ThrillerFest 2013

During the past few days, we attended the annual meeting of the Thriller Writers Association, Inc., in New York City, affectionately named ThrillerFest. This was the 8^th ThrillerFest, of which we have attended the past 4.

ThrillerFest is a celebration of thrillers, the authors who write them and the fans who read them. It provides an environment in which aspiring authors (like me) gain the tools and make the contacts they need to get published, readers meet authors, and authors get an update on what is going in the wider business (as opposed to their own world). It is also a place where agents can discover new authors and up-and-coming authors find resources to move their careers forward. Finally, it is a community gathering in which bestselling authors share experience, advice, anxieties, and wisdom with those traveling the same road.

The full 4 day program is divided into the following elements:

CraftFest: This day and a half is devoted to assisting writers hone their writing skills. Well known writers conduct 50 minute tutorials, and panel discussions, on a variety of topics, spanning the spectrum from plot, characterization, genres, current events, and so on. It provides a priceless opportunity to listen to the famous names of the genre explain what they do and how they do it. The authors are also selfless in terms of explaining how they got from nobody to somebody in this business.

AgentFest: As a means of providing a forum for writers and agents to meet, there is an afternoon of, in essence, speed dating interviews. About 60 agents sit at tables and spend 3 or so minutes with each author wanting to discuss what the agent is looking for in terms of content, connection, and so on. For any aspiring author, this is another priceless element of education about the business. It is quite an amazing experience to make your pitch to 25-30 agents, and assess the range of reaction. Like authors, all agents are different personalities, experience, perspective, reaction, and so on. I participated as an interviewee in AgentFest 3 times and learned all that I needed to know at the time. I have a list of 12-15 agents who have asked for a copy of my current novel draft, Dust Scenario, when it is complete. I am almost done, and will explain my intended process in a future blog.

ThrillerFest: This is the business portion of the meeting, intended to provide experienced authors and other attendees a snapshot of all critical issues in the business. The topics that were of most interest to me this year included:

What are the secrets behind award-winning fiction?

What is the elixir that keeps your series character fresh?

What are the new rules for writing a bestseller?

What are the new rules of being a hybrid author?

What are the new rules of Social media?

What do authors need today?

There are also interviews with famous writers, including this year Michael Palmer, Steve Barry, Anne Rice, and so on.

Banquet: ThrillerFest concludes with a Saturday evening banquet at which awards are given, including to the ThrillerMaster of the year (Anne Rice in 2013). It is an elegant evening, enjoying cocktails, dinner, and presentations by your favorite authors as you mingle with a delightful group of people who love to write and read. Winner's Link.

And as a bonus, I have lots of Best Selling Books that I brought home from NYC to give away to you!! Giveaways will happen in August!

Over the next 2 weeks, I am going to take some time to rearrange the blog & take care of some business. I will announce last week's review link-up winner later this week. The Wednesday Party will be put on hold until August! Stay tuned & please be patient with me!

I just signed up for Instagram... www.instagram.com/cymlowell (come follow me!)

Warms-

CYM

Thrillerfest

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ThrillerFest 2012

We attended the International Thriller Writers’ Association ThrillerFest in New York City again this year (11 to 14 July 2012).  ITW is designed to serve the full spectrum interest in thrillers, including avid fans, aspiring writers, bloggers, and world famous best selling authors.

The program is divided into three parts: 
(i) CraftFest (intended to teach the craft of thriller writing); 
(ii) AgentFest (intended to bring together agents or publisher editors in search of new clients or manuscripts); and 
(iii) ThrillerFest (intended to address the current range of issues for thriller writers, including interviews with our famous members and presentation of awards at the Saturday night banquet. 

The ThrillerFest part of the program is, in essence, the trade association meeting for thriller and mystery writers. It is an extravaganza. Whether you are an experienced writer (like David Morrell, Steve Berry, or Sandra Brown), an aspiring writer (like me), or just a faithful fan, the experience of ThrillerFest is exhilarating. For many years, it has taken place at the Grand Hyatt in the center of New York City.

The program is composed of skill sessions, with the best writers in the business offering their thoughts on specific topics, ranging from, say, the use of erotica in a thriller to social media promotion. There were a series of interviews with justly famous writers, awards, banquets, and cocktail parties (never a shortage of alcohol to facilitate active discussions).

Your favorite writers are present to visit, sign books, or pose for pictures, as did Sandra Brown with my precious wife.

One of my favorite elements is the Saturday morning breakfast, where new authors are introduced to ITW. These authors have had books published by traditional publishers during the previous year. Each year, the table grows. There were about 20 this year, ranging from young people in their early 20s to old folks like me (age 66). I hope to be there one of these years.

The Saturday night banquet is the final act each year, with Thriller Master awards distributed, lots of books at every table, a joyful dinner, table conversation, and, as always, lots of wine.

If you enjoy the thriller world in any capacity, come visit in 2013.

Warms, Cym

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Some More on AgentFest 2012 #Thrillerfest

AgentFest 2012 We attended the International Thriller Writers’ Association ThrillerFest in New York City again this year (11 to 14 July 2012). ITW is designed to serve the full spectrum interest in thrillers, including avid fans, aspiring writers, bloggers, and world famous best selling authors.

The program is divided into three parts: (i) CraftFest (intended to teach the craft of thriller writing); (ii) AgentFest (intended to bring together agents or publisher editors in search of new clients or manuscripts); and (iii) ThrillerFest (intended to address the current range of issues for thriller writers, including interviews with our famous members and presentation of awards at the Saturday night banquet.. 

Today, I would like to revisit my AgentFest experience. I am an aspiring thriller writer. I self-published one book in 2008, Riddle of Berlin, which has had positive reviews. My strategy was to experience the fiction publishing process. I have been writing technical books for many years, which have become standards in the international taxation field (hardly thrilling, but profitable). I found the experience of working with editors, promoters, book clubs, and so on to be exciting.

In the interim, I have invested my time trying to learn to write in an effective manner. As usualk, I have experienced ups and downs, but I am a persistent soul. ITW helped me find a world class editor, who has been patient in working through draft-after-draft. She said the length and detail of her initial comments would reflect her interest in the manuscript. There were 26 single spaced pages! The manuscript for Bite Me! is coming along.

I am pleased and by board of commentators gives me a thumbs up. I am now ready to find an agent. I have attended AgentFest three times. A writer gets 3 minutes with each agent. There were about 65 agents present this year and about 200 writers. So everyone gets plenty of time to pitch.

My first AgentFest, was interesting, educational, and eye-opening. My pitch needed to be refined to about 3 sentences hooking a agent’s interest. Its like the cover flap of a book trying to hook a reader to purchase. I also needed to be calm, as I am with clients.

The second experience in 2011, was much better. About 10 agents expressed interest in my story, asking me to send a synopsis and about 4-5 chapters. I did not follow-up as I was working with my editor and wanted to be sure the work was the best I could make it before sending anything anyplace.

In 2012, I had a fine time and was pleased. I revisited the agents who asked for the story in 2011, each of whom said “when the editor (who they all seemed to know) is ready, please send it along.” I also spoke to a prominent agent who was interested enough to asked that I send the chapters the editor had approved along immediately. The editor is now reading what I believe to be ready. We’ll see, then I’ll send it to this agent as we complete the manuscript.

ITW does a wonderful service for writers and agents in bringing us together. If you are looking for an agent, come to AgentFest in 2013. I hope not to be in line with you, but if I am we can commiserate.

Resources:
ITW
Thrillerfest
Agentfest

Warms, Cym

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Thoughts on Thrillerfest 2012

We attended the International Thriller Writers’ Association ThrillerFest in New York City again this year (11 to 14 July 2012). The organization continues to grow at a rather amazing pace.  ThrillerFest is the annual meeting of ITW.  It is designed to address the full spectrum of those interested in thrillers, including avid fans, aspiring writers, bloggers, and world famous bestselling authors.

Author Sandra Brown

The program is divided into three parts: (i) CraftFest (intended to teach the craft of thriller writing); (ii) AgentFest (intended to bring together agents or publisher editors in search of new clients or manuscripts); and (iii) ThrillerFest (intended to address the current range of issues for thriller writers, including interviews with our famous members and presentation of awards at the Saturday night banquet.

Sat. night awards

This was my fourth time to attend the program.  It was plainly the most beneficial for me.  I believe this to be attributable to the fact that I have completed a manuscript that seems to have potential and am working with an excellent editor recommended by successful authors.  We are about 20% done with the manuscript, following the 26 single-spaced pages of initial comments from the editor.  She said “the more comments I send, the better I liked the manuscript and its potential.  I guess she liked this one.

In the various breakout sessions, conducted by panels of acclaimed thriller writers (all the names you know and love) I listened carefully, typically sitting in the front row to make sure I was focused.  Many comments resonated with me in terms of issues that I am experiencing in working with my editor.  I will summarize this learning in a future comment.

Authors in line to pitch to agents @Agentfest

I will then review my experience in AgentFest, and finally the other elements of ThrillerFest. Stay tuned & get ready for Wednesday's book review party!

                Warms, Cym

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Thrillerfest 2012 Update

My poor neglected blog this week! I am knee deep in another awesome Thrillerfest in NYC. I will return next week to regular blogging. I will also have all those wonderful multi-book giveaways that I will be handing out to you... So stay tuned.

If you need to reach me or want to keep up with Thrillerfest, find me on Facebook or Twitter.

 Love you friends- CYM 

www.twitter.com/cymlowell 
www.facebook.com/cymlowell 
 cymlowell(at)gmail.com

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Thrillerfest 2012 Q and A

This week is Thrillerfest.  So, be on the lookout for tweets & posts coming live from NYC! I've received a couple of emails lately from blog readers who are going to Thrillerfest this year. I will answer those questions here on the blog. Be sure to check out last year's Thrillerfest 2011 posts:

Part ONE Thrillerfest 2011
Part TWO Thrillerfest 2011
Part THREE Thrillerfest 2011

If you have any other questions, feel free to drop me a line CYMLOWELL (cymlowell at gmail.com).

1.  I've gone to your blog several times since I decided to go to Thrillerfest this year (2012).  Thank you!  Would love your feedback on how we can improve the blog.

2.  I will be attending Thrillerfest for the first time ever, and I will be participating in all the fest activities (including volunteering).  Congratulations.  I look forward to meeting you.  I will be around all week.  I am 66, 6'2" with whitish curly hair.  I will look for you as well. 

3. Can you provide some advice on Agentfest? What did you provide the Literary Agents? This will be my third AgentFest.  I have tried different approaches.  The tendency is to over-prepare and have too much paper in your hand.  The agents are looking for a simple, confident "elevator summary" of your project.  This year, I have made mine into about a 20 second explanation, which I have tried on a variety of people.  Every time I say it, it fits together in my head.  I plan to have a business card, a smile, and confidence to communicate my enthusiasm about my project.  

4. How did you pitch them your ideas?  In the past, I have had too much to say and did not make it an elevator pitch.  

5. Do you stick with the "What if" type pitch?  Do what is comfortable for you.  How would you explain your project in a 20 second elevator ride, or in a bar, or wherever?

  

6. Do you have to have a completed website?  Yes, it is www.cymlowell.com. 

7. My manuscript is in the final stages of revision.  Do I need to bring any copies with me to Thrillerfest?  No, just bring your smile, confidence, and joy.  

8. Does my manuscript need to be perfect before next week?  No.  If agents are interested, they will ask for a synopsis and about 25-50 pages.  Your pitch should set the hook, drive it in with the synopsis, and opening paragraph of your book.  Good luck!

I hope I was able to answer some of your questions. I also hope to see you there! Be sure to let me know if you will be attending Thrillerfest 2012.

-CYM

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Thrillerfest 2012

Preparing for ThrillerFest 2012

I love to write thrillers.  One day, I might even become a successful author in the terms of the world, meaning selling lost of books.  In the meantime, I love to immerse myself in a story and work to improve my craft of writing.  I am fortunate to have a supporting family, including a professional blogger.  The trade association of thriller writers is the Int’l Thriller Writers’ Ass’n.  The ITW annual meeting in New York City is ThrillerFest.  It will occur just after the 4th of July and we will be there.  One element of the meeting is AgentFest,  which is a speed-dating process of aspiring writers and agents.  This will be my third AgentFest.  I did have an agent at one point, who had wonderful credentials and credits but his heart was elsewhere.

My blogging partner, whose enthusiasm for the fiction business never ceases (even though her writer is yet to become a household name beyond the world of transfer pricing), and I will participate in both ThrillerFest and AgentFest this year, and I will try to be a faithful reporter.

Last year, about ten agents asked me to send a synopsis and the first 3-5 chapters of the manuscript I was working on, Bite Me!  At the time I was working with a wonderful editor helping me to polish my style.  We are still working, though I am delighted with my progress.  I have contacted those agents to advise of my progress, hoping to see the mat AgentFest again this year.

I will report on ThrillerFest and AgentFest again this year, as well as my progress in the fiction-writing world.


Are you attending?

Thrillerfest 2012

-CYM

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ThrillerFest 2011 Part III

Learning from ThrillerFest 2011 – Part III

In my previous posts about ThrillerFest in New York City in early July, I have described CraftFest, AgentFest, and an overview of the general learning that I received at ThrillerFest. This week, I continue with the specific elements of that learning.

There were a total of 43 sessions at ThrillerFest, not including those at the initial CraftFest, which is really for novice writers, like me, leading up to AgentFest. The 43 sessions typically included a moderator and 4-5 panelists, so that the aggregate number of thriller writers presenting was in the ballpark of 200+. Both the moderators and panel members were full ITW members and accomplished thriller writers. A complete listing of the programs can be found on the ThrillerFest blog. Each of the sessions was taped and the list can be reviewed, and the tapes acquired. www.vwtapes.com

I am an attentive student when I need and want to learn. I attended at least one class in each session. As with any type of learning process, the critical element is to derive from the general discussions the points that are salient for one’s own work. My list, which I will pout to work in the re-write of Dust Scenario, follow:

1. Stage: Create an imaginary world and draw the reader into it.

a. Limit the number of characters to those needed to tell the story.

b. Make a promise (on the first page, the “hook”), then provide the payoff.

c. Pointless rabbit holes are distracting and frustrating.

2.  Experience: The stakes must be intense, which is magnified by danger, anxiety (will the characters we identify with survive?), or mystery (there should also be a central mystery that has to be solved, even in thrillers).

a. Reader must be invested.

3.  Research: Makes the author confident to tell the story. But research is backstory. No more than 5% of research is in the book itself. Thrillers are about entertaining, not informing.

a. Accuracy of geographic or other references or other details must balance the otherwise implausibility of the story.

4. Setting: Scenes should be described shortly (5-6 sentences).

a. Describe the details through the eyes of the characters. Keep the details in context. The description of something may be more powerful than the dry facts. Remember the intensity of James Bond seeing his new weapons in each movie at early point, knowing that they would be put to use later?

c. To keep the details from become boring, relate them to the inner-life of the characters.

5. Plot: Pacing is about exhileration, escalation continuously building:

50% of the book: Mystery/suspense should be – investigation of a puzzle (who, what, when, why, and so on). Questions make a reader think and empathize (“What would I do?”).

80%: Impending danger and threat to characters (“how will they get out of this mess?”). Pressure of the clock winding down.

Show the pre and post-elements of the scene.

Point of view shift can show impending danger to characters.

100%: Escape threat or solve the puzzle.

a. Draw each scene on a large board, then outline what will happen, page by page.

b. Be careful of transitions, which are generally wasted words and terminal to pacing. In a movie, there is just a cut at the end of scene. The viewer follows right along, anticipating or catching up.

c. Relentless action is tedious. Readers want more promises derived from the sense of impending action, than the actual event, especially if it is violent. Repetition is the enemy of escalation.

d. Break up action with change of pace. Conversation can be an effective interlude.

e. Questions make the reader think.

f. Climax should be unexpected and inevitable. Reader: “why didn’t I think of that?”

g. Fixing plot problems:

(1) Add emotion, suprises, or twists.

(2) What would the character naturally do here?

(3) Eliminate repetition.

(4) Escalate the action (make things worse).

6. Characterization: Intensify emotions relating to the important characters by surrounding them with family or people that generate intensity in the characters. Character is revealed by interactions.

a. What does the character want? What is she concerned about.

b. Series characters are, by nature, lonely, as their love interests are constantly being killed. Imagine Jason Bourne. Vulnerability can fill this void. For example, Superman could be brought down by Kryptonite; and Lisbeth Salander was subjected to immense abuse until she had no control.

c. Role of sex. Readers want to see the characters be happy. Sex is the ultimate happiness. But romance is not smooth in real life.

(1) Sex is about emotional engagement, not bodily fluids.

(2) Sex in the story can kill suspense about what will have to the participants.

d. Emotion is conveyed with feelings and instincts – hearing, seeing, touching, smelling, tasting, and so on).

7. Backstory: the data dump of amateurs. File the details where they belong, outside the manuscript. See Point # 3 above.

8. Edit, Edit, Edit: Every excess word must go, don’t stop.

Now, let’s see if I can put that learning to write and become a ThrillerFest panelist in the future.

Warms, Cym

ITW
Thrillerfest

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AgentFest from Thrillerfest 2011 PART TWO

AgentFest at ThrillerFest 2011

The second part of Thrillerfest was AgentFest, which was conducted on Thursday afternoon, 7 July 2011. The purpose of AgentFest is bring together thriller writers looking for an agent to handle their stories and agents looking for writers who could be attractive investments.

I am an aspiring writer. I do love to write thrillers. But like every other author, I recognize that it is bound to be a slow process. Like a finely crafted plot, escalation from newbie to best-selling author is a journey to be undertaken with patience and persistence.

From the standpoint of agents interested in thriller writers, AgentFest provides an excellent opportunity to interview as many as 30 writers. Agents are largely compensated based on their commission from sales of manuscripts and ancillary rights. Accordingly, decisions on the writers in whom to invest their time and energy are critical for the agents’ own economic success. Betting on writers is a lot like investing in race horses. There is no sure fire way to find the next J.K. Rowling or Dan Brown, and both of them surely had mountains of rejection notices.

In my case, I had an agent with a fine reputation for one year and he then went in-house. Accordingly, I was delighted to participate in AgentFest this year. I did so last year and plainly learned from the experience.

The process spans 2.5 hours with a brief break in the middle. The format is like speed-dating, with each session lasting 3 minutes. Some were faster (where there was little or no interest on either side) and others somewhat longer. There were 65 agents in attendance this year. Their names and biographical information are available on the ThrillerFest 2011 website.

My strategy was to select the agents who seemed to have interest in my type of story (international thriller). Rather than seeing as many as possible, I tried to be patient, waiting in lines as needed to go down my list. I practiced my pitch to get it down to no more than 30 words, which could be said calmly in just a few seconds. Like the opening of a story, success comes from securing the hook early.

My pitch for Dust Scenario: The global economic order will collapse unless a mother and an Aborigine ex-commando can free her children, kidnapped by instigators of the attack to prevent her from revealing the truth.

I was delighted with the results. I pitched to 12 agents, 8 of whom requested a synopsis and portions of the manuscript that I pitched. I also got a lot of fascinating feedback of the concept of the story. I am continuing to revise the manuscript and will send in the requested portions when I have been through it a few more times. In a future blog, I will discuss the writing learning that I derived from ThrillerFest this year. A critical element of the learning is to relentlessly edit and hone the manuscript so that readers turn the pages with their own relentlessness.

I am constantly amazed at how much I have to learn, and how exciting it is to do so.

Warms, Cym

You can read PART ONE here.

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ThrillerFest 2011

This was my third time to attend the annual meeting of the thriller writers’ trade association – The International Thriller Writers’ Ass’n. It was a fascinating learning and cultural experience. As I see it, there are four elements of ThrillerFest:

1. CraftFest: experienced writers teach novices about the elements of the craft;

2. AgentFest: agents looking for new talent conduct speed interviewing, apparently akin to speed dating with 3 minute pitches;

3. ThrillerBusiness: interviews of famous authors, more advanced craft sessions, and focus on the business of ITW (which is largely financed by thriller writers combining for ITW book projects); and

4. Celebration: of the joy of being practicing or aspiring professional writers, as well as presenting awards to the most successful of our craft, over career or shorter spans.

This was my best ThrillerFest by far.


By the time of my first year in attendance, I had been writing international thriller manuscripts for at least 10 years. I had secured an agent who I thought to be knowledgeable and was ready to move along in the business.

What I did not know or appreciate was the depth and breadth of what I needed to learn! It has taken awhile for me to appreciate where I stand. Fortunately, I am a patient and persistent fellow. I may learn slowly, but I do learn.

By my second visit to ITW, I had learned that having an agent is nice. The critical element is whether the agent believes in the projects at hand. My agent had gone in-house without having made a serious evaluation of the work. In the craft sessions, I tended to have other things on my lap. I don’t think I had any illusions about where I stood in the thriller world, I just did not appreciate how far above the seabed I was (wet sand still filling my pants).

This year, I participated in every element of ThrillerFest. At each of the craft sessions, I simply listened, absorbed the wisdom of the best thriller writers in the world, and made notes of the guidance being dispatched. I have 20 pages of notes! I will distill all of that down into my lessons for me and get it into blog format. Maybe it will be of interest to others..

Five things became crystal clear to me this week in a hot New York City: (i) I want to learn how to write a compelling, page-turning story; (ii) I have a treasure chest full of ideas and experience; (iii) I have a lot to learn; (iv) there is room for another respected thriller writer; and (v) I will do my best to fill that space.

Warms, Cym

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