berries

Workshop Transcript

Storyboarding & Easy Readers

with Anastasia Suen

 

berries Close Window to Return

 

Verla: Hey....where's our guest of honor?

_Lyra: hope she didn't have trouble getting here...

Verla: I don't see Anastasia anywhere....

Verla peeks under the desk, behind the door...even in the bathroom stalls....NO Anastasia

_Lyra: what's the topic, Verla?

Verla: Gulp...one minute to workshop time and NO anastasia?

guest-Dann: If she doesn't come, can we goof off for the whole hour? (BEG)

NOTE: BEG = Big Evil Grin

Verla: I don't know the FIRST thing about storyboarding.

_Lyra: Maybe Anastasia is VERY prompt...and will be here soon

ClaraRose: something I have heard a lot, but don't know very well.

Verla: I sure hope so. She emailed me earlier today and said she'd be here.

guest-Dann: We'e filling up and no Anastasia

tinaeva1: hi everyone

_Lyra: hmmm...oh where oh where can Anastasia be?

Verla: I'm going to send her an email. You folks can arrange the chairs and set up the podium & microphone while I'm gone. brb

NOTE: brb = Be Right Back (Or alternatively, BathRoom Break)

_Lyra: Forget the chair...I'm reclining on a sofa while I wait

Verla: and NO fighting over the chairs!

guest-Dann: oh where, or where can she be? With her ears so short...Sorry

Verla: Well, I sent her an email. Don't know what else I can do.

Don_S: tick tock tick tock hours.

_Lyra: It's 6 here (g)

NOTE: g = Grin

MelLane: It's not 8 yet, is it?

Verla: yes. It's 5 after by my clock.

MelLane: Well, the tv just changed shows, if that helps.

Verla: If she doesn't show up...what topic do you all want? You get to pick potluck.

guest-Dann: If we pick, do we have to lead it, too?

Christyy: lol Danne

NOTE: lol = Laughing Out Loud

Verla: Lyra and I will lead the potluck. (I get first dibs on the deserts!)

_Enchanted: Hi --- It took me 15 minutes to get in here tonight!

Verla: Yikes, enchanted! Maybe that's what happened to our featured speaker

Don_S: It looks like storyboards is a popular topic.

Verla: Okay...picture books use story boards

Verla: Anyone here know what a storyboard is?

DonaV: Isn't a storyboard what's used to plot out films?

Verla: Some people also use them to plot out books, mel

kidlitkt: same as a dummy?

DonaV: To give books that cinematic quality?

guest-Dann: Is it where you think in scenes?

Verla: Our featured speaker has had some kind of problem and isn't here tonight, folks. So we are FAKING this workshop until she arrives

DonnaB2: Hey, maybe Anastasia can't get in at all, like me last week.

Verla: Could be, donna

_Lyra: We could have a question and answer, kia...anyone have probing questions for those of us who published?

Verla: Good thought, lyra

_Enchanted: I've got one! I've got one!

Verla: what is your question, enchanted?

_Enchanted: Where can I do some reading up on POV? Any suggestions? Online? Good book?

NOTE: POV = Point Of View

_Lyra: I don't know about (instructional) writing books, but POV is something that's not always easy

guest-Dann: We're doing a workshop on POV at the Writer's BBS

NOTE: Writer's BBS is an on-line bulletin board (URL is unknown to me)

MelLane: Writer's Digest has a WONDERFUL book on Point of View.

MelLane: It's called "VOICE & STYLE"

Verla: Writers Digest books has a great book, enchanted...one of their "elements of fiction writing" series of books on how to write well

Verla: Characters & Viewpoint is the name of that book

MelLane: Oops. Voice & Style covers viewpoint, too. (Sorry!)

Verla: I'm sure more than one of their books does, mel

_Enchanted: I'm copying this down. Thank you.

MelLane: What's so sad, is I have CHARACTER & VIEWPOINT, too!

_Lyra: what do you mean, Mel?

MelLane: The book, Lyra. I have both books...

_Lyra: When you're writing POV, just always remember to be that character's EYES, only see what they can see

guest-Dann: That can be hard to do, sometimes. Like, in this book I'm writing, the main character gets hypnotized

guest-Dann: I couldn't show what was happening, because she wouldn't know it

Verla: Hmmm. So...you can't show what is happening from that character's point of view then

_Lyra: You might need other viewpoints, Danni

Verla: that means you need more than one point of view for that book to work, Danni...or else you will have to change to another character for your main character

MelLane: You could show the impressions your character has...

guest-Dann: I tried just jumping to after she woke up and having someone else tell her what happened.

_Lyra: That's a good device, too, Danni

guest-Dann: It took place at a tv show

Verla: That could work, danni

Verla: Or...why don't you have the character watch what happened ON the tv broadcast. (I'm assuming it was taped?)

_Lyra: You could have a chapter showing the TV show

Verla: Hey, I just SAID that, lyra!

_Lyra: twinsies (g)

guest-Dann: Good idea. I think I will have a tape of the show. Thanks Lyra and Verla:-)

Harazin: Danni--look at "If I should die before I wake" and see how Hans did it. That technique may work for you

guest-Dann: What book is that, Harazin?

Harazin: "If I should die before I wake"

_Lyra: Seems the most recent books I see for kids have different styles, like I'm reading one in present tense now

guest-Dann: Lisa's War is in present tense. Makes everything sound more urgent

MelLane: Lisa's War?

guest-Dann: It's by Carol Matas (not sure if it's still in print)

Harazin: present tense is usually not recommended for juvenile

_Lyra: (I don't like present tense, although I did sell a TEEN short story written that way)

Harazin: Present tense is tiring to me

_Lyra: I am actually doing something weird for POV in my new book

kidlitkt: cool lyra, what?

_Lyra: My heroine is the main character and it's first person--but I show another character occasionally in 3rd person

Verla: In my YA book, I change viewpoints with every other chapter. First hers, then his, back and forth. It works

Verla: NOTE: For anyone that just came in, our featured speaker has had some kind of difficulty..so we are having an open question/answer session until she arrives

_Lyra: Verla can answer questions about pic books, I can for mid-grade, and I'm sure others can for short stories or articles

DonnaB2: Another question. Other than number of picture/illustration opportunities, is there any way to tell whether you've written a book (PB) or a magazine story?

NOTE: PB = picture book

MelLane: Sounds GREAT, Dani! <g>

guest-Dann: It's about a Jewish girl who joins the Danish resistance

_Lyra: That IS hard...but for it to be a book, it has to be very strong, visual, and topical

DonnaB2: What do you mean by "topical?"

guest-Dann: I think it's YA

NOTE: YA = Young Adult

guest-Dann: Okay, I have a frivolous question. What does an acceptance letter look like? Or a phone call sound like?

guest-Dann: I've always wondered

guest-Dann: I'll save my question til after the workshop

*** Anastasia has joined channel #Kidlit

Verla: She's HERE!

Verla: Hoooray!

DonnaB2: ANASTASIA!!

guest-Dann: YAY!

Verla: Our featured speaker made it!

Anastasia: Sorry!

Christyy: hi!

_Enchanted: Lower the drawbridge.

_Lyra: yeah for Anasastia!

DonnaB2: Hope you didn't get a speeding ticket on the way!

Verla: Everyone who is new...please comment and ask questions pertaining to the topic as we go....but keep personal comments, hello's & goodby's until afterwards.

*** Verla has set the topic on channel #Kidlit to What is a StoryBoard Workshop in Session

Anastasia: HI! Shall we begin?

Verla: Okay, Anastasia...You are ON!

kidlitkt: go girl

guest-Dann: YES!!

_Lyra: and look at the crowd who wants to hear you, Anastasia!

Anastasia: I wanted to talk about storyboarding

Anastasia: I use this tool extensively

Anastasia: when I write picture books

Anastasia: I find that It helps me think

Anastasia: It's like the movies

Anastasia: I see all of the scenes at once

Anastasia: and then

Anastasia: I know what to write

guest-Dann: Is it like what the Disney people do for their animated movies? I mean, a real physical storyboard?

Anastasia: I use a piece of paper

Anastasia: lined or unlined

Anastasia: and I make boxes on it

Anastasia: they look like little pages

guest-Dann: Guess it is

Anastasia: After I make the boxes

Anastasia: I circle page 5

DonnaB2: 1 - 4 are title, etc.???

Anastasia: in a picture book

Anastasia: p 5 is where your story begins

Anastasia: I ALWAYS WRITE P 32

Anastasia: BEFORE I begin

guest-Dann: Why?

Anastasia: I need to know where the story is going

Anastasia: so I know

Anastasia: where *I* am going

guest-Dann: So the ending is first?

Anastasia: I want to know the beginning

Anastasia: and the ending

Anastasia: the hard part

Anastasia: is the middle

Verla: Ah...good plan, Anastasia. So...you do this StoryBoard BEFORE you even start writing your story?

Anastasia: sometimes

Anastasia: I do it when I have an idea

kidlitkt: are you an artist or a stick-figure kind of person?

Anastasia: If it fits on a storyboard

Anastasia: then I know I have enough story for an entire book

Anastasia: I was trained an illustrator,

Anastasia: but I gave that up several years ago

Anastasia: I do not draw the pictures

Verla: Okay

Anastasia: I only see them in my head

Verla: Do you put the words on this story board first?

Anastasia: I write one line or one word captions

Sammeow: How many frames to you have on your paper?

Anastasia: three boxes across - 5 lines down

Anastasia: it adds up to 32 (picture book) pages

Anastasia: the first box start with the first "page of the book

Anastasia: which is on the right

Anastasia: does that make sense?

guest-Dann: yes

Christyy: yup

Anastasia: Eve Bunting said in an article I read years ago

Anastasia: make it like the movies

Anastasia: I write it out like scenes

guest-Dann: So the captions would be like "Sam gets lost" "Sam finds baby bear who's lost"

Anastasia: yes

Anastasia: Sam under trees, crying

Anastasia: every page has TO HAVE A DIFFERENT PICTURE

Anastasia: or the book goes no where - visually

Anastasia: the "Page turn" is very important

guest-Dann: Good way to tell if it's a picture book or a magazine story!

Anastasia: you have to have a reason to "turn" the page

Anastasia: yes, a mag story has only a few pictures

Anastasia: a picture book needs 14 or more!

Verla: I usually make sure my stories have at LEAST 16 "scenes" in them that an illustrator can pick from

Anastasia: with a storyboard, I can "see' the entire book

Anastasia: all at one time

Anastasia: I can see the story arc

Anastasia: I can see where it drags

Anastasia: I can see if the story is too short

Anastasia: or too long

Anastasia: It helps me see the big picture

guest-Dann: 32 pages, 14 pictures? What happened to the other pages?

Anastasia: 14 picture = 14 double spreads

Anastasia: more pictures is better

guest-Dann: Oh, I get it

Anastasia: but the artist decides that

Anastasia: not you - unfortunately

Anastasia: p 5 is your opening

Anastasia: you must "set the scene", introduce the main character

Anastasia: and tell the story problem

Anastasia: all in one page

Anastasia: with as few words as possible

Anastasia: p 32 is your happy ending

Anastasia: you must wrap up all of the loose ends

Anastasia: and some editors like to end a story with a twist

Anastasia: that's fun,

Anastasia: but it can be hard to write

Anastasia: has anyone tried using a storyboard?

guest-Dann: No

kidlitkt: yes

guest-Dann: not yet

ClaraRose: actually I have.. but didn't know what I was doing

Anastasia: How about a book dummy?

Sammeow: I've set up a dummy

ClaraRose: yes, I've done a dummy.

Anastasia: a book dummy is like a little paper book

Anastasia: I find it helps me to see the page turns

Christyy: I've done a dummy before

kidlitkt: what size is your storyboard?

Anastasia: well, a storyboard is all of the book dummy pages

Anastasia: written VERY tiny - onto one page

kidlitkt: thanks

Anastasia: I make mine on notebook paper

_Lyra: sort of like a book outline all in one place visually

Anastasia: the boxes are 1 inch by 2 inches

Anastasia: yes, Lyra

Anastasia: I write the pictures I want to see on that page

Anastasia: then I write the words

Anastasia: after the pre-thinking stage

_Enchanted: "prethinking" -- I like that

_Lyra: How long does it take you from start to finish, Anastasia?

Anastasia: I can do a storyboard in a matter of minutes

Anastasia: but I rewrite them constantly

kidlitkt: whew!

Verla: Gosh, this is GREAT, Anastasia. I've never done this BEFORE I wrote a story. I've done something similar AFTER I got the first draft done...to see what needed "fixing" But I like the idea of doing it at the beginning!

Anastasia: thanks, verla

DonnaB2: Like Verla, I've kinda done it afterwards.

Anastasia: if I get stuck

Anastasia: I throw eveything out

kidlitkt: gasp!

Anastasia: and start again

DonnaB2: You have the basic story idea, though, right? Isn't it like fitting your story (words) to the storyboard?

Anastasia: yes

Verla: Ohhh. Good way to phrase it, Donna

Anastasia: I use the board to help me see the entire plot

Anastasia: all at once

Anastasia: there is no set way, really

Anastasia: I do it first

Anastasia: so I won't write in circles

Anastasia: it's part of the thinking process for me

Anastasia: I'm a visual writer

Anastasia: so i need to see the pictures

Verla: Explain "write in circles," please?

Anastasia: Oh, I go on and on and on

Anastasia: when I write in circles

Verla: Oh...you mean like drag the story out too far....too long?

Anastasia: yes

Anastasia: I need the frame

Anastasia: of the storyboard - so i know how much to write on each page

Verla: Ah...so this helps you to keep the story tight enough to be a really good picture book!

DonaV: It sounds as though you're saying that you see the images first, and then the words come

Anastasia: yes - pictures first

Anastasia: then words

Anastasia: I stay tight

Anastasia: when I have the storyboard - yes

Anastasia: well - I have the basic idea before I start

Anastasia: I do have a few words

Anastasia: I call them the "opens' and "closes" -

Anastasia: just like they do on TV

Anastasia: and then I do it over and over and over...

Verla: hmmm. I usually "see" the words first and the pictures second!

Verla: I would put the words in the frames and THEN visualize the pictures that go with them.

kidlitkt: me too

Anastasia: I do that sometimes, too Verla - words to pictures

Anastasia: do you "see" the pictures when you write a picture book?

kidlitkt: yes

Anastasia: do you write them down - just for yourself?

Anastasia: I wrote the pictures I wanted to see

Anastasia: and then I wrote the words

Anastasia: I did a newspaper article yeasterday - without a storyboard

Anastasia: yikes! It was over 800 words long

_Lyra: on what topic?

Anastasia: books! :)

DonaV: So the storyboard keeps you from writing *too* many words/pages (a problem I have)

DonnaB2: How do you use a storyboard for an article?

Anastasia: it helps me think

EZGuest5: For nonfiction?

Anastasia: yes, for nonfiction

_Lyra: how many books have you sold, A?

Anastasia: 17

_Lyra: wow!!!

_Enchanted: wonderful!

Anastasia: 5 PB

Anastasia: 12 EZ

NOTE: EZ = Easy Readers

Anastasia: I use the storyboard on everyone of them

Verla: So you use a storyboard for easy readers, too, anastasia?

Anastasia: yes- for EZ, too

Anastasia: the one EZ I did without a storyboard - was 1,500 words!

Verla: wow

Sammeow: Does the EZ follow the PB format?

Anastasia: some Easy readers are like Picture Books

Verla: So how do you set up the EZ reader storyboard? It isn't 32 pages, is it?

Anastasia: these all had different page requirements - depending on the grade level

Anastasia: 8-12-16 pages

Verla: So you took the number of pages...

Verla: still leave off 5 pages? Even in the 8 page books?

kidlitkt: 16 double spread?

Verla: I mean four pages...starting on page five?

Anastasia: not in these - the textbook EZ books start on p 2

Verla: oh. Okay.

Verla: I wondered. three pages didn't seem long enough!

Anastasia: 16 pages for everything!

Verla: So that gives you 2 half pages and 3 double page spreads for the 8 page books, 5 double page spreads for the 12 page books and 7 double page spreads for the 16 page books?

Anastasia: layout for EZ 2-3 = spread, 4-5 = spread,

Anastasia: 6=7= spread - 8 = closing page

Anastasia: the longer once had more spreads - and 12 or 16 was the closing spread

Anastasia: a single spread

Anastasia: and then I rewrote everything

Anastasia: to make it fit their specifications

Anastasia: and each level has a different "character count"

Anastasia: that's letter, punctuation and spaces

_Lyra: sounds pretty mathmatical

Anastasia: it was! I was counting and counting!

Anastasia: trade isn't like that.. thank goodness

Sammeow: Do you use leveled vocabulary words for the EZ?

Anastasia: for the EZ - i used the words they allowed - depending on what had been previously taught

Verla: Thanks, Anastasia. That's a BIG help. What publisher were these EZ readers for? Because that makes a BIG difference. Every one seems to want a different kind of format for those EZ readers.

Anastasia: read lots and lots of them

Anastasia: that's what Anne Hoppe said when i interviewed her

Anastasia: she said to read 50-100 EZ

Anastasia: it's a very difficult form

Verla: So,I guess the BEST way to do easy readers is to look in the bookstore at the publisher you want to write for and "examine" their books. Page by page.

Anastasia: yes

_Lyra: did my question about when you sold your first book & what it was show before I was cut off?

kidlitkt: no lyra

Anastasia: I sold my first book in 96 - the day after my 40th b'day

Anastasia: January

Anastasia: I had been writing and mailing for 10 yrs

Anastasia: I had previously sold 3 poems to magazines

DonnaB2: Boy, that's discouraging.

kidlitkt: !!

*MelLane * How many books has she sold? She REALLY knows her stuff!

--> MelLane She said 17, mel

Verla: I wrote for 5 years before my first book sale and had two mag stories sold...

Anastasia: you were faster than I was! :)

Verla: I took the ICL (Institute of Children's Literature) correspondence course, Anastasia...I'm SURE it cut YEARS off my publishing time...

Sammeow: 5 to 10 yrs. is normal, isn't it?

Anastasia: yes 5-10 yrs is average

Anastasia: do you storyborad at all, Verla?

Verla: Only AFTER I have written my stories, Anastasia. What I do is go through a first draft and stick numbers on it where I "see" all the picture changes...I make sure I have a minimum of 16 pictures and usually 20 to 22 of them in my manuscript

Verla: But I really LIKE the idea of the full storyboard!

Anastasia: so the words come first for you, Verla

Verla: Yes, they do.

Verla: But I'm not a trained illustrator.

Verla: I DO "see" pictures all the time I'm writing, though

Anastasia: I don't illustrate them at all

Anastasia: do you write an outline so you can plan out your scenes?

Verla: Not usually...

Verla hides her head in shame....

Sammeow: Do you indicate where you "see" pictures on your MS, Verla?

NOTE: MS = manuscript

Verla: Yes, with numbers, Samm

Verla: I go through the whole story and number every picture change...then I can see how badly "spaced" my story is.

Verla: I may have two paragraphs of one picture then a line with four picture changes in one sentence!

Verla: I rewrite until the pictures are fairly evenly spaced.

Anastasia: BINGO!

Anastasia: none of this ever goes in the mail - however

Anastasia: that's why we rewrite

kidlitkt: I see in words, can you explain

kidlitkt: evenly spaced pics?

Verla: No huge blocks of unpictured areas and no places with too many changes too fast. That doesn't mean all of them have to have the same number of sentences, though!

Anastasia: too boring

Anastasia: unless it's a poem

Anastasia: and it HAS to be that way

Anastasia: then you must follow the form

Anastasia: of the poem

Anastasia: as well as the form

Anastasia: of the picture book

Verla: You just don't want LARGE areas of type for one picture and then one word per picture change for the rest of the story

kidlitkt: i see

Anastasia: the easier it is to read

Anastasia: the harder it is

Anastasia: to write

Verla: Yes, each of my 200 word picture books took me 2 to 3 years to write. They are all in rhyme.

Verla: You want your story to be fairly even...a sentence or two on each page...or one paragraph per page...or whatever "pattern" you set up for it. Whatever it NEEDS to be told the best way you can tell it.

Anastasia: I love patterns

Anastasia: they help me think

Anastasia: but I need to see the pictures first

Anastasia: before i can write the patterns

Anastasia: otherwise

Anastasia: i make myself crazy

Anastasia: and then end up throwing most of my writing away

ClaraRose: I tend to be that way too, somewhat, Anastasia.

Anastasia: you throw it away?

ClaraRose: I need to see the pictures first

Anastasia: hooray! ClaraRose!

Anastasia: :)

Verla: Giggle. I wrote somewhere between 80 and 150 verses for Iron Horses...used 16 or 18 of them in the final manuscript.

ClaraRose: Wow, Verla!

Anastasia: do you write that many now, verla?

Verla: By the time I get done with a story -- probably, Anastasia!

Sammeow: One way isn't better than the other (pictures to words or words to pictures). It's just the way one's brain works best in the creative process.

Anastasia: I agree, sam

Verla: Hey, folks...it's normally time for the workshop to end....but because we started late...all those who want to stay to get the full hour are invited to continue for another 15 minutes. Is that okay with you, Anastasia?

Anastasia: fine! :)

SherylT: i did a storyboard for a piece I did for TURTLE and the pictures weren't where or even what I pictured they'd be.

Anastasia: that happens

Anastasia: I use the board to help ME think

Anastasia: after I turn it in - it's their baby

Verla: Yes, the storyboard is ONLY for the writer's own use. Your illustrator will take it and add his/her own vision to yours...and hopefully make your story even BETTER than you imagined it.

Verla: (That's what happened with my first two books. They came out SO great! Much better than I'd imagined them.)

Anastasia: verla - I did tell you about my 4 inches for Delivery, didn't I?

Verla: No..what do you mean, 4 inches?

kidlitkt: 4 inch pile? Anastasia: 4 inches of rewrites and rejects! :)

Anastasia: a 4 inch pile of files!

kidlitkt: yikes

Verla: yikes is right, Anastasia.

Anastasia: rewrites - rejections - remember - it was 8 years from idea to acceptance

Verla: Yes. I have a large amount of them, too. I never measured mine, though. LOL

Anastasia: i just tell everyone I'm a rewriter

Sammeow: lol

NOTE: LOL = Laughing Out Loud

Christyy: lol

Verla: Hey, the only way to be a GOOD writer is to be a re-writer.

Anastasia: thank you ma'am!

_Lyra: totally agree--I do lots of rewriting

Anastasia: i find that writing it out helps me think- it gives me new ideas

Verla: Yes!

Verla: And I almost HAVE to print out my stories and use a pen/pencil on them to write in changes. I find I can see the problems much better that way.

Verla: And something else that REALLY helps is to read them OUT LOUD

Sammeow: me too

Verla: You can SEE where the page turns are wrong when you are reading it out loud

Verla: You can tell if that one word works by itself on that page or if it needs more with it

Anastasia: I storyborad - I write by hand - i type them in - and I rewrite ALL of them - again and again

katrapp_: i always read out loud

Anastasia: it has to sing - or out it goes

ClaraRose: do you have a felt story board like tool? Or some kind of template?

Verla: I made templates for me, clara.

Verla: Took a paper and divided it into 32 spaces...then made photo copies of it. So if I want to do a storyboard..I just grab one of the papers and write away

Anastasia: no - I use old paper - I recycle everything - I write on the back of the page

Anastasia: i just scribble out the boxes - and go

SherylT: I use file cards.

Anastasia: file cards are movable! :)

SherylT: I can move the file cards around.

Sammeow: Do you save the originals...and drafts?

Anastasia: that's how you get 4 inches! you save everything

katrapp_: yes, i always have several drafts on the computer

Anastasia: I date them - because sometimes I backtrack -

Verla: hehhe. The first book I sold was my covered wagon story. AFTER it sold, the copy editing department noticed that I didn't have the "seasons" historically accurate for my family.

Anastasia: oops

kidlitkt: ick, Verla

Verla: I had them leaving in the spring and arriving in the spring. The families left in the spring and arrived in the FALL

Verla: This story was written in rhyme...

Verla: So I had to cut apart the entire manuscript and put the seasons in their correct order. THEN some of the "events" of the trip were wrong...

Anastasia: oh no

Verla: and there were big "gaps" in the story line.

Verla: My whole living room floor was covered with the verses for two days!

Anastasia: lol

Verla: When I got done, I had to rewrite a bunch of the verses and write several new ones to fill in the holes.

katrapp_: verse flooring?

Verla: Hmmm. Interesting phrase for it, but it works, kat

Verla: It was a major undertaking!

_Lyra: picture books ARE hard

tinaeva1: How long did that take Verla?

Verla: I did it all in ONE week. (they were in a hurry for the manuscript)

Anastasia: of course

_Lyra: It's really common to wait for editor comments, then they want it yesterday

katrapp_: lyra... how so?

Anastasia: hurry up and wait - in reverse!

_Lyra: yeah--if editors get behind they pass on tight deadlines to authors

Verla: Luckily...I still had all the verses I'd written and "discarded" from previous versions of the story...so I was able to go back to them and pull out bits and pieces that worked in this "new" version.

Anastasia: that's why I save everything!

Verla: Yep. Me, too.

_Lyra: I save earlier versions, too...which can mean lots of paper

Anastasia: I can imagine - novels are a lot longer

Verla: And you will find when you get published that the publishers have TWO speeds only. Breakneck and Full Stop.

_Lyra: LOL

Verla: Full Stop is what you usually see....until you sell something.

katrapp_: snicker

Verla: DARN. Our hour is UP, folks. Any last questions for Anastasia?

Verla: And.. we are SO glad you made it, Anastasia!

Anastasia: thanks, sorry about the delay! :(

katrapp_: thanks bunches Anastasia :)

tinaeva1: Thanks Anastasia. Bye all.

DonaV: Great information! Thanks!

Christyy: thank you anastasia!

guest-Lyn: Wonderful workshop -- lots of things I'm going to try.

EZGuest5: Thanks, Anastasia

Sammeow: Many thanks, Anastasia & Verla,it was great

SherylT: Thanks!!!!!

Verla: Some of us were very GLAD you didn't get here right on time, Anastasia...we had a few people who had a lot of trouble connecting tonight (like YOU!) and they came in late

SherylT: Like me. But Verla is a good pilot.

Verla: But you DID make it, Anastasia, and that's what counts!

Anastasia: thanks, Verla

Anastasia: that makes me feel better

_Enchanted: very good workshop --- thank you, Anastasia.

_Lyra: yup

Verla: Oh...by the way, Steven Malk (Children's Book Agent) will be back here next week for the workshop

_Lyra: election night w/Steven (g)

katrapp_: i will try my best to be here

Verla: Oh, everyone...

Verla: I just got the transcript posted tonight of the workshop that Janis Waldrop (Field) did

_Lyra: yes?

_Lyra: that was a GOOD one

Verla: That's the gal who makes her LIVING off of selling her writing and she had some INCREDIBLE information she shared with us that night

Verla: It was an exceptional workshop!

Sammeow: How long do the workshops stay on your page, Verla?

Verla: So far, I haven't removed any of them, samm...

Verla: until my server tells me I am out of space, I'll leave them up.

Anastasia: Good night everyone! Thanks for having me - I must tuck my kids in - it's a school night...

Anastasia: good night! :)

Verla: Thanks SO much, Anastasia!

Harazin: night Anastasia and thanks

Christyy: night anastasia!

SherylT: Thanks Verla and Anastasia! Goodnight! (Buttoning my coat and going out the door.)

_Lyra: thanks!!! Applause

ClaraRose: Excellent Job!

Christyy: yay!!!

Verla: We appreciated your coming and all your GREAT information!

Christyy: clap clap clap!

_Lyra: my kitty is even purring approval, Anastasia

Sammeow: ditto

DonaV: Wonderful workshop!

-------END OF WORKSHOP-------

 

berries Close Window to Return

 

berries

Verla Kay

Copyright © 1998

All Rights Reserved

berries