Esther Hershenhorn!!

First, allow me to gush.  I just adored meeting Esther!  She was funny, full of great information, approachable, wonderfully friendly, and I totally dug her scarf (I am incapable of wearing scarves - since I have no chin they make my nose look connected to my chest - not attractive).

Now I just want to give you some bullet points of her talk, which was entitled "Rx for Children's Book Creators: Getting your Stories Straight".  I can obviously not do it justice in my short-form blog, so I'm just gonna hit some key points/phrases.  She broke down three elements of a story and related it to both the stories we write and our personal writer story that we are living. 

Character: 

• Plot comes from character
• Character is everything
• You have to know the character's heart way before the story starts
• What the character wants is the physical plot line
• Why the character wants it is the emotional plot line
• Why do you write for children?
• What are your nouns and verbs?

Setting:

• The setting gives the reader a framework, a reference point
• What are the settings in your life as a writer?
• For example:  the world of children's literature, publishing, other writers, etc.

Plot:

• Plot is when the character is in action - confronting and overcoming obstacles
• An interconnectedness of events should be present
• There needs to be action and reaction and the accompanying emotion
• A chronology is essential to the plot
• What are the actions, obstacles, emotions in your own story as a writer?

I apologize for the overly simplistic breakdown.  I just knew that I wouldn't be able to capture the vibrancy of the speech, so I went for the bare bones.  She certainly gave me a lot to think about and analyze and work into my writing.  It is a challenge to be more introspective and aware of my own story and how it plays out in my writing.  I can't thank Esther enough for such inspiration!