Day 2 at the SCBWI Conference.   If I had a non-fiction, apocalyptic mermaid book, I could submit it to agents RIGHT NOW.   Angels are already so done and the books haven't even been launched yet.  I've decided that if I wait long enough, time-traveling historical fiction will make a resurgence, right?  

Here are some terms I've learned today:

High Concept: 
Official definition - a book idea that can be easily understood in a sentence or two and has lots of commercial appeal.  A comment given to me in my ms critique. My definition - Love the idea, re-write the book.

Dystopia:
Official definition - the opposite of a utopia, i.e. a futuristic society that has turned evil and repressive.  Books with this premise are in-demand. My definition -  an incurable eye disease contracted from poking my eye out while trying to write a fantasy book instead.

Rebus:
Official definition - a word puzzle that uses pictures to represent words.  Children's magazines love them.

My definition - a country and western singer.

Can you tell I'm on information overload?    I heard some more really great speakers today.  First up was a panel of agents who did give me some encouraging news - the last few years have been all about Young Adult books like Twilight, etc.  Agents are now seeing a stronger interest in Middle Grade (8-12 yr olds) which is the genre for Fitch Tavern Tales.  Series books are strong, which is also good news if I could ever get started on writing the second Fitch Tavern Tale.

I then attended  a workshop with an Editor from Disney/Hyperion who gave a detailed list of what is missing in their "lists".  Contrary to the agent advice earlier, she didn't want apocalyptic novels.  Go figure.

And the highlight of the evening was an advice-filled talk by Gail Carson Levine, author of Ella Enchanted and other books I love.  She had so many great examples of character and plot development that I could have written a novel if I knew shorthand.

Off to dinner and dancing (?) at the Heart and Soul Celebration.  Well, maybe dinner anyway.  I'm still on East Coast time...