Our Oakland Intensives for Picture Book and Novel writers were spot on and sold out. The attendees were terrific and the faculty of authors Bill Konigsberg and Katheryn Otoshi, and associate editors Taylor Norman (Chonicle Books) and Susan Dobinick (FSG), complimented us on the fine work they read in the critiques. We billed the Intensives for developed writers -- and…
Our SCBWI programs are blessed with many devoted volunteers and more join every day to help us put on terrific programs. Our May 16 Intensives sold out in a little over 3 weeks. There might still be room on the waiting lists. Intensives are small group workshops that help writers and writer/illustrators dig deeper into their craft and help diagnose…
Cold Calling an Expert I've been researching the marsh habitat and the salt marsh harvest mouse (SMHM) for years. I've worked in the marsh pulling out ice plants, cleaned the marsh, laid down in the marsh to look up to the sky to see what the mouse might see, and run on paths aside the marsh probably a thousand times.…
Re-assessing goals is something that I sometimes have a hard time doing. I'm pretty achievement-oriented. But when illness and injury set my 2 running buddies and me behind, we made the big decision - let's just run for fun! Let's stop along the way, see the characters, and enjoy Disneyland! And that's what we did. Then we all went for…
I'm used to running (and writing) setbacks. 2014 seemed to have its share of them. First, plantar fasciitis, right at the beginning of the 2014 year, for the Tinkerbell Half. But I powered through it, then was out for 3 months, wearing a sleep boot. But all is good. Then I had basil cell carcinoma on my left calf (who…
Our SCBWI Region ended the year with a terrific Faire and Holiday Mixer on Dec. 6th! Over 85 members and non-members joined us to learn all about our region and the opportunities, plus we had the greatest food brought by all! The Oakland Library was a wonderful midpoint location for our celebration. Everyone loved the time to ask questions, meet…
I have gone to many trade shows and managed many in my professional career, along with board meetings, seminars, conferences and more. It dawned on me that there is no way for SCBWI members to get answers to their questions about the organization -- so how about a trade show - where there is a person for each topic area…
It's true. This can happen. We ran an exhausting Fall Conference and 3 Intensives in October, followed by preparation for our new year's schedule, training of 2 wonderful new volunteers, looking for a new conference site, preparing for our first ever SCBWI Faire scheduled for Dec. 6th, and preparing for our January and May Intensives. The result, between work and…
We have been in a huge whirl of the many, many preparations for this tremendous event. We expanded the conference and added a day of Intensives. So many of our attendees are registered for both days. We didn't know what to expect. Our speaker lineup is really a blockbuster. I find these events exhausting and stimulating at the same time.…