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Author Archives: Jessica Chrysler

Hope in the Mail: An Interview with Wendelin Van Draanen

14 Wednesday Oct 2020

Posted by Jessica Chrysler in Author's Perspective, Central Coast

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fiction, Flipped, Hope In The Mail, inspiration, interview, nonfiction, Sammy Keyes, Wendlin Van Draanen, Writing Life

by Ann Rousseau Smith, SCBWI CenCal News Liaison

Wendelin Van Draanen, a member of the SCBWI Central-Coastal California region, has written more than thirty novels for young readers and teens. She is the author of the 18-book Edgar-winning Sammy Keyes series, and wrote Flipped, which was named a Top 100 Children’s Novel for the 21st Century by SLJ, and became a Rob Reiner directed Warner Brothers feature film.

Her first non-fiction book, Hope in the Mail: Reflections on Writing and Life, is part memoir, part writing guide, and part publishing insight.

ANN ROUSSEAU SMITH: Congratulations on your newest book Hope in the Mail: Reflections on Writing and Life! You have written many novels, why a non-fiction book, why now?

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#KTChat with Janie Emaus: Perseverance, Potato Latkes and #PitMad—After Mere Decades, I Was an Overnight Success

23 Wednesday Sep 2020

Posted by Jessica Chrysler in #KTChat, Author's Perspective

≈ 7 Comments

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#KTChat, Janie Emaus, Latkes for Santa Claus, perseverance, PitMad, submissions, Success Story

by Janie Emaus

Perseverance plaque that sits above Janie's desk.
A plaque that sits above Janie’s desk for inspiration.

Editor’s Note: Author Janie Emaus will be available to chat with you on Twitter this Friday (October 2) from 12 pm to 1 pm (Pacific Time). Keep on reading for her story of perseverance, #PitMad and success, and get your questions ready for the live Twitter chat!

PERSEVERANCE

I believe it’s the most important factor in my long writing career. I kept the valuable parts of each rejection (of which there were hundreds), tossed away the rest and put my butt back in the chair.  

Last November my determination paid off.

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Announcing New Illustration Contest for SCBWI-LA Members!

16 Wednesday Sep 2020

Posted by Jessica Chrysler in #KTIllustrates, Contests & Grants

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book covers, illustration contest, illustration prompt, middle grade, picture book

#KTIllustrates

Similar to SCBWI-LA’s annual Twitter Banner Contest, Kite Tales wants to invite our members to take part in #KTIllustrates, a new illustration contest to reward and promote your work! The contest will begin with a prompt, but it’s up to you on how you want to illustrate it. It can be either conceptual or literal, spot or spread, and keeping the idea of the prompt as it would apply to children’s books. We encourage every medium, genre, and age range! (Maybe you’d be inspired to do a cover piece for a middle grade, for example?) All are welcome, as long as the final entry stays within the guidelines posted on the entry page.

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SCBWI-L.A.’s Virtual Critique Day 2020

05 Wednesday Aug 2020

Posted by Jessica Chrysler in Critique Day

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Critique Day, critique groups, kidlit, virtual critique, WR Miller

by W. R. Miller

Like the rest of the world in 2020, COVID-19 had crippled SCBWI events. No longer could we meet, and network, and learn at various LitMingles and conventions. 

Or could we? Thanks to the internet, we could—and did.

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The 2020 Sue Alexander Grant Winner Has Been Selected!

29 Wednesday Jul 2020

Posted by Jessica Chrysler in Contests & Grants, SAG

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

contest winners, contests, SAG, Sue Alexander Grant, writing contest

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

Though the SCBWI-Los Angeles isn’t able to schedule any in-person events for the remainder of 2020 due to the pandemic, the Sue Alexander Grant competition is a constant we felt was important to keep in place. 

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SCBWI-L.A. Twitter Banner Contest Winner: Illustrator Nancy Whitesides

22 Wednesday Jul 2020

Posted by Jessica Chrysler in Writers Days

≈ 4 Comments

In this year’s SCBWI-L.A. Twitter Banner Contest, illustrators were asked to submit their most creative response to our prompt: In the Wild. 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 illustrator and author Nancy Whitesides won! Nancy is an author and self-taught illustrator born and raised in the Philippines. Her middle-grade fantasy novel won first runner-up at the 2016 SCBWI-L.A. Writer’s Day. She loves nature and has participated in environmental causes for more than ten years.

Read on to learn more about Nancy, her tips and tools, and her own illustration prompt for anyone looking for some inspiration.

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Drawing Inspiration: The World Inside

24 Wednesday Jun 2020

Posted by Jessica Chrysler in Illustrator's Perspective

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illustrating, Illustration, illustration prompt, illustrator tips, prompt

El_Matador

Setting is a powerful tool. When authors describe setting, they often use sensory descriptions and figurative language to bring out the story world. But when illustrators need to translate those descriptions, what do we do? We can’t draw how something smells or feels. Or can we?

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2020 Mentorship Contest Winner with Mentor Nicole Maggi

03 Wednesday Jun 2020

Posted by Jessica Chrysler in Contests & Grants, Mentorship Contest

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2020 winner, mentorship, news, Nicole Maggi, What They Don't Know

by Nicole Maggi

MENTORSHIP1

Being a writer sometimes ruins me for being a reader. It’s a rare book these days that can supersede my hypercritical mind, so when I find myself so lulled in by a story that my picky brain stops whirring, I know I’m in for a good read.

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An Interview with Kirsten W. Larson, Nonfiction Author

22 Wednesday Apr 2020

Posted by Jessica Chrysler in Central Coast, Writers Days

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Author Tips, CenCal Writer's Day, critiques, Kirsten W. Larson, picture books

by Ann Rousseau Smith, SCBWI CenCal News Liaison

Kirsten W. LarsonKirsten W. Larson, former NASA employee, is the author of numerous nonfiction books and magazine articles for curious kids. Her most recent book is a nonfiction picture book biography. Wood, Wire, Wings: Emma Lilian Todd Invents an Airplane (Calkins Creek, February 2020) explores the failures and successes of self-taught engineer Emma Lilian Todd as she tackles the challenges of designing an airplane in the early 1900s.

Kirsten agreed to take a few moments from her busy schedule promoting her book to answer a few questions on the origins of her riveting new book. Continue reading →

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Keeping Creative During Quarantine

15 Wednesday Apr 2020

Posted by Jessica Chrysler in Tips and Tools

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inspiration, SCBWI community, tips, virtual resources

black and white laptop

Photo by Prateek Katyal on Pexels.com

Times are strange. Staying inside and shifting to work from home might be new for some, but for those of us used to camping out at our computers for long hours writing and editing on sunny weekends it can feel like an extension of the routine. Both of these realities can be jarring, and sometimes alienating. Especially when it seems like the world is falling apart. Here at Kite Tales we want to let you know: you’re not alone; we’ll get through this; and take some time for healing, whether it be writing or just watching your favorite movie.

In that spirit, we wanted to help provide you with some resources that you can access online. From webinars to virtual meetups, there is a great community of kidlit writers and illustrators sharing thoughts and inspiration.

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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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