It's the last day to vote in the Crystal Kite Member Choice Awards!

SCBWI Members, don't miss your chance to vote in the final round of the SCBWI Crystal Kite Member Choice Awards! Voting closes at 5pm April 30, 2018—and that's today!

To cast your vote, log on to www.scbwi.org. Once you are on your Member Home page, go to the left navigation bar, scroll to the bottom, and click on

Vote in the Crystal Kite Awards.

That takes you right to the voting page where all of the books in your division appear.

Then click the VOTE FOR THIS BOOK button below your chosen book and you are done!

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee

Exercise Part Two: Advice on Writing a Synopsis of Your Novel

If you played along earlier this week, you have a plot outline. Now, you can take that and create a synopsis!

Synopses can be tricky, but this article by Glen C. Strathy on "How to Write a Synopsis of Your Novel*," based in part on Dramatica theory created by Melanie Anne Phillips and Chris Huntley, has some smart insights.

A highlight:

What makes a hockey game or a novel mesmerizing is not a step-by-step description of what happens, but the emotions that accompany the actions, the anticipation, fear, hope, excitement, and disappointment at each turn of events. The elation of victory at the end, or the agony of defeat. It is the emotional twists and turns that make a novel or a hockey game appealing. Just as a good sports writer can describe a game in terms that capture the emotions, the secret of how to write a synopsis is to incorporate the emotional twists and turns of your characters – especially your main character – at the same time as you describe your sequence of plot events.

and then Glen walks us through a seven-step process (24 index cards) that sounds like not just a great way to write a synopsis, but also a pretty powerful way to diagnose what might be amiss with a work-in-progress.

It's well-worth reading, fun to try, and might help you write a synopsis of your novel.

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee

Exercise Part One: An Eight-Part Way To Outline Your Plot

This week, we have two exercises to challenge us and enjoy, posted by Glen C. Strathy on "How to Write a Book Now."

Today, we dive into "How To Create A Plot Outline In 8 Easy Steps*," based on the Dramatica theory of story created by Melanie Anne Phillips and Chris Huntley.

With the challenge (and assurance) that the whole plot outline can be completed in less than an hour, Glen lays out eight basic plot elements.

The first one is choosing a Story Goal, and then Glen takes it somewhere interesting:

After we have chosen a Story Goal, we will build a world around our protagonist that includes many perspectives on the problem and makes the goal important to everyone in that world.

The second plot element is Consequence.

Once you have decided on a Story Goal, your next step is to ask yourself, “What disaster will happen if the goal is not achieved? What is my protagonist afraid will happen if he/she doesn't achieve the goal or solve the problem?”

The answer to these questions is the Consequence of the story. The Consequence is the negative situation or event that will result if the Goal is not achieved. Avoiding the Consequence justifies the effort required in pursuing the Story Goal, both to the characters in your novel and the reader, and that makes it an important part of your plot outline.

The combination of goal and consequence creates the main dramatic tension in your plot. It's a carrot and stick approach that makes the plot meaningful.

Check out the next six plot elements and the full article/exercise here.

No matter where you are in your work-in-progress, this may be worth trying out.

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee

Check out this virtual YA panel on The Brown Bookshelf with Justina Ireland, Brandy Colbert, and Dhonielle Clayton, moderated by Paula Chase Hyman

This two-part panel at The Brown Bookshelf is well-worth reading!

screen shot of the panel discussion, as posted at The Brown Bookshelf

The authors talk about expanding the range of published books featuring characters of color (and, importantly, by authors of color), sensitivity reading, authors speaking up (or not) on social media, reader expectations, and much more. A few stand-out quotes:

Brandy: "I remember the first time I saw the African American section in a bookstore. It was a very strange feeling. Like, yay! But also—why do we have to be shelved in a different section entirely?"

Paula: "Own voices shouldn’t be a fad. My concern is this type of thing becomes a campaign. We have far too much catching up to do for it to be that."

Justina: "There’s a section of the population that wants the media they consume to be from people who uphold their values. Authors are going to have to learn to cocoon themselves or accept being more involved in reader response."

Dhonielle: "Now, it’s times for marginalized and black content creators to get the same roll outs that white women have gotten for decades for their books. Tours, big marketing campaigns. Our books deserve a shot at big audiences."


Read the full panel discussion here:

Part One

Part Two

Find out more about Justina Ireland here.

Learn more about Brandy Colbert here.

Dhonielle Clayton's online site with more on her is here.

And Paula Chase Hyman's website is here.

Thanks to Justina, Brandy, Dhonielle, and Paula for sharing!

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee

Registration for the SCBWI 2018 Summer Conference (#LA18SCBWI) Opens Today!

Join us!

Click here to find out all the #LA18SCBWI information and register.

There's new programming this year, including the "A Closer Look" sessions on Monday August 6 that let you explore specific areas of your craft in a small group setting. Those craft areas include Openings, Endings, Dialog, Voice, and many more.

There are panels, and breakout sessions, socials and consultations, the portfolio showcase and the Artists and Writers Ball... 

It's going to be remarkable. Full of craft, business, inspiration, opportunity, and community... We hope you'll be there, too!

Illustrate and Write On,

Lee

Thinking Fonts: Creative Expression and Inspiration

Fonts are sometimes default (like here on this blog), but in the best book design, they are highly considered... sometimes, they're art in-and-of-themselves.

Check out the blog, I Love Typography, for lots of visual and design inspiration for your current project.

I thought this movable/adjustable version of the font WIND was really cool (and not just because that's my last name!)

From the "I Love Typography" blog

And if that gif isn't working, here's the letter W at various angles:

variations of W in the WIND font

And sometimes, the fonts you think are coolest turn out to be hand-lettered by the designer or illustrator! It's fascinating to really look at something that is so easy to overlook.

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee

Sneak Peak of Faculty at #LA18SCBWI

More information will be announced soon at the SCBWI Website, and registration opens on April 17, 2018...

For now, here are some of the amazing luminaries in our world of children's literature who will be featured at The SCBWI 2018 Summer Conference in Los Angeles, August 3-6, 2018:

Lois Lowry, Author and two-time winner of the Newbery Award

Lois Lowry, photo creative commons

Libba Bray, New York Times Bestselling Author and winner of The Michael L. Printz Award.

Libba Bray, photo by David Shankbone, creative commons

Marc Brown, Author/Illustrator of the 65 million book-selling Arthur series.

Self-Portrait from Marc's Twitter profile

Ekua Holmes, Caldecott Honor, Robert F. Sibert Honor, and John Steptoe New Talent Illustrator Award Winner.

Ekua Holmes with some of her art behind her as on Facebook.

Mike Curato, Author/Illustrator and winner of The Society of Illustrators Original Art Show Founder's Award.

Mike Curato, from his website

Brian Pinkney & Andrea Davis Pinkney: Brian is an Author/Illustrator who has won two Caldecott Honors, four Coretta Scott King Honors and a Coretta Scott King Award, and the Boston Globe/Horn Book Award, and Andrea is a children's book editor and author of numerous books illustrated by Brian, with multiple Coretta Scott King Book Awards, Jane Addams Children’s Literature Honor citations, four NAACP Image Award nominations, and the Boston Globe/Horn Book Honor medal to her credit.

screen shot of Andrea Davis Pinkney and Brian Pinkney from the African American Literature Book Club

Daniel José Older, New York Times bestselling author and winner of the International Latino Book Award.

Daniel José Older, from his website here.

Eliza Wheeler, New York Times bestselling author/illustrator and past winner of the SCBWI portfolio showcase grand prize award.

Eliza Wheeler's profile pic from Twitter

Lynda Mullaly Hunt, New York Times bestselling author and winner of the ALA's Schneider Family Book Award.

Lynda Mullaly Hunt, signing, in a photo from Facebook

Plus acquiring agents and editors actively seeking new work from writers and illustrators!


Registration for the Summer Conference opens online on April 17.

New and Exciting Opportunities At #LA18SCBWI

#LA18SCBWI
The SCBWI 2018 Summer Conference in Los Angeles
SAVE THE DATES: August 3-6, 2018

In addition to keynote presentations, panels of industry experts, and craft and business-related breakout sessions, this year’s SCBWI Summer Conference gives participants more opportunities than ever to meet with editors and agents about their work. There will be paid manuscript, portfolio, and social media consultations with agents, editors and art directors, plus several all-new events on Monday, August 6:

For Writers: A full-day session titled A Closer Look, where writers can get feedback on the first 500 words of their manuscripts from acquiring agents, editors, and their peers.

For Illustrators: A full-day Illustrator’s Intensive with art directors, editors, and renowned illustrators of children’s books.

For Published Writers and Illustrators: A full-day Pro-Intensive designed to help you take your career to the next level.

Registration for the Summer Conference opens online on April 17. Please check the SCBWI website around April 13 for more information.

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee

Listen to SCBWI's newest podcast: A Conversation with Cheryl Klein

Cheryl Klein is the editorial director at Lee & Low Books, which publishes a wide array of children’s and YA books by and about marginalized people, particularly people of color. She is also the author of The Magic Words: Writing Great Books for Children and Young Adults (W. W. Norton); its previous self-published incarnation, Second Sight; and two forthcoming picture books. Prior to her work at Lee & Low, she spent sixteen years at Arthur A. Levine Books/Scholastic, where she edited a number of best-selling and award-winning titles. She lives in Brooklyn, New York, and can be found online at cherylklein.com and as @chavelaque.

In this two-part conversation with Theo Baker, Cheryl speaks of the insights she’s gained as an editor, the importance of diverse voices, the publishing and writing sides to the question “who can write what?”, telling the story of your heart, and her own books, the writing craft “The Magic Words: Writing Great Books for Children and Young Adults” and the picture books “Things with Wings” and “Thunder Trucks.”

Listen to the episode trailer here.

Current SCBWI members can listen to the full podcast here (log in first!)

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee