Reminder-o-rama

Hear ye, hear ye!


In THREE (count 'em!) DAYS, our first monthly programming meeting will take place. Which means, dear SCBWI-ers and valued guests, that it is going to be a fabulous season ahead!

If you are still without a passport––which will get you in for our entire programming year––
please click HERE. Not only will this save you some dough, it will also simplify and enrich (oh, yes it will!) your life.

Long story short:

This Thursday. SPU campus, Demaray Hall. 7pm. Agent. Art show. Conviviality. Networking. Be there!

Congrats to our state book award winners!

Kudos to SCBWI Western Washington authors and illustrators honored at last week’s Washington State Book Awards!

The winner of the Scandiuzzi Book Award for Books for Middle Readers (ages 9-12) was member Suzanne Selfor's The Sasquatch Escape!

And the Scandiuzzi Book Award finalists included, for picture books, members Nina Laden, writer, for Once Upon a Memory, and Julie Paschkis, illustrator, for Who Put the Cookies in the Cookie Jar; and for early reader books (ages 6 to 8), author Kirby Larson for Duke. Way to represent us, superstars!

Graphic Arts Guild workshop on social media

The Graphic Artists Guild will present a workshop at noon on Wednesday, October 29, called "Social Media and Getting (a Little) Geeky with Your Self-Promotion." It'll be led by Steve Broback, about whom the Guild says, "Several years ago, Steve Broback showed us what blogging offered creatives in the realm of self-promotion. Between then and now, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Tumblr, and scores of other platforms have exploded over both Web and mobile media. So come learn about the current technologies, tools, and techniques Steve uses to drive awareness and conversions for himself and his clients."

The event will be held in at the Seattle Design Center's EAFA Gallery, Suite 292, 5701 6th Avenue South, 98108. Get tickets, which range from $10 to $20, depending on how cool you are.

Attention WoW retreat applicants

Allyson Schrier and Lois Brandt, co-directors of our upcoming Weekend on the Water Retreat, which is scheduled for November 7 - 9 at the Dumas Bay Centre, say that retreat status notifications have already been sent. But apparently there have been a few cases of applicants not receiving their notifications — so if you applied to the retreat but have not heard from us, please email Lois immediately at Lois@LoisBrandt.com.  Thanks!

Master Class spaces available

Brianne Johnson, literary agent at Writers House, is doing triple-duty in Seattle next week!

Her one-on-one consultations filled up in a matter of hours, and her talk at our first monthly program meeting on Thursday, October 16 at SPU is something we're all eager to hear. But wait! She's also giving a middle-grade Master Class, and there are still available spots for those who might not have gotten a chance to have a consultation.

Here's the scoop:

Master Class: Essential Elements of the Middle Grade Novel

On Friday afternoon, October 17, 2014, from 3–5pm in Bertona Hall, Room 1, on the campus of Seattle Pacific University, Brianne Johnson of Writers House Agency will discuss the enduring elements of the successful middle grade novel. Select attendees will then have an opportunity to read their first pages aloud for commentary by Brianne and the group. Bring the first 500 words of your middle grade novel. (There will not be time for everyone’s pages to be read, so please be prepared to learn from the critique of others’ work if you are not selected.) 

Cost: $45 (SCBWI members), $55 (non-members). To register, contact Martha Brockenbrough

Bargain online class with Darcy Pattison

Lots of SCBWI Western Washington members have taken advantage of the sessions writer and instructor Darcy Pattison has previously presented in our region. They can tell you what a great teacher Darcy is — and that's why I'm telling you that Darcy's new online course is a great bargain.

Starting in November, she'll be teaching a course called "30 Days to a Stronger Novel" through the online Udemy.com site. The fee is only $59 (and there are discounts available even from that). She says, "The on-demand format allows you to fit the courses into your schedule; start any time and access the videos day or night. And group discounts available, so your critique group could take the class together and focus your group energy and accountability for a month."

Learn more.

Get to the Point of Entry!

Three SCBWI members will have their work displayed publicly starting October 11 in the Bainbridge Island Museum of Art show called Points of Entry. Julie Paschkis, Nikki McClure, and Jennifer Mann will have work on display along with that of another local illustrator.

The show, which lasts until February 22, 2015, will be unusual in that it will also display artists' sketches and false steps, as well as finished book illustrations — which is why it's called Points of Entry. As Julie notes, "It is an unusual opportunity to show the whole, interconnected process."

A public opening for this show and the museum's other fall displays will be held Saturday, Oct. 11, from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. It's free. If you can't make the show until later, the museum is generally open daily from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Books for literacy needed by October 11

And now, from the Good Cause Corner:

The worthy Northwest Literary Foundation is celebrating 25 years, and is hosting an auction on October 11, 2014. As part of their Fill the Shelves program to get books into the hands of schoolchildren whose schools offer 80% of their students free/reduced lunches, they are hoping to secure enough book donations to fill, well, a bookshelf––or many shelves! The books the NSF needs are new, popular and as locally authored as they can get. (Which is where we come in....)

The NLF also supports an Authors in Schools program, as well as Global Reading Challenge grants of $5,000, and school libraries in need of sets of books for class discussions.

Rene Kirkpatrick, who sits on the NLF board, has asked if SCBWI WWA members––as well as any other friends, authors, and publishers––could donate signed books to fill shelves.  

Of course, the event is ticketed and there are seats available! Tickets per seat are $175 or a table of 8 donation of $1400. (Please see the NSF link above for details of the event.)

If anyone is interested in donating their own books (please sign them!) in time for the October 11 event (held in Seattle at the new Museum of History and Industry), or can get access to books for donation, please contact Rene Kirkpatrick directly to make delivery arrangements. No matter where you are, there's a way if there's a will! To reach Rene, please email her directly.

Don't forget your passport to fun and career education!

Okay, now that the idyllic summer weather is fading and the back-to-school rush is over, don't forget to get your passport to all of SCBWI Western Washington's 2014-2015 monthly events, which will start on October 16 with a perennial favorite, our fall kickoff with an agent. (Specifically, Brianne Johnson of Writers House, who you can read more about here.)

News flash: Believe it or not, there are a few spots still left for Brianne's master class, "Essential Elements of the Middle Grade Novel." SCBWI members pay only $45 for this great opportunity to learn from an agent (and get an enhanced sense of her taste and personality).  

Annnnnd, a few illustrators can also still sign up to get their art in front of Brianne via our annual Keep It Simple Art Show. Get either opportunity while the getting's good!

Don't be a slow-poke!
Our first event of the season is often crazy-busy with lines as people who procrastinated pay to get in. Avoid the lines now so you have more time to peruse the art,  munch on snacks, and catch up with writer and illustrator friends you haven't seen all summer! More details about the whole year's program — which will include a movie night, panel discussions, and arty videos — plus the link to register for your very own passport are here.

Another perk of the Author's Guild!

We've posted before about the advantages of Authors Guild membership, but member Lois Harris has another example to add: free publicity.

She explains, "In 2006, I joined because I needed a website and didn't have a clue about how to get or build one, and the Authors Guild had a Sitebuilder software program for members. You can play around with different themes, colors, design, etc. I am not a computer type but found the program easy to use, and I'm happy with the results.

"Was I surprised the other day when the AG's marketing communications manager emailed, saying they liked the looks of my website and wanted permission to use it in an ad on the back cover of Poets & Writers Magazine's November/December issue.

"Of course, I said yes —unexpected publicity for my books! I'm tickled. If anyone out there gets or sees the magazine, please email me and let me know how the ad looks."

Dash over to the 1940s

Member Kirby Larson is hosting a Seattle celebration of her new book, Dash, on October 5 from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. at the Nisei Veterans Memorial Hall (1212 South King Street, Seattle, WA). She says, "We’ll have some 1940s fun — with prizes for the best vintage attire — and meet the family of the woman who inspired me to write Dash. Secret Garden is generously donating a portion of book sales to the Nisei Veterans Committee Foundation. It won’t be a celebration without you!"

 

If you can attend, RSVP to Kirby at kirby@kirbylarson.com with the number of people in your party. Can’t attend? Help support this great cause by ordering a copy by phone at 206-789-5006.

Get classy with Craig

Illustration class-y, that is. Member Craig Orback will be teaching his introductory and intermediate illustration classes in Seattle and Bellevue soon. He says this will be his last time teaching at North Seattle Community College before moving to Edmonds Community College this winter, so if you're a northerner, don't miss out! Craig is the award-winning illustrator of over 15 children's books, including his recent Gifts from the Enemy, written by Trudy Ludwig.

Children's Book Illustration 1

• Bellevue College starting 10/4/14
• North Seattle Community College starting 10/7/14

Children's Book Illustration 2

• NorthSeattle Community College starting 10/09/14