Tag Archives: SCBWI

THIS HAPPENED

Posted on March 23, 2018 by

I won runner-up (there were only two of us who won in the Middle Grade category). SCBWI-LA Writer’s Day, Skirball Cultural Center . I pitched an agent, connected with a dream agent, dashed around assisting the totally-on-it RA’s, made new … Continue reading →

Posted in Children's Books, Fiction, middle grade, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

SCBWI Los Angeles Writers Day 2018

Posted on February 21, 2018 by

  I’m going. Are you? Gary D. Schmidt is giving the keynote. That’s right, author of one of my favorite YA books: ‘The Wednesday Wars’. You’ve probably already read it, but here’s the SCBWI GDS Interview from 2/16/18. I especially … Continue reading →

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Writer’s Retreat: What Was It Like?

Posted on September 27, 2017 by

SCBWI Working Writer’s Retreat, September, 2017 The “working” aspect in Working Writer’s Retreat (for me)=the retreat provided printers, so there was no excuse (for me) for not sprinting to my sparse (sweetly existential) weekend bedroom after a workshop, whipping open … Continue reading →

Posted in Children's Books, Faction, Fiction, middle grade, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

SCBWI WWR 9/2017

Posted on September 13, 2017 by

Me–prepping for the upcoming SCBWI Working Writer’s Retreat:     Fortunately I got in, thanks to iphone alerts, Alexa/Echo alerts, the wall calendar with a particular date circled so thickly in red it could never become invisible, no matter the … Continue reading →

Posted in Avoiding My Writing, Faction, Fiction, Writing, Writing Progress | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

SCBWI-LA Writers & Illustrators Day 2017 (Links Edition)

Posted on March 20, 2017 by

I was asked by SCBWI-LA to write about my experience at the recent WID. The piece is up on the Kite Tales blog. 1, 2, 3: LINK. Such a luxury for me to discard certain hats (taxi-mama, chef of sorts, … Continue reading →

Posted in books, Children's Books, Faction, Fiction, Poetry, Writing, Writing Progress | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Article At ‘Through The Tollbooth’!!!

Posted on March 20, 2014 by

My writing mentor, Kathryn Fitzmaurice, was interviewed by Catherine Linka (I’ve heard Catherine speak at SCBWI events–she is positively famous in our SCBWI Los Angeles circles) over at Through The Tollbooth. The interview is about Kathryn’s mentoring experience–er, of me! … Continue reading →

Posted in books, Children's Books, Fiction, middle grade, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

The Women’s National Book Association

Posted on March 1, 2014 by

I was made aware of the WNBA/LA thanks to my middle grade writing mentor, Kathryn Fitzmaurice (ask me if I am lucky to have her as my mentor and you will hear amplified hell yeah’s). She gave one of this … Continue reading →

Posted in books, Children's Books, Faction, Fiction, middle grade, Writing, Writing Progress, Writing Tips | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Notes From The Retreat #2: Critiques

Posted on January 26, 2014 by

Yes, I am going to go here. Out of the 10 copies of the first 25 pages of my novel returned to me, scribbled on by the writers in my core group at the SCBWI retreat, I kept 4. Those 4 … Continue reading →

Posted in Children's Books, Fiction, middle grade, Writing, Writing Progress | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Notes From The Retreat #1: Books

Posted on January 22, 2014 by

At last weekend’s SCBWI retreat, 4 editors imparted useful information–and shared book titles they love–Picture Books (PB), Middle Grade (MG), Non-Fiction (NF) and Young Adult (Y the effing heck A). I know what the abbreviations mean. YOU know what they mean. But, … Continue reading →

Posted in Children's Books, middle grade, Santa Barbara, Writing, YA Novels | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Spring Spirit Conference, 2012

Posted on April 25, 2012 by

What a delightfully smooth, well-run, 1 day conference. As I drove away, the GPS taking me on a spooky off-the-freeway-then-back-on mini-adventure, as I sped past miles of crops (previously mist-blanketed, cooling off from a day of baking in 93 degrees), … Continue reading →

Posted in Children's Books, Fiction, middle grade, Steps In Promotion, Writer quotes, Writing Progress, Writing Tips, YA Novels | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Writer’s Day 2011

Posted on November 5, 2011 by

This photo is from the SCBWI Central-Coastal Writer’s Day 2010, at which I won a Special Mention for my middle grade novel and half off the price of this year’s Writer’s Day, which took place today, all day, and in which … Continue reading →

Posted in books, Fiction, middle grade, Writer's Angst, Writing | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Rocking Muses

Posted on August 4, 2011 by

YA Muses are having another contest/giveaway and all week have reposted tons of valuable writing advice. Their story is inspirational–seriously, check them out, especially today’s post. Really wish I was going to SCBWI-LA this year so I could meet them … Continue reading →

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Books Interlude

Posted on December 13, 2010 by

Have you visited YA Muses? They are a lovely, helpful, inspiring quartet, all with backgrounds, current writing-situations and future-talk I appreciate. They inspire me. They give me hope, or remind me that there is hope when it comes to writing … Continue reading →

Posted in Fiction, middle grade, Steps In Promotion, To Explain, Writing, Writing Progress | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Hi Ho!

Posted on December 3, 2010 by

My little shining writing-prize moment of 2010 made the Kite Tales newsletter. I am the giant on the far right. (???) I will never forget hearing the name of my book called out and almost falling off the auditorium chair, … Continue reading →

Posted in Avoiding My Writing, Fiction, middle grade, Steps In Promotion, To Explain, Writing, Writing Progress | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Ready, Set, Write!

Posted on November 21, 2010 by

Preschool is a go! (See my other blog—or, not) I now have 3 hours 3 days a week to write. Am very confident that by next week (after the holiday excitement dies down around here) I will have my Number … Continue reading →

Posted in dog, Me and Us, middle grade, Steps In Promotion, To Explain, Writing, Writing Progress | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Poet Distracted By Whales

Posted on November 9, 2010 by

Had to take a break from editing Trouble. Did so by editing a new poem. It’s almost 9p.m. My spouse has once again passed out with the toddler when putting him to bed. There is nothing to distract me from editing … Continue reading →

Posted in Adult writing, Avoiding My Writing, Me and Us, Poetry, Steps In Promotion, To Explain, Writer's Angst, Writing, Writing Progress, WTF | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

When You’re Writing…

Posted on November 4, 2010 by

My official “Trouble” roughhead blenny mascot returns The good news is, I haven’t been posting because I am going over Trouble Beneath The Waves. I do this while my son eats his meals. I do this when my husband returns … Continue reading →

Posted in Fiction, Me and Us, middle grade, To Explain, Writing, Writing Progress | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

SCBWI Writer’s Day

Posted on October 30, 2010 by

Trouble Beneath The Waves received a Special Mention at today’s SCBWI Writer’s Day. For some reason I thought winners of the contests (2 honorees in each category—Most Promising Manuscript and Special Mention) had already been announced and printed on the … Continue reading →

Posted in Adult writing, Fiction, Me and Us, middle grade, Steps In Promotion, Writing, Writing Progress | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Writer’s Day Approach(eth)

Posted on October 29, 2010 by

I am ready to attend tomorrow’s SCBWI Writer’s Day in Thousand Oaks. I just finished submitting my printing order(s) to whatever Kinko’s is now called, so that I may swing by in the morning and pick up stuff that may … Continue reading →

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