Keeping It Real!

Who's going to the SCBWI New England Conference this weekend?

 I am! I am!

I'm looking forward to mixing and mingling at the Eric Carle Museum, chewing on my pencil at Writing Camp, and hearing from keynote speakers like Sara Zarr and Kate Messner. I'm looking forward to close analysis of works in varying stages of progress at the Novel Academy and in workshops on beginnings and revision. I'm looking forward to catching up with old friends and, as this year's theme encourages, Keeping It Real.

I'm really excited about the theme, and not just because I mostly write realistic fiction. Whether a book's characters are fourth graders or fairies, they need to feel real enough to make readers care about them, and that means their actions and motivations need to make sense within their world.

I hope I'll see you in Springfield this weekend. For real.