Melinda Morley

It’s five am. No that is not a typo. I have been up for over an hour now. The sky is barely starting to lighten. When I got up, it was pitch black. Shocking isn’t it. I can hear your thoughts: What on earth is she doing up at such an hour? I won’t hold you in suspence. Answer: Writing. I spent last week at the BYU Workshop for Writers. It was cotton candy, melt-in-your-mouth wonderful. Five full days with amazing authors and fellow writers. Does it get any better than that?

The mornings were spent with a delightful group of ladies and talented author, Dandi Mackall. I hadn’t heard of her until the workshop, but she has published over 400 books. (that is not a typo either) You may be familiar with her Winney the Horse Whisperer Series, but she has done much more.

Check her out: www.dandibooks.com 

The afternoons were filled with mingles with other amazing authors and editors and agents. Sigh. It is still like a dream.

Then there were breakout sessions, dinner, book signings.

My family was wonderfully helpful. Anasazi Girl watched the little boys (I crashed at her house everynight except one) and Cowboy held  down the fort while I was away. I am grateful. No one starved or bled to death.

So, I took a picture book writing class, mostly by default, and made a great discovery. I am not a picture book writer. I tried. Everytime I started to write, I thought of a great line for a novel and had to write it down and add to it. I finally gave in, confessed my sins of omission to my author teacher and workshopped my novel instead. It was insanely a hit and fed my vanity something awful and now I am going to finish what I started. -at four am. I know no other way. Silent house, clear mind, little sleep. Sounds perfect.

About Dandi. She was amazing. Knowledgable and kind. She gave us each a picture book and signed it. I love her like I love my high school English teacher. Her books are great, too.

It was a cake and ice cream week. (good first line for a picture book, don’t you think?)

The thirteen ladies in my group were awesome and we became great friends and some of us formed an online critique group. I really could not have asked for a better experience.

So there you have it. I’m back and inspired.