The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators –

I went to the New England conference this last weekend. This was pushing it far as it is the end of the semester – but I did it. I had to pack a lot of food, extra food.

I had some funny follies I may write about later.

Goal: To become A Working Writer, like a working actor. I will make it a proper noun for the heck of it.

I am not looking to become a full-time writer, but a contributing writer to the community at large.

I also decided that I will probably continue on with school for quite some time. I have learned that when I have stopped school, I have never benefited from it. My life has only exponentially grown while learning, and I love to learn.

Fun things I have learned:

I learned the four mistakes, the four different kind of mistakes my character should be making by Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen.

There is the:
– Dumb mistake (sad)
– Lightbulb mistakes – a sudden burst of inspiration!
– Do or die mistake – careful now.
– Reach For the Stars Mistake! Character is trying to expand her knowledge but isn’t quite there.

Why should we care about mistakes – because if your character isn’t making any, we as the reader is not interested. We don’t want to read about the perfect girl, the perfect hair, and the perfect boyfriend.

If your character is making mistakes, then she is making new things, trying new things, learning, living, pushing herself, changing herself and the world.

Big point: the main character must have their own agency – do not have mommy come and fix it.

Books are mirrors for children and adults. Create that positive modeling. If I fail, people will still like me. 🙂

I learned so many things about nonfiction writing. So fun. You have biographies, history, science, narrative, and expository.

I would love to write a health science book for kids; anatomy, health systems. I have to do some research.

I also learned I would love to write for kids magazines. Many want nonfiction stories. Magazines post what they are looking for. Lots of research into that.

Magazine writing has a lot of benefits:
– Share your writing
– Practice the craft
– Develop good or better writing habits
– Get used to rejection
– A little money
– Use ideas that may not be good for book-length
– Help continue your writing

The session was full how-to’s, queries, proposals – when, where, and how.

Then, I have to look into this work for hire thing again.

Mia Wenjen was fabulous in the thinking like an Entrepreneur session.
She points out:
– We are in the business of failure
– Fail often, cheaply, and fail quickly (she said this like three times)
– The learning curve – stay on the steepest part
– It’s the number of times we are at bat – we are in the game!
– Cheapest grad school and best teacher

And writing is not a spectator sport.
You have to be in it to find your path –

There was lots more obviously. I had six one-hour sessions. My mind was a sponge and then it wanted to sleep, fast.

Fun stuff – more to come.
I have to go do my treatment. Ho-hum.

“I want to write about things that occupy my heart.” – Kate Dicamillo