26 Wednesday Jan 2022
Posted in #KTIllustrates, Illustrator's Gallery
A native to Southern California, Andrea Yomtob worked for twenty years as a Computer Animator/FX Artist at Nickelodeon and Film Roman, until she found her love for writing and illustrating picture books. She has created the winning piece for our 2nd Annual #KTIllustrates Contest, announced last month.
Andrea enjoys combining mediums like watercolor and collage with her digital animation skills. Today we find out more about her passion for illustrating for kids.
Continue reading29 Wednesday Dec 2021
Tags
Amy Rubinate, authors, Elana K. Arnold, Eric Smith, Erin Dealey, Henry Lien, illustrators, inspiration, Jorjeana Marie, Kristen Nordstrom, LeUyen Pham, Rieko Mendez, Sara Schonfeld, SCBWI community
Another year has flown by, and while we have borne the loss of some great creators and publishing influencers, we still have a tremendous community of children’s book writers, illustrators, and translators to look towards for inspiration. We have had many words of wisdom shared on Kite Tales this past year and it is a great pleasure to share them again with you now.
Writing for children requires grit and self-reflection; a sense of play and an openness to the changing world. As creators, we can find inspiration in change and embrace our own strengths and weaknesses to make something greater than we thought possible. Take heart and have patience, we are all on this journey together.
Continue reading29 Wednesday Sep 2021
Posted in Author's Perspective, Tips and Tools
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
08 Wednesday Sep 2021
Posted in Author's Perspective, Tips and Tools
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
Continue reading18 Wednesday Aug 2021
Posted in Author's Perspective, SCBWI Summer Conference
Tags
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.
03 Wednesday Mar 2021
Posted in #KTIllustrates, Illustrator's Perspective
Tags
#KTIllustrates, Candle Light, contest, Illustration, illustration contest, illustration prompt, inspiration, PolkaDotWhaleStudio
In SCBWI-L.A.’s first #KTIllustrates contest, illustrators were given a few lines from an old nursery rhyme to inspire them: “If your heels are nimble and light, you may get there by candle-light.” The entries could be in any form (spot, spread or cover design) and in any medium. The winner receives a gift certificate to ArtSupply Warehouse and is featured on the Los Angeles Region’s social media pages.
Congratulations goes to Sienna Youngsun Kim, our winner of the #KTIllustrates 2021 contest! Read on to learn more about Sienna and to view her wonderful work, filled with whimsy and delight.
30 Wednesday Dec 2020
Tags
Christian McKay Heidicker, Claire Annette Noland, Creative Life, Emma Trithart, Grace Lin, Harold Underdown, inspiration, Mary Ann Fraser, Monica Sagaser, Nancy Whitesides, quotes, Sherry Shahan
As the year draws to a close, it’s always a good time to go back and reflect on the things that have moved and inspired us along the way. Especially in trying times, going back to the moments that brought light into our world can help us continue to be inspired and come up with new ideas that might not have occurred to us before.
Creating may have been tough for most of us this year, but we had many encouraging authors, editors, agents, and illustrators sharing with us their insights on how to keep going when the times get tough. Sometimes the reassurance that giving ourselves a break was indeed what was needed. And sometimes we just needed to let our stories come out on the page.
14 Wednesday Oct 2020
Posted in Author's Perspective, Central Coast
Tags
fiction, Flipped, Hope In The Mail, inspiration, interview, nonfiction, Sammy Keyes, Wendlin Van Draanen, Writing Life
by Ann Rousseau Smith, SCBWI CenCal News Liaison
Wendelin Van Draanen, a member of the SCBWI Central-Coastal California region, has written more than thirty novels for young readers and teens. She is the author of the 18-book Edgar-winning Sammy Keyes series, and wrote Flipped, which was named a Top 100 Children’s Novel for the 21st Century by SLJ, and became a Rob Reiner directed Warner Brothers feature film.
Her first non-fiction book, Hope in the Mail: Reflections on Writing and Life, is part memoir, part writing guide, and part publishing insight.
ANN ROUSSEAU SMITH: Congratulations on your newest book Hope in the Mail: Reflections on Writing and Life! You have written many novels, why a non-fiction book, why now?
15 Wednesday Apr 2020
Posted in Tips and Tools
Photo by Prateek Katyal on Pexels.com
Times are strange. Staying inside and shifting to work from home might be new for some, but for those of us used to camping out at our computers for long hours writing and editing on sunny weekends it can feel like an extension of the routine. Both of these realities can be jarring, and sometimes alienating. Especially when it seems like the world is falling apart. Here at Kite Tales we want to let you know: you’re not alone; we’ll get through this; and take some time for healing, whether it be writing or just watching your favorite movie.
In that spirit, we wanted to help provide you with some resources that you can access online. From webinars to virtual meetups, there is a great community of kidlit writers and illustrators sharing thoughts and inspiration.
26 Wednesday Feb 2020
Posted in Down The Rabbit Hole
by Dawne Knobbe
We’re excited to announce that Down the Rabbit Hole, an SCBWI Los Angeles field trip, is back and will be held on May 17, 2020! This Sunday field trip began in 2005 with SCBWI-LA offering members a new experience – an adventure designed to help participants discover a deep and truthful essence of their characters while bonding with other creative souls.
Since 2005, our character-focused adventures have explored many Southern California settings. We’ve ventured by train to both Carpinteria and San Juan Capistrano and then by ferry to Santa Catalina. We’ve boarded the Queen Mary, and explored the Huntington Gardens and The Getty.
If you’d like to know more about what’s in store for you Down the Rabbit Hole this year, keep reading!
Kite Tales 