Hear ye, hear ye! Registration is now open for the Missouri SCBWI fall conference. The even will be in September this year so deadlines are earlier than in the past. The deadline for critiques is July 18 so don’t dawdle. Below is the schedule for Saturday (9/6) and Sunday (9/7). For more details, go here.
Saturday:
8-8:30 Registration and breakfast snacks /Newbie Orientation in Room 4185 led by Sue Edwards
8:30-8:45 Opening Remarks Main Conference Room 4080
8:45-9:30 Main Conference Room Deborah Halverson: State of the Market
9:30-9:45 Break Illustrators move to separate room.
9:45-10:30 Keynotes
Authors in main conference room: Cecily White: The Space Between Us: Layered Romantic Tension in Young Adult and Middle Grade Whether it’s Harry Potter or Percy Jackson or Bella Swan, most of today’s beloved characters will face some element of cross-gendered romantic tension. There are, however, key differences in the way various age groups engage this tension, and the meanings readers make from it. This talk examines, from a psychologist’s perspective, the development of relational intimacy in Middle Grade vs. Young Adult relationships.
Illustrators in room 4105: Dan Yaccarino: “Say Yes.” By meeting challenges and opportunities with the simple 3-letter word, YES, Dan has enjoyed a successful 25-year career as a children’s book author/illustrator, television creator/producer, commercial illustrator and public speaker. In this funny, yet inspiring presentation, Dan shows through slides and animation how he was able to reach the next level of his career by saying YES!
10:30-10:45 Break Move to breakout session rooms.
10:45-11:45 Both groups attend breakouts:
1. Cecily White : Conflict and Voice: Clawing Your Way to the Keeper Shelf. Room 4190
2. Steve Sheinkin: Structuring the Non-Fiction Page Turner Room 4185
3. Jodell Sadler: Pacing Picture Books: move Yourself, Your Story, & Your Reader Room 3105
4. Panel Discussion: Josh Stevens and more at Reedy Press: What we do & the pitfalls/perks of signing with a small press. Room 3020
5. Giuseppe Castallano: A Children’s Book Art Department: An Inside Look Room 4105
11:45-12:30 Lunch
12:30-1:00 Contest winner art & flash fiction/ Announce 2015 Mentee Winner & 2016 Mentor/ PAL Recognition Slideshow
1:00-1:45 Main Conference Room Debbie Gonzales Topic: Teachers Need Us In The Worst Way. Let’s face it, our goal is to keep our books in the hearts of readers and in the hands of those who teach them. Find out how we can be of tremendous support to educators simply by sharing our passion for the craft and our love of reading through the presentation of well-crafted Curriculum Guides or academically sound school visits.
1:45-2:00 Silent Auction Winners/Break Illustrators move to room 4105
2:00- 2:45 Keynotes
Illustrators in Room 4105: Giuseppe Castellano : Just Start: “The Secret to Getting Ahead is Getting Started.”—Mark Twain The hardest part to any creative endeavor is starting it. In this keynote address from multi-award winning Penguin Group art director Giuseppe Castellano, attendees will hear how some of the greats got their start. Whether you’re starting something as grand and undefinable as “becoming an illustrator”; or something more focused like writing that perfect book you have in your head, Giuseppe will discuss the simple steps to simplygetting started.
Authors in main conference room: Steven Sheinkin Topic: Research or Detective Work I’ll talk about the stories behind the stories in my books, and why I think the research process is the best part. It really is a kind of detective work – admittedly, a nerdy kind. Using specific examples from my books, I’ll show how I tracked down clues and followed leads until I had learned enough to tell the story in my own way.
2:45-3:00 Break Move to breakout rooms
3:00- 4:00 Breakouts
1.Dan Yaccarino From Inspiration to Publication: The Essentials of a Picture Book DummyRoom 4105
2. Nancy Pollette: Topic: Writing Biography That Sells: From PB to YA Room 4190
3. Nancy Gallt, Topic: So You Think You Need An Agent? Room 3105
4. Debbie Gonzales Topic:Common Core Standards Decoding 101: Making it Work for Your Promotions & School Visits Room 4185
5. Heather Brewer: Whatever Dude—Reaching Kids on The Fringe Room 3020
4:00-4:15 Break Authors Move back to main auditorium, illustrators move to room 4105
4:15-5:00 Authors: First Five Lines with Halverson, Gallt, Sadler & Stevens in Main Conference Room:
Illustrators: Postcard Evaluations with Castellano & Yaccarino in Room 4105
5:00-5:30 Faculty book signing
DINNER ON YOUR OWN
7:30-8 Cocktail hour with presenters at hotel. Sunday attendees only invited to join us.
8-9:30 Peer critique groups meet at hotel led by PAL members.
1. Margo Dill 2. Peggy Archer 3.Marilyn Quigley 4. Suzanne Walker-Pacheco 5. Jeanie Ransom
Sunday Workshops
8:30-11:30 Intensives
1. Jodell Sadler: Ten Tips Workshop for Writing Your Heart into Picture Books.
2. Giuseppe Castellano: A Children’s Book Art Department: An Inside Look
3. Deborah Halverson: How To Build Your Own Teenager: Techniques for Writing Believable MG/YA Characters
4. Debbie Gonzales: The Anatomy of A Teacher’s Guide: A Hands On Approach to CCSS Project Creation
Missouri SCBWI
2014 Fall Conference “Seeds of Success” Faculty
Author Heather Brewer
Heather Brewer grew up on a diet of Twilight Zone and books by Stephen King. She chased them down with every drop of horror she could find—in books, movie theaters, on television. The most delicious parts of her banquet, however, she found lurking in the shadowed corners of her dark imagination. When she’s not writing books, she’s skittering down your wall and lurking underneath your bed. Heather doesn’t believe in happy endings . . . unless they involve blood. She lives in Missouri with her husband and two children. Visit Heather at http://www.heatherbrewer.com.
Art Director Guiseppe Castellano
Giuseppe Castellano is an award-winning designer, illustrator, and art director at Penguin Group USA, with fifteen years of experience in book publishing. He oversees the imprints of Grosset & Dunlap, Price Stern Sloan, Frederick Warne, and the Penguin Young Readers. Read more from Giuseppe, including his popular #arttips series for illustrators, on Twitter: @pinocastellano <https://twitter.com/pinocastellano>
Photographer Sharon Davis
Sharon Keeling Davis is an award-winning photographer, middle grade fantasy author, current president of Ozarks Romance Authors and member of SCBWI. She lives in Nixa, MO with her husband and two rambunctious little boys. You can view her photography at davisphotodesign.com and learn about her writing at sdkeeling.com.
Author Amanda Doyle
Author Amanda Doyle is the author children’s book, To the Top: A Gateway Arch Story. She has also written two authoritative, St. Louis-centric guidebooks (the first Finally! guidebook and 100 Things to Do in St. Louis Before You Die). She has been the associate editor of Wheremagazine in St. Louis for more than a decade.
Agent Nancy Gallt
Agent Nancy Gallt is the founder of Nancy Gallt Literary Agency. Nancy attended Williams College where she received a BA in English. For nearly 25 years, she worked in subsidiary rights at Viking, HarperCollins Children’s Books, Morrow Junior Books, Greenwillow, and Lothrop Lee & Shepard. She is committed to representing a wide-ranging list of authors and illustrators.
Agent Elena Giovinazzo
Elena Giovinazzo joined the literary agency of Pippin Properties June 2009. Having begun her publishing career in subsidiary rights, moving on to children’s book marketing with a stint in audio, she realized that a position in agenting would enable her to continue to be involved in the many aspects of publishing about which she is so passionate from one place. She is thrilled to be pursuing her love of children’s literature and the industry from her seat at Pippin and especially enjoys the treasure hunt that is sorting through the daily query emails. http://www.pippinproperties.com.
Curriculum Specialist Debbie Gonzales
Debbie Gonzales is the author of eight “transitional” readers for New Zealand publisher Giltedge. Deb earned her MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults for the Vermont College of Fine Arts. A Montessori teacher, former school administrator and adjunct professor, Debbie devotes her time to crafting teacher guides, writing novels for middle grade readers, and various other freelance projects. Former Regional Advisor for the Austin SCBWI Chapter, Debbie now calls beautiful Ann
Arbor, Michigan home. Access http://www.debbiegonzales.com to find out more about her exciting and varied projects.
Editor Deborah Halverson
Deborah Halverson spent a decade editing books for Harcourt Children’s Books before becoming the award-winning author of Writing Young Adult Fiction For Dummies, the upcoming Writing the New Adult Novel: How to Write & Sell ‘New Adult’ Fiction, the two teen novels Honk If You Hate Me and Big Mouth (Delacorte/Random House), the picture book Letters to Santa, and three books in the “Remix” series for struggling readers. Deborah has been working with authors—bestsellers, veterans, debut, and aspiring—for over fifteen years. The books she’s edited have garnered awards and rave reviews, and many of the aspiring writers she’s coached have landed agent representation and lucrative book deals. Deborah is now a freelance editor, author, writing instructor, and the founder of the popular writers’ advice site DearEditor.com. She speaks extensively at workshops and conferences for writers and edits adult fiction and nonfiction while specializing in teen fiction and picture books. For more about Deborah, visit http://www.DeborahHalverson.com.
Editor Krista Marino
Krista Marino is an executive editor at Delacorte Press (an imprint of Random House Children’s Books) where she acquires and edits Young Adult and middle grade fiction. Some of the books on her list include the Maze Runner series by James Dashner, the Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel series by Michael Scott, and the upcoming Nightmares! series by Jason Segel and Kirsten Miller. Other books include Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson, Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly, and the Young Adult works of Frank Portman, Matt de la Peña, and Rosemary Clement-Moore. Krista is always looking for strong new voices, innovative concepts, and great stories for her list. She is currently seeking YA and MG mysteries, contemporary fiction that skews on the darker side, and she is always looking for fresh fantasy, sci-fi, and speculative fiction.
Author/illustrator Carolyn Mueller
Carolyn Mueller is the author and illustrator of three children’s picture books: Bubbles the Dwarf Zebu: A Story about Finding a Home at the Saint Louis Zoo, Lily: A True Story of Courage and the Joplin Tornado, and Happy Birthday, St. Louis! She currently lives in St. Louis, Missouri, where she works as a zookeeper.
Author Nancy Polette
Nancy Polette is the author of numerous books for children, including the Rookie Reader biographies for Children’s Press, the collective biography series Fact or Fiction of the Famous winner of the Texas Legacy Award, and The Spy with the Wooden Leg. She has won numerous awards, including the Midwest Book Award, the Benjamin Franklin Silver Medal, and the International MOMS Award gold medal for outstanding juvenile nonfiction.
Agent Jodell Sadler
Jodell Sadler has authored many articles and tutorials with Writer’s Digest on Writing Picture Books: Picture Book Pacing, Editing, and Avoiding Burnout Tutorials before launching her literary agency in 2011: Sadler-Caravette Children’s Literary. Having earned her MFA in Writing for Children & Young Adults from Hamline University in 2009, she hosts a variety of online writing workshops, serves as the BOOK LOOK columnist for the SCBWI-Illinois.org, The Prairie Wind newsletter, and is available to speak at conferences and events as a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators (SCBWI). For more information on picture books, visit http://www.PictureBookLunch.com, and more information on Sadler-Caravette Children’s Literary, please visit http://www.Sadler-CaravetteLiterary.com.
Author Steve Sheinkin
A former history textbook writer, Steve Sheinkin is now trying to make amends by writing nonfiction that kids and teens will actually want to read. His 2012 book Bomb was a Newbery Honor book, National Book Award Finalist, and winner of both the Sibert Medal and the YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction. Other recent titles include The Notorious Benedict Arnold, which won the YALSA Award in 2011, and Lincoln’s Grave Robbers. His newest book is the Port Chicago Fifty, World War II civil rights story. Steve lives with his wife and two children in Saratoga Springs, NY.
Publisher Josh Stevens Josh Stevens is the owner of Reedy Press, a company that specializes in publishing local interest and historical books. He manages acquisitions and marketing for Reedy, which he co-founded in 2004. The company publishes 30-40 titles annually including books for the trade and for cultural and educational institutions. Prior to his work with Reedy, Josh was senior editor at the Missouri Historical Society Press and a script consultant for a television production company. He earned a BA in English from Knox College and an MFA in Creative Writing at the Iowa Writers’ Workshop. He lives in St. Louis with his wife and four kids. http://www.reedypress.com. Author Chris Stuckenschneider Chris Stuckenschneider, a Washington, Missouri, resident for more than forty years, is the author of two children’s books—Twist of Fate: the Miracle Colt and His Friends, a Show-Me Award Winner, and Patriot Pals: Tails of Civil War Dogs. A newspaper columnist and book editor, she also coordinates Book Buzz, a newspaper column distributed nationally.
Author Cecily White
Cecily Cornelius-White, Psy.D. is a part-time university coordinator, part-time party-planner, and full-time mom who loves messing with her characters’ lives. Her myriad past careers include: hand model, GAP salesgirl, movie projectionist, psychotherapist, yoga instructor, dance choreographer, psych diagnostician, rock n’ roll drummer, book reviewer, and copy editor . . . none of which are as fun as writing novels. She can swear in Klingon, take down alien aggressors using only her mind (or chopsticks), and kill spiders without getting schmutz on her shirt. Cecily currently lives in Missouri with two children, one hamster, and a schizophrenic yet well-mannered cat, where she spends her time creating new worlds and thinking up ways to make this one better. Visit her at http://www.cecilywhite.com.
Artist Dan Yaccarino
Dan Yaccarino’s artwork can be found in children’s books, the TV series Oswald (Nick Jr), Emmy-winning Willa’s Wild Life(NBC and Qubo), character designs for The Backyardigans(Nickelodeon), as well as his many illustrated toys, games, and other children’s products. His bold, stylized illustrations add wit and energy to the work of such prestigious authors as Margaret Wise Brown, Jack Prelutsky, Kevin Henkes, Patricia MacLachlan, in addition to his own stories. Dan’s internationally recognized art style has earned him a large following in Japan, exhibits in New York, Los Angeles, Tokyo, and Bologna, and a visit to the White House. Dan’s awards include the Bologna Ragazzi, The New York Time 10 Best Illustrated, ALA Notable and the Parents Choice Award. Over 1.5 million of his books have been sold to date. Dan lives with his wife and their two children in New York City and creates his quirky characters in his studio full of vintage toys.
One Writer's Journey 