I even picked up on some rules on getting your book finished and becoming an author. I'm gonna share with you 5 of my favorite rules I've picked up over the past few years. Pay special attention to rule #1 because that's my absolute favorite. (Also, look at that cool guy holding the Dr. Pepper bottle. Wow, I wish I could be him.)

Rule #1: There Are No Secrets to Being Published

What? You mean Brandon Sanderson and Stephanie Meyer aren't keeping something hidden in a spiral notebook inside a treasure chest buried five under their backyards? Yeah, everything you need to know about being published is basically all over the internet: the good and the bad. I once heard a guy at a signing for Brandon Mull ask "What's your secret?" Brandon Mull replied with "I don't have any. I just wrote and wrote and revised and edited and found a publisher that picked me up." This guy looked disappointed. Now there are things we can learn from other authors to be better at our craft. But there really isn't an underlying secret to landing a big deal with a big house publisher.


Rule #2: Read What You Want to Write

This is actually from Stephen King. He's even scarier because he's right. If you're wanting to write a fantasy novel about a troll, then reading Jane Austen is not gonna help you. Exception: if you're trying to see how to incorporate arrogant pride or smug prejudice into the story. (Oh yeah, these rules aren't absolute.)

Rule #3: Going Fanboy/Fangirl On An Author Will Not Help Your Publishing Path

Okay, maybe it will. But authors are people. These aren't Kardashians. They don't want to be treated like they're better than everyone else, generally speaking. Here are the two thoughts here. If the author doesn't like being treated the same as a rockstar, they will think you're weird and annoying. If the author likes the ego boost, they're gonna take your ranting and raving as that, an ego boost. Nothing more, nothing less.



Rule #4: What Works For One Author Doesn't Always Work For Another

There are authors that say "The only way to write is with an outline." There are others that say, "The only way to write is to sit your butt in front of the computer and let your thoughts/ideas flow." Guess what. They're both right...minus this "the only way" business. No, there isn't an only way. One of my favorite things about LDS author Elana Johnson is how she says "This is what works for me" in her presentations. She knows not everything she does will help someone else. She's just sharing what she does.

Rule #5: Being A Published Author Does Not Mean You've Arrived

If your goal is to write one book, and only one, and get it self-published and never write another thing, then this rule isn't for you. There are people out there that believe once you're published everything you write will get published. That has happened for very few actually. Not everyone is John Grisham, Danielle Steel, and a handful of others. Yes, I'm sure you can name about 50 authors that have shelves of books out there and everything they write gets published. Guess what, I can go to the books store and find about 20 authors for each one of those 50 that only has a few books out. There are a LOT of authors competing for publishers' time and booksellers' shelf space.

So there you have my rules. Am I right? Of course I am. But if you don't believe me, go ahead and do it your way. If it works, sweet, you hit the exceptions list. If it doesn't.....well....I told you so. (Yes, I'm immature sometimes.)

Alien abductions are involuntary, but probings are scheduled.

LDStorymakers

So, I'm supposed to have my interview with Iron Man for this post, but I am at my favorite writers conference in the world and do not have any of my pictures with me and blah blah blah....this will be a different post and that will be my post for next week.

Let me geek out....freak out....nerd out....whatever you wanna call it for a moment.

First, LDStorymakers is this awesome writers conference of awesomesauce held annually for the last 9 years. What started with about 40 people has grown to 450 people with a waiting list due to the size limitation of the Provo Mariott. By the way, I love the conference here (unlike some technically challenged presenters.)

But what does Storymakers have to offer? Besides the chance to hobnob with the coolest nerds around?

So, for the comic-loving geeks we have Howard Tayler, awesome author of Shlock Mercenery. For those who like dystopian(-esque) there's Elana Johnson, James Dashner and Robison Wells. For fantasy lovers there are A WHOLE LOT TO CHOOSE FROM. And for the people with homocidal tendencies, Dan Wells and his horror loving ways.

And then for those who just like books...well...there are too many awesome authors to list. 

For those that would like a little more info on what I'm talking about, you can click on the link earlier in this post. Or keep reading.

Basically, we're talking about a 2-day conference with an optional 1/2 day before as a pseudo-critique group. For the conference itself, you get the opportunity to sit through up to 11 different 50-minute classes. I say "up to" because there are some master classes that are 2 hours long. (For the record, I attended 1 master class this year as well as 5 regular classes. But I got some personal lessons with authors while I wasn't in the classes. So I'm gonna own those invaluable moments.)

On the evening between the Friday and Saturday conferences they hold a book signing, a publishers mix-and-mingle, and for those pre-published authors, another socializing effort. By the way, here's an awesome shot with my friend Nichole and I showing off our special Dr. Pepper bottles you can only find in a special location (and also is made with natural sugar.)

 

How did we get main center there? Oh, I put us there since I'm that awesome. Duh!

Anyway, I'm gonna take a long time to recover from all the awesomeness known as LDStorymakers.

Alien abductions are involuntary, but probings are scheduled.