SCBWI Round-Up and Where I Am Now

I got back from SCBWI last weekend - though I wish it could have lasted longer - and am freshly inspired to further revise CoYA (the contemporary YA) before beginning to query.  Yes, I wanted to think it was ready when I went to Los Angeles, but...it really wasn't.  And with so many brilliant agents saying over and over "Please don't query until you're actually ready," well, looks like something sank in.  The last week has been spent in intensive revisions; I cut the first two chapters and am now adding a number of scenes throughout the book.  I find it harder to revise in small chunks of time than it is to write, though.  By the time I figure out where I am and what I want to do, it's been half an hour and there's barely any time left.

However.  SCBWI was incredible.  I recommend going over to the SCBWI conference blog and reading about the different sessions if you didn't attend.  A blow-by-blow recap would be pages long, so I'll just offer a few highlights.

• The Super Shuttle Ride of Eternity from LAX to the hotel.  Our driver got lost, and another passenger got very angry; luckily, there were four conference attendees in the shuttle, and we managed to keep each other entertained until we could escape from the shuttle.
• Bruce Coville's keynote.  It was an incredible opening and a harbinger of things to come.
• The LGBTQ poolside chat. Oh, there's Lee Wind moderating with Bruce Coville on the couch next to him.  Arthur Levine is lounging a few feet away.  Oh, hello, Suzanne Young.  And look! Who's that at the other end?  Holy crap, it's Judy Blume.  Great discussion about LBGTQ themes in children's fiction - I wish we'd had a full session, or a series of lunches.  So much to discuss.
• Libba Bray's hysterical keynote.  This was, of course, after I'd ridden the elevator with Libba Bray and, scrambling for something to say other than gushing "You're brilliant!", had intelligently observed the presence of recycling bins in the hotel lobby.  Yeah.  I went to her workshop later, and she was just as awesome.
• Gary Paulsen's workshop, which was an eye-opener.  You know his books? (If you don't, go read them now).  Yeah, that's basically his life.
• Steve Malk and Jon Sciezska's breakout session, which made everyone crack up multiple times
• The very informative Julie Strauss-Gabel/Nova Ren Suma/Michael Bourret panel on the editor-agent-author relationship
• Barry Goldblatt's workshop, in which he proved that his reputation as badass agent is wholly deserved.
• JUDY EFFING BLUME
• RICHARD PECK WHAT
• NORTON JUSTER I THINK MY BRAIN JUST EXPLODED

Did I list every single thing that I attended?  Um, almost.  I'm sure I'm forgetting something, just because it was such a mad rush of stuff.  Oh, the pajama party was quite fun, though I think my expectations were out of whack because I'm used to Grinnell College parties.  Still very entertaining.

In summary: I'm already trying to figure out a way to go next year!

SCBWI-Bound!

My plane leaves tomorrow afternoon.  I have everything I need - I think.  I'm all ready for SCBWI-LA (or, as I described it to a friend, Disneyland for writers).  Wish me luck!