2nd Annual #KTIllustrates Contest: Call for Entries

28 Wednesday Jul 2021

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It’s that time of year again! Kite Tales invites all our illustrator members to participate in our annual KTIllustrates Contest: we give you a prompt and you show us your best take.

The illustration can be in any medium, for any age range, and any genre. It can be conceptual or literal, spot or spread, as long as it keeps the idea of the prompt as it would apply to children’s books. (If you’re inspired to create a cover illustration instead, go for it!) All are welcome, as long as the final entry follows the guidelines posted on the entry page.

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Interview with Hannah Shafiroff, Winner of 2021 Twitter Banner Contest

21 Wednesday Jul 2021

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In SCBWI-L.A.’s latest Twitter Banner Contest, illustrators were asked to submit their most creative response to our prompt: NIGHT FLIGHT. 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. Illustrator Hannah Shafiroff won this year’s contest!

Read on to learn more about Hannah, her tips and tools, and what has kept her inspired through the pandemic.

A recent graduate of Cal State Long Beach, Hannah Shafiroff lives in the South Bay and can often be seen with a sketchbook in tow. Her heartwarming and magical illustrations can be found at HannahShafiroff.com and on Instagram @ThatGalWhoDraws. 

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Save the Date! Cen-Cal Writers’ Day 2021

14 Wednesday Jul 2021

Posted by in Central Coast, Writers Days

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By Ann Rousseau Smith, SCBWI CenCal News Liaison

SCBWI Central-Coastal California has set a date for Writers’ Day 2021. Please mark your calendars for Saturday, October 30.

This year’s Writers’ Day will be in two parts. The first will be in-person at California Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks with spotlight speakers. A featured guest will also speak on this day. The writing contest recipients will be announced and critiques distributed at this half-day event.

Spotlight speakers include:

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A Playful Writers Day

30 Wednesday Jun 2021

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By Jorjeana Marie

Photo Credit: Shelby Bond

The SCBWI-L.A.Virtual Writers Day this year, on June 12-13, was incredibly special indeed. Perhaps because I had waited over a year for it. It was my first opportunity to present with one of the most welcoming and genuine organizations I have ever had the honor to be a part of. I thought after my session: “Definitely worth rescheduling, despite unusual circumstances and constraining parameters. Magical moments showed up for us. In droves.”

Thank you to Nutschell Windsor, Sally Jones Rogan, and all the volunteers and team members for paving the way for a day of productivity and group inspiration and creating such a positive, uplifting place to gather. Events like this and the opportunities therein make the loneliness that creeps up sometimes (okay, maybe a lot, recently) in writing easier to move through. Even though this was different from events in the past, there was again, those magical moments to be gained.

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SCBWI-L.A. Writers Day Contest: And the Winners Are…

23 Wednesday Jun 2021

Posted by in Contests & Grants, Writers Days

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By Brenda Scott Royce, Contest Coordinator

The event was virtual, but the excitement was still palpable as the winners for the 2021 Writers Day Contest were announced at the end of Writers Day on Saturday, June 12. First place winners in each category (Picture Book, Young Adult, Middle Grade, and Nonfiction/Other) will receive free tuition to next year’s Writer’s Day, as well as a manuscript critique from one of this year’s faculty members. Excerpts from the judges’ comments are included in the list of honorees below. If you’d like to contact any of the winners to request their manuscript or discuss publication, please let us know!

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Write for Kite Tales!

16 Wednesday Jun 2021

Posted by in Community Corner, Great News!, Toot Your Horn!

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Have a topic you’d like to share with your fellow kidlit community? Want to share your process and inspire other writers or illustrators? Or maybe you have a list of incredible authors you’d like to interview but no idea where you can publish it? Let Kite Tales be your outlet for creative community and discussion!

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‘Diversity Plus’: Diverse Story Aesthetics, Not Just Diverse Faces

09 Wednesday Jun 2021

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by Henry Lien

Discussions about diversity in the arts today focus on the importance of diverse characters and diverse creators. As crucial as that is, diversity can and should also include different story forms and themes drawn from diverse traditions. Western storytelling forms are almost entirely based on conflict, tension, and resolution, while themes are almost entirely focused on self-actualization/self-empowerment and a rising self-esteem arc. These are not the only ways to tell a satisfying story. Non-Western storytelling traditions offer radical alternatives.

The notion of what constitutes a satisfying story is heavily influenced by cultural values. To illustrate, let’s play a game. I’m going to use a very traditional Chinese/Taiwanese lens to describe a book that is well-known here in the exotic Occident.

Q. Majestic gold dragon is murdered by band of itinerant thieves.

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Great News!

02 Wednesday Jun 2021

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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!


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Sara Schonfeld on Making the Most of Rejection

26 Wednesday May 2021

Posted by in Editor's Perspective, Tips and Tools, Writers Days

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Jumping from journalism to editing, Sara Schonfeld never strayed far from children’s stories. She joined Katherine Tegen Books in 2019 and has recently taken on the role of Associate Editor for the imprint. Her list includes everything from picture books to young adult novels from authors such as Alice Walker, Cristina Fernandez, and Ally Malinenko (author of the forthcoming Ghost Girl).

A rabbit lover and fan of anything Marvel, this “Bunny Boss” is looking for stories that are uplifting and affirming, showing the power of relationships, identity, and self for young readers.

Sara will be sharing insights on rejection letters and how to make the most of them in her presentation during SCBWI-L.A.’s Writers Day 2021. She has given us a preview of some of those tips here on Kite Tales, but you can still register for the event here to get the full scoop.

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Interview with Nonfiction Picture Book Author Christine Van Zandt

19 Wednesday May 2021

Posted by in Author's Perspective, Tips and Tools

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Christine Van Zandt is a Los Angeles writer, editor, and longtime SCBWI volunteer. She’s a familiar name here on Kite Tales, previously as the Editor and now as a regular contributor. Her debut picture book, A Brief History of Underpants, will be published in June, though that wasn’t the initial plan . . . read on to get the scoop!

FARRHA KHAN: Welcome to Kite Tales! Congratulations on your picture book, A Brief History of Underpants. Why was your publication pushed from April to June?

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