20 Wednesday Jun 2018
Posted in Ask an Editor, Critique Day
Tags
critique groups, critiquenic, critiques, critiquing, SCBWI community, SCBWI events, SCBWI members
“Ask an Editor” is a forum wherein SCBWI members submit questions that are answered as part of our quarterly Kite Tales blog.
Dear Editor – I think my YA novel is finished but would like to show it to other people for feedback. Where can I find a critique group?
—Effie, Culver City Continue reading
16 Wednesday May 2018
Posted in Critique Day
Writers and illustrators, if you’re ready for the first step to taking your work in progress public, Peer2Peer Critique Day (formerly known as Critiquenic) returns Sunday, June 3 to the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles.
It’s an opportunity to connect with other SCBWI members, and you may even find a critique group or partner to continue with after the event.
Peer2Peer Critique Day is free, but registration is required and is open until Sunday, May 27 on the SCBWI Los Angeles website. It’s for current SCBWI members only. If you’re not yet a member, you can sign up here.
The event runs from 10:30 AM to 3 PM. Bring a lunch or purchase food at the Skirball’s café.
Critique Day coordinator Daka Hermon gives us the scoop on how to prepare and what to expect:
Erlina Vasconcellos: How will Peer2Peer Critique Day be structured? Do participants meet individually or in groups?
Daka Hermon: When registering, the attendees will choose a category: illustrations, picture book dummy or text, chapter book/middle grade, or young adult/new adult. Upon arrival, attendees will be placed into groups. The size of the groups will vary based on attendance, but it’s normally about five to six members.
EV: Writers and artists are notorious introverts. How are you hoping to coax them away from the solitude of their desks and creative caves?
25 Wednesday Apr 2018
Posted in Contests & Grants, SAWW Retreat Grant, Writers' Retreat
Tags
Andrea Custer, contests, critique groups, critiquing, pitching, SAG, SCBWI community, SCBWI events, SCBWI members, Sue Alexander, Sue Alexander Grant, writing
By Karol Ruth Silverstein, SCBWI-L.A. Contest Coordinator
It’s time once again to polish up those manuscripts and submit to the Sue Alexander Grant, the winner of which receives a guaranteed spot and free tuition to the SCBWI-L.A. September 2018 Working Writers Retreat.
The WWR is an intense critiquing weekend with critique sessions, revision time, and parties — including karaoke! The retreat culminates in a first-pages pitch session with four acquiring editors and agents.
I recently caught up with last year’s Sue Alexander Grant winner, Andrea Custer, for her insight on the retreat, how it influenced her writing, and why you should apply for this grant to attend.
KAROL RUTH SILVERSTEIN: Did you put in a lot of work on your manuscript before submitting it to the Sue Alexander Grant or did you have a polished manuscript ready to go?
ANDREA CUSTER: I workshopped it with my critique group as I was writing the first draft. They are an amazing group, quite astute, and so I had the benefit of their comments early on and had already revised the first half of the manuscript based on their feedback. Submitting it for consideration for SAG was actually a bit of an impulse! I saw the reminder on Facebook that the submission deadline was coming up, and thought why not go for it? I had about a week to re-read, polish, and get it ready. I found out I’d won on my birthday! It was the best gift I’ve ever gotten.
KRS: What was your favorite part of the retreat? What was most valuable? Continue reading
