2020 Mentorship Contest Winner with Mentor Nicole Maggi

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2020 winner, mentorship, news, Nicole Maggi, What They Don't Know

by Nicole Maggi

Being a writer sometimes ruins me for being a reader. It’s a rare book these days that can supersede my hypercritical mind, so when I find myself so lulled in by a story that my picky brain stops whirring, I know I’m in for a good read.

#KT250 On Hiatus, But You Can Still Engage With Us!

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contests, SCBWI members

Hey SCBWI members! We LOVE celebrating your work with our Kite Tales exclusive #KT250 contest, but due to circumstances beyond our control, which we know you are all feeling right now, we need to put this one on hiatus for a bit. Look for updates on Facebook and Twitter for when the contest is running again.

In the meantime, please check out the SCBWI-L.A. region contest page for any current contests, grants, etc. You can also connect with us, and each other, on our Facebook and Twitter accounts, so join and follow. And many of our LitMingles are still meeting online.

It’s 100% okay if you aren’t up to writing right now. But if you are, don’t forget, SCBWI is offering virtual, FREE writing workshops! Keep an eye out for registration info as they go live and the recordings will be available online to all members for one month after each workshop. Regional webinars are also still ongoing.

And as always, Kite Tales posts and archives are available for your perusal!

If you have other ideas for/know of other ways to connect with the SCBWI writing community, please share them on social media or here in the comments.

Thank you for your understanding and stay safe out there, friends!

For more fantastic content, community, events, and other professional development opportunities, become an SCBWI member today! Not sure if there is a chapter in your area? Check here.

#KT250 original photo by Amador Loureiro on Unsplash.

Though The Show Mustn’t Go On—The Contest Still Can: Announcing The 2020 Writer’s Day Contest Winners!

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contest winners, middle grade, news, nonfiction, picture book, poetry, verse, Writers Day 2020, young adult

by Karol Ruth Silverstein, SCBWI-L.A. Contest Coordinator

The SCBWI-L.A. is thrilled to be able to bring good news to some of our members at a time that’s been so difficult for all of us. 

Let us begin by expressing a hearty thank you to our anonymous judges for selecting the 2020 honorees. As usual, manuscripts were submitted in four categories: Young Adult, Middle Grade, Picture Book, and Other (which includes poetry and non-fiction). If you’d like to contact any of the winners to request their manuscript or discuss publication, please let us know in the comments below!

This year, the first-place winners in each category will receive a manuscript critique from one of our faculty members plus free tuition to either the rescheduled 2020 Writers Day event or to next year’s Writer’s Day.

Here are the 2020 honorees:

The Sue Alexander Grant Is Open For Submissions March 30-May 11, 2020

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call for submission, Jennifer Rawlings, Sue Alexander Grant, writing contest

by Jennifer Rawlings

I know applying for the Sue Alexander Grant is scary, but ignoring your dreams and goals is even scarier.

Not only did I not tell a single soul I was applying for the Sue Alexander Grant, I wrote an entire novel in secret. That’s right. Not even my husband knew I was writing a YA Novel—I just wanted to do the work then hope and pray someone liked it.

Photo by Suzy Hazelwood on Pexels.com

#KT250 Winning Entries, 1st Quarter 2020

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agents, contest winners, contests, drama, literary fiction, publishers, SCBWI members, seeking publisher, seeking representation, The Last Bookstore, unpublished, YA, young adult

#KT250 is a Kite Tales quarterly community contest! We’re proud to announce this quarter’s winners and share the first 250 words of their unpublished manuscripts. We encourage agents, publishers, and mentors to reach out to any they find intriguing!

To find out how YOU can enter for next quarter, check out contest info here. Entries are now being accepted for next quarter!

GRAND PRIZE WINNER:

Attention Novelists: SCBWI-L.A. Mentorship Contest Opens February 14!

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authors, Catherine Linka, Cheryl Manning, mentors, mentorship, SCBWI community, writers

by Cheryl Manning 

The SCBWI Los Angeles region offers a plethora of events and contests for writers and illustrators throughout the year. I’ve been inspired and enlightened by many of them, but the Mentorship Contest stands out. Here are six reasons why my mentorship was so meaningful. 

1. Favorite New Author 

I was writing a middle grade novel and therefore reading mostly books in that genre. When I found out that YA author Catherine Linka had chosen to mentor me, I purchased her novels A Girl Called Fearless and A Girl Undone. Instead of prepping my manuscript to send off, I began reading Catherine’s first book and was sucked into Avie’s story of survival in search of freedom. Within one chapter, Catherine’s storytelling skills and authentic dialog had me hooked. By the end of her second book, I knew that I was the luckiest mentee on the planet. When I found out that her newest novel, What I Want You to See, was about to launch, I knew I’d be the first in line.

2. Memorable First Words 

All the Ways You Can Be Featured On KITE TALES

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community, illustrating, inspiration, tools, writing

A week into 2020, are you still working on your goals for the year? If your goals include things like sharing your work/personal successes, being more active in the SCBWI community, increasing your online presence, or helping fellow writers/illustrators by sharing your expertise – then you should consider submitting to Kite Tales!

Here are some of the key ways you can be featured on Kite Tales.

Why Enter the 2020 Writers Day Contest? Why Not?!

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awards, contests, middle grade, picture books, published, SCBWI community, SCBWI events, young adult

by Karol Ruth Silverstein, SCBWI-L.A. Contest Coordinator 

2019 Picture Book category winner Sue Schmitt. (Photo by India Schmitt)

The SCBWI-L.A. annual Writers Day will be held March 28, 2020 and, as usual, there will be a manuscript contest open to all who register for the event. Whether you’ll be attending the event for the first time or you’ve been to so many Writers Days you’ve lost count, entering the contest is a fun and valuable part of the experience.

Submissions will be accepted in four categories—Picture Book, Middle Grade novel, Young Adult novel and Other (which includes non-fiction and poetry). Instructions for entering will be included on the 2020 Writers Day event information page. The contest opens as soon as registration goes live, which will be sometime in December. Winners receive a free written critique from one of the Writers Day faculty members PLUS free tuition to Writers Day 2021 (or equivalent). 

In recent years, the Writers Day contest has been particularly prescient when it comes to recognizing promising work.

The 1, 2, 3’s of the SCBWI-L.A. Working Writer’s Retreat

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Jennifer Rawlings, networking, SCBWI community, SCBWI events, Sue Alexander Grant, Working Writer's Retreat

by Jennifer Rawlings, 2019 Sue Alexander Grant Award Winner

I remember where I was sitting, red club chair in my living room, when I opened the email from SCBWI-L.A. letting me know that I had won the Sue Alexander Grant. I cried when I read the email. I was so happy that someone liked the words that I had typed in secret. I had not told anyone, not even my husband, that I was writing a YA novel.

Needless to say, he was pretty surprised when I told him I had won an award for a book he knew nothing about.

Attention PAL Novelists: Be an SCBWI Mentor in 2020!

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Bethany Barton, Emily Asaro, mentoring, mentors, mentorship, novel, PAL novelists, SCBWI events, SCBWI members, SCBWI Mentor Program, writing

by Karol Ruth Silverstein, SCBWI-L.A. Contest Coordinator

The SCBWI-L.A. Mentorship program alternates between picture book writers, illustrators and novelists. And this year, it’s the novelists’ turn again.

Many folks can attest to the value of having a mentor—but there’s tremendous value in being a mentor as well. From learning more about your own craft to reaffirming your love of storytelling to the simple satisfaction of giving back to the SCBWI-L.A. community, being a mentor can be incredibly rewarding.

We caught up with the SCBWI-L.A. 2019 Mentor Bethany Barton, currently mentoring author/illustrator Emily Asaro, and asked her the following:

KAROL RUTH SILVERSTEIN: What motivated you to be an SCBWI-L.A. mentor?