#KTChat with Jorjeana Marie: Getting Clear on the Career You LOVE

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#KTChat, brainstorming, career goals, improv, Jorjeana Marie, kidlit, mindmapping, SCBWI members, writing

by Jorjeana Marie

Editor’s Note: On Twitter this Friday (9/16/22) from 12-1PM PST, Jorjeana will take your questions and discuss ways on how to define your writerly goals. Log into your Twitter account during our chat hour and use the hashtag #KTChat or @mention @jorjeanamarie and @SCBWISOCALLA to join the discussion! If you aren’t on Twitter, leave questions in the blog comments before the chat! 

Brainstorming isn’t just for coming up with ideas or solving story solutions. If you’re at all unhappy with any aspect of your writing life, brainstorming can help. It can connect you with your deepest desires—and what better way to brainstorm than by playing some fun games with your inner kid. 

The ‘Reality’ of Writing: How Reality TV Can Improve Your Books – For Real!

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editing, kidlit, plot, reality TV, SCBWI members, structure, writing tips

by Toni Gallagher

Reality TV might be a guilty pleasure for many, but believe it or not, there are storytelling secrets in those wild, dramatic, and silly shows that can truly improve your writing. How do I know? 

Well, I had two middle grade novels published by Random House while I worked as an Executive Producer on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills! And after working for almost 30 (gulp) years in the business, I have seen how the rules of reality TV can punch up a story in need. Hopefully, the things I’ve learned can help you too.

Getting the Most Out of Critique: The Art of Listening

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critiques, kidlit, SCBWI community, SCBWI events, SCBWI members, writing tips

This weekend on June 12th, SCBWI-L.A. will be hosting its annual Critique Day which is open to all members of SCBWI. Creatives from all over the tri-regions (and beyond) will have the opportunity to share their work with each other in a safe and structured environment. It is one of the best places to get started when taking those first steps into honing your craft without having to fully commit to a class or pay for a workshop. This event is always free to our members. (Registration for this year’s event is now closed, however, so be sure to check back on the regional page for next time!)

But we’re here to talk about getting the most out of that critique. For first timers it can be nerve-racking just having someone else read your work, but for the seasoned pro it might be a testing ground for an experimental piece. Both need open and honest feedback about the work, but with only a few minutes to read and talk about each piece, how can we best make use of that time?

Publicity & Marketing: A Case Study – Part 3

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Audiobooks, Forward Reviews, kidlit, Kirkus Reviews, marketing, publicity, Robert Mellette

by R.S. Mellette

January 17^th was my 60^th birthday. All I wanted as a gift was a cover for my book.

I didn’t get it.

But I did get the reviews from Kirkus and Foreword.

What to Take on Your Writer’s Journey #3: Be Ready to Nix Your Darlings

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authors, Cheryl Klein, editing, kidlit, revision, Rieko Mendez, Sandy Asher, SCBWI members, Writers Day

by Rieko Mendez

Editor’s Note: This is the third and final installment on What to Take on Your Writer’s Journey. 

Now that you are prioritizing feedback with your community of writers and hopefully scratching the surface on — if not digging to the core of — answering the question “why must you write this book?” from my earlier articles, let’s talk about the most important step in being a writer: revisions, many revisions.

#KTIllustrates Deadline Extended: Let’s Stir Up The Imagination!

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contest, illustration prompt, illustrator tips, kidlit

So much has been happening in the world in the last few months that it might feel like we haven’t yet caught a break. A day of rest might seem like a luxury of the past or we might be struggling to generate ideas with the constant stream of worries swirling around in our heads.

With this in mind, we’re going to give ourselves some time to rest and extend the deadline for our #KTIllustrates contest to February 5, 2021. 

Am I Too Old to Be an Illustrator?

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Globe Pequot Press, Illustration, Illustrators Journal, kidlit, Lon Levin, networking, publishing

by Lon Levin

When are you too old to become an artist? 

I always envisioned myself with white hair and a beard wearing drawstring pants and sandals wandering through my studio filled with large paintings sipping on some nice wine. A true Impressionist’s fantasy.

I had trained to become an illustrator. I graduated from Art Center in the late 1970’s and couldn’t find enough work to continue down that path. I thought I may not be good enough so I turned to art direction which I thought suited me better. 

SCBWI-L.A.’s Virtual Critique Day 2020

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Critique Day, critique groups, kidlit, virtual critique, WR Miller

by W. R. Miller

Like the rest of the world in 2020, COVID-19 had crippled SCBWI events. No longer could we meet, and network, and learn at various LitMingles and conventions. 

Or could we? Thanks to the internet, we could—and did.