Team UMAG was fortunate to be able to join Wakandacon for their second year of festivities. This year, we gathered at McCormick Place for the three-day convention. We plan to showcase just an inkling of the fun and resources, we\’ve put together of series of tidbits from various things we enjoyed at the festival.

Writing While Black Panel By Melissa Smith, Arts Editor

There is nothing better than listening to an author eagerly explain the magic of her process; to hear the secret details and content that almost never sees the light of day. It is why I was so excited for the chance to attend Wakandacon’s two writer-focused panels on the final day of the 3-day convention: Writing While Black and Worldbuilding for Black Fantasy.

Though the panels, on the surface, were different, at the core, I felt the message was the same; there’s no magic key to writing the perfect story. Genres and trends come and go, similar plots will always be thought of by like-minded creatives, and we all have 500 pages of detail and research we wish you could see. That said, here are some helpful tips I grabbed from these wise ladies.

Writing While Black:

See what’s hot – then write something else:
Romance novels – black or otherwise – have been around forever and show no sign of fading away. As such, any writer wanting to get into the genre may find themselves lost in the flood of like-minded individuals scrambling to write the next best thing. The panelists here advise against going with the waves. By keeping an eye on publisher calls for submissions, up and coming writers can see what plot lines will soon be drenching the market, and aim to create something different, for when the overabundance inevitably becomes stale. Taking the opportunity to write a survival love story while everyone else pushes their divorcee’s second chance, may be just the key to standing out of the crowd.

Find your community:
Any author will tell you, it’s the feedback that bites that inspires the strongest changes. While it may be easy to give your manuscript to friends and family for feedback, they may not always be the ones best equipped to tell you what you need to know. The five ladies of the panel often share their ideas and works with each other, and they seek the honest criticism they know the others will give, knowing that underneath a possible harsh critique is a trusted friend. They recommend joining writing groups – often meeting at local libraries – and building a community with those in the same boat. Their program book-euhoria.com hosts several workshops and will be gearing up for the annual NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) this November.

Get in on the ground floor:
Sometimes the best way to get out there is to be in on the starting leg of a journey. RoseGoldPress.com; launching in 2020 will be taking submissions in the upcoming months as part of the new publishing houses debut releases.

Writing While Black was led by: Nicole Falls, Anita Daris, Sherelle Green, Angela Seals, and Kelsey Green.