LA – Worth the Trip

This is a little long, but it was a really great conference.

Knowing that not all of us can make the trip does not in any way keep me from getting excited when I go to the SCBWI Summer Conference in Los Angeles. The atmosphere is infectious, the people are wonderful, and I learn so much. Over 1200 writers, illustrators, editors, agents, and others gathered to learn and draw energy from each other.

I can truthfully say I enjoyed every single event I attended, though I did need to take a breath a couple of times. Keynotes included:

• Mem Fox, who not only was riveting with reading her books to us, but shared a lot about her process,
• Meg Wolitzer, who can do it all,
• Adam Rex, who knows how to make a picture book,
• Dan Santat (What can I say?),
• Jane O’Connor, a lively talk on creating characters,
• Varian Johnson on doing the work,
• Molly Idle, who says “Yes, and …?” a lot,
• Deb Halverson, who knows an awful lot about the market,
• Stephen Fraser, who shared many shining examples of great literature,
• Shannon Hale, who wants boys and girls alike to enjoy enjoyable things,
• Dan Yaccarino, and
• Kwame Alexander, who slam dunked it.

And then we all said “Whew!” and collapsed.

Seriously, though, I also attended wonderful breakouts by Kathleen Krull and Paul Brewer, Bonnie Bader, and Kristy Dempsey; intensives by Paul Fleischman and by Arthur Levine; a very informative discussion about LGBTQ issues; the marathon regional advisor training; and the sparkling and shining Saturday poolside party.

 

Here are some of the keys to the kingdom I gathered.

Mem Fox on picture books:

• “Great art communicates before it’s understood” (TS Eliot)
• A deep sense of rhythm can’t be taught. It must be caught.
• It’s only the comfort of the right words in the right place that bring children back again and again.
• It looks easy, but time is not the only consideration.

Kathleen Krull and Paul Brewer on adding humor to nonficition: Some subjects aren’t as funny as others, so you may need to work to find an angle to add humor. Sacajawea: Lewis and Clark would be lost without me. Sonia Sotomayor: I’ll be the judge of that. Lincoln was a funny guy and told jokes. The Beatles were hilarious in their interviews. Cultivate your own sense of humor.

Dan Santat on creativity:

• Think about why you like things.
• Study the fundamentals, but be flexible.
• Learn by imitation, but be careful.
• Start improvising.
• Immerse yourself fin life and culture.
• Think about craft first and foremost.

Varian Johnson on doing the work: Show up for work even if the muse doesn’t.

Stephen Fraser recommends the following middle grade novels as reference for various reasons:

1. Charlotte’s Web (EB White) – Carefully crafted writing
2. Stone Fox (John Reynolds Gardner) – Drama
3. Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles (Julie Andrews Edwards) – Imagination
4. The Clockwork Three (Matthew J. Kirby) – Inventive and mixes genres
5. Heart of a Samurai (Margi Preus) – Bringing history alive
6. Holes (Louis Sachar) – Take two years or more if you need it to write a great story and for its humor (Don’t be afraid to be funny.)
7. James and the Giant Peach (Roald Dahl) – Having fun unapologetically
8. Junonia (Kevin Henkes) – Writing to the emotional age
9. Missing May (Cynthia Rylant) – Place can be a character
10. Sarah, Plain and Tall (Patricia MacLachlan) – Make each word resonate
11. The Secret Garden (Frances Hodgson Burnett) – Let joy spill out
12. Harry Potter (JK Rowling) – Don’t be afraid to write a long book. Good books can be enjoyed by all ages.

Kwame Alexander on taking the creative leap:

1. You’ll never make it if you don’t keep shooting.
2. Work harder.
3. You must have a good game plan.
4. Loss is inevitable.
5. Grab the ball. Take it to the hoop.
6. Real teammates cheer you on.

 

There was way too much at the intensives to even begin to share. I highly recommend them to attendees.

Hope you enjoyed this little peek at LA.

Advertisement

---