Mad Anthony Writers' Conference

Over the weekend I attended a writers' conference at Miami University in Hamilton. I thought it would be nice to share a couple of things I learned with the class. The first few workshops I attended were so-so simply because of the content, presenters, or both. However, I attended one workshop mid-day that caught my attention. It wasn't so much the content of the workshop that drew me in, but rather the presenter and craft of the subject matter. The workshop was called "Digging into Literature to Write Characters like the Pros." I'm not sure how many of you write, but no matter what you write characterization plays a major role; especially in fiction. The presenter, Nancy Pinard, previously taught creative writing at Sinclair, UD, and Antioch. Needless to say, I can't say enough wonderful things about her. She presented the attendees with three separate handouts. One handout in particular featured excerpts from her favorite novels with the main character's details omitted. The point of this activity was to look at the paragraph and determine the character's details by simply reading the setting. Her point was, when writing characters the reader must relate to the human condition. Sound familiar? For example, "He had a brown mustache and stood about 5'8" with a medium build" doesn't have the same effect as the simple statement of "He wore cowboy boots." What kind of man immediately comes to mind when you think of cowboy boots? Our mind has the capability to fill in imagery details on its own. Therefore, writers don't need excessive character details. 

The last workshop I attended was not only the most interesting, but it was also the most informative. The presenter, Emma Bernay, is a professional ghostwriter. I heard the term "ghostwriting" before, but I never knew what it entailed. Emma was extremely helpful and lead her presentation by letting the attendees ask questions. I learned that ghostwriting often takes place under a "front name" or pseudonym. Sometimes you may be the only Chad Jackson, but other times you may share that name with multiple writers in a series. The key to successful ghostwriting is to maintain the character's voice throughout the series with different writers. The catch is, ghostwriters are often paid a flat rate and have to sign over their rights to the publisher. Typically the publisher has an outline already written and when you contact them for commission, they will ask you to "audition" or send samples of your writing related to the topic you are inquiring. If you have little experience or they aren't hiring for writers, you may still suggest sending them a sample of your writing for the future. An annual book called, "Writers' Market," features book publishers and packagers across the United States. This book, Emma said, is the ghostwriter's Bible. She personally received all of her book deals without an agent. However, she said agents are nice when it comes to reading the fine print. I think this avenue would be an interesting one for English majors. Although, I would still like to know more.