The ‘Reality’ of Writing: How Reality TV Can Improve Your Books – For Real!

15 Wednesday Jun 2022

Posted by Jessica Chrysler in Author's Perspective, PAL, Tips and Tools

Tags

editing, kidlit, plot, reality TV, SCBWI members, structure, writing tips

by Toni Gallagher

Reality TV might be a guilty pleasure for many, but believe it or not, there are storytelling secrets in those wild, dramatic, and silly shows that can truly improve your writing. How do I know?

Well, I had two middle grade novels published by Random House while I worked as an Executive Producer on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills! And after working for almost 30 (gulp) years in the business, I have seen how the rules of reality TV can punch up a story in need. Hopefully, the things I’ve learned can help you too.

Continue reading →

Getting the Most Out of Critique: The Art of Listening

08 Wednesday Jun 2022

Posted by Jessica Chrysler in Critique Day, Tips and Tools

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

critiques, kidlit, SCBWI community, SCBWI events, SCBWI members, writing tips

This weekend on June 12th, SCBWI-L.A. will be hosting its annual Critique Day which is open to all members of SCBWI. Creatives from all over the tri-regions (and beyond) will have the opportunity to share their work with each other in a safe and structured environment. It is one of the best places to get started when taking those first steps into honing your craft without having to fully commit to a class or pay for a workshop. This event is always free to our members. (Registration for this year’s event is now closed, however, so be sure to check back on the regional page for next time!)

But we’re here to talk about getting the most out of that critique. For first timers it can be nerve-racking just having someone else read your work, but for the seasoned pro it might be a testing ground for an experimental piece. Both need open and honest feedback about the work, but with only a few minutes to read and talk about each piece, how can we best make use of that time?

Continue reading →

Great News!

01 Wednesday Jun 2022

Posted by Farrha Khan in Great News!

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

SCBWI community, SCBWI members

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!

Continue reading →

Publicity & Marketing: A Case Study – Part 5

18 Wednesday May 2022

Posted by Jessica Chrysler in Author's Perspective, Community Corner, PAL

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

authors, Conventions, CoyCast, LA Comic Con, marketing, publicity, publishing, SCBWI members, SciFi.radio, WonderCon, writing tips

by R.S. Mellette

This blog-umentary started out as an analysis of hiring a PR firm for a small-press book, and I promise we’ll get back to that, but to assess that value for the month of April I have to fill you in on some personal backstory.

You might want to get a tissue.

Continue reading →

Toot Your Horn!

11 Wednesday May 2022

Posted by Farrha Khan in Toot Your Horn!

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

biography, middle grade, picture book, published, publishing, SCBWI community, SCBWI members, young adult

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!

Continue reading →

#KTChat with Amy Duchene and Elisa Parhad: Collab x Fab – 7 Tips on Collaborative Creation

04 Wednesday May 2022

Posted by Jessica Chrysler in #KTChat, Author's Perspective, PAL

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Amy Duchene, authors, collaboration, Elisa Parhad, publishing, SCBWI community, SCBWI members, writing tips

by Amy Duchene and Elisa Parhad

Editor’s Note: On Twitter this Friday (5/6/22) from 12-1PM PST, Amy and Elisa will take your questions and discuss why our stories matter, even when we think they don’t. Log into your Twitter account during our chat hour and use the hashtag #KTChat or @mention @amydishes and @SCBWISOCALLA to join the discussion! If you aren’t on Twitter, leave questions in the blog comments before the chat!

We (Amy and Elisa) are long-time friends and co-authors of Pool Party. Luckily, we had a stellar experience working together on this project, but we know that not every collaboration ends with hugs and a publication. Collaborating together for nearly nine months on this project, we learned a lot about what works and what to watch out for so that you can find success too. Here are seven tips.

Continue reading →

Publicity & Marketing: A Case Study – Part 4

20 Wednesday Apr 2022

Posted by Jessica Chrysler in Author's Perspective, PAL

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Azure Dwarf, Books Forward, cover art, marketing, publicity, publishing, Reading Renee, SCBWI members, young adult

by R.S. Mellette

Jennifer Vance of Books Forward, you saved the book! Or, you know, at least kept the release date from being pushed back to oblivion.

Spoiler Alert—At the end of this story, we finally get our cover.

Now that we have the cover wrapped up, here are some details of the issues we were having.

Continue reading →

How Attending SCBWI-L.A. Writer’s Day Led to a Book Deal

06 Wednesday Apr 2022

Posted by Jessica Chrysler in Author's Perspective, Writers Days

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Asa Gilland, authors, Charlotte Offsay, editing tips, Frances Gilbert, picture books, publishing, Rejection, SCBWI community, SCBWI events, SCBWI members, writing tips

by Charlotte Offsay

Unpublished and unagented, I attended SCBWI-L.A. Writer’s Day 2019 full of hope but never expecting that the events of the day would ultimately lead to a big five publishing contract.

For the second year in a row, I attended as an aspiring picture book author, and this time around I knew what to expect. I arrived eager to soak in the wisdom of the day’s fabulous lineup of speakers and had submitted a picture book manuscript for critique by one of the event day faculty. The manuscript that I submitted was one that I had been working on for months, Gram’s Got the Magic Touch. Here is the pitch:

Gram’s leaving, and she’s taking her magic with her. Without it Rose’s baby brother Henry wails and life as Rose knows it is dooooomed. There’s only one solution, Rose needs magic powers too.

Continue reading →

Illustrator’s Day 2022: Welcome Laura-Susan Thomas!

16 Wednesday Mar 2022

Posted by Jessica Chrysler in Illustrator's Perspective, Illustrators Day

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

digital illustration, digital tools, illustrator tips, illustrators, Laura-Susan Thomas, SCBWI events, SCBWI members

SCBWI-L.A. Illustrator’s Day is coming around the corner and we have a wonderful presenter lined up, ready to dive deep into the craft of digital art making with you!

Please welcome Laura-Susan Thomas, a digital artist extraordinaire with experience creating art on a grand scale as a Walt Disney Imagineer where she was able to embrace her inner 10-year-old every day, working on designs for Paris, Orlando, and Tokyo theme parks. She has had her work featured in the LA Times Kids’ Reading Room and Babybug Magazine. A professor of Fine Arts at the Allan Hancock College, she is also the Gallery Director at the Ann Foxworthy Gallery and the Illustrator Coordinator for the SCBWI-CenCal region.

For Illustrator Day, Thomas will share with us different strategies for working creatively with technology. The workshop will delve into two of the main applications artists use for creating on the computer and will have a little “sandbox” time for participants to begin experimenting in the medium as well. If you haven’t signed up yet, please visit the regional events page to register.

Continue reading →