Month: August 2012

Today. The last day of the SCBWI Los Angeles conference. It will end with an autograph party. We have had remarkable speakers from the opening, Arthur Levine on Timeless…books writers, illustrators, ideas. Karen Cushman on Courting Surprises.Clare Vanderpool on writing life and craft. Tony DiTerlizze on, well, the joy of ideas, how an illustrator gets there.  And more. Last night was the Portfolio Showcase, an amazing display of art talent. I spent a bit of time talking to one of the young illustrators chosen for the mentor program. I can’t wait to see his work in a book, out there, on the shelf, what a treat,  Last night, flash mob dancing, awesome,  not only for Lin and Steve, but for all who participated.

Sigh. Just another great conference that’s almost over.

off to LA today for the 41st annual Los Angeles SCBWI Conference.  It is always a treat, and I am grateful to be able to go, meet other RA/ARA/IC’s domestic and international. It’s also a time to scout out the editors and agents and published authors and try and convince them that coming to the Carolinas is a good thing. And, it’s not that hard, both Earl and Stephanie conducted business for the region at a very high standard and we have an excellent reputation as a region. Kinda makes it nice.

The best part of this is the fact that it’s like summer writer camp [okay for illustrators it is like summer drawing camp] and there is constant discussion about the art and craft of writing.  When Bayley was a junior at Chatham Hall, she did a month long camp at Duke’s Young Writer’s Camp. When we picked her up she waxed eloquently about the fact that no matter where you went on the campus, there were groups of kids sitting around talking about writing. It didn’t matter if it was before breakfast, at lunch or in the hallways of the dorm at 9:00 at night. Writing was the topic. Newspapers. Essays. Short Stories. Poems. Any type of writing was up for discussion.  LA works the same way, except it’s specifically about children’s literature; short stories, non-fiction, picture books, middle grade and young adult.

Doesn’t matter if you are a kid or an adult, if writing is your passion, writer’s camp is the place to be…