Jacqueline Woodson - What an amazing reader

Jacqueline Woodson was the lunchtime keynote speaker at this year's SCBWI New York conference. She read from several of her works, notably her middle grade book Locomotion and her picture book The Other Side.

Reading is definitely the wrong way to describe what she did. She recited/performed/transformed her readings. Rarely, if ever, did she look at the page. She just spoke to all of us, as though she were channeling the story. She knew her characters' voices and the rhythms of the language so well.

It was a great lesson in how to read your work. And here's what I learned.

1. Practice, practice, practice. She probably read her work out loud many, many times - both when she was writing it and to prepare for her readings.

2. Be confident. If you don't completely believe in what you wrote, no one else will. There was no uncertainty on her part. She did not care what people thought. She became the story.

3. Clarity and voice. She spoke fast, but I heard every word she said. She also changed her speed occasionally, to create space around the words. Not a lot, just enough to help the audience shift with her.

So, I'm not suggesting you memorize your words before you read to an audience. I'm just thinking you have to own your reading, and there's really only one way I can think of to do that well - practice, confidence and voice.

SCBWI - Top Takeaways

Just got back from the SCBWI in NYC. Here are my takeaways.

1. Writers need agents. (That's what all the agents say).

2. Writers need editors. (That's what all the publishers say)

3. Writers need to be nice to agents and editors. (That's code for if you don't do what they say most of the time, you'll not be treated as well as those who do what they're told)

4. There are a lot of writers.

5. Boutique agencies get 30-50 queries a day. Guess how many times they say yes?

6. Some publishers have to look at over 300 submissions a week.

7. Publishers prefer to get submissions from agents they know and trust. (Go back to item #1 and start again)

8. Know the market, study the trends and pray to god your book does not have vampires who live in a dystopian universe. In other words, write for yourself, not the market.

9. Successful writers and creators say it's all about the writing. That's nice.

10. How are you supposed to react when one creator tells you his funny bunny character made half a billion in licencing sales?

11. There are a lot of writers.

12. Everyone says SCBWI is a great place to network. What does that mean? Network with other writers who are very nice but want to get their book published and you can't help them and they can't help you? Network with publishers and agents who keep telling you the work speaks for itself? And how do you talk to them when there are many eager writers waiting to talk to them right after you're done and you can hear them trying to suppress their impatient sighs? I'm a newbie at this show, so forgive my ignorance on how it's done. I'll try better next time.

13. Best piece of advice came from Francesco Sedito, author of Miss Popularity series and VP & Publisher of Grosset & Dunlap. "When you get back from the show, put away all your notes, forget about everything and just get back to writing."

What show?