Tag Archives: SCBWIOK

Top Ten from SCBWI-OK 2014

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Top Ten from SCBWI-OK 2014

Natalie Bright

 

The Oklahoma chapter of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators held a meeting in Oklahoma City. If you aspire to write stories for children, this group is a must. www.scbwi.org

SCBWI hosts a huge con in August in LA and a NYC con in February of every year. If you’re low on funds or time and can’t make the journey, consider attending one of the local workshops close to you. I usually make at least one of the Oklahoma meetings every year, which is just up the interstate from where I live. Time and family are the issues for me, but several nights away is doable. Sure you could go shopping or take a vacation, but how about making an investment in your writing career instead?

You’ll meet creative writers, editors, agents, come away with tons of inspiration, and find new friends who love stories just as much as you do. Now here’s the big secret that only conference goers know: most of the big publishing houses are closed to un-agented submissions but these editors make an exception for attendees when they speak. They’re furnished with a list of names and those people can submit a manuscript and bypass the slush pile. Did you get that? You have to go. It’s only for those who attend the meeting. What a fantastic opportunity!

Here’s my top ten from SCBWI Oklahoma 2014:

  1. Twist the cliché character and turn what we’ve already seen on it’s side. Tricia Lawrence, Erin Murphy Literary Agency.
  2. Have you considered the visual language of comics? They can say one thing and show the opposite. Colleen AF Venable, FirstSecond Books.
  3. Figure out your character’s pain point. Ask them questions, and then torture them. Tricia Lawrence, Erin Murphy Literary Agency.
  4. Use family to create characters. Family dynamics shows a character as who they really are. Andrew Harwell, Harper Collins.
  5. Study the work of craft. Not just reading. Take it apart and look at stories from a writer’s perspective. Melissa Manlove, Chronicle Children’s.
  6. Trend chasing books usually fall flat. Challenge yourself to look outside your day-to-day existence. Which truths would make great fiction? Kristen Miller-Vincent, D4E0 Literary Agency.
  7. Family relationships can bring more emotion to create empathy and sympathy for your character. Andrew Harwell, Harper Collins.
  8. Give your character an objective in each scene. Pit them against an obstacle. Liza Kaplan, Philomel Books.
  9. Use those familiar family conflicts that we’ve all experienced, but amp them by 1000 times for your book. Andrew Harwell, Harper Collins.
  10. Your brain is a machine made for generating ideas and ideas come to writers like lightening bolts. More importantly, it is the lightening bolt that hits somebody who has been habitually cranking the generator. Those are the best ones. Melissa Manlove, Chronicle.

Thanks to SCBWI Oklahoma for a great conference. I can hardly wait until September!

nataliebright.com

Writer’s “Voice” Defined

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Writer’s “Voice” Defined

By Natalie Bright

Children’s writers gathered in Oklahoma City at the end of March for the SCBWI-Oklahoma chapter’s annual Spring conference. The delightful Regional Advisor, Anna Myers, and her volunteers put together an informative and inspiring day.

More than one presenter elaborated on “voice”; the thing that some writers seem to come by naturally, and the rest of us wonder where in the heck the line is to get one.  Several of the speakers helped shed some light on this elusive muse.

Authorial or Narrative

“Editors are always looking for strong, new voices,” said Krista Marino, Executive Editor at Delacorte. She explained that there is an authorial voice and a narrative voice. Authorial being the distinctive finger print that an author might put on one’s work, and the kind that passes from one piece to the next. A narrative voice is what a reader remembers when she reads the book and this is what editors are looking for.

Maggie Lehrman, Sr. Editor with Amulet/Abrams Books, noted that a strong voice for her represents memorable characters, plus style and diction all rolled together. “Care is taken in language and word choice, and there is a rhythm that is unique in some way.”

One of a Kind Voice

Noa Wheeler, editor at Henry Holt, read a passage from one of my all-time favorites, Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt. She said, “The language in this story makes us wonder at the magic.”

It wasn’t that long ago that I had read Tuck Everlasting for the second time. As an adult the words and the story made an impression.  Hearing Wheeler read out loud, the words absolutely blew me away. There is no mistaking  the “voice” which was made even more unique by the rhythm of the words and how each word fit together in a unique way.

Finding YOUR Voice

As a children’s writer, I particularly appreciated the closing advice from Marino. “Erase the worldliness of your life,” she said. “Find the smallness of their world. Remember the protag doesn’t have a wealth of experiences to draw from.”

Lehrman urged us to draw out what’s unique in our own particular story. “Passion and heart must come through to your words. Find the right tone, speak to a kid’s experiences and have fun.”

I think agent, Marietta Zacker, summed the day up perfectly during the afternoon session when she said, “Use the experiences that are real to you, because you’ve felt them. Write and illustrate what you know to be true, not just what you know.”

Here’s Your To Do’s:

Do re-read the classics in children’s literature.

Do read the new releases too.

Do plan to attend an SCBWI regional conference near you.  http://www.scbwiok.org

Do stay connected with the people you’ve exchanged business cards.

Do keep writing!

Natalie Bright