LTUE and spitting pearls

So I have been attending Life the Universe and Everything this weekend, and it’s been fabulous. I’ve been going for the past few years, and somehow this year got even better.

Highlights from this year’s LTUE include:

1. Learning suspense [and how to scare people] from Dan Well can give you nightmares, and not only because his presentation includes scary video clips, but because he just happens to mention severed limbs once. (Okay, maybe that’s just me) Tip: Go watch a good, suspenseful movie and ask yourself why it worked.

2. I can now recognize THE Brodi Ashton because she wears the same scarf as in her picture. How did I ever manage before her author photos?

3. Bree Despain is so full of wisdom, she spits pearls from her mouth. Not pearls of wisdom, but literal pearls. So sitting in the front seat in her session has been very profitable.

4. If you attend a panel on What You Can and Can’t Do in a YA Novel, you can have the panel enter a guessing game on whether you should writer your story in first or third person. Better get in line early, as the ensuing arguing could become lengthy!

5. Writing action scenes: Learn biology for your writing scenes. That way you can know where your character can believable get hurt while still spurting a little blood, and run away without just passing out. Though I still think it’s very reasonable that a future protagonist of mine can get pinched and then pass out.

Also, my good friend Julie Olson has just created this awesome book app — go check it out! http://itunes.com/apps/jujubeebooks

Kiersten White revealed her cover for Supernaturally, and I think it is just amazing. Can’t wait to get a copy!

And my friend Shallee is hosting an event (or blog post, see here) to help people in Africa AND you can win a critique from Sarah LaPolla, who has actually given feedback on my own manuscript and so I can attest that she is AMAZING!