Happy Holidays from SCBWI Cen-Cal!
16 Wednesday Dec 2020
Posted in Central Coast
#KTIllustrates Deadline Extended: Let’s Stir Up The Imagination!
09 Wednesday Dec 2020
Posted in #KTIllustrates, Tips and Tools
So much has been happening in the world in the last few months that it might feel like we haven’t yet caught a break. A day of rest might seem like a luxury of the past or we might be struggling to generate ideas with the constant stream of worries swirling around in our heads.
With this in mind, we’re going to give ourselves some time to rest and extend the deadline for our #KTIllustrates contest to February 5, 2021.
Interview with Best-Selling Author, Ann Whitford Paul
02 Wednesday Dec 2020
Posted in Author's Perspective
Ann Whitford Paul is the New York Times best-selling author of the picture book series If Animals Kissed Good Night and of the definitive children’s picture book writers’ reference book, Writing Picture Books: A Hands-On Guide From Story Creation to Publication. She was kind enough to chat with us and share how her series got started, what’s next for her, her advice for other writers, and more
CHRISTINE VAN ZANDT: Welcome to Kite Tales! With over twenty children’s books published, there’s so much to talk about, but your If Animals Kissed Good Night series is a favorite of mine. The fifth book in the series, If Animals Gave Thanks (Farrar, Straus, and Giroux), is out in time for the holidays. How did this series get started?
Toot Your Horn!
25 Wednesday Nov 2020
Posted in Toot Your Horn!
SCBWI members’ publishing news is something to celebrate here at Kite Tales! Check out whose book is coming to a platform near you or around the world. Horn-tooting and digital hi-fives welcome in the comments!
Ask an Editor: The Difference Between Story Arc and Structure
18 Wednesday Nov 2020
Posted in Ask an Editor
“Ask an Editor” is a forum wherein SCBWI members submit questions that are answered as part of our quarterly Kite Tales blog.
Hello Christine – I hear the words “story arc” and “story structure” but am not sure I know the difference. Can you explain? Thanks.
—J.R., Los Angeles
Hello J.R. – Arc and structure (hopefully) work seamlessly together. Let me try to explain.
Story arc (also known as narrative arc) is the trajectory that your story takes over its full progression. The arc provides structure—which makes these terms a bit confusing. Some story arcs and structures can be shown on a graph.
How Does a Contest Submission Get to Be ‘Most Promising?’
11 Wednesday Nov 2020
Posted in Central Coast, Contests & Grants, Tips and Tools, Tri-Regional News
by Anonymous SCBWI Contest Judge
Years ago, I’d sit among other eager writers, waiting to hear if my submission had won “Special Mention” or even better, “Most Promising.” Watching the elated winner claim their award, I’d wonder why my story didn’t capture the prize.
Now as a contest judge who’s “been there,” I hope that sharing my insights on how to take a story from good to impressive will help another aspiring writer.
Judges respond to stories that engage us. I may love some genres more than others, but when judging, I set aside personal preferences and look at the caliber of the work.
I read contest submissions multiple times to answer two key questions:
SCBWI CenCal Writers’ Day 2020: The Winners Are…!
04 Wednesday Nov 2020
Posted in Central Coast, Tri-Regional News, Writers Days
by Ann Rousseau Smith, SCBWI CenCal News Liaison
This year’s Writers’ Day consisted of three separate webinars. On Saturday, September 26, after a fabulous presentation by Erin Siu, associate editor at Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group’s imprints, Square Fish, and Feiwel & Friends, the winners of our writing contest were announced.
Thank you to all our anonymous judges, who were chosen from outside our region. The judges’ comments are included in the list of honorees below. Most Promising will receive free entry to next year’s CenCal Writers’ Day. Special Mention will receive half-off Writers’ Day admission.
Congratulations to all our contest participants, including our winners!
Great News!
28 Wednesday Oct 2020
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!
Am I Too Old to Be an Illustrator?
21 Wednesday Oct 2020
Posted in Illustrator's Perspective
Tags
Globe Pequot Press, Illustration, Illustrators Journal, kidlit, Lon Levin, networking, publishing
by Lon Levin
When are you too old to become an artist?
I always envisioned myself with white hair and a beard wearing drawstring pants and sandals wandering through my studio filled with large paintings sipping on some nice wine. A true Impressionist’s fantasy.
I had trained to become an illustrator. I graduated from Art Center in the late 1970’s and couldn’t find enough work to continue down that path. I thought I may not be good enough so I turned to art direction which I thought suited me better.
Hope in the Mail: An Interview with Wendelin Van Draanen
14 Wednesday Oct 2020
Posted in Author's Perspective, Central Coast
Tags
fiction, Flipped, Hope In The Mail, inspiration, interview, nonfiction, Sammy Keyes, Wendlin Van Draanen, Writing Life
by Ann Rousseau Smith, SCBWI CenCal News Liaison
Wendelin Van Draanen, a member of the SCBWI Central-Coastal California region, has written more than thirty novels for young readers and teens. She is the author of the 18-book Edgar-winning Sammy Keyes series, and wrote Flipped, which was named a Top 100 Children’s Novel for the 21st Century by SLJ, and became a Rob Reiner directed Warner Brothers feature film.
Her first non-fiction book, Hope in the Mail: Reflections on Writing and Life, is part memoir, part writing guide, and part publishing insight.
ANN ROUSSEAU SMITH: Congratulations on your newest book Hope in the Mail: Reflections on Writing and Life! You have written many novels, why a non-fiction book, why now?
Kite Tales 