We published a bit of this in our conference roundup, but typically don't include everything that gets said in these sessions because we want to save that for the people who paid to attend the conference, and we want our faculty to be able to use their talks elsewhere. But Laini Taylor, generous soul that... Continue Reading →
Laini Taylor on big, juicy plots #scbwiwwa
Here are a few highlights from Laini Taylor's breakout section on plot:Everything we do in writing is a balance between dramatization and narration.Plot is the answer to the question, "What happens?""What is the story about" is not a question about plot. That is about premise and themes.The plot is the sequence of events over which... 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 →
Laini Taylor: My Own Personal Labyrinth #scbwiwwa
Laini Taylor takes the stage as the first keynote talk. There's already been swearing and bare bottoms (not hers). No joke! (From a clip from the movie Hamlet 2) Laini has a special word for those that find writing easy and breezy. You are robots! What is writing anyways? "Nothing less than a kind of... Continue Reading →
National Book Award news
OMG!It's Laini Taylor and Jim DiBartolo, proud parents AND National Book Award finalists for their collaboration LIPS TOUCH (published by Arthur A. Levine Books, a Scholastic imprint).Check it out.Laini and Jim live in Portland, but Laini has spoken at a conference and regional meeting, and both are honorary members of our chapter.
Publishers Weekly spring previews
Dave Patneaude's EPITAPH ROAD gets a shoutout on this spring preview from Publishers Weekly.If you want to see what's out right now, though, check out PW's A-Z listing.You have to click here, though, to see the cutest fall release by a Northwest author.
PW Starred Reviews
Some familiar names here:Robin Cruise, for BARTLEBY SPEAKS!Deb Caletti, for THE SECRET LIFE OF PRINCE CHARMINGLaini Taylor, for SILKSINGER (illustrated by the fab Jim DiBartolo)Read the rest of the Publishers Weekly list of stars so far (and the actual books, too, dagnabbit!).Congratulations to those who have stars on thars. Apologies if I missed any.