08 Wednesday May 2024
Posted in Central Coast, LitMingles!, Tri-Regional News
by Ann Rousseau Smith
The SCBWI Central-Coastal California Region offers free meet-ups known as Mingles, where writers and illustrators share knowledge, good news, fellowship, and improve their craft. Four of the Mingles are geared toward our writers, one for each of our four counties—Kern, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Ventura. We also have a Mingle for our illustrators, hosted by Jaime Zollars, CenCal’s Illustrator Coordinator.
Continue reading22 Wednesday Jan 2020
Posted in Central Coast, LitMingles!, Tri-Regional News
Tags
Allison Crotzer Kimmel, Camarillo Public Library, Claire Noland, County Mingle, critique groups, Lori Anaya, Mari Talkin, meetups, networking, pitches, Rebecca Langston George, Russo's Books, The Sandbox, workshops
by Ann Rousseau Smith, SCBWI CenCal News Liaison
San Luis Obispo County Mingle
The SCBWI Central-Coastal region offers regular, free meet-ups, known as LitMingles. All LitMingles are hosted by volunteers. Whether you want to connect with other writers, learn about craft, or build a community of support, your LitMingle hosts are ready to plan for your needs.
Our County Mingles were newly created in 2019, and our current LitMingle hosts are Allison Crotzer Kimmel, Kern County; Claire Noland, San Luis Obispo County; Mari Talkin, Santa Barbara County; and Lori Anaya, Ventura County. I wanted to check-in and see how the meet-ups are progressing.
ANN ROUSSEAU SMITH: Welcome to the Kite Tales blog! What is the purpose or mission of a LitMingle, either in general or more specifically for your County Mingle?
10 Wednesday Oct 2018
Posted in LitMingles!
By Renee Carter
What happens when Southern California Mingle Coordinators gather together? Magic. A few weeks ago, Jennifer S. Pitts and SCBWI-L.A. provided the venue for this special meeting.
Being a Mingle coordinatorcan be challenging. We research children’s literature, secure guest speakers, send out email invitations to SCBWI members and network to encourage the public to attend Mingles. Sometimes meetings are attended by large numbers and sometimes attendance is small. There are times we receive feedback from guests and other times we are left to interpret how the meetings are perceived. Our annual meeting allows us to brainstorm, recharge, and make sure YOU get the best mingle opportunities for the 2018- 2019 Mingle season. Continue reading
25 Wednesday Jul 2018
Posted in LitMingles!
By Renee Carter
It began at a chain restaurant. I was meeting with my writers’ group, munching on a salad when suddenly a woman approached.
“That’s me,” she proclaimed, tapping the front cover of the YA novel near my elbow on the table.
I looked at the image of a Latina, teenaged girl on the book cover and turned to the woman. She must have noticed my skepticism because she promptly turned the novel over.
“I’m Elizabeth Briggs,” she smiled. “Do you like my book?” Continue reading
30 Wednesday May 2018
Posted in LitMingles!
By Laurie Young
After two-plus years as our marvelous co-coordinator of the Westside Writers Mingle, Lori Snyder stepped down in December 2017. We are so grateful for her invaluable energy and spirit, and her contributions to our group. She leaves us with these parting words: “I’m happy to say that it was really fun to do and to work with you, and I’m excited to get to come as a participant again.”
When Lori and I were thinking about who could fill her very large shoes, we immediately thought of Rebecca Light. Her intelligence and enthusiasm, as well as an eagerness to volunteer, made a big impression on us from her first Mingle. Rebecca was a natural and obvious choice. Continue reading
10 Wednesday Jan 2018
Posted in LitMingles!
By Jean Perry, SOLA LitMingle Coordinator
*EDITOR’S NOTE: This article was accidentally emailed before Christmas, but was not scheduled to post on the blog until today. So just in case you missed it or were looking for it on Kite Tales… Here it is again!
Left to right: Karen English, Marjorie Smith, Jean Perry at Meeting #1
The idea for a South LA LitMingle was born where so many great ideas in Los Angeles are born: in traffic. When construction projects increased traffic congestion, my drive-time from South LA to Hollywood, as the then-Hollywood LitMingle Coordinator, went from thirty-five minutes to one hour. Returning time wasn’t much shorter. If it was too much of a commute for the coordinator, what about potential attendees coming from the same area? The answer seemed reasonable: set up a South LA Mingle.
I was surprised to find the shorter commute didn’t exactly bring in the minglers. Where did all the people go? My first meeting consisted of two friends plus me. The second meeting was me with a woman who wandered by during the last fifteen minutes. My third meeting is coming up on January 25th. One writer is interested in writing about her family, another about a trip to West Africa, another about a childhood experience. None have shown up more than once. Continue reading
08 Wednesday Nov 2017
Posted in LitMingles!, Tips and Tools
By Karen Sampson (SFV LitMingle Coordinator) & Jennifer S. Pitts (former SFV LitMingle Coordinator, current LitMingle Meister)
Have you ever wanted to pick the brain of today’s Young Adult reader? The Minglers at the San Fernando Valley LitMingle did, which is why we invited five voracious teen readers to our June LitMingle to share what they read and why. As to be expected, their answers were as diverse as their backgrounds, but listening to them was extremely insightful. It would be impossible to summarize all the insight given by these bright young readers, but here are a few highlights*:
Social Media and Web
What Draws Them to Particular Books?
19 Wednesday Jul 2017
Posted in LitMingles!
Written by Heather Banis and Ronna Mandel
Hot dogs! Peanuts!
The 2016-2017 WSGV Mingle World Series, led by Ronna Mandel and Heather Banis, is coming to a close in July with the annual, celebratory, planning picnic in the park. It may not be Dodger Stadium, but the plays we’ve seen all year have kept our fans coming back month after month. Starting in September with “The First Pitch,” minglers pitched new story ideas to one another in a workshop format. Racing ahead to “1st Base” in October, our focus was on the creation of a big-screen-worthy team of characters. As so often happens in the world of sports, unavoidable date and venue changes kept our minglers on their toes. In November, our plotting workshop moved us collectively forward to “2nd Base” and minglers with plotting problems were coached on ways to best remedy plot issues. Continue reading
26 Wednesday Apr 2017
Posted in LitMingles!
By Cindy Kobler and Mia Turner
Mia Turner and Cindy Marcus have taken over leadership of the Santa Clarita chapter of SCBWI, after Laurisa White Reyes and Mary Cerny stepped down. Laurisa and Mary are a hard act to follow–both warm and supportive advocates for all things writing–but Mia and Cindy will do their best. Continue reading
11 Wednesday Jan 2017
Posted in LitMingles!
By Karol Ruth Silverstein
2016 Mingle Coordinators Brunch
With 10 LA area LitMingles, why not make a resolution to Mingle more in the new year? LitMingles, which are open to the public and occur throughout the year, are a great way to share ideas, learn the craft and business of writing and illustrating for children, and meet fellow kid lit content creators in your area. Mingles are not only fun and informative, but you might just be the recipient of some career-making Mingle Magic! Continue reading
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