Monthly Meetings

2011-2012 Professional Series Meetings

An SCBWI Western Washington 2011-2012 PSM passport pays your fee for all of the following monthly meetings in advance, so there is no cost at the door. Visitors are more than welcome to attend our meetings, as well. The cost at the door is just $8 for full or associate SCBWI International members (bring your membership card with you for entry) or $10 for non-members.
 
Meetings take place on the second Tuesday of most months from September through May at Seattle Pacific University, Demaray Hall, Room 150. Registration at 6:45 p.m., program at 7:00 p.m.

Get Map and Directions here.

Sign up now for the 2011-2012 PSM Passport. 

February 7, 2012

(NOTE: This meeting is the first Tuesday of the month to avoid conflicting with Valentine’s Day! There may even be door prizes and discount codes for those in attendance!)

Mini-Session: SCRIVENER TIPS AND TRICKS PANEL moderated by YA author Jolie Stekly. Perhaps you’ve heard of the writing program Scrivener (currently available for Macs and with a beta for PC) and wonder what all the fuss is about. Or, maybe you're already using it, but wonder if you're really taking advantage of all that it has to offer. As defined by Literature Latte, the creator, "Scrivener is a powerful content-generation tool for writers that allows you to concentrate on composing and structuring long and difficult documents. While it gives you complete control of the formatting, its focus is on helping you get to the end of that awkward first draft." In this session, Jolie and several other local writers will introduce you to this powerful writing tool and share some of the ways it helps them manage their writing projects. Whether you're new to Scrivener or a power user, a novelist or a research buff, these experts' tips and tricks might offer just the thing you need to pull it all together. Note: If you wish, you may read more about Scrivener here and/or preview their video tutorials here before the session.

Main Program: PORTFOLIO TUNE-UP with Margaret Chodos-Irvine. In preparation for the upcoming SCBWI WWA conference or that submission you've been preparing for an art director, editor or agent, Margaret will view and critique selected portfolios from our Professional Series Meeting Passport holders, offering commentary and recommendations about the selected images to help illustrators put together their best body of work. Even if your portfolio isn't selected for critique, Margaret will demonstrate how any illustrator can improve any portfolio piece, and how illustrators can self-critique their portfolios to make them the most memorable and cohesive children's book illustration portfolios in town. Margaret Chodos-Irvine worked for many years as a commercial illustrator before embarking on a career in children’s books. Her first author/illustrator project, ELLA SARAH GETS DRESSED, won a Caldecott Honor award, and her second, BEST BEST FRIENDS, was an ALA notable book. Her latest project was illustrating Marion Dane Bauer’s DINOSAUR THUNDER, due out in 2012 with Scholastic Publishing. (Submission is closed for this event.)

March 13, 2012

Mini-Session: WHAT’S SO FUNNY? with Kim Baker. From the light or absurd to the darkest of stories, writers use humor to ease tension, convey character, and move the story along. Join Kim in examining the different approaches beloved authors and illustrators use to inject wit into their work, from picture books to young-adult novels. Learn what makes humans think something is funny, the different techniques you can use, and the essential ingredients your story needs to make your readers laugh (in a good way). In addition to her leadership of SCBWI Western Washington, Kim anticipates the publication of her first funny middle-grade novel, PICKLE, this year.

Main Program: WITH A HEAVY HEART: WRITING GRIEF IN FICTION. YA author Denise Jaden will expound on the different stages of grief—which stages can be most effective to play out in fiction as well as which ones can drag a story down. How do you implement heavy emotional scenes authentically, without crossing over into melodrama? Which authors have done this well, and how did they do it? Denise’s first two YA novels are infused with grieving and loss, and she’ll explain the revision process of getting to the depth of her stories. 

April 2012

There is no Professional Series Meeting on April 10th! Instead, we hope you’ll join us for SCBWI Western Washington’s 21st Annual Writing and Illustrating for Children Conference on April 21-22, 2012, at the Marriott in Redmond Town Center, Redmond. (Note: Conference registration is not included in SCBWI Western Washington’s Professional Series Meeting passport.)

May 8, 2012

Mini-Session: GETTING MESSY WITH KEMLY AND CRESSY: REAL-WORLD ILLUSTRATION TIPS AND TRICKS. Take a peek into the studios and computers of local illustrators Kathleen Kemly and Mike Cressy. With pre-recorded video demos and live discussion, Kathleen and Mike will show you how they progress from concept to thumbnails to final art, combining traditional craft with digital artistry. Kathleen has illustrated more than 10 children’s books and regularly contributes to Highlights, High Five, Ladybug, and Babybug magazines. She’s worked in all traditional media and is now experimenting with the combination of traditional and digital artwork. Learn more at kathleenkemly.com. Mike has been illustrating children’s books since 1998, along with game art, logos and package design. Painting, sketching and total computer art, this guy does it all. See www.mikecressy.com.

Main Program: EVERYTHING I KNOW ABOUT REVISION with Lois Brandt. Revision is a daunting task, but Lois says, “Everything I know about revision I learned from four dead guys, a college professor, one short agent, and two impeccably dressed children’s writers.” She’ll share that know-how with us in her eight-point talk that will walk us through specific exercises and tasks to aid the revision process. Lois recently earned an MFA in Writing for Children and writes (and revises) everything from YA novels to short stories.

Recent Meetings

January 10, 2012

Mini-Session: None. Main program begins at 7:00 p.m.

Main Program: THE GREAT CRITIQUE. Have your manuscript or art critiqued by a published writer and/or illustrator who can help you pinpoint needed improvements. Meet in a small group with an experienced critique leader and receive feedback on your own work while learning from comments by the critique leader about the work of others. Look for registration instructions this fall on the Chinook Update blog and on our website at www.scbwi-washington.org. NOTE: This is a closed meeting! SCBWI WWA Professional Series Meeting passport holders may attend for free, but they must still register in advance. Passport holders will be given priority registration, but attendance will be limited to space available. This meeting has a limited capacity and fills quickly. No one may attend this meeting unless separately registered specifically for THE GREAT CRITIQUE. Registration information will be sent in December.

December 13, 2011

Mini-Session: 8 THINGS YOU’VE ALWAYS WANTED TO ASK A LIBRARIAN (OTHER THAN THE LOCATION OF THE RESTROOMS!) with Thomas Brown, school librarian at Laurelhurst Elementary School; Jackie Parker-Robinson, teen librarian at Lynnwood Library; Merilee Hudson, school librarian serving special needs students; and moderated by local author Liz Mills. Libraries are often one of the first places children encounter and fall in love with books. And their curators hold vital information like where the scariest ghost stories can be found and how to locate a juicy topic for a book report. But what can they tell us about what kids like to read? What secrets can they share about what makes a title fly off the shelves? And how can you as an author or illustrator forge a close relationship with your local public or school librarian? Learn the answers to these questions and more from our esteemed panel whose combined experiences cover the gamut of elementary on up through young-adult readers. No library cards needed, though always recommended!

Main Program:  HOW TO START A FIRE: INSPIRATION NOW, INSPIRATION LATER with Heather Davis and Liz Gallagher. Some people think you need a big idea to write a novel, but the truth is that you just need the tiniest spark. We’ll talk about places we’ve found ideas that grew into full novels and give you some sources to go hunting yourself. We’ll brainstorm together, work on developing sparks into stories of your own, and discuss how to maintain or find inspiration over the longterm, despite the ups and downs of the business. Liz is the author of two contemporary YA books, the most recent of which is MY NOT-SO-STILL LIFE. Heather is the author of three paranormal YA titles, including her latest, WHEREVER YOU GO.

November 8, 2011

Mini-Session: None. Main program begins at 7:00 p.m.

Main Program: SPECIAL MOVIE PRESENTATION! Seattle’s first public showing of LIBRARY OF THE EARLY MIND: A Grown-up Look at the Art of Children’s Literature, followed by a discussion with director and co-producer Ted Delaney. This documentary film, which explores the art and impact of children’s literature on our kids, our culture, and ourselves, features nearly 40 prominent authors and illustrators talking about their work, its genesis, and its impact. Don’t miss this special opportunity! 

October 11, 2011

Mini-Session: None. Main program begins at 7:00 p.m.

Main Program: PARA-ABNORMAL: MAKING A GENRE (OR, DARE I SAY IT, A TREND!) YOUR OWN with Stephen Barr, literary agent with Writers House in New York. You'll pretty much never be the only one writing within a particular genre (knitting-cowboy noir being the rare exception).  Chasing trends is a lost cause and a death knell to unrestrained creativity, but whatever's popular is popular for a reason--it's fun to write and fun to read!--so how do you simultaneously respect the genre you're working in and break free from it?  Stephen will discuss what stands out to him from the onslaught of same-feeling submissions and how to satisfy readers while challenging their expectations (for instance, have you considered knitting-cowboy noir?).

September 13, 2011

Mini-Session: None. Main program begins at 7:00 p.m.

Main Session: FALL EDITOR PRESENTATION AND ART SHOW with Victoria Rock, founding children’s publisher and editor-at-large editor at Chronicle Books. Prior to joining Chronicle Books, Victoria worked at both the Putnam and Philomel imprints of the Putnam Publishing Group. She joined Chronicle in 1987 to start its children’s publishing program. The list launched in 1988 with 6 titles, and today it publishes approximately 100 titles a year in all formats and for all ages. She stepped back from running the group several years ago to focus on editorial work. Tonight, check out our local illustrators’ great work while you mingle before the meeting, then listen as Victoria shares her expertise.

Call for Presenters

SCBWI Western Washington is seeking workshop presenters for our 2012-2013 year. Our chapter holds monthly Professional Series Meetings from October through April, and hosts an annual conference each spring. We welcome fresh and compelling workshop ideas for any of these events! Look for the updated Presenter Application soon.

Carpooling

From Whatcom or Skagit Counties:
Interested in carpooling from Bellingham (or other areas up north) to one or any of the SCBWI WWA Professional Series Meetings in Seattle? A carpool regularly leaves Bellingham around 4:30 on the evening of the meetings. We are happy to stop in Burlington or Mount Vernon for a general pick-up as well. For more information, contact our Bellingham Network coordinator, Angelina C. Hansen. Please be prepared to donate gas money.