We Love WIFYR!

WIFYR? What is this mysterious acronym? Only the best workshop for aspiring authors on the planet! You know you're in the right place when the special guest literary agent says, "The word in New York is that if you want to find the hottest new talent, you go to Writing and Illustrating for Young Readers."

We had five Scribblers Cove contributors in attendance this year: Leisha, Jonene, Rebecca, Amber C., and Kevin, who is not in this picture. Sorry Kevin.

Scribblers Cove out to lunch!

Here's what Leisha has to say about WIFYR:

Leisha with author Matt Kirby

This was my fourth year at WIFYR. I keep going back because I'm not done learning (and won't ever be) and because it's an awesome opportunity to network. I love the people I meet, the friends I make, and the options that open up if you're patient and work hard. This might not sound earth shattering but the point that impacted me the most this year was that I need to stay true to my vision and write the book that needs to be written--the one that won't stay quiet in my head and heart.

Jonene shared these thoughts: 

Jonene and her writing group at WIFYR

This was my third year at WIFYR. When I'm reading a very good book like Harry Potter, I get to disappear into an amazing and intriguing new world for short time. Going to WIFYR is like that. For a week I get to join a world of writers. We soak in the ambiance of others who live and breathe the beauty and excitement of words. We get the very best training by seasoned writers who didn't quit. We make new friends who will keep us going and inspire us in the coming years. We come away with key pieces to the missing parts of our own story puzzles. We also have chances to meet the people (editors, agents, contacts) who can make our writing dreams come true.There are a million more reasons, but the obvious reason we like WIFYR and keep coming back is that we get addicted to such positive, brilliant writing energy.

Amber and Leisha in the auditorium

Amber C. came to WIFYR for the first time this year, and we're pretty sure she was the youngest person in attendance. She'd love to go back again because she learned a lot and she would probably learn more next time. She attended the fantasy class led by Matt Kirby, and her favorite part of the workshop was critiquing her classmates' manuscripts. One thing she learned that she had never thought about before was that good stories have both internal and external conflicts.

I volunteered to help Tim Wynne-Jones with his lecture on dialog

As for me, I've had the full-day workshop experience at WIFYR three times, and each time I felt I've been reborn as a writer. There's a "you can do it" attitude at WIFYR that I haven't found anywhere else. They bring in some of the nicest, most talented people in the publishing industry; authors, agents, and editors. But most of all I enjoy hanging out with my writing buddies and finding new critique partners. It's a great place to come together, and I love it so much that every year since the beginning I've brought along a friend. This year I was finally able to bring my daughter, and my friend Fatma, who has wanted to go to the workshop since I told her about it years ago, was able to come all the way from Oman. I learned a hard lesson this year, that even fiendishly clever opening lines and charming opening scenes that everyone loves have to be cut if they don't serve the story.

I love sharing this awesome workshop with others

We know Kevin was at the workshop. Hello Kevin! But he was so busy running the WIFYR blog and being an assistant for one of the classes that we didn't see him much. If he'd like to add something to this post, he's welcome to!

It was great to see everyone who came to WIFYR, and I hope we can meet there again many times in the years to come.

-Rebecca