THE NEXT CHAPTER – Gathering
Becoming a writer among writers.
"It never occurred to me not to. If you don't submit, you're rejecting yourself, and that’s not your job." – Elizabeth Gilbert on sending her first story "Coyote Ugly" to Esquire [cited by Jane K. Cleland at 2025 Writer's Digest Conference]
Having just returned from the 2025 Writer's Digest Conference at the Maritime Center outside of Baltimore, I can attest two things:
1. Amtrak is not on its way to catching up with 21st Century rail systems; and
2. It is deeply beneficial for a writer, aspiring, accomplished or in-between, to engage with the society of other writers.
My goals in attending this event, which I have done with a few omissions since 2016, were to pitch my current novel, meet with other writers, and pick up on craft tips that I'd missed or mis-applied. At dinner with a few non-writer engineers at the hotel the night before, I likened a writer's conference to a gold rush where most profit is realized by those selling shovels. "We're here to buy shovels," I told them.
And all cynicism aside, that is part of the business: there is a proper market for guides to craft and process in the labyrinthine industry serving stories in our complicated language. Being a writer, I have an ego: I am pretty certain that my stories are unique and thought-provoking and the prose with which I address my stories is among the best on offer. There is no better cure for a know-it-all than to be among fellow writers exchanging notes, tips, and experiences at every level, above and beyond the seminars conducted by experts.
Pitches
I scheduled two Agent 1:1 pitches. The first agent, who had read my prior project last year, offered to read my current one after discussion about its plot, setting, characters and potential audience. The second discussed the project with me before saying that her primary field was non-fiction, with a few very specific fiction areas. I then asked her what in my pitch she found enticing, and what was missing or misstated that would push it off, and she provided a very clear analysis of what changes in emphasis and structure might improve my chances: push the plot and characters rather than the general setting.
I considered both meetings to be positive: I got a full read for what I regarded as a strong manuscript (more on that later) and an expert analysis of what worked and didn't in my pitch. In each case the actual meeting was really a conversation which started with me presenting the concise facts of my story. Remember, you're not just trying to sell one book, it's really about speed dating a potential (and potentially enduring) business relationship.
Chats
If you attend enough conferences, you'll find it easier to engage in conversation with just about anyone you encounter, and eventually you start to see familiar faces. Comparing notes on how you're finding the conference, where you're from, what you write, what you're working on or pitching now is a pleasant way to share a table or await the start of a talk or enjoy a cocktail after. I met writers from Hawaii, Illinois, Texas, Bangladesh and nearby Maryland, among other places. Some were retired or moving in that direction. Some played music as well. There was an attorney, a genealogist, and a not-for-profit director. It was great to share our journeys.
You also get to meet well-known authors and speakers and discover that these are real people with whom you can have a pleasant conversation. I'll just call out Rob Hart, author of many bestsellers including PARADOX HOTEL and ASSASSINS ANONYMOUS, who grew up not far from my neighborhood in Staten Island. We shared some favored landmarks, and he signed a copy of one of his books for a friend of mine facing surgery who feels that PARADOX HOTEL is one of the best books he's ever read. Nice to be able to tell an author about that.
Seminars
Normally I send my manuscripts for full reads as soon as possible after getting the green light. I had my computer with me and strong WiFi, so I could have sent my current manuscript on Friday night. Good thing I didn't.
On Saturday morning, I attended a seminar led by my full-read agent, Jessica Berg of Rosecliff Literary,[1] called "Writing Synopses That Don't Suck". Starting with a bizarre little story about a date colliding with deconstructed sushi, she broke down the basics of what should and should not be in the dreaded synopsis for a novel. I thought I had that pretty well figured out, down to the first reference of each primary character's name in BLOCK CAPS and referencing side characters by role.
But Jessica went on from there to show how a synopsis can help to test the plot structure of a story, starting with a one-sentence summary, and filling it out to about four paragraphs stepping through Setup, Inciting Incident, Rising Action, Climax, Resolution, and Final Beat. She also discussed how to address dual points of view (POVs), but by this time I found myself making notes about a chapter that I suddenly realized was missing from the manuscript I was about to submit.
In fact, a lot of what I took away from the various craft seminars and keynote (the engaging Jean Kwok) concerned analysis. Jane K. Cleland, who at the last conference encouraged me to send my mystery novella "Deadline" to the Black Orchid Novella Award (where it won an Honorable Mention), presented "Deconstruct Your Favorite Books". Essentially, when you read a book you admire or see successful authors in a genre of interest, go through these selected works to map out Pace, Character Quirks, Language, Setting, Theme, Style of Ending, and any other plot, character, dialogue, or content area relevant to what you are looking to write. Jean Kwok, who is already successful herself, noted that she does this.
Tiffany Yates Martin led a spirited hour on "Shoring Up Mid-Book Sag" with strategies to analyze and fix stalled momentum. And in panels and informal conversations, other successful writers said much the same thing: If something you read resonates, go back and see if you can figure out how it was accomplished. The goal is not to parrot what has already been done; Jane applied the term "continuous improvement" where a better system is developed by reference to papers and practice. My earlier engineering dinner companions would have approved.
Afterward
I will confess that I've developed a habit of figuring out which current task I find most unpleasant and making sure to tackle that one first. Everything after that is easier, right?
In our current discussion, after typing up my conference notes (26 pages in my little notebook), I've mapped out two additions and threaded updates in my manuscript, and may do more after I review my synopsis.
Let me add that I have evolved a planning system based on a spreadsheet that includes action, characters, development points, chronology and color coding of perceived pacing of chapters, so I have some sort of handle on my structure and plot. It's just that I can probably do better through applied analysis that I learned at the conference. And, at the end of the day, isn't that what it's all about?
Keep on,
Andy
[1] Rosecliff has a monthly free Zoom gathering called Lunch With an Agent addressing focused themes each session with live Q&A. See the site for details.