Peter starts off his slideshow with some paintings he did in art school. They were all a bit wacky. Peter decided he wanted to find a new style that was not only appropriate for children's books, but appealing and unique.Looking to develop this style he did some Art Exploration -- looking at fine artists, naive... Continue Reading →
Laini Taylor keynote: in search of street performer with an eyepatch #scbwiwwa
OK, so she's not really still looking for that.She does tell us that a turning point for her was when a famous writer read some of her early work and said, "You are the real thing. Keep writing."She stopped writing right after that.But then she went to art school and met the man she'd marry,... Continue Reading →
Conference newbie tip – talking to agents and editors #scbwiwwa
Jolie Stekly is leading a packed pre-conference session for first-time attendees.The question came up: Should you pitch an agent or editor at a conference like this?Answer: No. There will be opportunities for that, and it's better that you get to know the editors and agents a bit before you try to sync up on projects.... Continue Reading →
What not to do
I'm removing the names and identifying details to spare the letter writer embarrassment, but a number of us on the Western Washington SCBWI chapter advisory committee received a submission for a picture book yesterday, and it serves as a good reminder of what not to do when you're trying to sell your work:I am from... Continue Reading →
Wisdom from Nina Hess
Here's an excerpt from a great post she wrote for the Wizards of the Coast blog:For as long as I’ve been working on children’s books, kids still surprise me with just how creative and sophisticated they can be. They can handle a lot more than adults give them credit for—from tough vocabulary and concepts to... Continue Reading →
Cheryl Klein answers questions
Cheryl, a senior editor at Arthur A. Levine Books, is all kinds of awesome.She answers nine publishing-related questions on her blog; my favorite was No. 7, which has a great link to a Time magazine story on "stickiness"--why some things stay in the pop-culture craw and others evaporate: 7. Melissa: What, in your opinion, are... Continue Reading →
A new blog from Wizards of the Coast
Love fantasy? Want to write it better? Then you'll love hearing about the new blog Nina Hess is contributing to. She writes:My cohorts and I at Wizards of the Coast Book Publishing have entered the digital world by starting a group blog on our website. I post weekly on Tuesdays about writing for kids and... Continue Reading →
A writer’s manifesto
Shannon Morgan, a middle-grade author, has a great blog called Daily Pie. She recently wrote a manifesto that rang true to me. Here's the start:Yike. Manifesto. Sounds pompous, right? I agree, but manifesto is one word and declaration of intent are three. Efficiency wins.Since I've decided to become a working fiction writer, I want to... Continue Reading →
Rules for writing fiction
There's a huge list that I've been enjoying for the past several days, marveling at some good bits of wisdom and scratching my head at what seems like it's meant to be a joke.Here's Neil Gaiman with wisdom:The main rule of writing is that if you do it with enough assurance and confidence, you're allowed... Continue Reading →