10 Things I Learned at the SCBWI Conference

I've just returned from the SCBWI BI Conference and I'm still buzzing. The experience was exciting, scary, inspirational and exhausting - everything I'd hoped for and a little bit more.  I met some wonderful people and learned some important skills.  My only regret was that my camera packed up after the very first session so I didn't manage to take any photos.  It's nigh on impossible to sum up everything in ten points here because I had a hell of a lot to learn, but I'll do my best! So here goes - in no particular order...

1. You can't pick up everything at a conference or speak to every person - no matter how much you prepare.
2. Grow every single plot seed that you sow.
3. When pitching to an agent or editor, pretend that you're bigging up someone else's book to increase your confidence.
4. Don't worry about whether you're a planner or a pantser. Great writers do both and still achieve amazing results (Marcus Sedgwick and Ellen Renner have completely different approaches).
5. Vampires are still big in the UK. Angels and dystopian fantasy are hot property right now.  Crime and sci-fi are increasing in popularity, but publishers will acquire any genre if the book blows their socks off (views from a panel that included Rebecca Hill - Usborne, Bella Pearson - David Fickling Books, Sarah Lilly - Orchard, Brenda Gardner - Piccadilly Press).
6. You can make a free website at Jimdo.
7. Make sure that every character, however minor, is considered with precision - make their presence count.
8. SCBWI BI has 400 members.
9. If you're going on your own, you will make friends. It's impossible not to!
10. You will leave with a sense that your writing world has expanded exponentially, just perhaps not in a way that you predicted.

Phew! Off to do some writing now before I return to work tomorrow. I'd be happy to answer any questions about the conference if you weren't able to attend so please either leave a comment here or email me directly and I'll get back to you.