Last weekend was the annual NJ-SCBWI conference. Our new RA,
Leeza Hernandez, managed her debut conference with efficiency, good humor, and
grace. Congratulations to Leeza and her fabulous team.
Everyone gets something different out of these events, but here
is one of my highlights:
Lexa Hillyer of
Paper Lantern Lit spoke about her company’s 3-step process of taking an idea
for a novel through to publication: “Spark, Structure, and Sparkle.” The Spark is the idea you begin with, and she discussed how to heighten the
concept. Be passionate. Don’t be afraid of big ideas, and allow the
book to have a macro concept/theme (involving the greater world) as well as a
micro concept/theme (personal to the main character). Structure: PLL uses a
classic 3-Act structure starting with an “inciting incident” in Act One, which
leaves the main character with a problem to solve. Act Two keeps raising the stakes and the hurdles that the
main character has to overcome until the climax, a culminating event in which
all the plots and subplots converge and come crashing down into a giant
mess. Act Three starts with a
“moment of revelation” out of the ashes of destruction—the main character
realizes that what she (he) thought she wanted was not what she really needed.
Cue: character change. Sparkle is the polishing process. How to make your book the best it can
be. Come up with the best possible title.
Consider the integrity of your chapters, and always re-write your first
chapter after you finish the first draft (or second, or third).
More to follow!
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