Golden Retriever sitting
German Shepard sitting
Black and white spaniel sitting
Husky laying down
Young Husky sitting
Jack Russel sitting
Cocker Spaniel sittting
Big, fuzzing brown puppy sitting
Hound dog sitting
Gray Pitbull sitting

One Week Until YALLFest!

by Jocelyn Rish
November has arrived, which means it’s time for colorful leaves, cozy sweaters, and pumpkin-spiced everything. 

WRONG!!!

It means it’s time for YALLFest!

When we helped with the announcement of the keynote authors back in June (Patrick Ness! Renée Ahdieh! Angie Thomas! Becky Albertalli! Marissa Meyer! Cassandra Clare! Jason Segel! Kirsten Miller!), it seemed like YALLFest was soooo far away, but it’s finally here.

It’s the seventh year for the Young Adult book festival hosted by Blue Bicycle Books in Charleston, SC, and if the trend continues, it will be even bigger and better than previous years because each year they somehow manage to top themselves. I mean, just check out the list of attending authors. 

Next Friday (November 10th), YALLFest will kick off with the YALLCRAWL, where amazing authors will be signing at shops and businesses along Upper King Street, like Victoria Aveyard, Nicola Yoon, Nic Stone, Jesse Andrews, and so many more. There will also be a Red Carpet Preview at the Charleston County Public Library featuring additional amazing authors like Ally Condie, Sabaa Tahir, and Jeff Zentner.

Then Saturday (November 11th) is the big day with four ticketed events and tons of free panels and book signings throughout the day. There are too many fantastic events for me to type out without spraining my fingers (and I need them in tip-top shape for NaNoWriMo!), so click here for the full schedule.

There’s still time to plan a trip to Charleston to take in all the fabulousness. Plus the weather here is gorgeous this time of year, and right now the forecast is looking pretty good. Come on down, y’all!

If you can’t make it, I’ll do my best to make you feel like you were there. I’ve been approved for a press pass again, and I already have some interviews lined up that have me doing this:

It should be another fun festival, and I can’t wait!

~ Are you planning to attend YALLFest?

~ Which authors are on your can’t miss list?

~ What questions would you like me to ask the authors?

If you want to pump up your YALLFest excitement this week, here are my YALLFest posts from last year:

Interviews with Aprilynne Pike, Danielle Paige, and Zac Brewer

Jocelyn Rish

Jocelyn Rish is a writer and filmmaker who loves researching weird and wonderful animals and sharing what she learns. Her debut was BATTLE OF THE BUTTS, about ten animals that do weird things with their butts. Her latest book is BATTLE OF THE BRAINS, a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection about ten animals with mind-blowing brain abilities. When she’s not writing, she tutors kids to help them discover the magic of reading. Jocelyn has won numerous awards for her short stories, screenplays, films, and novels and lives in South Carolina with her adorable dog. Find out more at www.jocelynrish.com.

Post @ Jocelyn Rish and/or Adventures in YA Publishing. All rights reserved.
Posted: Nov 3, 2017
Category: Imported from AYAP
Tags: YALLFest

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The first slide is an animation of a science/magic room in a castle. A cartoon character of a mad-scientist looking man in in the foreground says: “Hello! Dr. Frankenstein here to say, Well Done on kid lit zombie week! I’m an expert at reviving the dead, and let me assure you, with a little spark, you can bring dead projects to life. Especially if you dig up parts from other dead things. I’ll even let you have a sneak peek at my laboratory’s store room to consider potential parts for your dead project. If you see something with a yellow glow, that means you should click it. Have fun!”

He points to the right side of the screen and a new scene slides in of a castle science/magic storage room. There are various cartoon Frankenstein body parts scattered around. Some of them have a yellow glow. If you click on them, the images below appear (I’ve added alt text to them, so I hope it works).

The Heart of your story is the main character. The protagonist is the beating core that truly brings your story to life. If your MC doesn't make kids (and their grown-ups) care within the first few pages, your story will flatline. </p> <p>Your main character needs to be:<br /> • Relatable enough for kids to see themselves<br /> • Unique enough to stand out in the slush pile<br /> • Active enough to drive the story<br /> • Memorable enough to survive multiple readings at bedtime</p> <p>Where do you find this amazing donor heart? It might be the very thing you loved so much about the manuscript you want to revive. It might be the younger sister from your shelved YA novel. Or maybe it’s the hilarious kid you blogged about meeting at a school visit. Find a character beating with potential and place it in the center of your story.<br />
The Brain of your story is the theme or central message. The theme is the big idea that controls everything else. Picture books are more than stories - they're tiny life lessons disguised with humor and heart.</p> <p>But your theme needs to be:<br /> • Subtle enough not to trigger the dreaded "didactic" rejection<br /> • Clear enough for a four-year-old to grasp<br /> • Universal enough to speak to both kids and adults<br /> • Fresh enough to prevent agents and editors from responding with "Not another sharing/bedtime/first-day story!"</p> <p>Check your other dead manuscripts to see if there is a recurring theme, something that really seems to be speaking to you. Find the bit of poetry you scribbled on the back of a receipt to see what theme inspired it. Reread the pep talk you texted your critique partner at 1am. Pick the theme that will drive your story, giving it purpose, direction, and deeper meaning.<br />
The Legs of your story is the plot. Not to be confused with a grave plot.🤪 The plot is what keeps everything upright and moving, as well as providing support for all the other elements. You have very few words to use in a picture book, so you need to do a lot with each plot point.</p> <p>In general, your plot should:<br /> • Hook readers fast<br /> • Build tension that a child can follow<br /> • Create page turns that feel natural<br /> • Wrap up in a way that satisfies</p> <p>You can borrow a plot twist (a leg) from one manuscript and the opening (the other leg) from a different manuscript. Consider if the subplot of the middle grade novel you trunked would work better as a picture book. Or maybe your Facebook post about a disastrous camping trip could become a story for kids. Just keep putting one foot in front of the other until you have your storyline.
The Arms of your story are the side characters.
The Torso of your story is the setting. Setting helps a story breathe and connects all the elements of the story. It isn't just where your story lives, it's what makes your story ALIVE. It's the difference between "this happened in a park" and "this happened in that park, the one with the twisty slide that burns your legs and the creaky swing that sounds like a baby crying.”</p> <p>Your setting should:<br /> • Make your character's world feel real<br /> • Contain your story in a way that makes sense to young readers<br /> • Connect different scenes and moments organically<br /> • Give your illustrator enough room to add visual subplots</p> <p>Half-finished manuscripts are a great place to dig up settings, since you worked out the place details before the plot petered out. Or maybe you had to cut a second fantastic location from your chapter book. You can also revisit the detailed caption from your Instagram carousel documenting your tour of that delish candy shop. Disinter a robust setting that can house all of your story's vital organs.

After you press the Click When Done circle button, the lights flash with the sound of electricity buzzing. Then the screen goes black and lightning zaps across the screen with the sound of thunder.

The screen then lights up to show the storage room, and all the Frankenstein pieces have been assembled into the whole monster. An upbeat song plays in the background. Then a speech bubble pops up with the words, “I’m alive! I’M ALIVE!” Then the screen goes to black. 

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