I have been to the LDStorymakers conference four years in a row now, and each year I am amazed at how much AWESOME can be packed into two days.

This year, Boot Camp was moved to Thursday. I had a great table, and these ladies gave me such wonderful feedback on a very critical chapter of Into The Wind. Since there were only four of us, we also had time to play a little with my Bumpy Landings paper airplanes.

Thursday evening after boot camp, I inserted myself into Melanie Jacobson’s social group for dinner. Also included were Becca Wilhite, Debbie Frampton, Daron Fraley, Kirk Shaw, and DeNae Handy.

Friday had some wonderful workshops, and the awesome Mass Book Signing. I was privileged to sit between Aubrey Mace and Tristi Pinkston. And yes, I spent pretty much the whole time folding and giving away paper airplanes.

I got to sit next to Krista Jensen during dinner that evening. Maybe this is why TJ Bronly grouped us together as Team Siblingesque in his Amazing Race: LDS Authors parody. Sadly, we didn’t win–probably because we’re both so easy-going that we were kicked off the show for lack of drama.

I offered a copy of Bumpy Landings as one of the door prizes, along with chocolate macadamia nuts and the CD Vaihitian by my good friends Vaihi. This includes the song I used for my highly-complimented book trailers.

I also attended a live recording of Writing Excuses, and gained some serious jealousy from my oldest daughter.

Saturday evening was the Whitney Awards dinner. While Bumpy Landings wasn’t a finalist, it was great to see everyone dressed up, and feel the excitement of a program where so many of my good friends were up for awards. Here I am with Wendy Swore and Tamara Heiner.

I sat by Daron Fraley.

And Ronda  Hinrichsen and Aubrey Mace.

My friend Erin Summerill  was the official LDStorymakers photographer, which meant she wouldn’t be in any pictures unless I took one.

Here I am with my friend and critique group member, Rebecca Talley.

Krista Jensen and Multi-Whitney winner Stephanie Black.

Whitney winners Kimberley Griffiths Little and Stephanie Black

Some Whitney finalists sharing the consolation cheesecake. Susan Law Corpany, Janette Rallison, Sarah M. Eden, Traci Abramson, James Dashner, and Jeff Savage.

This far too dark image is of the Writing Excuses crew–Brandon Sanderson, Howard Tayler, and Dan Wells. Brandon and Dan tied for the 2011 Best Novel Whitney Award. Howard won the unofficial prize for Best Dressed Dude.

Here Brandon and Dan congratulate YA Speculative winner Ally Condie.

My dear friend Josi Kilpack hosted this year’s award gala, and I literally had to grab her for this picture as she zipped around the room like a hummingbird on speed.

The Storymakers photo album would not be complete without a picture of me and another of my dear friends,  Tristi.

Danyelle Ferguson is one of the coauthors of Disabilities and the Gospel, along with Lynn Parsons. I’ll be reviewing their book later this summer on this very blog.

I tried to get a photo with both Danyelle and her husband John. Tried and failed. So I settled for coordinated separates. 

Krista with Kym  VanderHorst. I sat by Kym at the last two Whitney banquets, but she was a high falutin’ VIP this year, so tradition fell by the wayside.

Susan Law Corpany, along with Sarah M. Eden and her husband  Paul.

And that is why I’m a huge Storymakers Fanboy. The conference is full of wonderful people who know about writing and are happy to share. The workshops are amazing in content, and the friendships are simply unbeatable. As soon as the new LDStorymaker conference committee announces the schedule, I’ll begin counting the days until LDStorymakers 2012.

2011 started off with a bang, and it doesn’t look like the pace is going to let up any time soon. I spent this past week at a trade show in Vegas with my day-job company, Onyx Graphics. Trade shows are exhausting, yet I had a wonderful time meeting with both co-workers and customers.

And Spongebob.

This week I get to attend a different conference; this one for my part-time writing job. I’m very excited to see all of my friends at LDStorymakers and the Whitney Awards gala in a few days. I’m working hard on my pages for Boot Camp. If you’re going to be at the conference, be sure to say hi–I’ll be the guy in the Hawaiian shirt.

This week is also very busy on the Bumpy Landings Giveaway tour. There are two contests going right now. The first is at Fire and Ice Photo, and the second is on Tristi Pinkston’s blog.

Lastly, Bumpy Landings and I were mentioned in this month’s BYU-Hawaii Alumni eNewsletter. Thanks, Trevor!

This has been one of those weeks with so much to blog about, and no time for blogging. I will catch you up.

Earlier this year, as discussion centered on the Whitney awards, the question was asked about books released in January, but on store shelves before December ended. what was there eligibility? The answer came back that Whitney eligibility was based on copyright date. Well, on December 30th, I had the thought to check my copyright date, and found it was 2010. I double checked, and found that meant Bumpy Landings would be eligible for the 2010 Whitney, but not 2011, and only if it got 5 nominations in the space of 2 days.

Now, I realize the 2010 copyright date was probably just a typographical oversight, but I’ve seen some pretty sad endings from clerical errors this year, and I had no interest in becoming one of them. So I mobilized a dozen of my beta readers, and invited them to nominate me. As a result, Bumpy Landings is an official Whitney nominee in the Romance category. Now, I always saw the book as General Fiction, but I’m secure enough in my masculinity to accept a Romance categorization.

The book does have some pretty good smooching, after all.

And I have some experience at being the token male in a group.

So becoming a Whitney nominee was the first great thing. Then on Friday, I was the Friendly Friday guest blogger over at CK Bryant’s blog. Check it out here.

I also learned, through a Bumpy Landings Google alert, that there are 5 copies up for grabs on a Goodreads contest.

And then I became a January sponsor over at LDS Publisher. Look at that awesome cover.

Then it was New Years, and I got two really big scenes done on the book trailer. There’s still some work left, but I’m gunning to have this done before I leave for the launch.

And then, the UPS man came, and he brought books.

Lots and lots of books.

MY books.

Let that sink in.

My. Books. Mine.

But you can have one or a dozen.

And with the official arrival of my book, I now have been able to join LDStorymakers. Woo!

So you see, it’s been quite the week. And with the Launch Party for Bumpy Landings just a week away (yikes!) there will be no shortage of fun and excitement to keep me going.

Hang on, and enjoy the flight!

I attended my first LDStorymakers writers conference in March of 2008. The conference was the same week in March as my kid’s spring break, so we loaded up the car for a road trip. The girls got to visit their cousins, and I was able to meet in person author friends who had been strictly virtual up to that point. Friends like Tristi Pinkston.

Notice the shirt–it’s the same one I donated to the Magic Quilt project. LDStorymakers is one of the many places where it gathered its magic. There is something truly magical about attending a writing conference:  Knowledge flows in torrents, every person there is an old or new friend, and the air is filled with so much creative energy it practically crackles.

I’ve been to every LDStorymakers Conference since, and wouldn’t dream of missing it this year. Will you be there?

For more information on the 2011 conference, go here.

I just got back from attending the LDStorymakers Conference, and it was awesome, as always. I got some pictures yesterday, although my camera battery died so I didn’t get any from today – big bummer.

I got to meet some wonderful people, reconnect with some other wonderful people, and generally get this amazing writer’s high. I did pretty good at picking my workshops, too – although based on the strength of this year’s schedule, I think it would be hard to pick a bad. Thanks to everyone who worked to make the conference such a wonderful success.

I will put more details and the photos up in another post or two (it’s late, and I really need to get to bed.)

However, I did want to share a story that is probably too much information, but maybe that will make up for there being too little information since I’ve been so lax in posting lately.

As I was sitting at my table during the end of the Whitney awards, I couldn’t believe this two-day conference was already over. It reminded me something that happened why my DD1 was in a play at school several years ago. After the play, she came home, flopped on her bed, and sobbed.

Concerned I asked her what was wrong, expecting her to maybe say that she had messed up during the play or something. Instead she said, “I’m so sad the play is over, because now I have nothing to look forward to.”

I have to admit, I was feeling the same kind of let-down earlier this evening. And then for some strange reason, I decided to tell this story to my friend Tristi afterward. Now how on earth I thought telling this story was a good idea, I just don’t know. But halfway through the story, as my friend Debbie would say, I ended up with sweaty eyeballs.

So yes, I have to admit I actually cried this year when the Storymakers conference ended. And now I’ve blogged about it to the world. (sigh)

Next thing you know, I’ll be writing romance stories while consoling myself by eating Canadian chocolate.

First off: Congratulations Cassie (facebook comment) for winning this month’s Friday Free For All Giveaway. And thanks to all who suggested titles. I’ll pass them on to Cedar Fort, and let you know once I have a title for sure.

Now then – I just want to reiterate Thank You for all of your kind words and congratulations on my publishing contract. I’m beyond excited, and I am FULL of gratitude to everyone who has had a hand in helping me get to this point. There are so many people who have offered advice, encouragement, and criticism (in the best way!), and this success belongs as much to each of you as it does to me. Thank you again.

I think it’s more than fitting to use this post as my entry into the Show Your Love for the Storymakers Contest, because if I had to identify one single thing as the secret to my success, it would be the LDStorymakers Writers Conference. (Click here to find out about the 2010 conference.)

What can I say about this conference? It’s amazing! Two days of intense workshops and presentations, with the opportunity to rub shoulders and network with scores of wonderful people who also happen to be writers – some just starting out, others at the pinnacle of their careers, and people everywhere in between.

These are people that, when I mention my characters talking to me, just smile and nod in understanding. These people get me. That is so COOL!

And even more important, many of the people I’ve met at the conference have become mentors, beta readers, and friends. Between the things I learned and the people I’ve met, the LDStorymakers conference has truly been the leaven in my writing career.

The 2010 conference is April 23-24 in Provo, Utah, and is extremely affordable for a conference of this caliber – $165 for both days, or a single day for as little as $75. Worth every single penny.

And yes, I would say these nice things about the conference, even I weren’t entering a contest where I could win a seat at a dinner table with three amazing authors, an awesome editor, and a very talented singer. That’s because by attending the last two years, I’ve already had many equally amazing experiences – you can read about them here.

If you aren’t already planning to attend, sign up now – you will be so glad you did!

Today marks a momentous day – it’s the halfway point between the 2009 and 2010 LDStorymakers Writers Conferences.

The last conference was six months in the past.

The next conference is six months in the future.

I’m just so ding-dang excited about the conference I can hardly stand it!

Ahem.

While it’s probably true that most information available at writing conferences can be had for free out amongst the internets, I’ve found I learn so much from the conference, because I’m in a writing frame of mind, surrounded by people who share the same affliction I do.

And that’s another big thing that’s available on the internet, but much better in person: writing friends. The opportunity to network and rub shoulders with established authors, aspiring writers, readers, agents, and publishers, is simply unparalleled. And the LDStorymakers conference has these in abundant supply.

Check out some of the awesome people I got to hang with last year!

Jewel Allen

James Dashner

Stephanie Humphreys and Ali Cross

John and Danyelle Ferguson

Melanie Jacobson

Josi Kilpack

Annette Lyon

And, of course, the 2010 LDStorymakers conference co-chairs, Jaime Theler and Tristi Pinkston, with their Magic Wands and the Goblet of Fire.

I actually took this picture, but not with my camera, so I had to go and steal it from the official 2009 LDStorymakers Photo Album.

I recently took a peek at the LDStorymakers web site, and found myself quite impressed with the amount of information already available for next year’s conference: Class and workshop schedule; list of agents and editors; and rules for the First Chapter Contest.

Check out the web site, and clear your calendar for April 23-24, 2010. You’ll be glad you did.

Disclaimer: Nobody put me up to this post. Nobody offered, promised, or gave me anything in return. I just really enjoy the conference, and know that you will, too.

The LDStorymakers Writers Conference was, in the opinion of everyone I talked to, a big success. This success was due in no small part to the effort of the Committee.

From left to right: Heather Moore, Josi Kilpack, Julie Coulter Bellon, C. S. Bezas, Tristi Pinkston, Annette Lyon, Julie Wright, Jaime Theler, Robison Wells, B. J. Rowley, Shirley Bahlmann, and J. Scott Savage.

This year, I decided to take the time and spend the money and stay for the Whitney Awards gala after the conference, and I’m glad I did. I won’t take the time to run through the events of the night – those can be found in numerous places on the blogosphere. I will simply say that I enjoyed the evening.

However, I found it hard to root for anyone in particular because each category had multiple nominees that I have come to call friends. Still, it was great to be wrapped up in the fun and suspense, and see everyone all dressed up for the special evening.

I managed to get a picture with Josi Kilpack.

And I got one with Annette Lyon. These lovely ladies are just two of the people who have been a great source of support and inspiration to me as I have worked through my own writing adventure. Thank you.

I sat next to Tamra Norton, who is a fellow Texan from the Houston area. Here she is with her son and his girlfriend. Unfortunately I didn’t get a picture of the other lovely ladies at my table before they scattered, but we had a good time.

Here’s one last photo of me with Brandon Sanderson after I bought Alcatraz versus the Scrivener’s Bones.

So now it’s Thursday, and I’m still giddy with excitement over the conference. OK – so I don’t actually get giddy anymore. But I had a great time, and can’t wait for next year!

Lunch on Saturday was more than a meal: it was when the First Chapter Contest results were announced. This year I had two chapters entered, and I was excited to see how they had done. I will admit that after seeing the quality of writing others brought to the conference, my confidence was a little bit rattled.

The first category involving my writing was General Fiction. The number of prizes given in each category was based on the number of entries, General Fiction had only one winner. It was not me. I’ll admit to being a little disappointed, but not particularly surprised.

The other category I entered was SciFi/Fantasy, where there were four prizes awarded. I don’t know how many entries there were, but I’m estimating somewhere around forty. Once fourth, third and second place were given to others, I pretty much gave up hope. But to my great surprise, first place was awarded to my entry: Space Corp General.

WooHoo!

They had everyone who placed in the contest come up on the stage for photos after the fact. That’s me in the back, smiling.

I also got a 1st place ribbon to attach to my badge.

I have to say, winning is cool. But more valuable than the prize and honor was the feedback I was given on my entries. I’ll admit I haven’t taken the time to do more than look at the scores on the judges sheets for the winning entry. I was more interested to see what the judges said about my other entry, as that’s the one I need to submit to Covenant.

What I learned reading the feedback was very telling. The entries were scored on a 40-point scale. Two judges really liked my chapter and gave it 36 points. One judge really did not like it, and only gave it 17 points. This feedback puts the concepts of taste, rejection and finding a publisher into perspective.

Yet another gave my entry a score in between, and commented, “This sounds like a college romance, which I don’t really care for.” So maybe the fact that I couldn’t come to grips with being a romance writer might have cost me some points. I guess I’ll never know.

But in any case, the first chapter contest was a great experience: A little validation, a little recognition, and a whole lot of education.

The highlight of Friday afternoon was the LDS Publishers Panel.

Moderating was Rachel Ann Nunes, and the publishers on the panel were Chris Bigelow – Zerahemla, Lisa Mangum – Deseret Book, Kirk Shaw – Covenant, and Lyle Mortimer – Cedar Fort.

There were a lot of good questions along the lines of “What are you looking for?” (good books), “What are you not looking for?” (polygamy, erotica), and “How much kissing is too much?” (it depends).

I drew a complete blank when Kirk asked if I had any questions during my pitch (ouch), but I had the presense of mind to ask how many debut authors each house typically had in a year. The general answer was 7-9, although Lyle mentioned that Cedar Fort likes debuts and will do up to 80. The numbers are encouraging.

Then Friday night was a good dinner, with an excellent keynote by Dean Lorey. I forgot to wield my camera.

Saturday morning was more boot camp. Here’s a photo of our group, led by Tristi.

In this photo: Lori Nawyn, Yours Truly, Tristi Pinkston, Ginger Franz, Jewel Allen, Ashley Harward, Stephanie Anderson, and Monique Luetkemeyer.

After boot camp, there were more workshops and social opportunities.

Here’s Rebecca Talley of Pursue Your Writing Dream, and Sheri Johnson, who I met at last year’s boot camp.

This is me with Melanie Jacobson of Write Stuff, who graciously let me hang with her posse for part of the day.

The workshops and panels were great, which is good, because by this point I was starting to get antsy about the First Chapter Contest awards ceremony at lunch. More on the contest coming up next.