me, Kristina McBride, & Ruth Metcalfe

Tonight (after listening to Gordon Korman speak after the All-Write Summer Institute Dinner + Author event) I hung out with Ruth Metcalfe and Kristina McBride. Ruth is the only person who has read my entire YA contemporary fiction. If it weren’t for Ruth, I’m not sure I would have finished writing the story. Her insights and questions and tireless conversations about fictitious people have been invaluable to me. If you are writing, I hope you have a crit partner like Ruth. (Not to mention I have 3 others in my writing group who will soon be reading the story now that it is at a different point so they can bring new eyes to the draft. Am I one lucky writer, or what?)

Kristina is the author of The Tension of Opposites. Last year, at All-Write Summer Institute, I started reading her book and was pulled into the story and fell in love with the characters. I emailed Kristina and interviewed her for Two Writing Teachers. Long after the post, we continued to email and became friends. We were excited to meet each other in person today.

Tonight we talked about writing YA. It was fun to talk about the journey with others who are in the midst of it. Kristina was especially helpful as she gave me feedback on my query letter and advice on my agent search. It is neat to meet others who feel like kindred spirits. I’m reminded once again that writing isn’t a solitary act.