And so it begns...Again

Well, the Michigan SCBWI conference is behind us but I'm still kicking myself for not getting my manuscript in for critigue on time. What a dumb thing to do. Anyway I learned some things, got some answers, and added some motivation. The answer to the question "to prologue or not to prologue" wasn't a clear answer at all. There was just as much disagreement there as everywhere else. I thought Beth Fleisher's reply said it the best. "It's your story. Write it the way you see it." What is apparent now is that there is no hard and fast rule to follow. Ruta Rimas,Lisa Yoskowitz and Beth, all agreed that the reason they accept less manuscripts with a prognosis is the same reason I heard earlier. They are missused and poorly written. So if you use a prologue, be sure it is crisp and well written and approproiate for that story. I'll write the story both ways, (why not, I already have the first two chapters done both ways) and let the strong version win.
I have a lot of work to do but my goal is still to have the manuscript complete and ready to submit before the fall conferences, whether I can afford to go to one or not.
Speaking of which, I want to remind you that if and when you are thinking of going to a conference, study the presenters and the program. Look at what they buy and what they represent. If you write YA, don't expect an editor or agent that specializes in picture books and early readers to give you a critique that will guide you in the right direction. We'll discuss this more in future posts. for right now, why are you reading this when you should be writing?