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I am always looking for things that change and I am one of those things that have changed. I once weighed 200+ pounds. Those are not pictures I like or am willing to share. The biggest changes, however, are not the one I made on the outside. The changes inside are much more dramatic. The new version of me is a “better” person. Much of those changes comes from a new confidence in myself as a writer.
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There seems to be some confusion regarding the Patrick Collins Illustration Workshop at this fall’s SCBWI-MI conference. All the information you need is in the brochure. The deadlines are listed below. Be assured, SCBWI-MI would NEVER send out an opportunity like this on a Friday and ask you to register by Monday.
Please read your brochure!! This information IS in there!!
Once again, here is the information, copied directly from the brochure.
Patrick Collins–Enchanting the Reader: Transforming Words into Illustrations (20 participants) Participants will illustrate a scene or spread from one of four manuscripts (available at www.kidsbooklink.org by Monday, July 26) and send it to Patrick. He will review the art, send back revision suggestions, and ask the artists to bring the finished pieces to the breakout, where all the illustrations will be discussed. If you are not one of the registered participants, you are still welcome to sit in on the session as Patrick discusses the art “homework.”
NOTE: Do NOT send artwork with your registration. You will be notified via email where and when to send art.
Fri., August 27:
*Sketches to Patrick
Collins for Workshop
*Manuscript Critiques
*First Pages
*Portfolio Critiques
*Mentorship Contest
*Scholarship
Application
Wed., September 8:
Early bird registration<
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You have a first draft, but you realize that your character needs work. How do you retrofit a character when you revise?
I don’t think of a personality transplant. Instead, I try to add to and enrich a character. Here are 8 suggestions on how to revise your novel’s character.
By Ginny Wiehardt, Fiction Writing Guide | My Bio
“New Writer with Cats” left this question in the forum recently: “Is there any rule to follow regarding how long a chapter should be?” and another writer, Lucy, answered: “There’s no set length: it varies from book to book. . . . My approach to chapters was to look at what authors I admire did, and then to think about what breakdowns would work best with my book.” She also said that she thought about chapters in terms of rhythm, noting when some chapters were longer than average
This is just one of the many informative article found in the newsletter they
have. Please subscribe via email.
The Success and Grand Finale of The 39 Clues
Launched in September 2008 with Rick Riordan’s The Maze of Bones, The 39 Clues is a multimedia adventure series that includes books by a stellar roster of authors, collectible cards, and an online game that enables kids to play a role in the stories. There are 8.5 million copies of the novels in print and the concept has been licensed for publication in 24 languages. On August 31, Scholastic will release the final book, Into the Gauntlet by Margaret Peterson Haddix, with a 750,000-copy first printing and considerable fanfare. To build the buzz, the publisher kicks off its “Access Granted” 39-Day Countdown campaign tomorrow; we’ve got the details of that initiative, as well as a look at the series’ success to date. more…
To check out Kathy’s great post go to: http://kathytemean.wordpress.com
This Week: Two Manuscript Revision Checks
Posted: 18 Jul 2010 09:30 PM PDT
Even if the summer has kept you from finishing that book you are working on, you can still set a goal to help advance your story. This week pull out one of your works-in-progress and just check for these two things:
Passive or negative voice: Avoid is/was …ed sentence structure and stick to primarily to subject-verb-object patterns to convey action. Do a search for “ed ” to can catch these problems. Also search for “it was”, “it is”, “there is”, “there were”, and “there are” phrases throughout your manuscript. Search for use of the word “not” to help you rephrase negative construction into positive statements.
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| Sent: | Wed 7/07/10 10:13 PM |
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Nathan Bransford – Literary Agent
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| You Tell Me: To Know or Not to Know?Posted: 07 Jul 2010 11:41 AM PDT |
http://www.best-childrens-books.com/childrens-book-ideas.html?hop=write3
I briefly scanned the article. it looked like something that might help a newbie, so check it out.
To all those who celebrate Independence Day, have a great one.
Kids CYA Conference in Queensland
1 day ago by soupblog.
The CYA conference is the Children and Young Adult Writers and Illustrators Conference. It’s actually a conference for adults interested in children’s and young adults books and writing them. But now there’s something for kids, too.
The CYA conference will include a kids’ conference, called Hatchlings, aimed at children 8 – 18 years old, who are interested in writing and illustrating, or who want to meet the authors/illustrators at the conference.
There will also be book launches by Paul Collins, Jo Thompson and Aleeseah Darlison and dads are welcome to come for Fathers Day Tea!
Venue: QUT Creative Industries Precinct, Kelvin Grove. Building Z2, Level 3.
Ages: 8 -18
When: 5 September 2010
For more info: http://www.cyaconference.com/
ome -> Industry News -> People
Hachette Digital has announced three promotions and two new hires, and Penguin Group has announced a new head of its worldwide digital strategy.
After almost five years at Hachette, Neil DeYoung has been promoted to executive director of Hachette Digital. DeYoung has overseen the growth and management of Hachette’s e-book accounts, led its enriched e-book pilot program, and served as project manager for Hachette Book Group’s Web site re-launch. Liz Kessler has been hired for the newly created position of digital managing editor, reporting to DeYoung. Kessler will oversee Hachette’s Enriched Content Program and will be a liaison between editorial and IT.
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| Sent: | Mon 6/28/10 6:39 PM |
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Nathan Bransford – Literary Agent
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| Guest Blog: Bryan Russell on the Architecture of RevisionPosted: 28 Jun 2010 07:58 AM PDT |
A story is a house. We use words for bricks and wood, sentences to build and frame. Rhythm gives us a roof, diction a style. Plot gives us shape and form. We hammer and nail and build. We get drywall dust in our hair, blisters on our fingers.
And yet even when we’re done… we’re not done. We finish a house, maybe we even live in it awhile. But there always comes a time for revision.
We paint over poor choices and design flaws, whitewash those plotholes. We spruce it up. Drapes, a good color scheme. A nice polish on the hardwood floor. Clean windows. Who doesn’t like a good view?
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For creative types, the publishing business can seem confusing at best, bewildering at worst. What writers and illustrators really need is an experienced guide to take them by the hand and walk them through the publishing maze. A Crash Course in the Business of Children’s Publishing, developed by the Highlights Foundation, will do just that! During this weekend workshop, nine publishing professionals with dozens of years of experience will share their insider knowledge about the worlds of children’s books and magazines.
Workshop leader Clay Winters is president of Boyds Mills Press and has been in publishing for more than forty years. Before coming to Boyds Mills Press, he was president of Putnam/Grosset Books for Young Readers, the children’s book group of G.P. Putnam & Sons. Clay’s guest faculty will include Boyds Mills Press editorial director, Larry Rosler, and senior editor Kim T. Griswell; Highlights editors Joëlle Dujardin and Debra Hess; Highlights and Boyds Mills Press copy editor, Joan P. Hyman; Boyds Mills Press art director, Tim Gillner; and Margaret Mosomillo, Manager, Pre-media and Print Production for Highlights and Boyds Mills Press.
Faculty members will answer such questions as “How do I choose a publisher?”, “What happens when I submit my manuscript?”, “Do I need an agent?”, “What is the author’s role in book promotion?”, and “How do changes in the publishing industry affect me as an author or illustrator?”
If you’re ready to get the inside-scoop on children’s publishing, join us October 15-17, 2010, for A Crash Course in the Business of Children’s Publishing. Contact Jo Lloyd at 570-253-1192 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 570-253-1192 end_of_the_skype_highlighting or e-mail [email protected].
Highlights Foundation Founders Workshops take place near Honesdale, Pennsylvania. You’ll stay in your own cozy cabin, surrounded by 1,300 wooded acres and hiking trails. Workshop fee includes individual cabins; all meals (provided by a top-notch chef); airport pickup service, if needed; and an intimate teaching setting in the living room of the Founders of Highlights for Children.
Please feel free to share this e-mail with others who might have an interest.
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Kathryn Apel
Kat is one of two talented ladies (Karen Collum is the other) that co-host the fun-filled and interesting #pblitchat on Twitter every Sunday night here in the USA and Monday in the land of Oz, better known to us in the USA as Australia.
One of the blogs I read on a regular basis just featured Kat. Here is a link to Kat’s ”Lights Out article. To read the rest of what Kat said about her reading when the lights were out, go to http://soupblog.wordpress.com/
To visit Kat’s website go to http://katswhiskers.wordpress.com/
Lights Out!” (Kathryn Apel)
18 hours ago by soupblog. — 2 comments
Kathryn Apel is the author of Fencing With Fear and This is the Mud. She’s here today to help us celebrate the launch of the Undercover Readers Club by sharing the books that she liked to read after ‘lights out’ when she was a child. Welcome, Kat!
What did I read after lights out when I was growing up
Http://www.darcypattison.com
is the url for Darcy’s website so you can subscribe to her newsletter. What better way to learn than to learn from someone who is a talented writer.
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I’m finally — after two major life events, a grandchild and my daughter’s wedding — ready to start a new novel. I’ve found two mentor texts that I’m hoping will show me something about how to proceed.
Educators often use mentor texts when teaching writing to kids. The idea is to choose texts that in some way model the type of writing you want as a result. This means you need a good vision for the end result, or the mentor texts you choose won’t help.
For my new novel, I know that I”ll have quite a few characters and that the POV will probably change often; each section might be quite short; that I might be playing with 3rd person and omniscient POVs. I’ve been looking around and found two that are interesting in this respect.
The first is the 1979 Newbery book, The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin. It features over a dozen characters; it moves in and out of omniscient and 3rd; it has very short sections. Interestingly, Kathi Appelt’s Newbery Honor book, The Underneath, also features multiple characters and she us
For my stateside readers, Soupblog is a blog I’ve been following for some time. I really like their latest venture as I was one of those kids who snuck my reading time in. I didn’t do it, reading I mean, under the covers as it might have disturbed the four other girls I shared a room with, but I did manage to find a place all my own to read in.
http://soupblog.wordpress.com/ to read more.
“Lights Out!” (Aleesah Darlison)
4 days ago by soupblog. — 1 comments
Welcome to day 2 of the celebrations for the launch of the Undercover Readers Club! Today Aleesah Darlison is visiting to talk to us about reading undercover. She has two books due out in 2010 – a picture book, Puggle’s Problem (out July), and junior novel, Totally Twins: Musical Mayhem (out September).
Since I have not yet had the pleasure of getting a pb book contract, there are some areas that I have little to no experience in. I’m looking for comments on how to do a book launch for an article I’m writing. Would love to hear your thoughts and comments.
*8 Good Writing Practices* By Neil Gaiman.
Special thanks to Judith Hans-Price for sharing the article with Iowa SCBWI listserv. There are few better than Neil to use as a expert in the writing field.
*8 Good Writing Practices*
1. Write.
2. Put one word after another. Find the right word, put it down.
3. Finish what you’re writing. Whatever you have to do to finish it,
finish it.
4. Put it aside. Read it pretending you’ve never read it before. Show it
to friends whose opinion you respect and who like the kind of thing that
this is.
5. Remember: when people tell you something’s wrong or doesn’t work for
them, they are almost always right. When they tell you exactly what they
think is wrong and how to fix it, they are almost always wrong.
6. Fix it. Remember that, sooner or later, before it ever reaches
perfection, you will have to let it go and move on and start to write the
next thing. Perfection is like chasing the horizon. Keep moving.
7. Laugh at your own jokes.
8. The main rule of writing is that if you do it with enough assurance
and confidence, you’re allowed to do whatever you like. (That may be a rule
for life as well as for writing. But it’s definitely true for writing.) So
write your story as it needs to be written. Write it honestly, and tell it
as best you can. I’m not sure that there are any other rules. Not ones that
matter.
I subscribe to this newsletter and think others would enjoy it.By Ginny Wiehardt, About.com Guide
It can be the hardest part, but it’s also the first thing, after the cover letter, that the preliminary judges see (and in blind contests, it’s the first thing the main judges see). That first impression will color the way they view your work, and they way they might feel about passing your manuscript on.
No matter how many contests you’ve won or books you’ve published, have someone else read over your entry. Grammatical mistakes and misspelled words give the impression that you decided to apply yesterday. Maintain a professional image: you never know who is going to see your application.
0 Comments on Writing Contest Tips. as of 1/1/1900
Posted: 15 Jun 2010 12:48 PM PDT
I had a wonderful time at the SCBWI NJ conference, and hopefully will even sign a client or two. I was busy critiquing when David delivered his State of the Children’s Book Publishing Industry talk but now that Kathy has it up on her blog I wanted to share it all with you.Art by the fabulous Jill Newton
Posted: 16 Jun 2010 10:54 AM PDT
Whether we came to it early in life or late in life, chances are there was someone along the way who crystallized that feeling of, “Hey, I want to do this” or, better yet, “Hey, I can do this.”
Who is the most influential person (or people) who set you on this path? Was it an author, a mentor, a loved one?
My most influential writing personages have been Roald Dahl, who made me want to be a writer when I was a kid (I subsequently moved onto other dreams), and my wife, whose support was there whenever I battled the Am I Crazies.
PRE WRITING STAGE OF WRITING PROCESS
by Peg Finley
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Glad to find a fan of Alphabet Soup’s blog – and lovely to discover your blog too! I’ve really enjoyed collecting everyone’s ‘lights out’ reminiscences for the blog posts. And you’re right, Kat is a very talented lady. Thanks for the link!
No problem. Thanks for the comment. I’ve been following Alphabet Soup for about a year or so now. I love hearing what is going on around the world. I have a few internet friends from that part of the world and like to point them to articles on blogs that inform and interest them.
I am a devoted #pblitchat participant.
Will be checking out your blog.
Peg Finley aka Peg366 on twitter.com
And all this cross-linking means that I have found you too! And I’m blushing at the beautiful things you’re both saying about me. But it is a nice, warm and fuzzy blushing – so thankyou both.
(Now I wonder if I can be so tricky as to link to you too!)