When we were kids, creativity and play were interconnected, innate, and fundamental to life. As adult creatives, however, our brains are always being rewarded for checking items off our to-do lists instead. Inbox zero? Ping! Empty sink and clean … (Read More)
Writing From the Heart to Get Unstuck by Mary Jane Nirdlinger
First, a confession: I am a thinker, not a feeler. My natural instinct is to make lists and figure out plots and put the pieces of the puzzle together. I say things like, “I need to decide what happened.” But … (Read More)
Two Cents on Picking the Perfect Pun (or Idiom) by Kimberly Wilson
Puns and idioms can be worth their weight in gold. If purposeful to the plot and emotional arc, they enhance the story and even give the reader a chuckle. But there is fine line between using these types of wordplay … (Read More)
Four Ways to Stay Inspired on the Road to Being Published By Naomi Shibles
The key to staying inspired on the road to being published is being kind to yourself, and recognizing success in all forms. Here are four ways to push through stalled creative momentum by taking control of your inspiration:
- Pivot
Creating in Community by Erica Wood
The New Year comes rushing in like a story ready to be opened. “Once upon a time” is the casting of a spell, isn’t it? Anything can happen. But what if the existence of so much possibility mires me down? … (Read More)
Revision: What It Is and How To Do It by Mary Jane Nirdlinger
What Revision Is
Revision is not editing, it is re-seeing and re-imagining your work. Revision is different for every writer and each project. Here are some tips that work for me, but you’ll develop your own approach based on … (Read More)
Emotional Resonance – Or, what to do when someone says “I’m just not connecting.”
Last month, Mary Jane Nirdlinger wrote her first post about the top craft techniques she learned while obtaining her MFA. We welcome her back again for another thought-provoking article.
My first (unsold) novel got a lot of positive feedback from … (Read More)
MFA Programs: Questions and Answers from Mary Jane Nirdlinger- Part I
When we’re not writing, most of us spend time looking for ways to hone our craft. For me, an MFA was part of that journey and I’m excited to share a series of blog posts to answer some questions about … (Read More)
One Story, Many Mediums: How to Take Your Characters out of the Box by Brian Anderson
Characters are the foundation of your story. You build your house on them. But what should that house look like? A picture book, a Y.A. fantasy, a graphic novel? Hard to decide, especially if you want to write a middle … (Read More)
How I Grew as an Educator, Illustrator, and Story Teller by Using Visual Techniques by Demetrios Liollio, or 柳亞澂
A BIG Adventure
Exactly ten years ago this month I began the biggest adventure of my life: moving to Taiwan, or 台灣. This small, democratic island nation consists of Han Chinese and native aboriginal people who are hard-working and compassionate. … (Read More)
Right Down the Middle: MG Fiction Helps Kids Navigate Uncertainty by Bess Kercher
Some years ago, my son made a startling declaration: He hated to read. Once my shock subsided, I responded that I felt sure he just hadn’t found the right book. And so even though he was technically reading-proficient, we began … (Read More)
Tall Praise for the Short Story by Melissa Cole Essig
Ray Bradbury was the master of the short story.
If you’re anything like me, the very suggestion that you consider writing a short story could send you screaming from your safe and cozy writing space in abject terror. Some words … (Read More)
Let’s Get This Pitch Party Started! by Jocelyn Rish
PitMad IWSGPit DVpit PBpitch
Did I drop some Scrabble tiles? Spill a bowl of alphabet soup? Actually, these are some of the Twitter pitch events (also known as pitch parties) that take place throughout the year.
If you’re not familiar … (Read More)
Writing Picture Books: A Book Review by Paulette Hannah
If you are an aspiring children’s picture book writer like me, the first few questions that come to mind are: Where do I begin? How can I take my ideas and get a picture book published? What can be so … (Read More)
A Grain of Salt for Critiques: Handling and Using Honest Feedback by Micki Bare
Participating in a critique group is an essential part of the creative process for authors. It’s also very scary. No one wants their work shredded by peers. What we do want is to move our work forward on the continuum … (Read More)
Writers, Entrepreneurs, and the Business of Writing by Barbara Bell
Writers are some of the greatest entrepreneurs I have ever met. They come up with an idea, put the work in by creating a prototype on the page, test it within critique groups and in front of audiences. They edit … (Read More)
Writing with Chronic Illness by Vijaya Bodach
Ironically, just as I was getting excited about diving back into my novel after a summer of frivolous and fun short books, I had a horrible fall that’s left me bruised, battered, and a bit disabled. My right shoulder … (Read More)
Finding Time To Write When There IS No Time by Rochel Vorst
I thought this would be a perfect topic for me. Here I am, a mom of six, a kindergarten teacher, and I just published my third picture book.
I was planning on writing about “writing on the fly.”
I was … (Read More)
TEACHING WRITING IN A CULTURAL ENRICHMENT COURSE Sarah Maury Swan
Last October I taught an adult cultural enrichment writing class for the first time. I was pleased to have only five students so we could spend most of our class time working on their storytelling. I prefer to lead discussions … (Read More)
On Writing Narrative Nonfiction Picture Books by Shana Keller
I am often asked about writing narrative nonfiction. Some of the questions are broad such as What is it? How do I Choose a Topic? Others are more specific like How long should my story be? I have attempted to … (Read More)
The Art of Lyrical Prose by Megan Hoyt
When we think about art, we imagine a beautiful landscape from the Hudson River School or maybe a Degas ballerina or a colorful Renoir painting of ladies having tea on a river barge. Maybe we see angular Picasso blues … (Read More)
Life—and Writing and Illustrating—in the Time of COVID-19: A Moment of Gratitude for Our Relative Good Fortune by Melissa Cole Essig
My son and I were walking the dog the other day when a jogger bumped into him.
I was outraged, in a way that would have been totally unreasonable a few weeks ago. What was this woman thinking? Why … (Read More)
Resources for Reading and Writing Verses Novels in Coronavirus Times by Debra Rook
Reading and Writing Is Contagious
Coronavirus. Social Distancing. Self-Quarantine. Stay at Home. As the world confronts a new pandemic, the future can be scary and daily life feels overwhelming at times. If you’re like me, books are more than good … (Read More)
Polish Your Manuscript in Your PJs
We're still not sure how many participants took us up on the PJs part, but we KNOW that many came away with a true understanding of how
- to identify a high concept–an easily phrased sentence that sums up the story,
It’s February. Time to Submit to the Art & Writing Contest
This is your opportunity to have your work seen by an art director or an editor at a major publishing house.
This is our 7th Annual Art and Writing Contest.
This contest is a membership benefit for those SCBWI members on the SCBWI Carolinas roster.
Submissions are accepted starting Monday February 1, 2016 through Monday February 29, 2016 at scbwicarolinascontest@gmail.com
Please read the contest ART or the WRITING rules carefully for complete information.
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UPDATE: PICTURE BOOK DUMMY CHALLENGE FOR WRITERS
Participants completed a six week course.
October 6-19: Story In this section of the challenge participants took a critical look at our manuscripts to determine how they conform to generally accepted picture book criteria for plot and theme.
Monday, October 13, 9:00-10:30 pm (Eastern): Webinar with John Cusick, Greenhouse Literary Agency
October 20-November 2: Structure In this sesion challenge participants learned how to use a storyboard and dummy to refine the pace and flow on the text.
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Everything You Wanted to Know about the Mentor Program…
2014 was SCBWI Carolinas inagural mentorship program. Four mentors worked with four mentees to help bring their work closer to the point of publication. You will have the opportunity to hear from all eight individuals at the panel moderated by John Claude Bemis on Saturday night.
According to Stephanie Greene, coordinator of the newly-developed program, "It certainly seemed, from everything both the mentors and mentees said to me, that it was a great success."
Here are some comments from the mentors:
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Interview with Emma Dryden
Over the course of three intensive and interlinked sessions—Writers as Atlas Makers, Writers as Architects, and Writers as Re-Envisioners—we will start by exploring various tools and techniques for world building in our work—the external world-building of setting, landscape, and geography, and the internal world-building of our characters’ voices and emotional engagement.
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Spring Writing Retreat!
It was a perfect southern spring weekend in Chapel Hill North Carolina with moderate temperatures and flowers abloom as twenty six writers met for a weekend of writing, talking about writing and hearing about writing. SCBWI Carolinas returned to the Aqueduct Conference Center May 2 for a weekend writing retreat with Jill Santopolo, Executive Editor, Philomel.
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PAL Mentoring Program
SCBWI-Carolinas is excited to announce the first-ever Carolinas Mentor Program for 2014. Our mentors will work with writers on picture books, middle grade novels, and historical fiction. The program will run from February until June, with a monthly exchange of manuscript pages and revision between the mentor and writer.
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