Saturday Morning Workshops at 2008 New England Conference
People attending SCBWI New England's 2008 conference can choose two fifty-five-minute workshops on Saturday morning. Please note the number of the workshop you prefer: 2-8 for session A, 9-15 for session B. 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 afternoon 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 A — 10:05 to 11:00 am
2. Pacing Matters: Ask the Hare with Paula and Bob Morrow. These two editors will explain to aspiring authors what narrative arc is and why you need one, plus they’ll show how to pace plots. This workshop will use slide shows to provide clear, visual explanation, and provide handouts that writers can use to analyze and improve the pacing of their own manuscripts. [AUTH; Beg, Int; ALL Genres]
3. Taking Wing with Poetic Forms with Kelly Fineman. (Please note this is Part 1 of a two-part class. You must sign up for Part 2 at 11:15 am. See workshop #10 below.) Learn how to take wing as a poet through the use of poetic forms. Discover how working within the restrictions of various poetic forms can actually free your thinking and help you branch out into more creative and original poetic expression. This workshop will include hand-outs as well as hands-on practice, and participants will have completed at least four draft poems by the end of the day. [AUTH; Beg, Int, Exp; ALL Genres]
4. Punch Up Your Plotting with J. L. Bell. Some writers map out their novels, and others figure out their stories as they write. But whatever methods we use, all novelists struggle to create strong plots—exciting, logical, and satisfying. John offers some principles and tricks for getting around roadblocks to powerful plots. He will cover troubleshooting, rules for finding solutions to the nastiest plot problems, and tips on presenting your plot in the most exciting way. Bring your own synopses, notes, and plotting quandaries. [AUTH; Beg, Int, Exp; CB, MG, YA]
5. Stretch Your Wings by Writing a Series with Debra Garfinkle. This workshop is for all levels of writers who are interested in writing a series. Debra will discuss elements of a successful book series and tips for writing a marketable series proposal. She’ll provide a handout of tips for writing a series, as well as a copy of the proposal she used to sell her six-book chapter book series. [AUTH; Int, Adv, Exp; CB, MG, YA]
6. Giving Visual Punch to Your Picture Book with Teri Weidner. (Please note this is Part 1 of a two-part class. You must also sign up for Part 2 at 11:15 am. See workshop #13 below.) The majority of picture books have 32 pages. This workshop will focus on how the illustrator can use elements including page design, pacing and character development to make those pages as colorful and visually expressive as possible. Weidner will show examples from books by several artists, as well as her own mock ups. [ILLUS; Int, Exp, Adv; PB]
7. The Art of Creating a Children’s Picture Book with Sharon Lane Holm. Published children’s book illustrator and author, Sharon Lane Holm, will walk you through creating a picture book from conception to publication in this show-and-tell, hands-on program. She will discuss writing your manuscript, gathering ideas and concepts, sketching your idea, editing, submission guidelines, and how to provide final art and manuscript. [AUTH/ILLUS; Beg, Int; PB]
8. Five Web-Savvy Ways to Generate Buzz About Your Books with Mitali Perkins. Pajama Promotion introduces the basics of online book promotion for authors without big publicity budgets. Learn how to spruce up your site, write a good blog, use social networks, partner with bookstores big and small, plan a blog tour, and exploit the power of film — all from the comfort of your preferred writing nook. Gained: time to write, a reputation as a savvy promoter, buzz about your books. Lost: your fear of being overwhelmed by the Big Wired Unknown. [AUTH, ILLUS; Int, Adv, Exp; ALL Genres]
Saturday B — 11:15 am to 12:10 pm
9. Zip! Zap! Zop! Improv Techniques to Improve Writing with Carrie Jones. Has writing lost its fun? Have your concerns about craft beaten down your joy of creation? It doesn’t need to be mutually exclusive. Try using the tools of improvisation to hone your writing skills and bring back some spark to your writing relationship. Carrie Jones will show you how improvisation helped her to write and sell six books in less than two years. [AUTH, ILLUS; Beg, Int; ALL Genres]
10. Taking Wing with Poetic Forms with Kelly Fineman. (This is Part 2 of a two-part class. You must sign for Part 1 at 10:05 am. See Workshop #3 above.)
11. Let’s Start at the Very Beginning: What I’ve Learned After Reading 450 of YOUR First Pages with Sarah Aronson. What makes a good beginning? What does the writer need to do in the novel’s opening to pull readers (and editors) into the story? Sarah Aronson will examine the five essential elements of a great beginning, drawing from her own experiences as a writer and hosting 3 First Page Panels for NE-SCBWI. Handouts will be included. Participants should bring a work-in-progress for a writing exercise at the conclusion of the discussion. [AUTH; Beg, Int; ALL Genres]
12. Writing for a Themed Magazine with Lou Waryncia and Marcia Lusted. Develop a themed magazine issue with the editorial director of Cobblestone Publishing. You'll come up with an outline for an entire magazine issue, develop article ideas, discuss the issue's overall contents, and even have a chance to see your work published on the pages of one of the six magazines Lou oversees, which include Cobblestone, Faces, Calliope, Odyssey, Dig, and AppleSeeds. [AUTH; Int; MAG]
13. Giving Visual Punch to Your Picture Book with Teri Weidner. (This is Part 2 of a two-part class. You must sign up for Part 1 at 10:05 am. See Workshop #6 above.)
14. Digital Art for Traditional Artists with Jennifer Morris. Are you wondering about taking your artwork digital? The world of digital illustration can be overwhelming at first. This presentation will discuss the benefits and drawbacks of going digital. We discuss hardware and software. And we will take a peek at the work of some amazing digital artists. [ILLUS; Beg, Int; PB]
15. Acquiring an Agent with Padma T. Venkatraman. This workshop will tackle several issues: the pros and cons of having an agent, deciding whether to seek representation or “go it alone”, locating a reliable agent, avoiding scams, and author-agent etiquette. Participants will receive a list of useful references that will assist them as they search for a suitable literary agency. They will also receive a handout containing questions that every author should ask a potential agent prior to signing a contract. [AUTH; Beg, Int; CB, MG, YA]
