NYC and Backspace

Well, folks, here I am in New York City, ready for the conference to begin.  Of course, I'm a little nervous:  I'm about to take my work into a room full of agents and let them flay me live and in person. Can you spell FUN? Oh, well, it's all part of the creative process. . .

Backspace did send out some interesting blog links leading into the conference. Shame I didn't have them a month ago, when I could used those suggestions to make tweaks here and there, but reading them did give me some more insight into where I may be able to improve my first book.

The biggest for-instance is the opening scene.  Originally, my book opened with my main character Tasmyn getting the news from her mom that the family was moving yet-again, seguing into their drive from Wisconsin to Florida.  When I did revisions last spring, I cut that and opened with Tas waking on the first of school.  Now one of these blogs suggests that an opening scene that begins with the character waking up is the kiss of death.  ARGH!!!!! 

The positive is that I already have an idea about how I can change that if it truly doesn't work for anyone.  The negative is that I am setting myself up to hear lots of agents tell me something I may already know but didn't have the opportunity to adjust before I printed 34 copies of the two opening pages. 

I'm resigned to this.  The point is that I haven't even attended one workshop, and already I'm learning!  Pretty cool.

I'm off to prepare for the day and will try to blog another update later this afternoon.  Wish me luck!