Julia Warner

Here we go friends! Honestly, going into this event... I was terrified. I've completed an MFA in Creative Writing from a good program and that helped me approach the conference with a level, confident head (you don't need an MFA for this conference btw--if you write and are serious about being professionally published, attend it). However, meeting some "big fish" in the industry with my child (as we sometimes feel about our treasured WIPs) can be daunting for any writer. As an author seeking a good deal for a debut novel/series, I felt it was my duty to find and submit to this conference and man... I am glad I did. One of the greatest benefits is the amount of time and energy that goes into perfecting a pitch and practicing that pitch live. There's nothing quite as scary or meaningful as live feedback from an agent, editors, authors, and publishers. It helps open the veil into the process of publication in an approachable way-- giving faces to those who will receive your manuscript. Obviously, I recommend attending this conference (or trying to--polish your pages y'all!) but some pieces of advice that I didn't realize I needed but experienced/heard from the conference were the following: SLOW DOWN. Haste breeds waste. Sure, get the draft down, but when you're sending your work to professionals, do all in your power to be professional. Of course you want to be relevant, but relevancy is only possible if the work is good work. Seek out mentors in the industry. Their experience and anecdotes are meaningful, harrowing, and incredibly helpful. They also care about what you do and understand it. I could go on and on about the lessons and practical knowledge I learned through this conference, but nothing will replace you actually deciding to go to it. Seriously. Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk ;). Have a lovely day and hey, if you go to one of these, perhaps I'll see you there. -Julia Warner

Hello There! Here are my responses to the 7 Opening Assignments. I look forward to meeting you all and collaborating on our journey to publication. Feel free to read below and reach out with any interest/questions. -Julia Warner (if you want to make a friend, my Instagram is: @writewithwarner ) (1) The Act of Story Statement - Eliot King must save himself from madness as he realizes he cannot trust his own mind nor the memories it contains. - Eliot King must save his friends from the Protectorate forces, else they die trying to protect him. - Eliot King must save the world from Dr. Nyx before the very souls of humanity are stripped from the bodies of the masses in one fell, depressive swoop. (2) The Antagonist Plots the Point -Dr. Kier Nyx: More than a figurehead of the government’s Protectorate (see below) forces, he actually creates the fourth branch of government (Magistratus) in the New United States of America (NUSA). Dr. Nyx has a peculiar talent to enchant the masses with his charismatic appearance and whirlwind speeches. The readers first meet Dr. Nyx through a news broadcast at the start of the book, realizing that him and his wife found the ties between Dark Art and magick through scientific backing. They are the reason for all arteforms becoming illegal, punishable by rehabilitation or death. More than man, Dr. Nyx symbolizes the darkest parts of us all, personified in an attractive package. -The Protectorate: The newest military branch, modified from the National Guard. This branch is led by Dr. Nyx (among other cruel head officers under him) and serves as a brutal band of enforcers. Protectorates are those who seek out, capture, and detain Darkists prior to their government hearing (conducted only through the Magistratus’s judiciary powers). These mostly faceless characters keep the protagonist and his friends fleeing across the country for their life. (3) Conjuring your Breakout Title - Current Working Title: THE LAST WRITER (this is hopefully the start of series titles like those you see in ACOTAR) | Examples of other books in series: **THE LOST ARTISTS **THE LONE MAN **THE LARK SONG **THE LAST OF ALL >>>>>>(modification of series title:) SOULLESS CHRONICLES: THE LAST WRITER, etm. -THE ARTISAN OF THE MIND | Examples of other books in series: **THE ARTISANS OF THE EYE **THE ARTISAN OF THE BODY **THE ARTISAN OF THE HEART **THE ARTISAN OF THE SOUL -THE FORGOTTEN MANUSCRIPT OF NOBODY **THE FORGOTTEN MANUSCRIPT BY NOBODY **This one would probably be the first book, but then each would be Book 1, book 2, book 3, book 4, book 5 (which I actually like the simplicity of) >>>>>>>Other options instead of forgotten: UNRECOGNIZED, UNREMEMBERED, OUT OF MIND, DISCOVERED, LOST, HIDDEN, ENLIGHTENING, UNEARTHED (4) Deciding your Genre and Approaching your Comparables - Honestly, I’ve struggled a bit with this like all authors who feel that their book “doesn’t compare” to many they’ve read. I’ve settled on some “like” comparisons that I’ve used in my queries before - THE PROGRAM by Suzanne Collins **From a past query: “...dystopian elements from Suzanne Young's The Program, such as an unreliable narrator, a tyrannical government, and the importance of memory, also appear in my novel.” - SHADOW AND BONE by Leigh Bardugo **From a past query: “This book is comparable to Leigh Bardugo's The Shadow and Bone series, especially its use of magical hierarchies.” - HARRY POTTER and the… by J.K. Rowling **This is a no-no comparison (I get that… but honestly, there’s a magical school in the book, so…) Here’s another option (but I haven’t read it) - A DEADLY EDUCATION: A NOVEL by Naomi Novik **The snarky protagonist paired with back-and-forth dialogue would make this a great comp novel. (All I have to do is read the full thing!) (5) Core Wound and Primary Conflict - Eliot King, an average high school athlete stuck in a post-Second Civil War America, discovers three enigmatic magical Artifacts so powerful that his view of the world is shifted in such a way that he’s set to run for his life. - When an average high school athlete stumbles upon three powerful magickal Artifacts amid a tyrannical government set to eradicate all “Darkists” who possess magickal power, Eliot knows he should destroy them but instead finds himself drawn into a dynamic underground of secret magick as Protectorate forces snap on his heels. - When a high school athlete finds three magickal Artifacts of great power, Eliot knows he must destroy them or risk a tyrannical government rehabilitating or killing him… yet, the voice inside the Artifacts calls to Eliot, beckoning him into the world of Darkists. **so far a fave– totes open to suggestion… I’ve written so many of these by now in all stages of drafting** (6) Other Matters of Conflict: Two More Levels | Part A **Development of the Primary Conflict (Memory - Self vs. Unremembered Self) (or) (Establishing Self vs Past Established Self) - Reluctant/Fearful Protagonist: Eliot does not want to be the "hero" of his story. He doesn't believe that he is the hero/has anyone to save-- it isn't *his* job. - Reluctant Hero/Puzzle Master: Eliot discovers that there are missing puzzle pieces to his past. He gains strange dreams and begins to wonder what his life was like before all of this happened. - The Prophet: Eliot finds a fraction of Nobody's prophecy but can tell that it is unfinished. Later, he has a "prophet" moment where he writes and becomes the prophet (which is who Nobody actually is). - Imposter: Eliot agrees to be the "hero"of this story. He "plays along" but doesn't believe himself to be the hero (imposter syndrome). - The Chosen One: Eliot finally believes that he is the true hero of his own story. He writes and finds passion/meaning in his writing. However, he feels that something is "wrong" with their plan/he doesn't have all the information. **Everyone is the hero of their story -- important realization. - The Sacrificial Lamb: Eliot saves his sister by jumping in front of her at the last minute. He dies in the last chapter fulfilling his role as the "hero" but not fulfilling the prophecy. (6) Other Matters of Conflict: Two More Levels | Part B -Secondary Conflicts: Family **Eliot wants to protect his family from harm after finding the Artifacts. **Eliot is told not to trust Uncle Ollie (else he too become a Darkist). Ollie is his closest relative. **Eliot discovers he has a secret sister–well had. She was arrested for the crime of being a Darkest. -Secondary Conflicts: Friendships **Eliot’s friend Duke is not who he says he is. Will he remain his friend or become something else entirely? **Eliot meets a band of Darkists, “The Collective” is what they call themselves. Does he trust them or run from their magickal influence? **Eliot is reunited with a dear friend he had lost. But, is she who she says she is? -Secondary Conflicts: Personal Goals **Eliot wants an internship with Dr. Nyx’s company. **He learns that Dr. Nyx is not a “good person” through the Artifacts he discovers and wonders which side of the story is true. **Eliot has to choose between his future/future goals and who he once was. (7) Response: The Incredible Importance of Setting -Time/Political Situation: Dystopian Future (2052) in the New United State of America (NUSA). The New American Government (NAG) has forbade the practice of all Arte due to the discovery of a new particle, the “Soultron” which allows the creator of the Artifact to influence the viewer’s perception. -Eliot’s School: Typical High School in 2052. No art or humanities classes. Technology, propaganda, and “Artistic Perversions”. All students attend HS for 5 years now with a required government internship/military service for the duration of their fifth year. -“The Beneath”: this is a stop in the “Underground Railroad” of Artisans hiding from the government’s persecution. This serves as the threshold for Eliot’s journey into magickal Artes. -The “Bus” (Not really a name, more of a transport) and on the “Lam”: Eliot grows closer to “The Collective” Artisans and finds himself going on an internal journey as much as an external one. -Eliot’s Mind/Inner Consciousness: One of my favorite aspects of this series occurs within the confines and memories of Eliot’s mind. This is the hardest yet most satisfying to write–but yall care about the relevance… so this is sort of a rebuilding and remembering space that takes shape as Eliot comes to terms with who he was and who he’s meant ot be. -“The Artelier”: This is the “school of magick”. It’s honestly an awesome assortment of treehouses and grand buildings hidden among a jinxed forest that confuses any who enters and who is not an Artisan of the school’s selection. Artisans came here to study over the years, but recently, the campus has been in disarray as the Protectorate and Dr. Nyx grows stronger.