09 Wednesday Nov 2016
Posted in Contests & Grants, Writers Days
Ever wonder what happens to the manuscripts that win first place in SCBWI-L.A.’s writing contests? We did. As the contest for Writers & Illustrators Day 2017 opens, we talked with our 2016 winners to find out how the award affected them and where their manuscripts are now.
All four of our winners talked about the huge boost in confidence that winning gave them. The award created courage to keep trying — writing, revising, querying, and learning. Continue reading
19 Wednesday Oct 2016
30 Friday Sep 2016
Posted in Mentorship Contest
Tags
authors, Catherine Linka, community, E. Katherine Kottaras, mentors, mentorship, SCBWI members, YA, young adult
One year ago authors E. Katherine Kottaras and Catherine Linka answered our call for published members interested in mentoring. Since May, they have been working with their chosen mentees. As we now request proposals from next year’s potential mentors, Kottaras and Linka reflect on their experience of advising aspiring writers. Continue reading
11 Wednesday May 2016
Posted in Contests & Grants, SASE Award, Writers Days
And the winner is . . . Beth Navarro!
Beth Navarro, Sally Jones Rogan, and Sarah Laurenson
At this year’s Writer’s Day, Sally Jones Rogan, LA’s Regional Advisor, presented the 2016 Sue Alexander Service and Encouragement Award. Here are her words:
“The Sue Alexander Service and Encouragement Award is presented to a regional volunteer who has shown exceptional dedication to SCBWI Los Angeles.
The Region is completely volunteer run, from the LitMingle coordinators to the website guru, to the Regional coordinators, and everyone in between who makes up our successful organization of more than 1,300 members. Continue reading
24 Sunday Jan 2016
Posted in Contests & Grants, SAG
By Marcelle Greene, LA Contest Coordinator
Sue Alexander
After three years of favoring novels, the judges for the region’s most prestigious annual contest have awarded the Sue Alexander Grant to a picture book:
Woodland Dreams by Karen Lyn Jameson
In rhythmic writing that is sparse and word perfect, Jameson develops a gentle repetitive call to a range of forest creatures to bed down for the night. The text is “more than a bedtime story,” judges say, “offering just enough flora and fauna to spike a young listener’s interest and to create wonderful illustration potential.” Following are the first two stanzas:
18 Wednesday Nov 2015
Posted in Contests & Grants, SAG, Writers' Retreat
On September 11-13, 2015, writers from all around the globe attended SCBWI’sAnnual Working Writers’ Retreat; this year in a secluded Encino, California, location. As usual, tickets for this event sold out quickly.
I met up with the 2015 Sue Alexander Award winner, Kes Trester, on that Friday. Most retreat attendees share simple rooms with another writer. Kes and I sat together outside her room. In the still-humid LA evening, Kes imparted insight about writing, the retreat, and how writers can apply for this coveted SCBWI award.
21 Wednesday Oct 2015
Posted in Contests & Grants, Mentorship Contest
The best advice aspiring author-illustrator Matthew Rivera received during the mentorship he won from SCBWI-L.A. was to wear a short tie. That’s because he’s working on a story about a dapper, yet fussy giraffe who finds a tie he really likes, but it’s too short for his long neck. Mentor Deborah Nourse Lattimore suggested that Matthew wear a short tie and, as he went about his day, ask himself questions: “How do I feel when I see myself in the mirror? Do I feel self-conscious in public? How do people look at me?” The exercise proved tremendously helpful for putting Matthew into the mind of his main character in order to better illustrate personality.
From The Dapper Giraffe, a work-in-progress by Matthew Rivera
06 Wednesday May 2015
Posted in Contests & Grants, SASE Award
And the winner is…. Claudia Harrington!
The Sue Alexander Service and Encouragement Award is given to a deserving member of SCBWI that honor his/her service to SCBWI. This award is a great honor as it embodies to spirit of Sue Alexander who was dedicated to giving back to SCBWI.
04 Wednesday Feb 2015
Posted in Contests & Grants, SAG
Judges had a tough decision in selecting this year’s Sue Alexander Grant winner, which attracted more than 90 entries vying for a free coveted slot at the fall Working Writer’s Retreat.
The winner is a young adult novel by Kes Trester, an associate member (as yet unpublished). But with the promising manuscript Collision, we expect to welcome Kes to the ranks of PAL (published) members soon!
