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Lois is going through nine of her books, sharing the inspiration and genesis of how each one came about.

She's now sharing that on a visit with her father in his old age, they were looking through their family photo album. Her father had lost much of his memory, and asked about her sister, to which Lois had to respond that her sister had died. They turned the page, and he forgot. A page later, another photo of her sister, and Lois' father smiled, and once again asked about her sister. Lois had to again tell him that she had died.

Driving home from that visit, Lois thought, "What if" - What if there was some medication that could erase everything sad in your past - the way her father in his old age couldn't remember the death of her sister. ...And what kind of society would that create? And from that came "The Giver."

Wow, it's fascinating, how example after example, Lois is sharing with us tips that sparked her to write her books (books that then captivate the hearts and minds of readers all over the world... books that deservedly win the highest awards!):

an old photograph of a young boy that haunts her.

Asking what if?

Re-working her own history

And taking the intense emotions of her life and giving them words.

I was happy to catch Jim Carroll between sessions, and he told me about how being part of SCBWI helped him get "The Boy And The Moon," his debut picture book as an author and illustrator, published:



Thanks, Jim!

Namaste,
Lee

My afternoon critique table was led by Mary Kole, of the Andrea Brown Literary Agency. Mary has an amazing blog on writing, kidlit.com, and approached the critique more as a "workshop."

writer #1 shared a contemporary YA, and Mary started us off with leading our discussion of her pages in two parts, first what was working, and then focusing on where there was opportunity for growth. (Isn't that a great way to put "constructive criticism?") Throughout, Mary shared great tips, like aiming to be more specific with our character details!

writer #2 shared a young MG, and the discussion bloomed as we realized that both writers had started with the main character in school... but then quickly flashed back to somewhere else. It led to a great conversation about where to start a story.

writer #3 shared his MG pages, and the table unanimously praised the character's great voice. Mary helped us all see that what that story needed was to be grounded in the present action of the plot starting - and the writer had that realization of what he had to do next.

writer #4 shared a MG historical, based on a true story, and explained that she was feeling limited by what actually happened versus what would make a better fiction book. Mary's advice was to "have it be your story - the spirit but not the letter" Or, my take on it, inspired by.

writer #5 shared the first 500 words of her YA, and we all realized she had also started her main character in a school setting, when maybe there was a better place and way to start her story.

writer #6 shared her YA novel pages, and told us that she'd shared the prologue to her book this morning, and had decided to not share it with Mary and us - and just jump to chapter one and share that. So she read us 500 words from chapter one, and then in the discussion we discussed prologues (Mary's not a big fan of them.)

I was writer #7, and again I shared the first 500 words of my MG. I was honored with kind words about my writing and the manuscript's voice, and in the ensuing discussion I was able to ask Mary and the table's opinions about their take on the opening paragraphs, as compared to this morning's critique group. That was cool - having 15 fresh pairs of eyes on my first pages!

Mary liked how one of the authors had brought in more of the senses, laughing that sight was the most common sense described, with sound and touch afterwards, and taste and smell sharing last place. She urged us to avail ourselves of more of those senses.

We had some extra time due to an empty writer slot (I feel bad for the author who due to the snowy weather wasn't able to make it!) and Mary opened the table up to a 12 minute Q&A, where we talked about publishing across age categories, how children's literature is unique in that it's about characters immediately going through things as they happen (rather than being older and flashing back on their teen years), and Mary's best recommendation for a book on revision: Writing The Breakout Novel by Donald Maass.


When Aaron called our time being up, the room applauded their agents and editors, but no table as enthusiastically as ours.


The Debrief:

One writer shared that starting with positive feedback first really worked for her. And that having everyone's ideas bounce off other people was so useful.

Another felt that Mary was so great and professional, that the format was informal and yet gave her so much. "She's so polite, but she tells you as it is."

We heard "She killed my prologue and it's not coming back to life... but maybe it will be my epilogue!" (When I checked with Mary later about epilogues versus prologues and whether she was a fan of the former, she said, "they serve di

The editor at my morning table is Michelle Poploff, Vice President, Executive Editor at Delacorte Press Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Random House Children's Books. She's edited a number of Newbery honor-winning books, including "Hattie Big Sky" by Kirby Larson, "You'll Like It Here, Everybody Does" by Ruth White and the just announced winner of this year's Newbery Award, "Moon Over Manifest" by Claire Vanderpool!

Aaron tells us it's 12 minutes for each of us.

Ready? Set? Go!!!

Our Critique Session:

writer #1 at the table shared a YA historical, and when Michelle asked for what her elevator pitch for the story would be, she struggled to come up with the words to describe her book, but ultimately did. We were all rooting for her.

writer #2 hadn't brought her manuscript to share, and wanted to pass, saying she was happy to just be here and learn from everyone else. We urged her to take her turn at the end, and then she could at least talk about her book. She didn't seem sure about that, but we went on.

writer #3 was myself. I shared the first 500 words of my MG, and many of my fellow writers said kind things. There was a discussion about their not being sure where the book was going, and again Michelle asked me to pitch it, thinking that perhaps the manuscript was all about my main character's Bar Mitzvah - which left her wondering what made it special. That was very thought-provoking, and makes me want to look again at my opening paragraph.

writer #4 shared a MG historical, and again had to share with us where the story was going. Michelle shared the tip that if you write a particular genre, check out the other books in that same genre currently being published, and look in the acknowledgements to find out which editors are loving that time period. (She, for instance, is a big fan of historical books encompassing the American South.)

writer #5 shared a YA contemporary. She was also asked to quick pitch it, and what we discovered from her pitch was that the main character (who she said the story was about) wasn't really featured in her opening two pages. That's something she sounded like she wanted to address in a re-write.

writer #6 shared an upper MG contemporary, and got lots of compliments (from Michelle and the table at large) about her very nice opening and writing in general. At this point, we were all eager to hear her pitch because it contextualized the first 500 words and gave us a sense of the whole story and where it was going.

writer #7 shared a picture book manuscript, and discovered that her story started about 300 words in! She was excited to work on it again, revising it to reveal the gem that it can be. Also Michelle shared with us the thought that from a parent's perspective, picture books are an expensive investment, and to buy one it has to be a story they and their kid are going to want to read again and again. She challenged all of us to consider what was the sense of "specialness" about our books.

writer #8 shared an historical MG, and there was a mistake in her printing, so we only had the first page and the third (with a single paragraph on it) so we were missing the second page on all our copies. She bravely apologized and forged on with her reading, and got a lot of praise from Michelle et al., about her very nice beginning and her skill at conveying time and place. And props for handling it so professionally.

We came back to writer #2 and, emboldened to claim her twelve minutes by Michelle's kind encouragement, she gave us her pitch for her MG historical. She made it rich and layered and interesting, and as her book had a regional interest, it lead to Michelle's advice about not discounting regional publishers in the search for publication. We were all delighted she seized the opportunity to get feedback on her pitc

Okay, the room is anxious.

My fellow authors at my table are anxious.

Yes, of course, all the writers here are hoping to be "discovered," and the room perked up noticeably when Liz Szabla, Editor in Chief of Feiwel and Friends (Macmillan) said of the intensive "This is a place where I have found gold." And she told us that she was working on second books with two authors she'd found right here!

90% of the room raised their hands when Lin Oliver asked if they felt they had brought work that was ready to be published. She said she would re-visit the question this afternoon after the two critique sessions, and predictions are... that number will drop.

No one wants to think that their work isn't ready. (And that's an important distinction - not that YOU as an individual aren't ready, it's about YOUR WRITING.)

But no one at my table wants to think their work isn't ready. (And it's hard to separate out your own ego from being having your work critiqued!)

But get this: Julie Strauss-Gabel, Publisher, Dutton Children's Books, when speaking on the sharing of our work with the editors and agents at our tables, said,

Today is not just about whether we like it or don't like it, it's really "to see what's there to help you build on."

Ten days until conference time! The latest SCBWI TEAM BLOG interview with Annual Winter Conference faculty was posted today by Lee Wind on his blog I'm Here. I'm Queer. What the Hell Do I Read?

Jennifer Besser is the Publisher of G.P. Putnam’s Sons, an imprint of the Penguin Young Readers Group. Prior to joining Putnam in April 2010, Jennifer was an Executive Editor at Disney Hyperion, and before that, she got her start in publishing at Miramax Books. And her very first job was at age 11, selling popsicles on Venice Beach. She much prefers her current gig.

Jennifer manages a stellar team of editors and also edits children’s books for all ages, from picture books to young adult fiction. She is the editor of Rick Riordan’s #1 New York Times best-selling Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, as well as the Red Pyramid.

One of the super-exciting things about the upcoming SCBWI Winter Conference in New York City, January 28-30, 2011 is that Lois Lowry will be speaking there. (And YES, you can still register!)

Born in Hawaii, Lois Lowry has lived all over the world and now divides her time between Cambridge, Massachusetts and a 1768 farmhouse in Maine. Her list of fiction includes 36 books for young people. Twice the recipient of the Newbery Medal - in 1990 and 1994 (for the Middle Grade novels "Number The Stars" and "The Giver")

Lois has received countless other honors for her work. In recent years she has traveled extensively, speaking to children in Spain, Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg, Indonesia, Japan, New Zealand, and Australia about the importance of literature and imagination in their lives. She is a mother and grandmother and has worked as a photojournalist as well as a writer of fiction. She even has a blog!

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Mo Willems’ work in children’s books, animation, television, theater, and bubble gum card painting has garnered him 3 Caldecott Honors, 2 Geisel Medals, 2 Carnegie Medals, 6 Emmys, and multiple bubble gum cards. Upcoming non-bubble gum card projects include Hooray for Amanda and Her Alligator, a portrait of the relationship between a girl and her stuffed alligator told in 6-1/2 stories. More information about Mo’s past, present, and future can be gleamed at www.mowillems.com. Mo will be part of an incredible panel on Sunday January 30th, "Look Who's Laughing: How To Do Funny For Young Readers and Why" that's sure to have us all cracking up... and thinking!

I caught up with illustrator and first time Conference Attendee Joey Spiotto outside the hotel just after the wrap-up of the SCBWI 2010 Summer Conference:

Find out why Emily Jiang called the SCBWI 2010 Summer Conference "life changing!"

Use the same profile photo of yourself across platforms - twitter, your blog, facebook... It makes you more recognizable.

Greg Pincus is a poet, author and social media guru who, through the wonders of social media (and his talent as a writer) got into the New York Times and landed a two book deal with Arthur A. Levine.

Alice Pope is the official blogger for SCBWI, Team Captain for SCBWI's Team Blog, and the former editor of the Children's Writers and Illustrator's Market Guide.



Here's a taste of their words of wisdom:

Greg: There's no one way - each person can follow their own path.

Alice: Just like getting published - it's the same with social networking.

Greg: Recognize that it's not always linear, but a good thing is a good thing. In advertising there's a rule of 7 times of being exposed to something before people buy it. If they see you 6 times via social media, and the 7th time they see your book is in a bookstore... that's good!

the effects are cumulative

You are what you say and do - think of ebay, if someone has a 99% rating, then we trust that seller. Similarly we are all building our reputations online.

Be careful not to hurt yourself - be smart. Greg quoted Jenn Bailey who said that "to get something off the internet is like getting pee out of a swimming pool."

Alice reminded us that in all our interactions we want to ADD VALUE - how can you help? how can you further the conversation?


They've started to share examples of how authors and illustrators have been using social media to further their careers, including:

Readergirlz, five authors who created a safe online community for teenage girls - they're offering virtual author visits and a place for girls to talk books.

Lisa Yee's blog has helped her success and the character of Peepy has become a fun funny extension of her personality.

And me, Lee Wind, with my blog "I'm Here. I'm Queer. What the Hell do I Read?" - which have given me an expertise in GLBTQ Kid Lit and a platform.

There are so many examples, great points and insights being offered.

Here's an amazing one!

Mitali Perkin's blog, where she talks about multicultural books for kids, even includes a post where she talks about and how through twitter she sold five of her books to India!

They're speaking about blog book tours now... Alice is sharing about author Holly Cupala's book blog tour that she recently hosted one stop for on her SCBWI Blog.

Someone asked how you get Twitter followers, and Alice gave this great advice:

If you participate, people will notice you.

Gail Carson Levine has written 17 books for children. Her first book was "Ella Enchanted," which won a Newbery honor and was made into a movie. She blogs about writing here and wrote the nonfiction book, "Writing Magic" - with dozens of writing exercises for kids and the rest of us. She has a picture book and a mystery coming out, and she's sharing with us responses to questions she's had from writers and others...

WRITING FROM A MALE POV (If You're a Woman)
Try thinking of somebody in particular.

When she wrote a character who was trying to keep it's gender a secret, she had the character bow to a Count and then curtsy.

A bow and curtsy are shortcuts, and we need shortcuts because we don't have an eternity to establish a character - but shortcuts can tend towards stereotypes, so use them with care.

Establish your character's gender early - because it's jolting to be reading it wrong.

And she advises to get a guy to read it to make sure the character didn't act in a way that isn't credible.

NAMING CHARACTERS
Find a name that fits but isn't too obvious.

Think of what your character is like, and go to the thesaurus - look at the synonyms. If your character is Moody - Melancholy. Melody? Petulant. Petchula? What about nicknames? The name could be Michael, but his friends could call him "Mope." (He might not like that, and it would just make him mopier!)

SETTING
Be aware of the dangers of information dumps in the first chapter. (Though it worked in "Tuck Everlasting," she says in general to avoid it.)

Setting can be a tool for character development.

In an action scene, you don't necessarily want to stop to describe what the character is wearing. But if you drop in early that the hero dresses in his usual baggy pants, and then wham! It's a problem when he's riding his bike in that chase scene.

If a fishtank is going to explode and you need to set up it's there first for the reader when the character enters the living room, think about the character NOT saying "Julia, I see your Dad still has his fishtank."

Consider the character saying "I always think those fish are staring at me."

Or the character thinking, "The room always felt heavy to him, two sofas, fish tank, leaden curtains..." - You drop it in there and when the fish tank explodes, the reader will be surprised but will also accept it.

Rachel is speaking of how the great thrill of being a writer is the chance to live more than one life. How do we do that? How do we become someone else?

It's not write what you know. (Tolkien didn't know many hobbits.)

It should be START with what you know.

"Humor and heart, pain and hope - they are so intertwined."

Rachel Vail has written over 30 books for kids through teens. She has one of the best opening 2 lines ever in her book "Gorgeous:"

"I sold my cell phone to the devil. In my own defense, it had been a really crappy day."


She's also the author of "Justin Case: School, Drool and Other Daily Disasters!"




That starts out like this:

September 1, Tuesday
Okay, yes. I'm worried
Already.
I can't help it.

"Life or death moments are a dime a dozen in seventh grade."

"Funny, like the devil, is in the details."

awesome advice.

Caldecott-Winning illustrator David Diaz spoke about perfect things that don't change over time. Like the chair. And a fork.

And how in music there have been 10 major format changes in 100 years.

He thinks that in books, we're right around where 8 tracks were.

But he doesn't see problems with this - he sees opportunities. In a world where publishing a picture book costs a publisher $100,000.- they're looking for something to sell enough copies to cover that risk. In a digital world where publishing a digital picture book costs five or ten thousand dollars - that's a much lower risk for the publisher.

"Opportunities will grow exponentially for us!"

"hold on. Publishing will be HUGE. Bigger than it has ever been before!"

You can still join in - tonight, 7:30pm, Constellation 1

Rubin Pfeffer was an editor - heck he was a Senior Vice President and Publisher for Simon & Schuster Children's Books! Now he's a partner at the East West Literary Agency, and he's taking his 36 years in publishing and using that foundation to divine where our industry of children's literature is heading (and what SCBWI should be called in that future.)

Here's the thing to keep in mind about Rubin's view of the future of changes in children's publishing:

"Not Instead of, But in addition to."

"time of revolution - a time to look for opportunities."

"Perhaps SCBWI should become an e-publisher."