"Faking Normal" – The 2015 Crystal Kite Interview With Courtney Stevens

In the Mid-South Division, the 2015 Crystal Kite Award goes to "Faking Normal" by SCBWI Midsouth member Courtney Stevens!

Photo of Courtney Stevens by Jen & Chris Creed, 2013

Lee: Please tell us about your Crystal-Kite winning book!

Courtney: Faking Normal is the story of two teenagers, Alexi and Bodee, who have been through terrible circumstances over the previous summer. These two characters have really only shared next door lockers and homeroom, but over the course of the novel they will share their secrets, a home, and hope. My initial pitch for the book was what if Melinda from Speak met Peeta from the Hunger Games. 

From the official copy: Alexi Littrell hasn’t told anyone what happened to her over the summer by her backyard pool. Instead, she hides in her closet, counts the slats in the air vent, and compulsively scratches the back of her neck, trying to make the outside hurt more than the inside does—and deal with the trauma. When Bodee Lennox—“the Kool-Aid Kid”—moves in with the Littrells after a family tragedy, Alexi discovers an unlikely friend in this quiet, awkward boy who has secrets of his own. As their friendship grows, Alexi gives him the strength to deal with his past, and Bodee helps her summon the courage to find her voice and speak up about the rape that has changed the course of her life. 

Lee: How long have you been involved with SCBWI, and can you share what you feel you’ve gained by being a member?

Courtney: I joined SCBWI in the Spring of 2009. What have I gained? Wow, how many pages do I have to answer that question? In the spirit of space: wisdom, knowledge, an agent, three contracts (five published products), encouragement, a network of professionals, family, friends ... everything. 

Lee: Do you have any advice to share with other children’s book writers and illustrators?

Courtney: Every time you hit a gap in the publishing field between what you want and what you have, the answer is to study. You can study in a variety of ways--conferences, books, mentors, blogs, intensives, etc.--but you must keep learning if you want to make a career of writing.

Thanks, Courtney!

I also contacted SCBWI Midsouth (Tennessee/Kentucky) Regional Advisor Kristin O'Donnell Tubb to find out more about Courtney and their region...

I had the honor of reading "Faking Normal" in its earliest draft – way back when it was still titled "23!" – and knew the moment I reached The End that it would be a book someday. "Faking Normal" is special and deep and looks you straight in the eye and gives you honesty mixed with gentleness - just like Court. Court has served as the Midsouth’s coARA for three years, and recently moved into the role of PAL Coordinator. I know of no one who fosters and cares for their writing community more than Court. She is one of the many reasons the Midsouth has the heart and soul that it does.

I’m delighted that the 2015 shiny, beautiful SCBWI Crystal Kite Award was awarded to the shiny, beautiful Court–Courtney Stevens.

To find out more about Courtney and her books, visit her website/blog Quartland.

And discover more about SCBWI Midsouth here.

Congratulations again to Courtney for "Faking Normal" winning the 2015 Crystal Kite Award!

The 2014 Crystal Kite Winners: THE 13th SIGN by Kristin Tubb (SCBWI Midsouth)

And now our Crystal Kite Spotlight illuminates THE 13th SIGN by Kristin Tubb!

A member of SCBWI Midsouth (Tennessee/Kentucky), Kristin's novel won for the Kansas, Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky, Missouri, Mississippi and Alabama division.

Award-Winning Author Kristin Tubb

I contacted Kristin to find out more...


Lee: Please tell us about your book! 

Kristin: Here's the jacket copy: 

"What if there was a 13th zodiac sign? You’re no longer Sagittarius, but Ophiuchus, the healer, the 13th sign. Your personality has changed. So has your mom’s and your best friend’s. What about the rest of the world? What if you were the one who accidentally unlocked the 13th sign, causing this world-altering change, and infuriating the other 12 signs? Jalen did it, and now she must use every ounce of her strength and cunning to send the signs back where they belong. Lives, including her own, depend upon it." 

Kirkus called it "the ultimate astrological fantasy." I like to say it explores the question: do you control your personality or does your personality control you? 

Lee: What a cool concept - and it's quite the hook! How long have you been involved with SCBWI, and can you share what you feel you've gained by being a member?

Kristin: I've been an SCBWI member since 2002. If it's okay, I'd like to share the speech I gave when accepting the beautiful Crystal Kite statue to fully express my feelings about SCBWI: 

When I found out The 13th Sign won the Crystal Kite, I posted a teary, grateful message on Facebook, and realized that I needed to explain what “SCBWI” stood for to my non-writing (sane) friends. So, I dutifully spelled it out for them: “SCBWI stands for the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.” But it occurred to me that SCBWI stands for SO MUCH MORE. 

SCBWI stands for: Study Craft Because kids Want Intense. 

Kids want real stories. Study your craft here and give them the gift of a deep, meaningful story. A life-changing story. 

Before The 13th Sign came out, I was at a party. One of my husband’s friends said, “Oh! You had another book come out? Is this another children’s book, or is it a real book?” 

I know, right? SCBWI stands for: Smile with Confidence Because this Work is Important.

Sometimes, the only place kids can find truth is in a story. Give kids the truth. It doesn’t get more real than the truth told to a child. We’re all here for the same reason: we have a need to tell a story to a kid. SCBWI means never having to walk this path alone. 

So most of all, SCBWI stands for: Shout and Cheer Because We’re In it together. 

Lee: Yay! Do you have any advice to share with other children's book writers and illustrators?

Kristin: Other than join SCBWI? :-) Reading and studying current children's books would be at the top of the list. Join a critique group would rank high as well. But I suppose besides those (because most SCBWI members have done these things, I'm guessing), I'd emphasize studying the craft of writing, truly and diligently and continuously. Not just to get published (although yes, that's a goal). Study craft, always, because our readers deserve our very best effort.

Thanks, Kristin!

I also connected with Associate Regional Advisor Courtney C. Stevens (since Kristin is the Regional Advisor for SCBWI Midsouth) to hear the inside scoop on Kristin's win. Here's what Courtney wrote...

I'm not sure that I even know where to begin. Kristin is a gem. She's a fabulous leader, who somehow manages to balance her writing career and organizational responsibilities at the highest levels. Ultimately, she loves people and the power of story. Those two things come across when you read her work and when you interact with her. I am honored to be her ARA and her critique partner. She has enriched my life, the life of the region, and the life of readers in a powerful way. Seeing her win a second Crystal Kite, and be recognized by our beloved organization, made me stand and cheer and cry tears of joy. It is always fabulous to see greatness rewarded.

I could share many details about SCBWI Midsouth (approximately 500 members, conferences and retreats that sell-out, high PAL membership percentages, healthy critique groups, online visibility), but none would completely describe the atmosphere of children’s writers and illustrators in Kentucky and Tennessee. Our leaders are generous with their time, wisdom, and encouragement as they plan events, and the region has benefitted and grown from their consistent leadership and vision. Our members cheer for each other’s success, cry on each other’s shoulders, and get together in many of our cities to talk about life, rather than just writing/illustrating. We're friends. We've made events out of being friends because this business of publishing a book is far less scary when you are shoulder to shoulder with excellent people. I can’t speak for everyone, but I know I am a published author today because of SCBWI, and specifically, because the men and women in my region pushed me forward and surrounded me with hope.

Thanks to Kristin and Courtney, and Cheers to Kristin on The 13th Sign winning The 2014 Crystal Kite Award!

You can learn more about Kristin and her books at her website here.

And find out more about SCBWI Midsouth (Tennessee/Kentucky) at their regional website here.

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee

The Crystal Kite Winner Profiles: SCBWI MidSouth's Sharon Cameron (for "The Dark Unwinding")

The winner of the 2013 SCBWI Crystal Kite Award for the Mid-South Division (Kansas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky and Missouri) is Sharon Cameron for "The Dark Unwinding" (Scholastic.)

2013 Crystal Kite Winner Sharon Cameron!

I contacted Sharon to find out more...

Lee:  Please tell us about your book!

Sharon:  The Dark Unwinding is the gothic, steampunk-esque tale of seventeen-year-old Katharine Tulman, sent to her uncle’s remote estate to have him committed to a lunatic asylum. But instead of a lunatic she discovers a childlike, genius inventor, the creator of a fantastical world where science seems like magic and machines have a life of their own. She also finds a brooding apprentice, a dwindling family fortune, and the hundreds of poverty-stricken families it is being used to support. But there is more to Uncle Tulman's bizarre creations than anyone knows, and Katharine has thirty days to choose between his ticking world of clockwork and her one and only chance at freedom. And that’s when Katharine starts seeing things that aren’t really there.

Lee:  Great pitch!  How long have you been involved with SCBWI, and can you share what you feel you've gained by being a member?

Sharon:  Absolutely! I joined SCBWI in 2005, just a couple of months after I had this crazy idea to write a novel. Through the local and national conferences I found my amazing critique group (together for eight years now), learned the business and the craft, and became a part of “The Tribe.” I've helped coordinate the last six SCBWI Midsouth conferences. In 2009 I won the Sue Alexander Award from SCBWI, and as a result was offered a publishing contract for The Dark Unwinding (2012) and its sequel A Spark Unseen (2013) from Scholastic Press. And now, of course, the Crystal Kite! Joining SCBWI was the single choice that most affected my journey into publishing, not just because of all of the above, but because through SCBWI I learned very early that I wasn’t pursuing a hobby; I was pursuing a career. And that made all the difference, I think.

Lee:  Do you have any advice to share with other children's book writers and illustrators?

Sharon:  One of the things being a published author has taught me is how hard it is to give advice! We are all on such an individual journey. But I think one lesson that is so important to learn (and that I’m still learning!) is how to write from what is uniquely you, while at the same time writing for a market. These things seem like such polar opposites sometimes, but there is always a way to do it. Stretch, experiment with being uncomfortable, and find that narrow road where you can write what you love for the readers who will read it.

Thanks, Sharon!

I also connected with SCBWI Midsouth's Regional Advisor Kristin Tubb to learn more about their region.  Here's what she wrote:
 

I know I’m biased, but the Midsouth region (which includes TN and KY) of SCBWI is special. We have a fabulous, very affordable fall conference in Nashville every year. We’ve recently started an annual writing/revising retreat in Kentucky in the spring. We have workshops and free schmoozes and PAL events for our many publishing superstars. We are a true tribe. And where we excel? Our volunteers.

Sharon Cameron is one of those volunteers every RA dreams of: she’s organized, thorough, hard-working, and she loves SCBWI. She works year-round on the fall conference as one of the principal committee members, primarily in charge of scheduling logistics. She asks hard questions, provides thoughtful responses, and, well, the girl can WRITE. So when the 2013 Crystal Kite was awarded to Sharon for THE DARK UNWINDING, you might have heard the collective huzzah from the Midsouth!

The Crystal Kite isn’t the first nod that SCBWI has given to Sharon and THE DARK UNWINDING. In 2009, Sharon and her main character Katharine Tulman won the Sue Alexander Most Promising New Work Award for the story, which was then titled STRANWYNE KEEP. It is a lush, sweeping, mysterious tale, and the Midsouth is delighted that Sharon’s beautiful story has been honored again with the Crystal Kite. We are so thrilled for you, Sharon, and we are your #1 fans!

Find out more about Sharon at her website here.

And you can learn more about SCBWI Midsouth at their website.

Thanks to Sharon and Kristin, and cheers for Sharon winning the 2013 Crystal Kite Award for "The Dark Unwinding!"

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee