Jolie + UW Writing for Children program = WOW!!

UW Writing for Children Info Meeting!

If you have ever considered applying for, or want to know more about, the University of Washington's Professional & Continuing Education/Writing for Children program, you're invited to attend an informational meeting on Monday, September 14 from 6:00 to 7:00 PM.

Learn more about the Writing for Children certificate program and chat with instructor Jolie Stekly. Registration is not required but appreciated, using this link.

The UW Writing for Children program is meant for writers of all levels who are interested in writing for kids of all ages. The program has helped writers get started on their journeys, as well as launched them to the next level, and many graduates have found great success. The year-long (3- quarter) program provides in-depth lessons, many inspiring and knowledgeable guest speakers, plus dedicated time and focus on writing and reaching your goals. 

If you have further questions, feel free to contact the UW Professional & Continuing Education, or instructor Jolie Stekly: cuppajolie@gmail.com

Writing for Children Info Meeting

University of Washington

September 14, 2015

6:00 to 7:00 PM

Savery Hall (SAV) 264

       

YA novel course at UW

Karen Finneyfrock, author of the YA novel THE SWEET REVENGE OF CELIA DOOR, is the instructor for this year's UW certificate course in YA fiction.

If that doesn't already make your heart swell with longing, then hear this: She's trying to rope more folks into the class!

It's a year-long commitment, beginning SEPTEMBER 17. Held each Thursday. What are you waiting for, people? Opportunity knocks!

To register and learn more about the course, please click here.

But wait, there's more––

AS IN....MORE SEPTEMBER EVENTS! 

September 9, 11AM

Samantha Vamos, Alphabet Trains, (PB)
Mockingbird Books, 7220 Woodlawn Ave NE, Seattle, WA 98115

September 12, 11:30AM

Matthew Porter, The Rise and Fall of Oscar the Magician!  (PB)
Mockingbird Books

September 15, 7pm

EASTSIDE WRITES: Talking Pages - Children's/YA Night
Featuring Jeanne Ryan and Stasia Ward Kehoe (YA)
Historic Shell Station, 243 Front St N, Issaquah

September 20, 1PM

Storytime with Jessixa Bagley, Boats for Papa (PB) 
Queen Anne Book Co., 1811 Queen Anne Ave N, Seattle, WA 98109


September 24, Noon-1:30PM

Graphic Artists Guild Workshop: Copywriting for Non-Copywriters

School of VisualConcepts, 2300 7th Ave, Suite B, Seattle 98121

Seattle, WA 98121

Register:  http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/2207837

September 26, 2PM

Graphic novelist Ben Hatke, Little Robot (MG)
Secret Garden Books

 
September 26, 2-3:30PM

SEATTLE WRITES: A BOOK'S JOURNEY - What It Takes To Get Published Today.
Featuring Martha Brockenbrough, Justina Chen, Bridget Foley, Boyd Morrison

Seattle Public Library, Central Branch

September 30

Tom Angleberger, McToad Mows Tiny Island, (PB) Origami Yoda, (MG) The Qwikpick Papers, (MG)
11:15AM: University Branch library, 5009 Roosevelt Way NE, Seattle
4PM: Mockingbird Books

Set your writing goals with Stasia

Here's something that doesn't come around every day: a FREE workshop, with one of the most inspiring writers around - Stasia Ward Kehoe!


Stasia, an author of the praised YA novels AUDITION and THE SOUND OF LETTING GO, will be giving a 2-hour workshop at the Woodinville Library this Saturday entitled, "Planning Your Writing Year." If you're interested in joining her and setting some goals for your projects, here are the details:

WHEN: THIS Saturday, SEPTEMBER 12 from 10:30am-12:30pm
WHERE: Woodinville Library


To register, please click HERE!

(Did we already mention "FREE"?)

Deadline for Great Critique LOOMS!

Are you hungry....for FEEDBACK?

Hurry and register for the GREAT CRITIQUE,
happening NEXT WEEKEND in Bellevue!
DEADLINE: SEPTEMBER 15!

It's nutritious, delicious, and will whet your appetite for all the hard work ahead. But isn't it great to step back and get some suggestions? Comments? High-fives and all-around insights? That's what this is all about! So pack that brown-bag lunch, your sunscreen, and feast on some seriously appetizing verbiage. As Tony the Tiger always proclaimed, "It's going to be GRRR-EAT!"

PLEASE NOTE: To be eligible for the Great Critique, you must register for
the Passport to all of our SCBWI-WWA monthly programming for 2015-16.
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER!

Here’s how to add the Great Critique to your Passport in case you didn't the first time around: In the confirmation email you received, click on the link under “To view of modify your registration.” Use the confirmation code to access the Cvent registration page, hit Okay, then click the “Modify” button on the upper left, under “Confirmation.” Hit the “Next” button on the bottom right and the “September 2015 Great Critique” button will be the first Additional Opportunities listed.

It’s that easy! And that delicious!

Best fiction for young adults list

How's THIS for your quintessential fall reading list?

The latest nominations for the Best Fiction for Young Adults from the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) is out! Some fabulous books are on this roster, and big
congratulations to our local lass, Martha Brockenbrough, author of the nominated THE GAME OF LOVE AND DEATH!



For the full list, click HERE.

Last chance: Weekend on the Water!

Last Day to Register for the Retreat! + A Teaser if You've Already Registered

Are you sharpening those pencils and hard drives?  Here are descriptions of two of our retreat workshops. Katherine and Noa are especially excited about the first workshop, which they will be teaching together: 

Structure, Plot, and Pacing: Revising for More Emotional Payoff

Rhythm and beats, cliff-hangers and red-herrings, climax and resolution--we'll discuss all of these plot elements and more as we look at building a story that never lags in the middle. Includes a discussion of a case study: Holes by Louis Sachar.

And here's one of Katherine's workshops:

The Body Electric: Creating Characters that Spark with Life

Learn how to create characters with rich inner lives, clear motivations, and problems that drive the plot. Look at examples and analyze why they work. Come away with concrete ways to make your characters into people that hold the reader's attention through the murky middle. 

If you haven't registered yet, click here.

See you in November!!

Lois & Allyson

PASSPORT REGISTRATION OPENS TODAY

It's HERE! 

We're talking about our 2015-16 monthly programming lineup. Sign up now for a SCBWI-WWA year to remember. Check your email (even your Junk folder if you don't see it in your Inbox), and register from the link provided in the registration invitation. We all look forward to seeing you for this season of flat-out AWESOMENESS. For a list of all the incredible offerings and bucket loads of inspiration you'll experience this year, please click here.

Love,

Your Friendly Neighborhood Advisory Committee

Food Literacy Month goodies

From Tina Hoggatt, SCBWI-WWA Illustrator Coordinator:

It’s September and Food Literacy Month! We look forward to seeing you all at the Seattle Public Library, Main Branch September 17 from  6:00-9:00 pm for CULTIVATING READERS, which includes tabling, a panel, and four SCBWI-WWA authors with food-related books.


In the meantime, here are some prompts and opportunities from SCBWI to keep you busy creating:

The October Draw This! prompt is ENCHANTED. The deadline is September 20. Submission guidelines here.

The October 2015 Write This! prompt is in 50 words or less, portray an inopportune time to get a case of hiccups. Guidelines here.

The SCBWI Tomie dePaola Award is now open for submissions. To view the guidelines and Tomie's prompt for 2016 click here.  The deadline is December 1.

 

Image by Milagros Welt, from the DRAW THIS! September Gallery.

 

Lois Harris class

WHAT: Lois V. Harris' class,“Writing for Children: Preparing for a Successful Submission" 

WHEN: October 8 and October 15, 6:30PM to 8PM

WHERE: Mount Vernon campus, cost: $49

HOW: Register for 6096 CENGL 056 by calling Skagit Valley College, 360-416-7638

 

Description:

Do you have a rough draft of a fiction or nonfiction manuscript? Improve, polish, and revise it for submission. Topics covered are self-editing tips, the correct format, etc., researching and choosing the right magazine or book publisher for your work, keeping track of submissions, and understanding rejections. You will learn how to write an effective cover and query letter for fiction and nonfiction, and a nonfiction proposal. Sample letters will be provided. Share your letters or proposal with other classmates and receive feedback.

Best wishes,

Lois V. Harris

lvharris@fidalgo.net

http://www.loisharris.net

Cultivating Readers! And Eaters!

Happy Food Literacy Month!

A goodwill announcement from

Philip Lee, Readers to Eaters

I’d like to highlight two lines from the Proclamation since it’s been coming up a lot:

• WHEREAS, “Food literacy” is defined as the understanding of the impact of food choices on health, community, and environment.

• WHEREAS, The objective of Food Literacy Month is to promote food education, inspire food choices that are good for people and good for the planet, encourage parental involvement, and motivate communitywide support; 

Our event, CULTIVATING READERS, is coming up in just over two weeks and I’m starting to get more buzz about it. KOMO TV may want to interview First Lady Trudi Inslee in the afternoon before our event. It’d certainly give it great exposure. 

Completely separately, I’d like to share a project I’m working on that is very exciting. The Points of Light Foundation, founded by President H.W. Bush, has selected a book I published, Farmer Will Allen and the Growing Table, written by Jacqueline Briggs Martin and illustrated by debut artist Eric-Shabazz Larkin, to break the Guinness World Record for the number of children being read to in a 24-hour period as part of the "Read Across the Globe" initiative. Volunteers all over the world will read FARMER WILL ALLEN on October 19-20. The goal is to reach more than 300,000 children during this time. "Even astronaut Scott Kelly plans to read the book aloud from outer space, although he won't be counted in the tally since he won't be in a classroom.” More here. 

––Philip

       

Hit the books with Dana!

 

 

 IT'S DANA TIME!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Author/Illustrator Dana Sullivan is getting ready for fall classes: Picture Books at Kirkland Arts Center and Graphic Novels at Bellevue College. Writers AND illustrators will learn about plot, pacing and just having fun. You'll make a finished book dummy in Picture Books and a cover and at LEAST a page in Graphic Novels. Storyboarding, sketching, lots of hands-on mess-making with ink and watercolor and, of course, story time. 

 

Picture Books: https://kirklandartscenter.gosignmeup.com/public/course/browse?courseid=3100

 

Graphic Novels: http://www.campusce.net/BC/course/course.aspx?C=13696&mc=1929&pc=1813

 

See Dana’s work at danajsullivan.com.