SCBWI-MI fall conference

Filed in Events and Opportunities / Comment

This is a very late quick recap of the SCBWI-MI fall conference.  Many thanks to the organizers and ADCOM members for a great weekend.  The facility was the best yet (Yarrow Golf and Conference Center in Augusta, MI) and if I can say that after an 8.5 hour drive one way in the pouring rain and mostly in the dark, it must have been good.  Topics were timely, presenters were enlightening, writers and illustrators were friendly and encouraging…So worth the effort… 

writing and nakedness

Filed in Deep Thoughts / Comment

My perceptive and cool brother-in-law, who is excited for my website “coming out”, just sent me this perfect quote:  “A person who publishes a book appears willfully in public with her pants down’ – Edna St. Vincent Millay  

Marriage of text and illustration

Filed in Writing the Manuscript / Comment

This weekend, I revisited Twelve Terrible Things by Marty Kelley (Tricycle Press) for a classroom talk I’m doing on how text and illustration work together in children’s picture books.  (I often think how cool it would be to illustrate my own story but since I can only draw smiley faces, I’ll have to give that job to someone else.) I wonder if this text would have caught an editor’s eye on it’s own?  “1. Oooopsie!” “2. There’s nothing under the bed…” “3. Say AHHHH…” 
Wonderful book.  Wonderful marriage of word and image. 

Going to SCBWI-MI fall conference?

Filed in Events and Opportunities / Comment

Are you attending the conference October 2-4 in Kalamazoo?  It’s a great time to re-connect, re-energize, and make new contacts.  I’ve just learned I “won” the lottery to meet with Tim Travaglini, senior editor at G.P. Putnam’s Sons (Penquin Putnam BFYR).