Interview with Author Moni Ritchie Hadley

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author, interview, Moni Ritchie Hadley, SCBWI community, SCBWI members, The Star Festival

Moni Ritchie Hadley is the author of the picture book, The Star Festival (2021, Albert Whitman). A half-Japanese military brat, she bounced back and forth from the USA to Japan as a child. Daydreaming was a favorite pastime. She received a BA in Psychology at UCLA and later became a home/hospital teacher for the LAUSD, where she taught students with medical needs. Also published in Highlights magazine, The Star Festival is her picture book debut.

CHRISTINE VAN ZANDT: Welcome to Kite Tales! The first printing of your debut picture book, The Star Festival, sold out almost immediately—wow! Were you expecting that?

MONI RITCHIE HADLEY: I wasn’t even aware of this until I noticed that my publisher’s site (Albert Whitman) listed my book as “sold out.” My book released on April 1st; the second run was ordered on April 2nd. “Sold out” is relative to size of printing, and that can vary greatly between publishers, but it was a pleasant surprise that my book exceeded expectations!

The Power of a Listicle

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authors, listicles, magazine articles, SCBWI members, Sherry Shahan, writing tips

by Sherry Shahan

Simply put, a ‘listicle’ is a catchall phrase for a short article arranged as a list. Each numbered item expands on the topic in simple, succinct sentences. Rarely is an individual item given more than a paragraph. 

Young readers are drawn to listicles because they offer information in easily digestible chunks—as opposed to trying to absorb concepts plopped on a page in an inky mass. 

Break Out of Your Comfort Zone: 5 Writing Prompts to Kick-Start Inspiration

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inspiration, writing prompt, writing prompts, writing tips

By Colleen McAllister

Has your writing become generic without your permission? The habits and routines that help us write with regularity and consistency can take us down stale story paths without us realizing.

Here are some ways to break out of your comfort zone and breathe new life and specificity to your work.

Character Backstory Challenge

Interview with Author Erin Dealey

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branding, Erin Dealey, picturebooks, publishing, SCBWI community, SCBWI members, theater

Erin Dealey is the author of more than a dozen children’s picture books. Today, she shares information about how her journey has evolved over the years.

Inspiration on a Budget: 5 Activities to Spark Creativity Without Breaking the Bank

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Creative Life, creativity, illustrator tips, imagination, inspiration, writing tips

By Colleen McAllister

Stuck at home, staring at the same walls, unable to figure out how get inspired without getting in debt? Here are five things you can do to feed your creativity but don’t require you to open your wallet to do it.

Virtual Visits

SCBWI Big Five-O Summer Conference: Creativity Takes a Community

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Aiden Thomas, Big50 Summer Conference, Dan Santat, inspiration, Malinda Lo, Nadia Salomon, SCBWI community, SCBWI events

by Rieko Mendez

Is your brain exploding after the SCBWI The Big Five-Oh Summer Conference? Mine is! The conference had over one hundred faculty — a diversity of voices, seasoned and new — and I am still combing through the volume of handouts available to hone our craft. True to the tone that Lin Oliver sets for SCBWI, I connected with the authenticity and generosity of all the faculty sharing their experiences and insights. While professional, their sessions felt like fireside chats in their homes. What hit me was that creativity takes a community and SCBWI is a tremendous force of community. I am grateful.

From Malinda Lo’s presentation on Vision at SCBWI’s Big Five-O Summer Conference

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

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cultural values, diverse aesthetics, diverse story aesthetics, diversity, themes

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.

Interview with Nonfiction Picture Book Author Christine Van Zandt

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A Brief History of Underpants, Christine Van Zandt, nonfiction, nonfiction picture book, picture books, published, publishing

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?

An Interview with STEM Author, Kristen Nordstrom

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Biomimicry, CenCal, Eiji Nakatsu, interview, Kristen Nordstrom, Mimic Makers, nonfiction, Paul Boston, STEAM, STEM

by Ann Rousseau Smith, SCBWI CenCal News Liaison

Kristen Nordstrom is the debut STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) author of Mimic Makers: Biomimicry Inventors Inspired by Nature, illustrated by Paul Boston (Charlesbridge Publishing, July 2021). The picture book profiles ten real-life scientists, engineers, and designers who copy nature to create amazing new technology. Thank you, Mother Nature!

Kristen teaches biomimicry and other topics to elementary-school students in a gifted science program, and is a member of NSTA, the National Science Teaching Association. She has written innovative curriculum, and has been honored with two writing awards from SCBWI for outstanding STEM manuscripts. Kristen took a moment from her busy schedule to answer some questions for the Kite Tales blog.

From Written to Spoken Word – Part Three: The Business of Audiobooks

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Amy Rubinate, audiobook publishing, Audiobooks, Erin Bennett, Ideal Audiobooks, Live Oak Media, Mosaic Audio, picture books, Ron Butler, writing tips

by Amy Rubinate

Photo Credit: Ron Butler and Erin Bennett

Many authors use audiobooks to enhance their readership and increase sales. To confirm why a writer would want to ensure that their book is made into an audiobook, I went straight to the source. I asked the executive director of the Audiobook Publishers Association (APA) Michele Cobb for her thoughts. She replied, “By giving the consumer all the format options, you maximize their ability to connect with your title. With eight years of double-digit growth, audiobooks have proven their value again and again.”