29 Wednesday Apr 2015
Posted in Central Coast
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Rev Your Poetry Power with Joan Bransfield Graham
Award-winning poet Joan Bransfield Graham is leading a poetry writing workshop on Saturday, May 16, in Westlake Village. Joan took a few moments to answer some questions about exploring poetic possibilities.
22 Wednesday Apr 2015
Posted in SoCal
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Spring Greetings from Francesca and Q,
It’s often said that good things come in threes. In the last two Kite Tales we’ve introduced you to two wonderful authors—Marcie Wessels and Elana Azose—who each found a home for their first published picture book through our SoCal Editor’s Day. The third author in this talented trio is Michael Mahin. Michael earned his Ph.D. in American Literature at Claremont Graduate School. He went on to become a professor at San Diego State, a budding screenwriter, and the lead guitarist in an ‘80s cover band called Neon Nation. Michael is a bundle of talent, and we were fortunate to have him speak at several of our events. It was at Editor’s Day that Michael added published picture book author to his long list of credits. Michael agreed to give us an update, and it seems that there is a new book on the way! Here’s what he had to say.
08 Wednesday Apr 2015
Posted in Los Angeles
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SCBWI-L.A. blossomed with ‘firsts’ this Spring with the launching of a new Regional Mentorship Program with the fabulous Deborah Nourse Lattimore. Our first ever SCBWI-L.A. representation at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books takes place April 18th/19th. Please visit our booth #834 and show your support for our signing authors and illustrators – this could be you next year!
01 Wednesday Apr 2015
Posted in Writers Days
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This year’s SCBWI-Los Angeles Writer’s Days event was held March 7 & 8 at the beautiful Skirball Cultural Center. The event was well attended without being overwhelming, with plenty of opportunities to network with fellow SCBWI members. Just as I have at the end other SCBWI events I’ve gone to, I left the Skirball this weekend feeling motivated and inspired.
(Mary Ann Fraser)
11 Wednesday Mar 2015
Posted in Industry News
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One great thing about the Internet is that you can subscribe to newsletters from the sites you like to visit, for free. Once you subscribe, their newest issues show up automatically in your email. You can create folders in your email to file the issues as they appear, so you can look at them later. You don’t even have to remember the URL or remember to look at your favorites. They just send them to you.
If you are ever stuck for ideas, these newsletters seem to arrive just in time with the solution to your story problem, or to jog your memory for a new story.
04 Wednesday Mar 2015
Posted in LitMingles!
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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.
11 Wednesday Feb 2015
Posted in Industry News
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Schools need more books! Wouldn’t it be great if they had them? According to Daniel Rios, a tenured teacher of over 10 years and now Operations Administrator of the new charter school CALSTEAM in Encino, that idea is the very “core” of common core. With a focus on language and facts, literature becomes the best stage for teachers to develop focused and engaging lesson plans. 
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!
28 Wednesday Jan 2015
Posted in Central Coast
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Retreat: An Editor’s Strategies for Reaching Fabulous Final Drafts
January 16-18, 2015
Instructor Deborah Halverson
Retreat Victors: left to right Carina Camamile, Stephanie Olivieri, Heide Boyden, Andrea Custer, Judith Roth, Owen Burgess, and Erik Talkin
21 Wednesday Jan 2015
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The end of the year is fast approaching, and we can now curl up by the fire and enjoy the memory of a wonderful Agent’s Day in the OC. Our guests included authors Marci Wessels and Marianne D. Wallace, and agents Lori Kilkelly of Rodeen Literary Management, Sean McCarthy of McCarthy Literary, Christa Heschke of McIntosh and Otis, Inc., and Charlie Olsen of Inkwell Literary. As a special treat, our illustrators and picture book authors enjoyed a session with Suzanne Cruise, Licensing Agent and President of Cruise Creative Licensing.
Kite Tales 