17 Wednesday Oct 2018
Posted in Central Coast, Tri-Regional News, Writers' Retreat
By Ann Rousseau Smith, SCBWI CenCal News Liaison and Rebecca Langston-George, SCBWI CenCal Regional Advisor
Join us for a weekend of writing, revising, and crafting your pitch at an ocean side resort. In addition to craft workshops and the opportunity to pitch your work to an agent, you’ll enjoy sunset fire pits and s’mores overlooking the ocean, life-size checkers and chess games atop the cliff, and strolls on the sand.
14 Friday Sep 2018
By Ann Rousseau Smith, SCBWI CenCal News Liaison
Lorin Oberweger, agent with Adams Literary, is on faculty for this year’s SCBWI CenCal Writers’ Day, Discovering Your Path to Publication, on October 13, 2018. As an agent with Adams Literary, Lorin is actively acquiring authors for her list. She has also served as a highly sought-after independent book editor, helping to shepherd hundreds of books — including many bestsellers — to publishing success. Lorin’s ghostwritten books have received glowing notices from the New York Times and Kirkus Reviews. And she is co-author of Boomerang, Rebound, and Bounce (Harper Collins) under the pen name Noelle August. She is a popular speaker at conferences around the country, including many appearances at SCBWI events. Teaching writing craft rates right up there in her list of favorite things to do. She’s agreed to answer some questions.
ANN ROUSSEAU SMITH: We’re very excited you’re joining us for Writers’ Day in October. How did you become an agent?
LORIN OBERWEGER: Becoming an agent was a natural offshoot of my years and years (and years) of experience as an independent editor, writing workshop director, instructor and traditionally published author. I was attracted to the new role because of the new challenges it represents, but much more so because it allowed me another avenue for helping writers succeed. I know that sometimes all it takes is that one person who really believes in you and can lift you up, and becoming an agent helps me to become that person for deserving writers.
18 Wednesday Jul 2018
Posted in Central Coast, Tri-Regional News, Writer's Days
Tags
agents, Allison Moore, Andrea Loney, Antoinette Portis, Carol Heyer, editors, erry Pierce, Hannah Mann, Happy LaShelle, Lorin Oberweger, Lynn Becker, Maria Middleton, Mathew Rivera, Molly Ruttan, Sarah Jane Abbott, SCBWI events
By Ann Rousseau Smith, SCBWI CenCal News Liaison
SCBWI CenCal ArtWorks Re-Cap
By Laura-Susan Thomas, CenCal Illustrator Coordinator
Our amazing and talented faculty this year at ArtWorks were Maria Middleton, Art Director for Random House Children’s Books, and Antoinette Portis, author-illustrator of Not A Box, an ALA Geisel Honor book, and Not a Stick, one of the New York Times Ten Best Illustrated Books of the Year. Maria Middleton kicked off the day with lots of creative energy, informing us how a middle grade cover gets created, coming up with unique characters and world building, and including a live drawing exercise for all our illustrator attendees. Antoinette inspired us all to get creative, explore, find and work out those perfect picture book images and storytelling. Continue reading
18 Wednesday Apr 2018
Posted in SoCal, Tri-Regional News
By Beverly Plass, Co-Assistant SoCal Regional Advisor
Into the Woods: May 4-6, 2018
Our weekend writer’s retreat sold out in one week! YA and middle-grade writers will gather in scenic Idyllwild to spruce up their manuscripts with the guidance of professionals. And what better theme for this year than “Into the Woods?” Attendees will participate in four critique-group sessions led by an editor, agent, or published author, hear speaker presentations on the craft of writing, and mingle during meals and a happy hour.
Our faculty includes: Continue reading
13 Friday Apr 2018
Posted in Los Angeles
By R.S. Mellete
In 2015, when we first decided to have a booth at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, I had no idea where we should request our booth. When I looked at the map of the festival, I saw Childs Way and figured that’s where the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators should be, right?
I’m not from Los Angeles. I didn’t go to USC or UCLA. The most time I’ve ever spent on either campus has been working on movie locations, so I had no idea that Child’s Way was the name of a street, not a section of the festival — which ended up being in the “Hero Complex.” Continue reading
11 Wednesday Apr 2018
Posted in Central Coast, Contests & Grants, Tri-Regional News
Tags
book talk online, illustrators, Lynn Becker, Mary Ann Fraser, Mary Penney Hershey, mentorship, picture books, SCBWI events, workshops
By Ann Rousseau Smith, SCBWI CenCal News Liaison
A Changing of the Guard
By Mary Ann Fraser
Change seems to be one of the few reliable constants at play in the universe, and so it is with our region. I will soon be moving, and since regional advisors must live within the areas they serve, as of March 1, 2018 I officially stepped down from my post. Thankfully, the talented, hard-working, and did I mention best Assistant Regional Advisor a region could ask for, Rebecca Langston-George, stepped up to take my place. I have no doubt that she will do an outstanding job. I have thoroughly enjoyed serving our region for the past many years, first as Regional Kite Tales Editor, then as Illustrator Coordinator, and most recently as Regional Advisor. Before all of that, along with Lisze Bechtold, I also coordinated several local SCBWI Illustrator Retreats. As a result, I have had the joy of meeting and working with so many people I admire and the honor of calling many of them friends. I will miss you all, but please know that in my heart I will forever be a CenCal Gal!
Wishing you all endless inspiration and great success in all you do,
Mary Ann
SCBWI Cen-Cal 2018 Mentor Program
Our 2018 Mentee is… Continue reading
24 Wednesday Jan 2018
By Ann Rousseau Smith, SCBWI CenCal News Liaison
SCBWI Cen-Cal 2018 Mentor Program: Matching Successful PAL’s with Promising Writers
Our 2018 Middle-Grade Mentor is Mary Hershey.
About Mary: Mary Penney Hershey (a.k.a. Mary Penney) is the author of five humorous (and heartfelt, she hopes) middle grade novels. Her next novel, entitled Green Eyes & Ham will be published by HarperCollins in winter 2018. Mary holds a Master’s Degree in Education and is a certified personal and executive coach. She is a long-standing SCBWI Cen-Cal member and served on the board for our region for a number of years. She has taught workshops for Cen-Cal events and served on the faculty at SCBWI nationals. She is profoundly grateful for all the guidance she has received over the years from other writers and is thrilled to serve as our 2018 mentor.
About the Program: Continue reading
22 Friday Dec 2017
Posted in Central Coast
20 Wednesday Dec 2017
Posted in Los Angeles
20 Friday Oct 2017
Tags
conferences, illustrator tips, Lynn Becker, SCBWI events, SCBWI members, Tammi Sauer, Tricia Candemeres, writing tips
By Ann Rousseau Smith, SCBWI CenCal News Liaison
SCBWI Summer Conference Report, by Tricia Candemeres
The 46th SCBWI Summer Conference was quite a special one. I won an SCBWI grant that covered the expenses, and I wanted to both live up to the honor and embrace the opportunity.
Vanessa Brantley Newton started us off and lifted us up – first with the hokey pokey, then with her stories of diversity, adversity, and dreaming bigger, and ended with the most stunning rendition of “You’ve Got to Be Carefully Taught.”
From that high bar, it became one amazing keynote or breakout after another. My friends and I split up and compared notes later.
Some highlights:
Illustrator Raúl Colón demonstrates his color layering technique during his intensive.
So much to take in. I’ll just fill in some of the gaps with favorite conference quotes:
And finally:
“Team Marla” and friends: Top row: Danielle Heitmuller, Heidi Aubrey, Gail Buschman, Nicole Allin, me (Tricia Candemeres), Judy Faulkner, Molly Ruttan, and Nina Moldawsky, Front row: Helen Yoon, Joy Dabby, Annelouise Mahoney, and April Zufelt
• Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is that quiet voice at the end of the day saying, “I will try again tomorrow.” – Mary Anne Radmacher, as quoted by Laurie Halse Anderson in her closing keynote.
On Monday, the Illustrator’s Intensive was an information packed day of demonstrations and hands-on activities, featuring Ramon Hurtado, Vanessa Brantley Newton, Marla Frazee, John Rocco, Leuyen Pham, Raúl Colón, and Javaka Steptoe.
Over the past few years I’ve connected to a tribe of incredibly supportive SCBWI illustrators and authors, (we all met through a Marla Frazee workshop, so we call ourselves Team Marla), and I thoroughly enjoyed sharing this conference with them. We really are all on this journey together!
Tricia Candemeres is a children’s book author and illustrator living in southern California with her husband and two children. She worked in broadcast and graphic design before making the leap to illustration. A NYC transplant, she studied at FIT and School of Visual Arts in NYC as well as Art Center College of Design in Pasadena. You can visit her work at triciacandemeres.com and follow her on Instagram @tcandyart.
CenCal Writer Retreat 2018:
Bravely Crafting Picture Books with Heart
January 12-14, 2018
La Casa de Maria Retreat and Conference Center, Santa Barbara
Join Tammi Sauer, award-winning author, for a productive and fun picture book retreat. She will unveil her favorite picture book writing secrets. You will delve into the most important picture book components (character, conflict, word choice, among others) through discussion, examples, and engaging exercises.
Learn to build heart and humor into your manuscript.
For more information, go to https://cencal.scbwi.org/events/cencal-writers-retreat-2018/
SAVE THE DATES!
For information, go to http://cencal.scbwi.org
December 2, 2017
Holiday Party, Bakersfield
December 10, 2017
Holiday Party, Santa Barbara
January 12-14, 2018
Writer Retreat: Bravely Crafting Picture Books with Heart, Santa Barbara
BOOK TALK ONLINE
Book Talk is a monthly book discussion group taking place on the SCBWI Central-Coastal California listserv. Discussions begin on the first of each month, facilitated by Lynn Becker. To become a member of the listserv, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/groups/SCBWI-CCal/
NOVEMBER: Clayton Byrd Goes Underground, by Rita Williams-Garcia (MG)
Clayton wants to play harmonica in Cool Papa Byrd’s band but, when his grandfather dies, his mom forbids him to play the blues.
DECEMBER: My Sister Rosa, by Justine Larbalestier (YA)
Che loves his brilliant younger sister, even though he seems to be the only one who knows how dangerous she really is.
JANUARY: Leave Me Alone! by Vera Bristol (PB)
An old woman wants a quiet place to knit, but grandkids, goats, bears, and aliens won’t leave her in peace.
Images provided by SCBWI Central-Coastal Region and Tricia Candemeres.
