Monday, December 26, 2016

Kid Lit Drink Night - December!


Come and celebrate the awesome SCBWI 2016 year together with your fellow SCBWI-ers. Here's the link to the Nickerson Street Saloon. And as always, you don't need to "drink" to come and have a good time.

http://www.nickersonstreetsaloon.net/menus_html.html

Happy Holidays,

Kathleen

Wednesday, December 21, 2016

December Meeting Recap and What's Up Ahead in 2017


Our December meeting was a great success. Katherine Pryor imparted her knowledge for applying for grants. Yes! Authors and Illustrators can actually get paid to write and draw. How fantastic is that? In a nutshell, here are her tried and true steps to applying for a grant:


Steps to Applying:

Identify funders

Create an application calendar

Apply

Grant application consists of:

Bio

Examples of work

Determining proposed work

What is the mission of  the funder?

Do they have a particular geographic/demographic interest?

What types of work have they funded in the past?

Does the project have a measurable outcome?

Then, J. Anderson Coats infused us with confidence and our dreaded first drafts. Yup, most of us have been there or are currently living the nightmare.


But don't fear. Instead, J. Anderson encouraged us to embrace the Frankendraft!




The "FRANKENDRAFT IS A SIGN THAT YOU TRIED SOMETHING NEW, YOU WERE CHALLENGED. UNREALISTIC TO THINK SOMETHING LIKE THAT WILL BE PERFECT THE FIRST TIME. There is always something more to learn."  Thank you, J. Anderson. Your words were music to my ears as I race the clock to the end of the year to finish my Frankendraft. But, I'm excited to soon have this accomplishment under my writer's belt. And you should, too!
Upcoming Events:

Stay tuned for details on location for December's Kid Lit Drink Night. These are a great way to socialize with your fellow, local SCBWI-ers and round out the year.

January Monthly Meeting

There is no traditional monthly meeting in January. Instead, we have ...

The Great Critique

Date/Time
Date(s) - 01/11/20177:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Location
Demaray Hall
3307 3rd Ave. W. - Seattle, Washington

That’s right! Another opportunity to take your project from good to GREAT! And just in time for the conference this spring. This popular event offers you the opportunity to have your project critiqued by a published author or illustrator and your peers. This event requires additional payment. Register under Additional Opportunities.

PLEASE NOTE: This event usually fills up quickly, so don’t delay. If you are not registered for the Great Critique, do not show up on January 11. There is no general meeting, only the Great Critique.

The New Year

I will blog about my interviews with the faculty for our conference in April. If you're going to the conference, you'll have a heads-up on what to expect, who is looking for what, and a little bit about their non-agent or editor selves. And, if you are not able to make it, you'll still have this info for your submissions to the agent or editor of your choice.

The past year has been super awesome and 2017 is looking pretty darn awesome, too!

Have a very Happy Holiday Season and a Fantabulously Happy New Year!

Kathleen

Sunday, December 11, 2016

December's Monthly Programming



December's meeting is one you definitely do not want to miss. This Wednesday, December 14th from 7-9pm at SPU Demaray Hall.

Our mini presentation is by Katherine Pryor who will speak about grant writing: Show Me the Money: Grant Writing for Creative Professionals.

The main presentation by J. Anderson Coats, Resurrecting Your Frankendraft, is sure to excite all of us who are on the brink, or will be in the not too distant future, of rewriting a first draft.

And, don't forget our Cookie Contest! So, let's all rally through the snow, wind, sleet, rain, or hail for the last meeting before the new year.

Cheers,

Kathleen

Thursday, December 8, 2016

Munch Ado About Cookies - and Books!


Cookie Contest


Our annual Holiday Cookie Contest brings out the warrior in even our meekest authors and illustrators. This year we have two categories: Delicious and Beautiful.

The Rules:

* Make at least one dozen cookies – three cookies on a plate to be judged. The rest are for general scarfing.

* Label the plate with your name and the name of your cookie.

* Set them up before 6:30pm. You will be directed to the setup area.

* Contest closes at 6:45 pm, to give judges time to argue.

Winner will receive
PRIZES. FAME. GLORY!

Book Exchange


* Bring up to five kid-lit books you no longer have room for.

* Take only as many books as you bring.

* Extra books will be donated to the appropriate-age children’s service.

Take a break from the hectic schedules that become all too crazy-busy this time of year. Enjoy some home-baked cookies, peruse books, mingle with your fellow creative peeps, and enjoy what will be an awesome program with our two guest speakers, J. Anderson Coats and Katherine Pryor.

Wednesday, December 14, 2016
Cookies and books (Set-up and enjoying) from 6:00 - 7:00.
Meeting from 7:00 -9:00
SPU Demeray Hall

See you there!

Kathleen


Tuesday, December 6, 2016

CHILDREN’S PICTURE BOOK FAIR WITH LOCAL AUTHORS AND ILLUSTRATORS 




Come meet, mingle, and make crafts with our local children’s book authors and illustrators! This event is free and open to all families. Books will be available for sale and signing for a perfect winter gift.

Where:  Central Library
              Room Location Level 1 - Faye G. Allen Children's Center

When:    Saturday, Dec. 17, 2016

Time:      11 a.m. – 1 p.m.
               
Library events and programs are free and everyone is welcome. Registration is not required.

Contact Info: Central Library Children's Desk 206-386-4675 or Ask a Librarian. Room Capacity Space is limited at library events. Please come early to make sure you get a seat. Due to the fire code, we can’t exceed the maximum capacity for our rooms.

Sounds like a wonderful way to spend a winter holiday Saturday with kids, books, and art.

Cheers,

Kathleen