Saturday Afternoon Workshops at 2008 New England Conference
People attending SCBWI New England's 2008 conference can choose two fifty-five-minute workshops on Saturday afternoon. Please note the number of the workshop you prefer: 16-22 for session C, 23-29 for session D. Put those numbers on the registration form. That choice will not be binding, but will help us assign space.
Descriptions of all Saturday morning workshops follow. For Saturday morning workshops, see this entry. Click here for information about the workshop leaders and links to their websites.
Workshop Key:
AUTH – Author, ILLUS – Illustrator.
Beg – Beginner, Int – Intermediate, Adv – Advanced, Exp – Experienced.
PB – Picture Book, ER – Early Reader, CB – Chapter Book, MG – Middle Grade, YA – Young Adult, MAG – Magazine, F – Fiction, NF – Nonfiction.
Saturday C — 1:30 to 2:25 pm
16. Acquisitions and Contracts Demystified with Harold Underdown. Do you have the nagging feeling that you don't understand what happens when a publisher acquires a book, and that you need to know more about what's actually in your contract? Bring a clause that puzzles you in a contract, or just a question about what to expect in a contract, and learn about the ins and outs of acquisitions and contracts. [AUTH; Exp; ALL Genres]
17. Stretch Your Wings Far Enough to Break Rules with Debra Garfinkle. For intermediate through advanced levels of writers who are familiar with common rules of writing and publishing. Debra will discuss many rules she thinks may be broken successfully, and why. Some of these rules include belonging to a critique group that writes material similar to what you’re writing, obeying query guidelines to the T, and being loyal to your publisher. She’ll also discuss several rules never to be broken. [AUTH; Int, Exp, Adv; CB, MG, YA, F, NF]
18. “Holy Chitchat, Darla!” said Biff. “A Workshop About Creating Great Dialogue!” with Mark Peter Hughes. Creating effective dialogue can be tricky. In this workshop, Mark shares some of the secrets to creating dialogue that sparkles while strengthening story characters. Using examples from literature, he’ll walk participants through a handful of short exercises designed to help writers strengthen the dialogue in their own stories. [AUTH; Beg, Int; F, PB, ER, MG, YA]
19. Noteworthy Nonfiction: Elevating Nonfiction Work from Ordinary to Exceptional with Tanya Lee Stone and Yolanda LeRoy. (Please note this is Part 1 of a two-part class. You must also sign up for Part 2 at 2:40 pm. See workshop #26 below.) In a crowded market, how do you make your nonfiction stand out? Join Charlesbridge editor Yolanda LeRoy and author (and former editor) Tanya Lee Stone as they share their combined expertise to help writers of all levels find ways to make their nonfiction truly authentic and unique. [AUTH; Beg, Int, Exp, Adv; NF]
20. Adding Emotion to Your Artwork with Melissa Sweet. (Please note this is Part 1 of a two-part class. You must sign up for Part 2 at 2:40 pm. See workshop #27 below.) Every decision about a book points to what the book is about and the emotions and feelings the artist and author are trying to convey. The workshop will cover how the trim size, color palettes, design & layout, and materials-used can enhance the text. There will be time for drawing and discussion as to how to exaggerate emotion in characters and setting. [ILLUS; All levels; PB, ER]
21. The Power of Pattern in Picture Books with Lynn Plourde. From the simplest picture book to more complicated fables and picture book biographies, pattern plays a key role in the book’s structure. Lynn will use examples to demonstrate pattern in the action and the words of the story. Plus, she’ll discuss how these elements contribute to the shape, fullness, and “rereadability” of a book. Lynn will provide a handout showing the patterned structure of different story-types. [AUTH; Beg, Int; PB]
22. Writing an Excellent Query Letter with Padma T. Venkatraman. This session will devote time to hands-on writing exercises that focus on queries. The skills learned in this workshop will be applicable to those who wish to market their work to agents or directly to editors. Participants will receive samples of less-than-adequate query letters to critique, as well as an exemplar. We will also touch on the art of writing synopses. [AUTH; Beg, Int; ALL Genres]
Saturday D — 2:40 to 3:35 pm
23. World-Building: Bringing Fantasy to Life with Leda Schubert. Great fantasies for the middle grades top almost every list of timeless classics; they are often the books we read over and over. Earthsea, Hogwarts, Middle-Earth, Narnia, Prydain, Wilbur's barn, the Kingdom of Damar, and others are all unforgettable creations. What does a writer of fantasy have to consider when creating a convincing fantasy world? Leda will investigate world-building questions and propose some answers, tips and tools. [AUTH; Int, Exp, Adv; MG,YA]
24. Market Research: Going Beyond the Guidelines with Paula and Bob Morrow. Notice that the subtitle isn't "Getting Around the Guidelines." You go beyond by going through. This workshop first covers how to get the maximum benefit from guidelines themselves, then discusses how to go beyond them in fine-tuning your submissions to your chosen markets. [AUTH; Int, Adv, Exp; MAG, F, NF]
25. Creating Memorable Characters with Robin Merrow MacCready. Intended for MG and YA writers that want to learn the keys to fleshing out their flat characters! We will discuss the keys to memorable characters, look at examples of unforgettable characters, and learn how to make it happen in our own work. [AUTH; Int; MG, YA]
26. Noteworthy Nonfiction: Elevating Nonfiction Work from Ordinary to Exceptional with Tanya Lee Stone and Yolanda LeRoy. (This is Part 2 of a two-part class. You must sign up for Part 1 at 1:30 pm. See workshop #19 above.)
27. Adding Emotion to Your Artwork with Melissa Sweet. (This is Part 2 of a two-part class. You must sign up for Part 1 at 1:30 pm. See workshop #20 above.)
28. Dig Deep to Find Interesting Sources for Historical Fiction with Lita Judge. In this workshop, Lita will share how she finds inspiration and information to create stories based on historical events. From sifting through microfilm, translating foreign letters, deciphering faded diaries, and interviewing WWII survivors, she’ll demonstrate how she shapes her writing and illustrating by immersing herself in the topic. A power point presentation will give ideas on gathering material. From pack mule trips through the Yellowstone, to riding elephants and hosting costume parties, discover methods and new sources to uncover your story. [AUTH; ALL Levels; ALL Genres]
29. Legally Fiction: What Writers Need To Know to Protect Their Intellectual Property Rights with Amanda Brice. Do you know whether or not you can quote song lyrics in your manuscript? Are you wondering if you should trademark something from your high concept story? Do you want to know how to protect your work and avoid infringing on other people's rights? If you answered "Yes" to any of these questions, this is the class for you. Developed by an intellectual property attorney who is also a fiction author, this workshop will lead you by the hand through the murky waters of legalese. [AUTH; ALL Levels; ALL Genres]
