"Time is the Best Editor" - Excellent Advice from Author/Illustrator Eugene Yelchin

Eugene Yelchin, an equally adept author and illustrator, is a National Book Award finalist for The Assassination of Brangwain Spurge, co-authored with M. T. Anderson,

and the recipient of the Newbery Honor for Breaking Stalin’s Nose.

He received the SCBWI Golden Kite Award for The Haunting of Falcon House,

the National Jewish Book Award for illustrating The Rooster Prince of Breslov,

and SCBWI’s Tomie DePaola Award!

In a breakout session at this past weekend's #LA19SCBWI, Eugene gave a talk about time in picture books that I attended. He's brilliant, and one of the most resonant pieces of advice he shared was this:

Take your story as far as you can bring it, and then stop.
Let it sit for several months.
Five or six months later, look at it.
You'll see what it needs.

"Time is the best editor."

Great advice, and I can vouch from personal experience that it works.

Thanks, Eugene!

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee

Instagram! Twitter! The SCBWI Conference Blog! Follow #LA19SCBWI To Gather Your Own Favorite Moments

Can you feel the buzz?

On Instagram, wisdom like:

On Twitter, insights like:

And on the Official SCBWI Conference Blog, craft knowledge like:

It's all there for you to check out - with live stories, photos from the portfolio show and the Woodstock at 50 gala, and so many more moments of inspiration and community.

#LA19SCBWI

is your key.

Go unlock the SCBWI 2019 Summer Conference as it resonates online, and for you!

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee

Si hablas español, la página de Facebook Facebook en Español seguirá los principales acontecimientos del congreso #LA19SCBWI.

#LA19SCBWI starts tomorrow, and I'm so excited to share that our Spanish-speaking friends (lead by Malena F. Alzu, SCBWI's Spanish Language Coordinator) will be sharing about the conference on SCBWI Facebook en Español here: https://www.facebook.com/scbwispanish/!

We hope you'll follow along, and share the word - en español, of course!

Oh, and check out the July 2019 issue of La Cometa here!

Make sure to follow the hashtag #LA19SCBWI on social media, and the Official SCBWI Conference Blog at http://scbwiconference.blogspot.com/

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee

It's Just 8 Days Away! Don't Miss #LA19SCBWI, The SCBWI 2019 Summer Conference in Los Angeles, August 9-12, 2019

Time's running out for you to be part of all the craft, business, inspiration, opportunity, and community of the SCBWI Summer Conference!

See the full schedule and get all the conference information here.

And if you can't join in person, follow along on social media with the hashtag #LA19SCBWI, and make sure to bookmark the Official SCBWI Conference Blog here, at scbwiconference.blogspot.com.

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee

Early Registration for #LA19SCBWI, The 2019 SCBWI Summer Conference in Los Angeles, Ends July 17, 2019

The Keynotes! (including Pura Belpre and Caldecott Honor winner Yuyi Morales, National Book Award winner M.T. Anderson, Newbery Medal winner Meg Medina, and a rare U.S. appearance from picture book legend Mem Fox.)

The Panels! (including "Creating Memorable Main Characters for a Book Series," "Agent Panel: Trends and Evergreens: Selling Your Book in Today's Market," "Publishing Options in 2019," "Birth of a Picture Book," "Creating Books That Matter," and "Editor Panel: What Speaks To Me In The Books I Acquire.")

The 72 Breakout Sessions!

The Agents! The Editors!

The Portfolio Showcase! The Manuscript Critiques!

The Life Drawing Lunch! The Woodstock West: 50 Years Later Party!

There's so much more, and I'm practically running out of exclamation points...

Gift yourself all the Information, Inspiration, Opportunity, and Community of the 2019 SCBWI Summer Conference. Get all the details here. Early Registration ends tomorrow (Wednesday July 17, 2019.)

We hope to see you there!

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee

Illustrators – Do You Know About the Portfolio Showcase at #LA19SCBWI?

It's a showcase.

It's a contest.

It's an amazing opportunity to get your work seen by SCBWI judges, mentors, and the art directors, editors, agents, and other publishing professionals attending the SCBWI Summer Conference.

Nifty illustration by Priscilla Burris, SCBWI U.S. Illustrator Coordinator & Advisor

It's a chance to meet a professional deadline.

It's a chance to get feedback on your work.

It's a chance to put your work out there!

Read all the details here.

We hope you'll join us at the 48th Annual SCBWI Summer Conference in Los Angeles, August 9-12, 2019. Find out all about the conference at this link: https://www.scbwi.org/events/48th-annual-summer-conference-in-los-angeles-la19/

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee

Registration is now OPEN for #LA19SCBWI - 2019 SCBWI Summer Conference in Los Angeles!

What a lineup!

The keynotes: M.T. Anderson, Meg Media, Yuyi Morales, Christian Robinson, Darcey Rosenblatt, Anna Shinoda, Raúl The Third, and Renée Watson!

A special lunch with Mem Fox!

A main stage editor panel, "What speaks to me in the books I aquire," moderated by Lin Oliver with Simon Boughton (Publishing Director, Norton Young Readers), Carol Hinz (Editorial Director, Millbrook Press & Carolrhoda Books), Tiff Liao (Editor, Henry Holt Books for Young Readers), Melissa Manlove (Senior Editor, Chronicle Books), Denene Miller (Editor, Denene Millner Books/Simon & Schuster), and Sara Sargent (Senior Executive Editor, Random House Books for Young Reader)!

A main stage "Creating Books That Matter" panel moderated by Linda Sue Park with Adib Khorram, Lesléa Newman, Elizabeth Partridge, Jewell Parker Rhodes, and Lilliam Rivera!

And more panels, on picture books, publishing options, agents, book series,

and 72 breakout sessions,

a day of optional intensives,

a portfolio show,

booksales and author signings,

socials for illustrators, nonfiction, diveristy, new members, and the LGBTQ and Allies social,

a life drawing lunch,

yoga and meditation,

and the Saturday night gala, "Woodstock West: 50 Years Later Party"!

There's so much fun, and community, and inspiration, and craft, and business, and opportunity available to us all... Check out all the conference offerings and register here.

Illustrate and Write and Conference On,
Lee