John Parra tells us about his Golden Kite Award-Winning Illustrations for "Marvelous Cornelius: Hurricane Katrina and the Spirit of New Orleans"

In which John talks about the palate and his color choices for illustrating "Marvelous Cornelius"...


Thanks, John! And cheers again on winning the Golden Kite Award for your illustrations!

And congratulations also to blog reader Lois, for the great question. Lois, please email me your mailing address at leewind (at) roadrunner (dot) com and I'll send you the copy of "Marvelous Cornelius" that John signed right before recording our interview.

Illustrate and Write On!
Lee

Molly B. Burnham tells us about her Sid Fleischman Award-Winning "Teddy Mars: Almost a World Record Breaker"

In which Molly reveals her comedy secret...


 Thanks, Molly! Cheers to your winning the coveted Sid Fleischman Humor Award!

And congratulations to blog reader Laurie Theurer for coming up with the winning question! (Laurie, email me your mailing address to leewind (at) roadrunner (dot) com and I'll send you the copy of "Teddy Mars" that Molly signed right before we did this interview.)


Illustrate and Write On,
Lee

Neal Shusterman tells us about "Challenger Deep" and answers a blog reader's question

Here's my interview with Neal...


And cheers to jpetroroy for asking the winning question, and for winning the copy of "Challenger Deep" that Neal signed just before our interview.

And of course, congratulations to Neal for winning the Golden Kite Award For YA Fiction!

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee

ps - jpetroroy, please email me your mailing address at: leewind (at) roadrunner (dot) com.

Jessixa Bagley Tells Us About "Boats For Papa" and answers a blog reader's question...

Here's Jessixa...


Congratulations to Kathy, whose question was used and who has won the copy of "Boats For Papa:" that Jessixa signed!

And of course, congratulations to Jessixa for winning the Golden Kite Award for Picture Book text!

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee

ps - Kathy, please email me with your mailing address at: leewind (at) roadrunner (dot) com

Twitter Highlights of #LA16SCBWI

What a conference!

There are so many great tweets to check out - here are ten that resonated for me. Check out the twitter stream for so much more inspiration!

Martha Brockenbrough ‏@mbrockenbrough Jul 31 "Make sure everything you put into a story has at least two reasons to be there." - Neal Shusterman #la16scbwi

Anna ShinodaVerified account ‏@AnnaShinoda Jul 30 "As writers, how do we change the world? One reader at a time." -@NealShusterman #LA16SCBWI

Devas_T (Don Tate) ‏@Devas_T Jul 30 Marie Lu, advice for writing outside of your experience: listen. Learn from other’s stories. When wrong, don’t defend. Listen. #LA16SCBWI

Lee Wind ‏@leewind 24h24 hours ago It's NOT 'send me your gobbled-gook, you said you were an editorial agent.' Submit only your best. @Tina_Wexler #LA16SCBWI

Vivian Lee Mahoney ‏@VLeeMahoney Jul 31 THIS --> RT @leewind: finish that 1st draft! "You can't perfect something that doesn't exist." - @Marie_Lu #LA16SCBWI

Jolie Stekly ‏@cuppajolie Jul 31 "If our readers don't like the first line then they'll never read the second."-Richard Peck #la16scbwi

Bree Barton ‏@BreeBartonYA Jul 31 Los Angeles, CA "Writing is a joy. It's also a privilege. We might as well own it and love it and enter it from a place of joy." @Mollybburnham #la16scbwi

Corinna Luyken ‏@CorinnaLuyken Jul 31 "It's not being in the light, it's being there before it arrives" -Toni Morrison via @SophieBlackall #LA16SCBWI

Heather Zenzen ‏@heatherzenzen Jul 31 In yoga, it never gets easier bc you’re always pushing limits, stretching a further. Writing books is the same. -Sophie Blackall #LA16SCBWI

Jessica Gruner ‏@Gruner23 Jul 30 "The better the character, the worse the trouble, the better the story." @brucecoville at #LA16SCBWI

okay, one more that I tweeted:

"Diversity is not a trend... It needs to be the norm." -Justin Chanda at #LA16SCBWI #WeNeedDiverseBooks


And for more detailed reporting from the conference floor, check out The Official SCBWI Conference Blog here.

Illustrators! Share your #LA16SCBWI Conference Journal Images...

It's an open call. Are you an illustrator attending #LA16SCBWI?

If you'd like to share a photo of your conference notes/sketches, you can leave a link here in comments, or tag your image on either twitter or instagram with #LA16SCBWI.

We can't wait to see - and share - what inspires you, and how you express it!

What are you doing here? The #LA16SCBWI Conference is Happening NOW

So visit the Official SCBWI Conference Blog to follow along!

And, on social media (like instagram and twitter) follow and use the hashtag #LA16SCBWI

"MARVELOUS CORNELIUS: HURRICANE KATRINA AND THE SPIRIT OF NEW ORLEANS" Golden Kite Illustration Award-Winner Giveaway and Conference Countdown

#LA16SCBWI starts tomorrow!

To celebrate, we'll be giving away a copy of the Golden Kite Award-Winning book for picture book illustration, Marvelous Cornelius by John Parra, written by Phil Bildner (Chronicle Books)

In this inspiring book about a real garbage man, John Parra depicts the story of a humble man and the heroic difference he made in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

To enter, just leave your best question for John about the illustrations in this picture book in the comments below, and I'll choose one winning question to ask John at the conference. The author of that winning question will also win a copy of "Marvelous Cornelius: Hurricane Katrina and the Spirit of New Orleans."

Ready to play?

Okay, Go!

"TEDDY MARS: ALMOST A WORLD RECORD BREAKER" Sid Fleischman Humor Award-Winner Giveaway and Conference Countdown

Only two more days until #LA16SCBWI!

To celebrate, we'll be giving away a copy of Teddy Mars: Almost a World Record Breaker by Molly B. Burnham (HarperCollins)

Told in short sections for young readers, this hilarious new series is about a determined ten-year-old boy from a big family who dreams of making it into The Guinness Book of World Records.

To enter, just leave your best question for Molly about the book for young readers in comments below, and I'll choose one winning question to ask Molly at the conference. The author of that winning question will also win a copy of "Teddy Marx: Almost a World Record Breaker."

Ready to play?

Okay, Go!

"ENCHANTED AIR: TWO CULTURES, TWO WINGS" Golden Kite Award-Winner Giveaway and Conference Countdown

Only three more days until #LA16SCBWI!

To celebrate, we'll be giving away a copy of the Golden Kite Nonfiction winner, Enchanted Air: Two Cultures, Two Wings: A Memoir by Margarita Engle (Atheneum)

In this poetic memoir, acclaimed author Margarita Engle tells the story of growing up as a Cuban-American child, balancing two different cultures during the Cold War.

To enter, just leave your best question for Margarita about the memoir in comments below, and I'll choose one winning question to ask Margarita at the conference. The author of that winning question will also win a copy of "Enchanted Air: Two Cultures, Two Wings."

Ready to play?

Okay, Go!

"THE DETECTIVE'S ASSISTANT" Golden Kite Award-Winner Giveaway and Conference Countdown

Only four more days until #LA16SCBWI!

To celebrate, we'll be giving away a copy of The Detective's Assistant by Kate Hannigan (Little, Brown)

Based on the extraordinary true story of America's first-ever female detective, this fast-paced adventure recounts feats of daring and danger, including saving the life of Abraham Lincoln!  

To enter, just leave your best question for Kate about the novel in comments below, and I'll choose one winning question to ask Kate at the conference. The author of that winning question will also win a copy of "The Detective's Assistant."

Ready to play?

Okay, Go!

"FOREST HAS A SONG" Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award-Winner Giveaway and Conference Countdown

Only six more days until #LA16SCBWI!

To celebrate, we'll be giving away a copy of Forest Has a Song by Amy Ludwig VanDerwater, illustrated by Robbin Gourley (Clarion)

VanDerwater makes a stunning debut with twenty-six inviting poems leading readers through a vibrant tour of forest-wonders---ferny frondy fiddleheads, a grandfather fossil, a fawn, an owl's first flight. Poetry filled with metaphors, imagery, alliteration and personification show what poetry for children of all ages is about.

To enter, just leave your best question for Amy about the poetry collection in comments below, and I'll choose one winning question to ask Amy at the conference. The author of that winning question will also win a copy of "Forest Has A Song."

Ready to play?

Okay, Go!

"CHALLENGER DEEP" Golden Kite-Winning Book Giveaway & Conference Countdown

Only 8 more days until #LA16SCBWI!

To celebrate, we'll be giving away a copy of Neal Shusterman's "Challenger Deep," which won the 2016 Golden Kite Award for Fiction.

Caden Bosch is on a ship that's headed for the deepest point on Earth: Challenger Deep, the southern part of the Marianas Trench.Caden Bosch is a brilliant high school student whose friends are starting to notice his odd behavior.Caden Bosch is designated the ship's artist in residence to document the journey with images.Caden Bosch pretends to join the school track team but spends his days walking for miles, absorbed by the thoughts in his head.Caden Bosch is split between his allegiance to the captain and the allure of mutiny.Caden Bosch is torn.

To enter, just leave your best question for Neal about the novel in comments below, and I'll choose one winning question to ask Neal at the conference. The author of that winning question will also win a copy of "Challenger Deep."

Ready to play?

Okay, Go!

"BOATS FOR PAPA" Golden Kite-Winning Book Giveaway & Conference Countdown

Only 10 more days until #LA16SCBWI! (Which is sold out!)

To celebrate, we'll be giving away a copy of Jessixa Bagley's "Boats For Papa," which won the 2016 Golden Kite Award for Picture Book Text.

"Buckley and his mama live in a cozy cabin by the sea. He loves to carve boats out of the driftwood he finds on the beach nearby. He makes big boats, long boats, short boats, and tall boats, each one more beautiful than the last, and sends them out to sea. If they don't come back, he knows they've found their way to his papa, whom he misses very much."

To enter, just leave your best question for Jessixa about the picture book she wrote and illustrated in comments below, and I'll choose one winning question to ask Jessixa at the conference. The author of that winning question will also win a copy of "Boats For Papa."

Ready to play?

Okay, Go!

The SCBWI Summer Conference is Selling Out FAST

In particular, the intensives are filling up!

You'll have to jump on it to get a space in the Illustrator's Intensive,

CHARACTER BUILDING
Developing a Believable and Engaging Cast for Your Picture Book
 With the day’s faculty: Sophie Blackall Author/Illustrator, Peter Brown Author/Illustrator, Priscilla Burris Author/Illustrator, Pat Cummings Illustrator, David Diaz Illustrator, Laurent Linn Art Director, Simon & Schuster, Cecilia Yung Art Director Art Director & Vice President, Penguin BFYR, and Paul Zelinsky Illustrator 

It's a full day drawing session. Bring drawing material and a 8-1/2” x 11" pad and tracing paper!

And there are just a few spots left in these craft intensives,

School Visits – the Crash Course, with Suzanne Morgan Williams Author / Bruce Hale Author (All Day) 
In this hands-on intensive, Bruce Hale and Suzanne Morgan Williams coach you in taking your school/library presentation to the next level. They’ll cover planning, marketing, performance, curriculum tie-ins, and everything in between. You’ll even be videotaped and receive feedback on a brief excerpt from your presentation. Assignment: Please bring a five-minute talk to share, plus: your latest book (or ARC), any marketing materials, and a prop (small enough to fit in a shoebox) that represents you and your work.

Supplementing Your Writing Income, with Bonnie Bader, SCBWI PAL Advisor (Morning) 
Are you in between projects, or waiting for a contract? This class will give you concrete ways to supplement your writing and illustrating income. Learn how to get writer/illustrator work-for-hire, and come away with a list of publishers to contact for work. In class exercises include writing query letters, writing to a publisher's specifications, and more!

Novel Writing: Soup to Nuts with Stacey Barney, Senior Editor, Penguin/Putnam (Morning) 
In this session, Stacey Barney will guide you through a comprehensive overview of novel writing devices. It's always helpful to bring a work-in-progress so that you can apply each technique and device to your own work during the discussion. Stacey brings her editorial expertise to help each participant discover what is working with their manuscript and what can be improved.

Writing Voice – Speak Up, I Can’t Hear You, with Kat Brzozowski, Editor, St. Martin's (Morning)
You’ve come up with a plot. You’ve created characters. You have a setting. Now how do you make your readers feel like these characters are really speaking to them? Voice is one of the most important elements of fiction and one of the hardest to master. In this session, we’ll work hands on to improve voice in fiction, with a focus on young adult fiction (and techniques that also apply to middle grade). By reading and discussing how authors create voice on the page and working on our own writing to sharpen our voice, this session focuses on writing that really brings your characters’ individual personalities to life.

The Ins and Outs of Writing Middle Grade Fantasy, with Bruce Coville, Author (Morning) 

The session begins with an "annotated storytelling" that will analyze a piece of fantasy writing from the macro to the micro—discussing everything from mythic structure down to the reasons for specific metaphors and word choices. Then we'll examine ten specific tactics to employ while writing middle grade fantasy. We'll conclude with some critiquing, as time allows. Assignment: Please bring a work-in-progress.

Crafting Your Novel’s Narrative: The basics of structure, voice, character, and plot, with Alvina Ling, VP & Editor-in-Chief, Little, Brown (Morning) 
Whether you’re just starting out, or in the revision stage of your novel, this intensive will give an overview of the four basic elements of your narrative. This workshop also aims to help you work through and brainstorm around any specific issues your having with your novel’s narrative. Assignment: bring an issue you’re having in your work-in-progress that deals with either structure, voice, character, or plot to discuss and talk through with the group. Optional: Read both Where the Mountain Meets the Moon and Starry River of the Sky by Grace Lin.

Revising and Re-Imagining Your Picture Book, with Harold Underdown, Publishing Consultant (Morning) 
Picture books are so simple, but often need to be revised or even re-imagined many times before they are just right. Drawing on our years of experience as independent editors, and in-house children’s book editors in New York before that, Eileen Robinson and I developed this workshop to help writers do just that. This workshop will teach you techniques to enable you to find problems with your picture book manuscript, reshape it, even re-imagine it, and then polish it before you send it out.

Poetry: From Picture Books to Verse Novels, with Carole Boston Weatherford, Author/Poet (Morning) 
Examine how narratives unfold through poetry. Consider how poets choose language, channel voices, evoke settings and use structure. Practice creating tableaux, experimenting with structure and writing from different points of view.

Put Your Best Foot Forward: Looking at that crucial first page, and making it better, with Victoria Wells Arms, Agent, Victoria Wells Arms Literary (Afternoon) 
Sometimes writers start in just the right place, and sometimes the best opening line or scene is hiding on page 27. Some authors seem to think a prologue is the only way to really get their point across. How are you going to hook that reader–any reader–into dying to know more? In this three-hour intensive, Victoria Wells Arms, former editorial director now agent will look at both your first page, and the place you think might actually be a better first page, and we will discuss the various options in how you start a novel (chapter books thru YA, no picture books here). Assignment: Send in the first two pages of your current work-in-progress to victoria@wellsarms.com, and, if you like, the other place that you think might be an alternative starting place, two additional pages max so I can read ahead of time. We are going to have to stick to 5 mins total for each participant.

Build Your Social Media Presence, with Martha Brockenbrough, Author (Afternoon) 
Learn the differences between Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Tumblr, and get down to the brass tacks of how you can use each to: build authentic relationships with a variety of readers and power connectors; increase your platform without increasing your workload; and share your books without clobbering people over the head with tone-deaf marketing messages. We’ll focus on best practices for each social media platform, tools you can use to create images that resonate, and website platforms that let you integrate all of it seamlessly. Assignment: Please bring a laptop and 2-3 favorite quotes from your books or about writing.

Why Did You Do That?: Creating Strong Characters to Push Your Plot Forward, with Matt Ringler, Senior Editor, Scholastic (Afternoon) 
In this intensive we will take a close look at character motivation through dialogue and back story and how to use that to advance your plot. Will include several (fun!) writing exercises. Assignment: Please come with three characters from books, television, or movies that you find to be particularly strong (whether you love them or hate them!)

Revising Your Chapter Book or Novel, with Harold Underdown, Publishing Consultant (Afternoon)
What happens after you write your first draft of a novel or chapter book can be the most important and most difficult part of the writing process. Based on my own work with writers, this workshop teaches proven techniques to get useful feedback and others, dig into "big picture" problems with your manuscript, and refine it at the sentence level. 

It's going to be an amazing conference, and the intensives promise to be game-changers for your craft and career. You'll find registration and all the other conference info here.

We hope to see you at #LA16SCBWI!

Registration for #LA16SCBWI Opens TODAY!

We're so excited!

The SCBWI Summer Conference is packed with:

Keynotes and inspiration,

Agents and Editors and Panels and insight

Breakout sessions on the craft and business of writing and illustrating for kids and teens,

Optional classroom-sized intensives with the amazing Conference Faculty (a who's who of children's literature!)

Optional one-on-one manuscript critiques and portfolio critiques for feedback from a publishing professional.

The Portfolio Showcase gives you an opportunity to display your work to faculty and participants alike. Come and be discovered!

The Golden Kite Awards Cocktail Reception and Dinner

Illustrator, International, and nonfiction socials and the LGBTQ & Allies Q&A

A PAL Booksale, Autograph party, even yoga,

And the conference gala... The Red Carpet Ball!

So bring your Hollywood Glamour, sense of career adventure, and dive into all the craft, business, inspiration, opportunity and community that the SCBWI Summer Conference has to offer. You'll find all the information and registration here. 

We hope to see you there!

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee

Sneak Peek At #LA16SCBWI Keynotes!

SCBWI's 45th Annual Summer Conference, July 29-Aug 1, 2016, will feature keynotes from these bestselling and award-winning authors and illustrators:

Marie Lu



Sophie Blackall



Neal Shusterman



Carole Boston Weatherford



Deborah Halverson



Ellen Hopkins 



Drew Daywalt 



Jon Klasson



Pam Munoz Ryan



and

Jenni Holm



Registration will go live at scbwi.org on April 19, 10am Pacific Time!

We hope to see you there.

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee