by Cara J. Stevens

I’ve been a member of SCBWI since the late ’90s, when I gave a talk on writing for children via a new platform at the time: the World Wide Web. Since then, I have been involved with SCBWI on and off throughout the years as my career took me in and out of the children’s writing world.

Last year, as I did my annual check-in at the last-100-days-of-the-year mark, I looked back on the amazingly good fortune I’ve had in working with many editors and publishing mentors. As I planned ahead for the coming year, I decided to make 2023 a year of giving back to the children’s writing community. Within the course of the next one hundred days, I embarked on a journey to self-publish a guide to writing picture-perfect picture books, started a picture book writing podcast, and reconnected with SCBWI.

Coming Home to SCBWI

Although I moved from Connecticut to Los Angeles about seven years ago, it wasn’t until after my last-100-days check-in that I finally hooked up with the local SCBWI chapter at a new member welcome Zoom meeting. I felt instantly at home with my fellow children’s writers and raised my hand for pretty much every opportunity our fearless leaders offered!

When they brought up the mentorship program, it was a lightbulb moment for me. This was the opportunity I had been looking for. Upon reflecting on my experiences and the skills and techniques I was prepared to share with a mentee, I sent in my application. I was shocked and delighted when I received the email accepting me as the 2023 mentor!

I then waited with bated breath until the day the applications came in. When I opened that first email, it felt like a holiday complete with gifts of all kinds. Of course, then came the hard part—selecting a winner. 

You can read about the selection process and the contest winner, Dr. Jeff Creely, in my previous post.

The Program

The SCBWI-L.A. Mentorship program provides mentorship through frequent communication and guidance. Jeff and I emailed regularly and FaceTimed every other week. We talked broadly about picture books, the state of traditional publishing, the manuscript submission process, story, and structure, but our conversations also covered subjects specific to the stories Jeff was crafting.

To cap off our six-month adventure together, we finally got to meet in person. We met up halfway between us, at Silverlake Ramen in Manhattan Beach, and talked about life, the universe, and everything in between for hours. We even posed for an “ussie” (in Ted Lasso terms) in front of a touristy selfie wall!

Participating in the SCBWI-L.A. Mentorship program has been a delightful journey. It allowed me to give back to a community that has enriched my life for decades and rekindled my love for children’s books in new and meaningful ways. As I’ve worked to guide my mentee through the intricate process of creating his own picture-perfect manuscript, I am reminded of the importance of mentorship and nurturing the next generation of children’s book authors. This mentorship program is not just about refining texts; it’s about fostering a love for storytelling that will endure for years to come.

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PAL Members: Do you want to foster an emerging artist’s love of storytelling and provide valuable career guidance? The SCBWI-L.A. Mentorship Contest alternates between illustration and writing. For 2024, it’s the illustrators’ turn! If you are an SCBWI-L.A. PAL illustrator or author-illustrator interested in being a mentor, please see the 2024 Request for Proposals. SCBWI-L.A. mentors design their own mentorship program and choose a mentee from applicants who respond.

Proposals will be accepted from October 25, 2023, through 11:59 PM PT on November 29, 2023. Good luck! 

For more fantastic content, community, events, and other professional development opportunities, become a member today! Not sure if there is a chapter in your area? Check here.

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Cara J. Stevens has written more than eighty books for young readers. She is most well-known among reluctant readers and young gamers for her series of unofficial Minecraft graphic novels, video game and movie novelizations, and activity books. Her book Picture Perfect: An Insider’s Guide to Writing Picture Books is now available on Amazon.

Photos courtesy of Cara J. Stevens