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