This was our first conference with a first pages session dedicated to query critiques, and Joe and Martha had similar comments throughout the session. Only a few of the queries elicited enough interested from either of them to say they'd be curious to see a few pages of the manuscript in spite of the faults... Continue Reading →
Tina Wexler on Obervations from the Manuscript Pile #scbwiwwa
Reported by Brenda Winter Hansen Tina, an agent at ICM, made it clear from the get-go there have to be five things present in a manuscript for her to take it on. 1. A strong hook 2. A fantastic opening chapter 3. Distinct voice 4. Memorable characters 5. An engaging plot As far as taste... Continue Reading →
Deborah Wiles on Understanding Revision #scbwiwwa
Reported by Brenda Winter Hansen After Deborah Wiles fantastic keynote Saturday morning, her breakout session, Understanding Revision, was packed to standing room only. Deborah began by crowd sourcing with the question, What is revision? She encouraged us to re-examine our process every time and to pay particular attention to reading like a writer to aid... Continue Reading →
Jesse Joshua Watson: Writing For Change #SCBWIWWA
Reported by Rebekah JensenSketch by Dana SullivanAuthor and Illustrator Jesse Joshua Watson shared about Writing for Change in his breakout session. He gave us some ideas on how to use books as tools for change as he shared how he used his book HOPE FOR HAITI to help after the earthquake in Haiti.Here are some... Continue Reading →
Lin Oliver’s Tricks to Writing Effective Dialogue #scbwiwwa
Reported by Chadwick Gillenwater “Dialogue must come alive in the mouth,” said Lin. This is just one of many nuggets of advice Lin gave us during her workshop. She told us to let dialogue give our characters voice, to move the plot along, to dramatize the action, to forward the story, to add pace and... Continue Reading →
5 Ways to Make Your Character Sparkle, with Kevin Emerson #SCBWIWWA
Reported by Liz Mills Kevin Emerson has published six novels for middle-grade readers: CARLOS IS GONNA GET IT (Arthur A. Levine Books, 2008) and the Oliver Nocturne series (Scholastic, 2008-2009). His next novels, THE FELLOWSHIP FOR ALIEN DETECTION for middle-grade readers and book #1 in the Atlanteans trilogy for young-adult readers, will be published by... Continue Reading →
Collaborative Marketing: Strength in Numbers with Rosanne Parry #SCBWIWWA
Reported by Liz Mills Rosanne Parry is the author of the picture book DADDY’S HOME and the middle-grade novels HEART OF A SHEPHERD and SECOND FIDDLE. She lives in Portland, OR, and writes in a treehouse in her backyard. In a straight-talking presentation peppered with heartwarming anecdotes and personal experiences, Rosanne took us through the... Continue Reading →
Liz Waniewski: Character-Driven Stories
Liz Wanieski reads from FIVE FLAVORS OF DUMB Liz Waniewski is a senior editor at Dial Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Penguin Young Readers Group. Liz suggests you ask yourself these questions: If you could choose one book character to be your best friend, who would it be and why? Which book character... Continue Reading →
Kevin Emerson on Imagining, Writing, and Selling a Series #scbwiwwa
Kevin Emerson is the author of three series--Oliver Nocturne through Scholastic, and the forthcoming Atlanteans (YA) and Fellowship for Alien Detection (MG). Both of those are HarperCollins. When you're writing a series, it's a good idea to have a single sentence that can describe the whole series. "It needs to not be complicated," he says.... Continue Reading →
Jim Whiting: Nonfiction Hooks #scbwiwwa
Reported by Allyson Valentine Schrier Jim Whiting talked about The Good, the Bad and the Very, Very Ugly of nonfiction hooks. Using dozens of examples from his own nonfiction writing, Jim demonstrated varied openings for a host of nonfiction topics, discussing the strengths in each. Highlights: · In a biography, instead of starting with birth,... Continue Reading →