02 Wednesday Nov 2016
Posted in LitMingles!
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community, illustrators, middle grade, picture books, SCBWI events, SCBWI members, writer, young adult
We at the SFV-Glendale LitMingle are dedicated to the pursuit of writing and illustrating children’s literature. We support, guide, and nurture budding authors and illustrators as well as established authors and illustrators. Our goal is to create quality works of fiction, non-fiction and poetry that educate, entertain, and inspire children of all ages. Continue reading
24 Wednesday Aug 2016
Posted in LitMingles!
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authors, community, critiques, illustrators, middle grade, mingles, picture books, publishing, query letters, SCBWI events, SCBWI members, tools, volunteers, writer, writing tips, YA, young adult
Minglers discussing plot.
The SCBWI L.A. Hollywood LitMingle started humbly. For the past three years, Deborah Blum and Jean Perry (that’s me) have taken the mingle from a living room to the meeting space at the Hollywood Fairfax Library. It’s absolutely delicious to meet with other children’s writers. We who gather on those special Thursdays “get” each other. We find friends whose eyes don’t glaze over at the mention of plot and inciting incident. When we talk about crisis and climax, we can ask which is which. Picture book, middle grade, young adult, and new adult writers are welcomed to this free event every month. We usually start out full group, and then break into small groups based on genre, to get the specific support we need. Mingles are open to the public.
01 Wednesday Jun 2016
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“There is nothing permanent except change.”
-Heraclitus
The Westside Writer’s Mingle kicked off last fall with a bunch o’newness. SCBWI’s oldest local Mingle (since 1990) got a new name, a new location, and new coordinators.
Last June, beloved co-coordinators Karol Ruth Silverstein and Charlie Cohen stepped down after a successful 4-year run to make way for new coordinators, and unexpectedly, a new venue. After more than a decade at the Fairview branch of the Santa Monica Library, the Mingle moved 1.5 miles and roughly 5 minutes west, to the Ocean Park Branch of the Santa Monica Library.
02 Wednesday Mar 2016
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Author Sheri Fink with LitMingle Member
Writers and illustrators meet on the second Thursday of every other month in Redondo Beach for the South Bay LitMingle. The local group is in its second year, resurrected by Mingle Co-Chairs, Stephanie Dreyer and Anna-Mari Lija, who are thrilled to bring together local writers and illustrators in the South Bay. Read on for more on their recent mingle with award-winning and best-selling author, Sheri Fink, and how you can join in. Non-SCBWI members are welcome to LitMingle too!
The Mingle meets at a local pre-school, Mi Casita (1603 Aviation Blvd., #107, Redondo Beach 90278), that generously allows the group to use the space for free. It is a perfect atmosphere for children’s writers and illustrators to connect with their target audience and get inspired by the child-like surroundings.
28 Wednesday Oct 2015
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Change is good, right? Everyone says so. It’s generally thought of as a necessity for growth. Adapt or perish and all that.
As writers and illustrators of material for children, we count on our audience changing, “graduating” from picture books to easy readers and chapter books, and then onward to the ever-expanding and constantly shifting world of novels for young readers and teens.
Similarly, SCBWI has made lots of changes as an organization over the years, and recently they made another one – they decided to rename our Schmoozes. The idea was to switch to something that sounded a bit more professional, and didn’t carry with it the possible negative connotation of gossip.
West Side Schmooze
19 Wednesday Aug 2015
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Writing means sharing. It’s part of the human condition to want to share things – thoughts, ideas, opinions. ~ Paulo Coelho
Sherman Oaks Library
On the fourth Monday of the month co-coordinators Karen Sampson and Jennifer S. Pitts gather together with a friendly group of writers and illustrators at the Sherman Oaks Library, in the heart of the beautiful San Fernando Valley. Their goal is to help Schmoozers assuage the solitary art of writing and illustrating while fulfilling their natural human desire to share.
27 Wednesday May 2015
Posted in LitMingles!
As the wind whips across the desert landscape known as Antelope Valley, writers tumble into the bookstore for their monthly schmooze. The schmoozers are a small, somewhat disheveled yet endearing band of writers who learn from each other and share a love of writing.
04 Wednesday Mar 2015
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Welcome to Schmooze Land!
Once upon a time there were two SCBWI schmoozers who had a dream: Renee Carter and Saundra Davis imagined a schmooze centrally located in Los Angeles where fellow children’s book authors, librarians, and children’s literature fans could gather. Here they would exchange ideas to conquer the dreaded enemy, writer’s block, discuss the questions that plague many authors (to plot or not to plot), and munch on cookies. After all, Renee and Saundra had grown while attending the Westside Schmooze under its wise and creative coordinators, Rita Crayon Huang and Lee Wind. They had flourished under the the spunky and ingenious next team of Karol Silverstein and Charlie Cohen. Surely there were other children’s lit writers who could benefit from an additional schmooze.
Kite Tales 