03 Wednesday May 2023
Posted in Author's Perspective, Editor's Perspective, Tips and Tools
by Cara J. Stevens
Part 2: 7 Self-editing checkpoints to take your manuscript from first draft to ready for submission
**Note: This is the second in a two-part series. To read part one, click here.**
My first post covered storytelling basics to get you to a solid first draft. Once your manuscript is complete, however, it’s far from finished!
Here are seven checkpoints to guide you once you’re ready to edit.
Continue reading26 Wednesday Apr 2023
Posted in Author's Perspective, Editor's Perspective, Tips and Tools
by Cara J. Stevens
The first time I submitted a manuscript, it was rejected within 24 hours. “This story is more instructional than engaging,” the editor said, and went on to suggest that it would make a great article. I was dismayed and confused. I thought I had written a story that hit all the notes of a good picture book. I wondered where I had gone wrong.
I reached out to a colleague who used to be a children’s book agent. “Your main character has no agency,” he pointed out. “If your main character has a problem and someone else solves it, then he’s not really your main character.” My mind was sufficiently blown. As soon as he said it, I saw it so clearly! After a lifetime of reading and exploring picture books, how could I have missed that?
Continue reading19 Wednesday Apr 2023
Tags
author-illustrator, flip tabs, illustrating, interactive, Jackie Huang, Picky Panda, picture books, SCBWI community, writing
by Jackie Huang
Whether it’s a novelty book or a picture book, an interactive element (e.g., flip tabs, spinners, sliders, touch/feel textures, etc.) can give your book an extra level of engagement. But how do you decide if your book should have interactive elements?
Coming from a paper engineering background (i.e., I make pop-up cards), I really wanted to include some kind of interactive element in my first book. When you decide to include something interactive, there’s a special kind of dance that happens.
Continue reading22 Wednesday Mar 2023
Posted in Contests & Grants, Mentorship Contest
by Cara J. Stevens
Note: In January, we invited picture book authors to apply for a six-month mentorship with one of our Published and Listed members. This year’s mentor, Cara J. Stevens, joins us to announce the winner and share some of the submission highlights.
I was blown away by the submissions I received for this year’s mentorship contest. Each story showed promise, and each author’s interview responses showed just how ready they all are to take their picture book writing to the next level.
Continue reading15 Wednesday Feb 2023
Posted in Great News!
SCBWI 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!
Continue reading01 Wednesday Feb 2023
Posted in Author's Perspective, Central Coast
Tags
A Llama is not an Alpaca, authors, Karen Jameson, Moon Babies, picture books, rhyming, Time to Shine, Where the Wee Ones Go, Woodland Dreams
by Ann Rousseau Smith, SCBWI CenCal News Liaison
After publishing a couple of picture books, Karen Jameson retired from teaching and became a full-time author. Karen Jameson’s books include Moon Babies, illustrated by Amy Hevron (Putnam, 2019); Woodland Dreams, illustrated by Marc Boutavant (Chronicle, 2020); and Farm Lullaby, illustrated by Wednesday Kirwan. Woodland Dreams is a Keystone to Reading List Award winner and is included on Bank Street’s The Best Children’s Books of the Year List 2021.
Two more books came out last year: Where the Wee Ones Go: A Bedtime Wish for Endangered Animals, illustrated by Zosienka (Chronicle, April 2022), and Time to Shine: Celebrating the World’s Iridescent Animals, illustrated by Dave Murray (Groundwood, May 2022). Karen has books coming out in 2023 and 2024.
It’s been two years since Kite Tales interviewed her. It’s time to check in!
Continue reading11 Wednesday Jan 2023
Posted in Author's Perspective, Illustrator's Perspective
Tags
Anzu the Great Listener, authors, Benson Shum, illustrator tips, illustrators, picture books, writing tips
Benson Shum is a Southern California author-illustrator of more than five children’s books. His latest, Anzu the Great Listener, came out January 10. It is the sequel to Anzu the Great Kaiju (2021) and a Kids’ Indie Next pick for January/February 2023.
Kite Tales: Welcome to Kite Tales, congratulations on Anzu the Great Listener! What was the original inspiration for Anzu?
Benson Shum: Thank you so much! I always loved the world of Kaijus, the idea that these monsters tower over cities and are larger than life. But I wanted to know more. What was going through their heads? Did they all want to be destructive? What if they’d rather talk to their city rather than destroy it?
Continue reading14 Wednesday Dec 2022
Posted in Central Coast, Tri-Regional News
Image by Laura-Susan Thomas.
30 Wednesday Nov 2022
Posted in Author's Perspective, Writers Days
Tags
Alex Slater, Andrea J. Loney, Joseph Taylor, Mitali Perkins, Natasha Khan Kazi, Orlando Dos Reis, Rebecca Langston-George, SCBWI community, SCBWI events, SCBWI members, Sue Ganz-Schmitt, Toni Gallagher
By Natasha Khan Kazi
October 22, 2022, marked the return of Writers Day at the Skirball Cultural Center, hosted by SCBWI Los Angeles and CenCal. I was thrilled to be back in person with the SoCal kid lit community. With smiles, under our masks, we welcomed a day of craft, community, and book-ish costumes.
Continue reading
Kite Tales 