Author Archives: Jessica Chrysler

#KTChat with Jorjeana Marie: Getting Clear on the Career You LOVE

14 Wednesday Sep 2022

Posted by in #KTChat, Author's Perspective

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

, , , , , , , ,

by Jorjeana Marie

Editor’s Note: On Twitter this Friday (9/16/22) from 12-1PM PST, Jorjeana will take your questions and discuss ways on how to define your writerly goals. Log into your Twitter account during our chat hour and use the hashtag #KTChat or @mention @jorjeanamarie and @SCBWISOCALLA to join the discussion! If you aren’t on Twitter, leave questions in the blog comments before the chat! 

Brainstorming isn’t just for coming up with ideas or solving story solutions. If you’re at all unhappy with any aspect of your writing life, brainstorming can help. It can connect you with your deepest desires—and what better way to brainstorm than by playing some fun games with your inner kid. 

Continue reading →

The ‘Reality’ of Writing: How Reality TV Can Improve Your Books – Episode 3

17 Wednesday Aug 2022

Posted by in Author's Perspective, PAL, Tips and Tools

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , ,

by Toni Gallagher

Toni with the Fiji crew – field producing Under One Roof

Welcome back to our third and final “episode”! In my earlier articles, I shared how the wild and wonderful world of reality TV can help authors improve their stories, but now it’s time to face two of the toughest challenges of all: editing, and accepting notes.

Continue reading →

SCBWI CenCal Writers’ Contest Winners 2022!

12 Friday Aug 2022

Posted by in Central Coast, Tri-Regional News, Writers Days

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , ,

By Ann Rousseau Smith, SCBWI CenCal News Liaison

The SCBWI Central-Coastal Region held its Writers’ Day webinar, Perfect Your Pitch, on Sunday, July 10. Lynn Becker, author of Monsters in the Briny, and Lisa Kerr, author of Wake, Sleepy One: California Poppies and the Super Bloom, were our Spotlight Speakers, sharing their paths to publication. Agent Joyce Sweeney from The Seymour Agency offered advice on composing pitches and gave live feedback on a handful of pre-selected pitches.

A highlight of the event was the announcement of the winners of the writing contest.

Continue reading →

Interview with Emily Asaro, Winner of 2022 Twitter Banner Contest

10 Wednesday Aug 2022

Posted by in Contests & Grants, Illustrator's Gallery, Twitter Banner Contest

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , ,

In SCBWI-L.A.’s latest Twitter Banner Contest, illustrators were asked to submit their most creative response to our prompt: FLIGHTS OF FANCY. 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.

We’re excited to announce Emily Asaro as our winner! Emily is an illustrator who grew up in a small beach town in southern New Jersey. She has spent most of her life by the sea and currently calls the West coast home. She has won the SCBWI-L.A. Illustrator’s Day 2019 Portfolio contest and the Illustration Mentorship contest and shows her work at galleries all over Southern California.

Read on to learn more about Emily, her tips and tools, and what inspires her work.

Continue reading →

The ‘Reality’ of Writing: How Reality TV Can Improve Your Books – Episode 2

20 Wednesday Jul 2022

Posted by in Author's Perspective, PAL, Tips and Tools

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

, , , , , , , ,

by Toni Gallagher

Andy Cohen with Toni’s Book!

Have you ever wondered why you sometimes can’t turn off a reality show? Sure, they have colorful cast members and outrageous premises, but producers need to craft every episode, scene by scene, to hold a viewer’s interest. So what does it really take to create scenes that satisfy?

Continue reading →

Just Do It! Enter the 2022 SCBWI-L.A. Writers Day Contest

13 Wednesday Jul 2022

Posted by in Contests & Grants, Writers Days

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , , ,

by Brenda Scott Royce

Why do we enter writing contests? Prizes are awfully nice, and hearing your name announced as the winner is a definite thrill. But perhaps even more motivating is the validation that comes with recognition of your work. There’s nothing like learning that the speck of an idea you plucked from thin air and coaxed into shape over weeks, months, or maybe even years, actually has wings and can fly. 

Continue reading →

Comedy Writing Tips for Authors from a Stand Up Comedian and Animation Screenwriter

06 Wednesday Jul 2022

Posted by in Author's Perspective, PAL, Tips and Tools

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

, , , , , , , ,

by Jorjeana Marie

I sat next to a somewhat distracted woman on an airplane recently. As she was settling, she asked me why I too was headed into the desert. 

For comedy. 

“In the desert?” 

Yeah. Everyone needs to laugh right now. 

Continue reading →

Write for Kite Tales!

29 Wednesday Jun 2022

Posted by in Community Corner, Great News!, Toot Your Horn!

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , ,

Have a topic you’d like to share with your fellow kidlit community? Want to share your process and inspire other writers or illustrators? Or maybe you have a list of incredible authors you’d like to interview but no idea where you can publish it? Let Kite Tales be your outlet for creative community and discussion!

Continue reading →

Publicity & Marketing: A Case Study – Part 6

22 Wednesday Jun 2022

Posted by in Author's Perspective, PAL, Tips and Tools

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

, , , , , , , ,

by R.S. Mellette

So was it worth it? Hiring a publicist. Spending $20,000 to promote Kiya And The Morian Treasure, from a traditional publisher that’s no bigger than a self-published author? Let’s look at the numbers. 

Continue reading →

The ‘Reality’ of Writing: How Reality TV Can Improve Your Books – For Real!

15 Wednesday Jun 2022

Posted by in Author's Perspective, PAL, Tips and Tools

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

, , , , , ,

by Toni Gallagher

Reality TV might be a guilty pleasure for many, but believe it or not, there are storytelling secrets in those wild, dramatic, and silly shows that can truly improve your writing. How do I know? 

Well, I had two middle grade novels published by Random House while I worked as an Executive Producer on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills! And after working for almost 30 (gulp) years in the business, I have seen how the rules of reality TV can punch up a story in need. Hopefully, the things I’ve learned can help you too.

Continue reading →