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Author Archives: Farrha Khan

Creating Magic with Juxtaposition

30 Wednesday Oct 2019

Posted by Farrha Khan in Illustrator's Perspective, Tips and Tools

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Halloween, illustrating, Illustration, illustration prompt, illustrator, illustrator tips, illustrators, inspiration, Jessica Chrysler, tips

by Jessica Chrysler

FairyMom_and_BabeFall brings fond memories for me. Even though I grew up in sunny Southern California, there were a few special trees in the neighborhood that would change color and drop their leaves. I’d dreamt about how endless forests of these trees would look and had read fairytales about how spirits would change the colors of the leaves. I’d wonder how they’d lived with all the other creatures in the wood, and if they would all gather into little caves, sleeping together through the long, cold winters. For a kid that never experienced the seasons, this magic seemed so real, even if just beyond my reach. But I was able to capture some of that magic when it came time for Halloween. Continue reading →

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Great News!

23 Wednesday Oct 2019

Posted by Farrha Khan in Great News!

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SCBWI community, SCBWI members

GREAT NEWSSCBWI loves celebrating our members’ successes and noteworthy news, and there are many! Read on to find out who’s got something to shout about. Digital high-fives welcome in the comments!  

 

 

I-Am-a-Thief-cover_RaynerRuttan

I Am a Thief! by Abigail Rayner, illustrated by Molly Ruttan, received a starred Kirkus review: “Hilarious and sweet, with a gentle, affirming moral.” Published by NorthSouth Books, it is now available. 

 

 

 

Continue reading →

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Secrets to Writing Rhymes that Sell

09 Wednesday Oct 2019

Posted by Farrha Khan in Author's Perspective, Poet's Perspective, Tips and Tools

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Author Tips, Jamie Kiffel-Alcheh, picture books, rhyming, tips, writing tips

By Jamie Kiffel-Alcheh

Can-You-Hear-a-Coo-Coo cover

Rhymes are naturally easy for the brain to process. Their innate musicality makes their messages easier to absorb. They have a calming effect because rhymes set up an expectation and fulfill it each time a verse is completed. And kids love them.

So why are rhyming books so hard to sell?

Well, there are common pitfalls to rhyming. But there are secrets to salable rhyme, too!

The pitfall: Something rhymes just for the heck of it.

“That’s the way” and “What a day” rhyme, but if they don’t tell the story, then the rhyme is doing what I call “treading water.”
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#KTChat with Author Henry Lien: 7 Exercises to Generate Unique Story Concepts

18 Wednesday Sep 2019

Posted by Farrha Khan in #KTChat, Author's Perspective, Tips and Tools

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Author Tips, Henry Lien, Peasprout Chen, writing exercise, writing prompt, writing tips

by Henry Lien

Peasprout Chen Vol 1 - Henry Lien - MacmillanUnique story concepts are some of the rarest and most powerful tools in a writer’s arsenal. As an author, I’ve focused my career on unique concepts. For example, my Peasprout Chen series is an Asian middle grade fantasy about a boarding school that teaches a sport combining figure skating with kung fu. The New York Times described Peasprout Chen as “Hermione Granger meets Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon meets the Ice Capades meets Mean Girls.”

Below are seven exercises that I use in my own writing, as well as in courses I teach for the UCLA Extension Writers Program and Clarion West Writers Workshop, to generate original story concepts. These exercises are intended to shock your subconscious out of learned behaviors, lead you into unmapped territories of your own creativity, and help you generate story concepts that only you could have come up with. Continue reading →

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Attending the Annual Summer Conference For the First Time as a PAL Member

11 Wednesday Sep 2019

Posted by Farrha Khan in Author's Perspective, SCBWI Summer Conference

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Author Tips, conferences, Karol Ruth Silverstein, PAL, published, SCBWI Annual Summer Conference, SCBWI events

by Karol Ruth Silverstein

With my debut YA novel Cursed on bookstore shelves, there was no way I was going to miss SCBWI Annual Summer Conference this year. Attending as a published author for the first time was definitely a different experience.SummerCon'19-LA Region GroupKarolRuthSilverstein

Here are my 5 takeaways: Continue reading →

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Four Reasons Why Cons Are Not Cons

04 Wednesday Sep 2019

Posted by Farrha Khan in Industry Conferences, PAL

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authors, conferences, illustrator tips, illustrators, LA Comic Con, local, networking, PAL, published, publishing, SCBWI members, writing tips

by R. S. Mellette

LA Comic Con 2018 -6As we prepare for the Los Angeles Comic Con on October 11-13, I’m hearing from some PAL members, “But I don’t write science fiction…”

So?

Last year for the first time, I organized the SCBWI PAL booth at the Los Angeles Comic Con. I had no idea what to expect. The adventure started with a mass of people RUNNING through the aisles. They were not going to see a film star. They were not going to be the first to watch a new Marvel movie trailer. They were going to buy clothes – Hot Topic was having a doorbuster sale. That’s when I realized, this weekend wasn’t going to be what I expected. Continue reading →

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Editor Joanna Cárdenas on the Importance of Community for Creators

14 Wednesday Aug 2019

Posted by Farrha Khan in Editor's Perspective, Writers Days

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Celia C. Pérez, community, diversity, editor, Joanna Cárdenas, new voices, Pablo Cartaya, Traci Sorell

wwr2019_JoannaCardenasKokila Editor Joanna Cárdenas is on faculty for this year’s SCBWI-L.A. Working Writers Retreat (WWR). She has worked on critically-acclaimed award-winning books such as The First Rule of Punk by Celia C. Pérez and The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora by Pablo Cartaya. Prior to joining Kokila at the launch of the Penguin Random House imprint last year, she was an editor at Viking Children’s Books.

Joanna is also on the steering committee for Latinx in Publishing, a nonprofit organization that promotes literature by, for, and about Latino/a/x people, and is a co-founder of the Representation Matters Mentor Program for aspiring editors of color. She’s here today to share her advice for authors, talk about Kokila, and tell us about what she’d like to see in her inbox.

Farrha Khan: We’re excited to have you at this year’s Working Writer’s Retreat! As an editor, what are you hoping to accomplish at these kinds of events? And what are you excited to see or learn?  Continue reading →

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Here are the Winners of the Fiercely Competitive 2019 Sue Alexander Grant!

17 Wednesday Jul 2019

Posted by Farrha Khan in Contests & Grants, SAG, Writers' Retreat

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contests, SAG, Sue Alexander Grant, writing contest

By Karol Ruth Silverstein, SCBWI-L.A. Contest Coordinator

SAG_WinnerThe 2019 Sue Alexander Grant drew nearly 60 manuscripts, making the anonymous judges’ decisions all the more difficult. In fact, in the final scoring, the winning manuscript edged out the runner-up by a single point!

We’re thrilled to announce this year’s winner: Continue reading →

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SCBWI-L.A. Twitter Banner Contest Winner: Illustrator Gela Kalaitzidis

26 Wednesday Jun 2019

Posted by Farrha Khan in Contests & Grants, Illustrator's Perspective, Tips and Tools

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digital illustration, illustrating, Illustration, illustrator resources, illustrator tips, prompt, Twitter Banner Contest

HS_Gela_2In SCBWI-L.A.’s latest Twitter Banner Contest (a bi-annual event), illustrators were asked to submit their most creative response to our prompt: EXPLORE. The winning contestant’s artwork is featured on the Los Angeles Region SCBWI Twitter Profile until the next contest with a feature article published here on Kite Tales. Illustrator Gela Kalaitzidis won! Read on to learn more about Gela, her tips and tools, and her own illustration prompt for anyone looking for some inspiration.

Continue reading →

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Five Tips for Event Promotion from SCBWI-L.A. PAL Makers Mixer

14 Friday Jun 2019

Posted by Farrha Khan in PAL, Tips and Tools

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networking, PAL events, promotions, published, SCBWI events, tips

by E. L. Tenenbaum

makers-mixer-e-l-tenenbaum1 Last month, SCBWI-L.A. held its first Makers Mixer, which gave SCBWI PAL members — agented or not — a chance to pitch intellectual property to film and TV representatives. However, a major highlight of the evening came in-between pitches, when writers and illustrators chatted with fellow authors, sharing ideas, experiences, and encouragement. Here are five takeaways from the night to help promote you and your work at events.

  1. Be Display Ready

Of course, your book is coming with you to events, but can you make it stand out in the limited space you have? Continue reading →

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What is SCBWI?

Founded in 1971 by a group of Los Angeles-based children's writers, the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators is a non-profit, 501 (c)3 organization. There are currently more than 22,000 members worldwide, in over 70 regional chapters writing and illustrating in all genres for young readers, making it the largest children's writing organization in the world.

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