Mendocino Writers Conference-Come see me get my faculty on

Hey!

I'm thrilled to announce that I will be joining the faculty of the Mendocino Writers Conference July 26-28.

Jody Gerhman, Ginny Rorby, and I will be doing a panel on:

The Secret Ingredients of Successful Teen Fiction

What makes some novels so appealing to young readers while others languish on the

shelves? How can adults capture the elusive teen “voice” editors seek? In this interactive

panel discussion, Young Adult authors Stacey Jay, Ginny Rorby and Jody Gehrman will

address the most sought-after ingredients in YA fiction and how to make them work for you.

Now...I'm not completely sure I can do everything that panel description is saying we're going to do in an hour and fifteen minutes, but I often find I know more than I think I do once I start answering questions. I also have no filter between my brain and my mouth, and often find myself saying something inappropriate and/or controversial and/or delicately foul-mouthed--because I am from the South and even my cursing is delicate--so that should make for an entertaining session.

In addition to being delicately controversial, I'm also capable of answering questions in a reasonable and informative manner. And I have sold nine young adult books in less than six years so I'm sure I have a secret or two worth sharing (even if I don't know what those are yet). So come see me! Let's hang out on the beautiful Mendocino coast and talk writing and eat seafood and have our hair whipped about by the ocean breeze. (I was on the coast a few weeks ago and it reminded me why I want to keep my hair long enough for pigtails. Not much else you can do with it in a situation like that.)

I'm also doing one on one critiques at the conference.. You can request one of those when you register. (FYI on critiques: I give a gentle critique, but I also strive to be productive and give people something they can use. In other words, if you think your words are perfect as they are and are looking for confirmation, don't sign up for a critique. That won't be useful to either one of us, and, on the off chance I don't agree with you, things can get...uncomfortable. But on the other hand, if you live in fear of a mean author with a red pen lunging over the table and tearing out your creative jugular, fear not. I will be gentle. I promise.)

Registration opens mid March, learn more about the conference, who is speaking, and where to stay while you're there over at the Mendocino Writer's Conference Website:

http://www.mcwc.org/mcwc_expect.html

Any questions? Thoughts? Concerns? (I've been told it's okay to whip out some interpretive dance if the session gets slow, so we're good there.)

Back with pictures of chickens later this week.

Stacey