| In This
Issue |
| Freedom, Power
and Feelings of July |
| Marin Meeting,
Redwood High, July 8th, 7 - 9 PM |
| East Bay
Meeting - July 15th |
| Concord Meeting
9/13, 2 - 5 PM |
| 2nd Annual
Illustrators Day, 9/27, Fort Mason |
| Early Bird
Savings for Fall Conference 10/25/08 |
| Fall Conference
Speaker Preview: Julie Romeis, editor, Chronicle
Books |
| Writers'
Retreat Feb. 09, Schedule Now |
| Intensive
Seminar Day Recap, June 7 |
| Novel Revision
Retreat Coming: Summer 2009 |
|
Thank you everyone!
We sincerely appreciate your help.
We're looking for volunteers for our July 15th East Bay
Program, contact lea_lyon@pacbell.net to work on the speaker
committee or help out elsewhere!
For Fall Conference Volunteers, contact Colette, mvpurpleleaf@yahoo.comYour dedicated efforts
enable us to grow with new programs and expanded
geographical reach. |
|
Not a member of SCBWI? Join
today!
SCBWI is the largest children's writing organization in the
world with over 19,000 members in 70 regions. We're the only
organization to offer a variety of services to people who write,
illustrate or share a vital interest in children's literature.
Application is at Society of Children's Book Writers
and Illustrators |
|
About SCBWI
Northern California
Three regions compose the greater Northern
California area. Please check the website for the region closest to
your home zip code and for all the Northern CA programs offered
|
|
Fall Conference
Speaker
Preview
Guest Speaker, Julie Romeis, Editor,
Chronicle Books
Julie's Conference Topic
Evolution of a Story: The Making of Lisa
Kleinʼs Ophelia
Make sure LIsa Klein's Ophelia is on your
reading list. See Julie Romeis' speaker program description and her
bio to the right.
| |
 The Freedom, Power and
Feelings of July
There is something about
July. It's big, visceral and vibrates. Fireworks,
marching music, parades, red, white and blue colors and the
waving flag. Can you taste the picnics, hear your
scream as you jump into the pool holding hands with your best
friends, feel your fingers get hot as the sparkler burns
closer and closer on a dare, or remember that kiss at
away summer camp. Take your readers right to the moment. They
want to be with you because only you can show the way. Let
them hear your voice, hold your feelings and
ride experiences only you can share. Your readers are waiting
for you, like a hot sparkler on a dare.
Margaret Speaker Yuan, regional advisor
Colette
Weil Parrinello, assistant regional advisor
| |
Marin Meeting, Redwood
High School
July 8th, 7 - 9
PM
Holly Payne presents
"VOICE"
 Writing
teacher, author and storyteller Holly Payne will speak on VOICE.
She shares with us ..."the way I
see voice is that its all derivative from structure.
I will address that when you work from the inside out,
meaning when you start with the character and work from there
--- ʽplotʼ and voice grow organically."
Holly is a
novelist and screenwriter living in San Francisco. She is the
author of two novels, The Virgin's Knot and The Sound of Blue.
Published in eight countries, The Virgin's Knot received
critical acclaim as a Contra Costa Times Book Club Pick 2003,
a Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers Selection
2002, a Border's Original Voices Book 2002 and was nominated
for The First Novelist Award by the Master of Fine Arts in
Creative Writing Program of Virginia Commonwealth University.
Holly's second novel, The Sound of Blue, set during the Balkan
conflict, chronicles the heroic journeys of three strangers
who find refuge in music and each
other.
 Holly serves on the
faculty of the California College of the Arts MFA Creative
Writing Program where she teaches screenwriting with an
emphasis on story development. She is the founder of the
Skywriter Series Fiction Workshops and Skywriter Ranch, a
summer fiction workshop held annually in Crested Butte,
Colorado. She received a MFA from the Master of Professional
Writing Program at USC. She is currently writing a third novel
set in her native Amish country.
$5 collected at
the
door.
|
 East Bay
Meeting - July 15th
YWCA Berkeley 6:45 -
9 PM
Lea Lyon presents "The Making of a Picture
Book"
Lea
Lyon is our own East Bay meeting coordinator and the
illustrator coordinator for SCBWI South. She's a published
writer and illustrator. She'll present "The Making of a
Picture Book" from the illustrator's perspective which will
hold insight and tips for illustrators and writers,
alike.
Lea will discuss the actual
creation of the book, from breaking the text into pages,
thumbnails, dummies, final spreads, to the printed book.
Don't miss the many angles and tips she's learned through the
years of workshops and illustrating. Plus, she'll share
invaluable insights and ideas about marketing yourself to art
directors and publishers.
And, Shhhhhhhhh, don't tell. She'll also
dispel some myths about children's book illustration - things
like "the author chooses the illustrator."
We'll meet at the YWCA in Berkeley as the River of Words is in
the process of moving. $5 collected at
door.
|
Beyond
the Bay Series 
Concord Public Library
NEW DATE, September 13th, 2 - 5
PM
|
|
 2nd Annual Illustrator Day
September 27th, Fort
Mason
Speakers:
E.B. Lewis, the two-time Coretta Scott King Award Winning
illustrator Abigail Samoun from Tricycle Press
Kristin Brogno from
Chronicle
Dana Goldberg from Children's
Book Press
Rene Ting of Shen's
Books
Event features talk by
E.B. Lewis, "First Look" exercise (as was done at the Bologna
Conference) with panel of faculty, portfolio display and paid
portfolio reviews by our faculty. A separate painting
workshop with E.B. Lewis is being held on Sunday, September
28th. For
more information and get the registration form
here |
UnMask
Your Character 
FALL Conference October 25, Saturday, 9:00 am -
5:00 PM
Mills College - Lucie
Stern Hall, 5000 MacArthur Blvd, Oakland
Early Bird Registration
Savings!
Members: Before August
15th $75
includes lunch
After August
15th
$99 includes lunch After Oct.1, register at door $109, lunch
not included
Non-members Before August
15th $99
includes lunch
After August
15th
$119 includes lunch
After Oct.1, register at door
$129, lunch not included
Gretchen Hirsch,
associate editor, HarperCollins,
Julie Romeis, editor,
Chronicle Books,
YA Author
Panel with Carrie Watson,
author of QUAD, Leigh Purcill, author of Love
Meg and Elizabeth
Partridge
First
Pages by our speakers and much more!
Postmark deadline is August
15, 2008. Please send the entire text for a picture book (up
to 10 pages). For longer work, send 10 pages (12-point type,
double spaced, 1-inch margins, name on page 1 plus page number
and title on all other pages) of a longer work. You must be
registered for the conference to receive a critique. Critique
fee of $50 (check made out to SCBWI) must accompany
manuscript by August 15 sent to SCBWI C/O Jackie
Baldwin, P.O. Box 446, Sonoma, CA 95476
Contact Margaret books4women@yahoo.com with any questions.
Send conference fee to above
address also.
|
 October 25 Fall
Conference Speaker Preview
Julie Romeis, Editor
Chronicle Books
Evolution of a Story: The Making of
Lisa Klein's Ophelia
Julie Romeis will relate the
story of one first-time authorʼs novel, from acquisition to
development and publication. She will discuss what stood out
about this particular submission, how the author and editor
worked together to revise, and give an inside glimpse into the
cover design process. Writers will have the chance to learn
what an editor looks for in a submission, what to expect in
revision, and why this book has been successful in the
marketplace.
Julie recently
joined Chronicle Books in San Francisco as Editor, where
she will be working to develop a list of middle grade and
young adult fiction as well as picture books, chapter books,
and ancillary products. Julie began her career in
publishing at Bloomsbury Childrenʼs Books as one of three
women who launched the U.S. childrenʼs division in
2001. There she worked on books for all ages, editing
titles such as Chicks and Salsa, Ophelia, and The
Extraordinary Adventures of Alfred Kropp, which has been
published in several countries around the world and optioned
for film. Julie is thrilled to be living on the west
coast and working to grow the Chronicle list. She is
especially committed to nurturing and developing new and
undiscovered
talent. |
Another Successful  Kittridge Retreat For Writers
and Illustrators held June 13-14
Start Planning for the
retreat February 6 - 9, 2009, optional Feb. 5th
Our second retreat on 6/13-6/14 at Green
Gulch Farm in Marin County, a mile from the Pacific Ocean was
beautiful and productive for all. There were no
programs, only time to write or illustrate in
a peaceful,
quiet, elegantly-decorated guest house. Or outside, be it
by the ocean or in the bird and blossom-filled formal
gardens.
Hummingbirds, a blue heron, a family of quail
(baby quail look like
little puffballs) and dozens of
other birds graced us. Not to mention that the meals are
world-class vegetarian cuisine that feature fresh produce from
Green Gulch Farm's organic gardens.
Join us if you can
for February. Space is limited. The cost for 2 nights with all
meals is only $275 for SINGLE accommodations. (Each pair of
rooms shares a half-bath, and there's a shared shower in the
guest house.) February 2009 retreat Contact books4women@yahoo.com.
|
 Intensive Seminar
Day Recap June 7,
2008
You've Written Your Children's
Book! Now What?
We had limited enrollment and sold out early, with
people on the waiting list. This intensive workshop was
planned as a pilot program
to assess the interest in one-day, single-topic
seminars. We had an overwhelming response, so we'll be
planning more of them in 2009. Thank you for your support and
great
ideas! |
Novel
Revision Retreat
Coming Summer
2009. Dates to be announced.
Calling all novelists! Darcy Patterson will
be our teacher for a 3-day retreat at Dominican College in San
Rafael. The prerequisites: Finish that novel! Be
prepared to revise.
| | |
