I took a way-too-early 5:30 am train down to the City on Saturday and Kim, my local SCBWI Shop Talk writing friend, met me at Grand Central Terminal. She’s an ardently talented writer of charming picture books and a spiritual young-adult fantasy novel. She also invents creative, funny acronyms – like the name of our sub-group of Shop Talk writers: C’RAP! That’s Children’s w’Riters Always Procrastinate, but we’re optimistic that someday it will stand for Children’s w’Riters Always Publish! I’m glad Kim convinced me to attend, and that she was my conference buddy. I think we made a great team!
Me and KimKim wrote a great moment-by-moment 4-part blog about the whole weekend on her Live Journal (http://www.kimmiepoppins.livejournal.com). She also documented the entire event with her digital camera, so all photos are credited to her (Kim Sabatini). Thanks, Kim!
Stephen Mooser, the President of SCBWI, welcomed us all, and Executive Director Lin Oliver gave the stats for this year’s conference – it was the second largest NY conference in its 10-year existence, with 1,056 people attending. 890 were women, and 166 were men, from 46 states and 15 countries, and about half are published. It was a bit intimidating for a first-time attendee like me!
The first speaker, Jay Krosoczka (http://www.studiojjk.com/), is an award-winning author/illustrator, of picture books such as Good Night, Monkey Boy and Punk Farm, and an upcoming kids’ graphic novel series, Lunch Lady – she’s really a superhero! Even though I don’t write picture books, I could relate to the theme of his talk – how to keep writing through the many changes of life. Since he was first published in 2001, he got married, bought a house, got a dog, and now has a baby – that’s a lot of changes! Two of his remarks really struck me – “Be patient with your creativity” and “You can’t force your ideas out”. To illustrate that last idea, he showed a clever, funny video, “Book By Book: The Making of a Monkey Man,” (on http://www.vimeo.com/) in which he tries to overcome writers block with the help of some famous names in children’s lit – among them, Mo Willems, Tony Di Terlizzi, John Scieszka, Jane Yolen, and a scene-stealing Tomie dePaola.
Next came the break-out sessions, featuring editors discussing how they work and what they acquire. My first was with Claudia Gabel, who has worked in publishing for ten years, most recently for Delacorte Press, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books. She stressed the importance of having a book with a high-concept idea – something fresh, original, timely, and with a commercial hook. You should be able to pitch your book in attention-getting one or two sentences. I think the books I’m working on right now do have high-concept ideas, so that’s good. She also said that editors hate books that just try to follow a trend – they’re “o.d.-ing on writers trying to capitalize on the Twilight phenomenon.” She said “your job is to write the best book you can write,” and that it’s important to market yourself online. Delacorte Press has yearly first-book contests for young adult and middle-grade novels, when they accept unagented manuscripts. I’ve thought about entering one of my older teen novels in the YA contest – that’s something to consider, but only after I finish What Luck, my novel for younger teens that I'm working on now.
Kathy Dawson, the new Associate Publisher of Dial Books for Young Readers, gave the next break-out talk. She has twenty years of experience in publishing, and edited the books from one of my favorite YA writers, KL Going. She spoke at the Mid-Hudson SCBWI conference two years ago, and also gave an excellent presentation along with KL Going, on the editing process of a novel, from its acceptance to its publication. So I was eager to hear more from her. She said writers should be aware of four points:
1. “Play dumb.” It’s better to want to learn and write what you don’t know instead of following the adage of write what you know. She reads to make a discovery and to see things in a fresh way, and she looks for books that expand our world.
2. “It’s all in the details.” Use detail – all five senses – to reveal characters and how they perceive the world, to advance the plot, and to give your story authenticity and a universal appeal.
3. ARIA – her acronym for Action (proper pacing, writing that moves and doesn’t drag); Rhythm (using cadence, repetition and meter to reveal your voice); Intrigue (mystery or tension in the story to keep the reader turning pages); and Adventure (plotting that has high stakes and feels real to the reader).
4. Truth – An author’s true voice and emotion is powerful and can’t be faked. She looks for relatable characters who look to find themselves and struggle with their own truth. She always turns down trendy and superficial books.
Very compelling points - I’ll keep them in mind to help make my stories better.
Next came the break-out sessions, featuring editors discussing how they work and what they acquire. My first was with Claudia Gabel, who has worked in publishing for ten years, most recently for Delacorte Press, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books. She stressed the importance of having a book with a high-concept idea – something fresh, original, timely, and with a commercial hook. You should be able to pitch your book in attention-getting one or two sentences. I think the books I’m working on right now do have high-concept ideas, so that’s good. She also said that editors hate books that just try to follow a trend – they’re “o.d.-ing on writers trying to capitalize on the Twilight phenomenon.” She said “your job is to write the best book you can write,” and that it’s important to market yourself online. Delacorte Press has yearly first-book contests for young adult and middle-grade novels, when they accept unagented manuscripts. I’ve thought about entering one of my older teen novels in the YA contest – that’s something to consider, but only after I finish What Luck, my novel for younger teens that I'm working on now.
Kathy Dawson, the new Associate Publisher of Dial Books for Young Readers, gave the next break-out talk. She has twenty years of experience in publishing, and edited the books from one of my favorite YA writers, KL Going. She spoke at the Mid-Hudson SCBWI conference two years ago, and also gave an excellent presentation along with KL Going, on the editing process of a novel, from its acceptance to its publication. So I was eager to hear more from her. She said writers should be aware of four points:
1. “Play dumb.” It’s better to want to learn and write what you don’t know instead of following the adage of write what you know. She reads to make a discovery and to see things in a fresh way, and she looks for books that expand our world.
2. “It’s all in the details.” Use detail – all five senses – to reveal characters and how they perceive the world, to advance the plot, and to give your story authenticity and a universal appeal.
3. ARIA – her acronym for Action (proper pacing, writing that moves and doesn’t drag); Rhythm (using cadence, repetition and meter to reveal your voice); Intrigue (mystery or tension in the story to keep the reader turning pages); and Adventure (plotting that has high stakes and feels real to the reader).
4. Truth – An author’s true voice and emotion is powerful and can’t be faked. She looks for relatable characters who look to find themselves and struggle with their own truth. She always turns down trendy and superficial books.
Very compelling points - I’ll keep them in mind to help make my stories better.
Jay Asher, whose first novel, Thirteen Reasons Why, was a New York Times bestseller and won several awards and honors, was the luncheon keynote speaker. His talk was so inspiring – he spoke of his growth as a writer, from doing comics at age thirteen, to reviewing Vanilla Ice for his high-school paper, to writing funny picture books for his college children’s lit class. He liked funny books so he wanted to write funny books, but “sometimes what you like to read isn’t what you’re good at writing.” That remark stood out to me – some of my favorite books are so amazing and so different from what I write, but I’ve grown to appreciate my own voice and writing style. He started submitting his books in 1994, but ultimately it took twelve years, eight years of SCBWI conferences, four different agents, several projects that fell through, and a moment when he considered giving up (his wife convinced him to not quit) until his young adult novel got published in 2006.
I read Thirteen Reasons Why this past summer, and thought the story was unique and excellent. Clay is one of thirteen classmates to receive a beyond-the-grave message from Hannah, who recently killed herself – cassette tapes on which she recorded thirteen reasons why she felt driven to take her life. The narrative voice alternates between Hannah’s recording and Clay as he’s listening. What could have been a depressing story actually has an uplifting message – “everything affects everything” – that has inspired readers to be more thoughtful and kinder to others. I think Jay Asher and his book deserve all the accolades they’ve got. (http://www.thirteenreasonswhy.com/)
Jay’s final, inspiring advice to us was, be honest with your readers. Never let go of your dreams. And hold on – it’s going to be a bumpy ride.
The last breakout session of the day was with Scholastic Press editor Jennifer Rees. She edits young adult and middle-grade books and looks for ten things:
1. A distinctive voice – that’s the story’s hook, don’t hold back on it.
2. Memorable, real, believable characters that she and readers will feel connected to.
3. Something that aims to set its own trend, and doesn’t follow existing big trends like “the next Twilight.”
4. An unpredictable story, to keep the reader guessing, surprised and turning pages.
5. A fresh, unique, not-easy-to-categorize story.
6. Writing that takes risks and doesn’t play it safe.
7. Lyrical writing, with language that’s not flowery but sings.
8. A professional package, with a readable manuscript, a one-page cover letter and a SASE (self-addressed, stamped envelope) for a reply.
9. A writer who knows the market, does research in the different genres of children’s lit, and reads widely and often.
10. A manuscript that’s a good match for Scholastic – it’s important to research the company and its catalogs.
11. She threw in a bonus point – Writing that satisfies your inner child, because then it will satisfy hers.
She gave a lot of good information to think about and remember, and also these words to write by: she always looks to publish a book “that will become bigger than itself; that will be read and passed around and loved for years.”
I read Thirteen Reasons Why this past summer, and thought the story was unique and excellent. Clay is one of thirteen classmates to receive a beyond-the-grave message from Hannah, who recently killed herself – cassette tapes on which she recorded thirteen reasons why she felt driven to take her life. The narrative voice alternates between Hannah’s recording and Clay as he’s listening. What could have been a depressing story actually has an uplifting message – “everything affects everything” – that has inspired readers to be more thoughtful and kinder to others. I think Jay Asher and his book deserve all the accolades they’ve got. (http://www.thirteenreasonswhy.com/)
Jay’s final, inspiring advice to us was, be honest with your readers. Never let go of your dreams. And hold on – it’s going to be a bumpy ride.
The last breakout session of the day was with Scholastic Press editor Jennifer Rees. She edits young adult and middle-grade books and looks for ten things:
1. A distinctive voice – that’s the story’s hook, don’t hold back on it.
2. Memorable, real, believable characters that she and readers will feel connected to.
3. Something that aims to set its own trend, and doesn’t follow existing big trends like “the next Twilight.”
4. An unpredictable story, to keep the reader guessing, surprised and turning pages.
5. A fresh, unique, not-easy-to-categorize story.
6. Writing that takes risks and doesn’t play it safe.
7. Lyrical writing, with language that’s not flowery but sings.
8. A professional package, with a readable manuscript, a one-page cover letter and a SASE (self-addressed, stamped envelope) for a reply.
9. A writer who knows the market, does research in the different genres of children’s lit, and reads widely and often.
10. A manuscript that’s a good match for Scholastic – it’s important to research the company and its catalogs.
11. She threw in a bonus point – Writing that satisfies your inner child, because then it will satisfy hers.
She gave a lot of good information to think about and remember, and also these words to write by: she always looks to publish a book “that will become bigger than itself; that will be read and passed around and loved for years.”
Richard Jackson, a 46-year publishing veteran of Bradbury Press; Orchard Books; DK, Inc.; and currently Richard Jackson Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Atheneum Books for Young Readers, gave the final speech of the day. He’s discovered writers such as Judy Blume, Paula Fox, and Virginia Hamilton, and the books he’s published have won numerous Newbery, Caldecott, Coretta Scott King and National Book Awards. He eloquently stated, “if you summon it by words, it will come.” He used some upcoming titles as examples, with illustrations on the big screens. Moonshot: the Flight of Apollo 11, his 2009 title, is a non-fiction picture book written and illustrated by Brian Floca. It brings the 1969 moon landing to life and encourages kids to imagine it. Black Crow, due out in 2010, by Chris Roscha, has strikingly beautiful watercolor illustrations (they reminded me of Japanese ink paintings) and rhyming words that tell of a boy who first observes a crow, then starts to think and wonder if the crow sees him. “It haunted me,” Jackson said. He also told us that there is no one sharing our particular imagination, but the world may share in it through our efforts – moving and inspiring words.
Afterwards, during a wine and cheese networking hour, Kim introduced me to several of her writing friends – some she knows from the Verla Kay children’s writers’ message boards, and some she met at the recent conference at Rutgers. Everyone was super nice and interesting. That’s another reason why I’m glad Kim was my conference buddy – even though people say I’m outgoing, I’m a wallflower compared to her infectious, enthusiastic and friendly personality!She helped make meeting people easy and fun.
Afterwards, during a wine and cheese networking hour, Kim introduced me to several of her writing friends – some she knows from the Verla Kay children’s writers’ message boards, and some she met at the recent conference at Rutgers. Everyone was super nice and interesting. That’s another reason why I’m glad Kim was my conference buddy – even though people say I’m outgoing, I’m a wallflower compared to her infectious, enthusiastic and friendly personality!She helped make meeting people easy and fun.
Kim with Jeff.
Kim with Allan – they found out they share the samebirthday, one year apart!
Allan, me, Jessie, Justin and GinaWe heard that an agent, Scott Treimel, showed up and was willing to hear and give feedback on story pitches from conference attendants. I didn’t feel that I had a good pitch ready, but Kim wanted to speak to him, so we waited on a long, long line for a long, long time! We got to meet more great people on the line, and then we saw Allan sitting and talking with…Jay Asher. It didn’t seem like anyone else realized that one of the featured authors was in our midst – Jay was just hanging out and being low-key friendly. So while Kim gave her pitch I went over and told Jay how much I liked his book and that I was inspired by his talk, because I’ve been a so-far unpublished writer for years. Kim joined us, and we all talked with him while Allan waited to pitch the agent.
I’ve met dozens of authors while working B & N events, and also at our local SCBWI conference. 99 % of them have been great, and some have really stood out, spending much of their time talking with readers while signing books for them. If I like a writer’s books and he/she turns out to be a really great person too, it makes me even more of a fan, and I work even harder at handselling the author’s titles. So now I can add Jay Asher to that group of outstanding authors. He was so cool and down-to-earth, and very generous to spend his after-hours time hanging out with us – he even went to dinner with our group, to an Irish pub across the street from Grand Central. If/when I ever get published, I want to always be able to make that kind of personal connection with readers.
Justin, Allan, me, Jay, Kim and David at Grand CentralAfter a long and eventful day, Kim and I went back to the hotel room. She’d generously invited me to be her roommate, and we stayed up talking excitedly like two thirteen-year-olds at a slumber party. She also helped me work out my ending for What Luck. Thanks, Kim – your name will be in my acknowledgements, if (when!) I ever get it published!
Sunday morning came too early, but although we were tired we looked forward to another creatively energizing day. The first speaker was Bruce Hale (http://www.brucehale.com/), author of humorous middle-grade books, such as the Chet Gecko mystery series. He even serenaded us with a song, “Nature Boy,” made famous by Nat King Cole, and more recently featured in the movie Moulin Rouge.
With the lyric, “the greatest thing you’ll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return,” he reminded us to remember the love in creating, and to always find the heart in each story. And even though the books I write are for older readers than his age group of 8 – 12, I got a lot from his advice, especially: to remind your readers of the beauty amidst the ugliness of the world; to add humor, even to serious books; and to tell the truth, because “kids have a built-in b.s. detector” – we need to acknowledge life’s problems but let them know that hope triumphs over despair. And to write what you love – if you put your heart in your writing, readers will love it in return.
He told us that he had 8 ½ years of rejections, and that he found his agent in 1999 at an SCBWI conference. I’m sure most of us felt hopeful after hearing that!
I remembered that hope while listening to the realistic and informative agent’s panel discussion. Lin Oliver moderated the four agents – Michael Stearns, a 20-year veteran of kids’ books who now is with the 3-year-old Firebrand agency; Alyssa Eisner Henkin, who joined the Trident agency after seven years as an editor at Simon & Schuster; Michael Bourett, who has worked for nine years at Dystel & Goderich and is now their VP; and Edward Necarsulmer IV, who has worked for several agencies and for the past five years has been with the 80-year-old McIntosh & Otis, Inc.
All of the agents seemed to be on the same page regarding the state of publishing in this economy. Yes, there have been layoffs, less acquisitions, and less huge advances for unproven writers than in the past. But agents advocate for writers, and it’s good to have an agent in these times. Agents look to build a relationship with an author, so it’s important to find the one who’s the best match for you – take some time to research their line. An agent should always look to build your career, not just to find a one-hit wonder. They understand that most writers do multiple submissions, especially since it takes time to read through and respond to the many manuscripts and queries they receive, but all said full disclosure is the most important thing – just be honest and let them know. The final advice was to just keep writing, and have hope when looking toward the future.
Next, Lin Oliver introduced the premiere of the first two DVDs in SCBWI’s Master Class series, available at the conference and on SCBWI’s website (http://www.scbwi.org/). They showed segments of each DVD – I think they’re very well done. The illustration Master Class features Tomie dePaola, who unfortunately couldn’t attend the conference due to illness. But he was feeling well enough to phone in from New Hampshire. It was so cool that he could connect with us all that way – technology is amazing!
He told us that he had 8 ½ years of rejections, and that he found his agent in 1999 at an SCBWI conference. I’m sure most of us felt hopeful after hearing that!
I remembered that hope while listening to the realistic and informative agent’s panel discussion. Lin Oliver moderated the four agents – Michael Stearns, a 20-year veteran of kids’ books who now is with the 3-year-old Firebrand agency; Alyssa Eisner Henkin, who joined the Trident agency after seven years as an editor at Simon & Schuster; Michael Bourett, who has worked for nine years at Dystel & Goderich and is now their VP; and Edward Necarsulmer IV, who has worked for several agencies and for the past five years has been with the 80-year-old McIntosh & Otis, Inc.
All of the agents seemed to be on the same page regarding the state of publishing in this economy. Yes, there have been layoffs, less acquisitions, and less huge advances for unproven writers than in the past. But agents advocate for writers, and it’s good to have an agent in these times. Agents look to build a relationship with an author, so it’s important to find the one who’s the best match for you – take some time to research their line. An agent should always look to build your career, not just to find a one-hit wonder. They understand that most writers do multiple submissions, especially since it takes time to read through and respond to the many manuscripts and queries they receive, but all said full disclosure is the most important thing – just be honest and let them know. The final advice was to just keep writing, and have hope when looking toward the future.
Next, Lin Oliver introduced the premiere of the first two DVDs in SCBWI’s Master Class series, available at the conference and on SCBWI’s website (http://www.scbwi.org/). They showed segments of each DVD – I think they’re very well done. The illustration Master Class features Tomie dePaola, who unfortunately couldn’t attend the conference due to illness. But he was feeling well enough to phone in from New Hampshire. It was so cool that he could connect with us all that way – technology is amazing!
Lin Oliver with Richard Peck
The writing Master Class features Richard Peck, and it was an honor to hear him speak. He’s had over 40 books published since he started in 1970, and has won many awards and honors. I’ve read most of his books, beginning with Don't Look and it Won't Hurt, when I was around nine years old. So many of his remarks have stayed in my mind. Writers gather together because no one else understands. Writers raise questions that schools no longer raise. He believes that if you can’t find yourself on the page in early life, you’ll look for yourself in all the wrong places. Writing is the craft of listening – he’s carved a career from other people’s stories. We hunt and gather, we write what we want to find out, we research and learn. “We pass along the story, as civilizations rise and fall.” Wow, great words and ideas to remember.
Then Lin Oliver said that he wrote that speech just the day before. That’s just amazing.
Even more amazing was the fact that the closing keynote speaker, Jack Gantos (http://www.jackgantos.com/), flew in from Zurich, Switzerland, where he was just the day before. He was a last-minute replacement for Julius Lester, who couldn’t make the conference due to illness. That was a surprise to me – I didn’t know Jack Gantos would be a speaker until I saw stacks of his books in the SCBWI bookstore, and Kim said she’d gotten an email from SCBWI saying that he would be there. Right away, I felt awful, because I wished Michelle could have been there – Jack Gantos is her favorite writer, and her main inspiration for children’s books. But she has fibromyalgia, and with the chronic pain and fatigue, there was no way she could have made it to a 2-day conference in NYC. So I really hoped I could meet him and tell him about Michelle.
Jack Gantos’ speech was so great, and he said he wrote it that morning – another amazing thing. He said that as writers we have more in common than not in common. He said that anyone can write the first chapter of a novel, but "it’s the thirteenth chapter that’s vicious." I could relate to that, since I have many so-far-unfinished novels in the works. Whenever he has a moment of crisis when he asks himself why he’s doing this, he remembers how he loved books as a reader. He took us through the life of a reader, from board books to picture books to chapter books to young adult and up. “You go into the library as a kid and say, I own all these books!” When he finishes a book, he closes his eyes and lets the story and characters come back to him – as the character changes, he changes too. “The book goes into the library of your mind.” The books you love define the humanity in yourself – that’s why you write.
At the end, he said to write the best you can do and be happy with it. Write the book you love – if you don’t love it, the reader won’t. And write the book to add to the history of great books. Inspiring and uplifting words – a great way to end a great conference.
After, Kim and I headed to the bookstore area, and the author book-signing.
Jack Gantos’ speech was so great, and he said he wrote it that morning – another amazing thing. He said that as writers we have more in common than not in common. He said that anyone can write the first chapter of a novel, but "it’s the thirteenth chapter that’s vicious." I could relate to that, since I have many so-far-unfinished novels in the works. Whenever he has a moment of crisis when he asks himself why he’s doing this, he remembers how he loved books as a reader. He took us through the life of a reader, from board books to picture books to chapter books to young adult and up. “You go into the library as a kid and say, I own all these books!” When he finishes a book, he closes his eyes and lets the story and characters come back to him – as the character changes, he changes too. “The book goes into the library of your mind.” The books you love define the humanity in yourself – that’s why you write.
At the end, he said to write the best you can do and be happy with it. Write the book you love – if you don’t love it, the reader won’t. And write the book to add to the history of great books. Inspiring and uplifting words – a great way to end a great conference.
After, Kim and I headed to the bookstore area, and the author book-signing.
We told Jay Asher that we hoped he had as much fun hanging out the night before as we did! I’m so glad to have a signed copy of Thirteen Reasons Why for my shelves, and I’m looking forward to his next book. I'm sure it will be just as awesome.
Richard Peck signed his short-story collection, Past Perfect, Present Tense for me, and I told him how honored I felt to hear him speak, because I’ve been reading his books since they first came out in 1970. He said that I embody his whole career! What a gracious gentleman he is – I can see why Kim has such a “crush” on him!
I have to include Kim giving him a big hug of gratitude (and a kiss, off-camera!)
As Jack Gantos signed my copy of his autobiography, Hole in my Life, I thanked him for his inspiring talk. Then I asked him to sign some books I’d gotten for Michelle, and I told him about her and said that although she has an illness that prevented her from being there, she would want him to know that he’s her favorite author of all time, and that his writing inspired her to write kids’ books. I said that she had done an e-mail interview with him a couple of years ago for her online children’s magazine, Whimsy, and he smiled and said he remembered it! I told him I hoped he will speak at our Mid-Hudson SCBWI conference in Poughkeepsie some time, and he said he’s familiar with Poughkeepsie and has visited before. So who knows, maybe that wish will come true…!
Kim and I with Jarrett Krosoczka – he signed Punk Farm for her three little boys, who play that they’re in a “band” called the Sabatini Brothers!
We had pizza and a great writing conversation with Jeff and Allan at Two Boots in Grand Central Terminal and then took the Hudson Line back home. I looked over Kim’s synopsis of her novel, Touching the Surface, and gave her some feedback – I hope I was as helpful to her as she was to me. We set new writing, editing, and submission goals for ourselves, and as she got off two stops before me, we promised to keep cheering each other on.
It was hard for me to leave NYC and the inspiration and excitement of the conference, but now I’m looking ahead to our local Mid-Hudson SCBWI conference in June. And I have a goal to finish a draft of What Luck, in three months. So now, back to more writing – and rewriting, and rewriting….
We had pizza and a great writing conversation with Jeff and Allan at Two Boots in Grand Central Terminal and then took the Hudson Line back home. I looked over Kim’s synopsis of her novel, Touching the Surface, and gave her some feedback – I hope I was as helpful to her as she was to me. We set new writing, editing, and submission goals for ourselves, and as she got off two stops before me, we promised to keep cheering each other on.
It was hard for me to leave NYC and the inspiration and excitement of the conference, but now I’m looking ahead to our local Mid-Hudson SCBWI conference in June. And I have a goal to finish a draft of What Luck, in three months. So now, back to more writing – and rewriting, and rewriting….
