New England SCBWI
Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators

All attendees of the Southern New England SCBWI ENCORE! day will be able to attend all three of these workshops.

Making the Most of Childhood Memory: Finding Fiction in the Facts
Using real-life experiences to write fiction that is meaningful and saleable is not as easy as it may sound. Nora Baskin speaks to the ways you can let go of the “truth” while being true to the “story” you want to tell − such as, “Writing from the heart, not for the market,” “Mining memory,” and “Turning memory into fiction.”

Nora Raleigh Baskin is the author of four novels for middle grade readers: In the Company of Crazies, Basketball (Or Something Like it), Almost Home, and What Every Girl (Except Me) Knows. The Truth of My Bat Mitzvah will be published by S&S in March 2008 and her first YA Novel, About Love, will be released from Candlewick the following fall. Ms. Baskin has also published several personal narrative essays for adults in the Boston Globe Magazine and The Writer Magazine. She lives in Fairfield County with her husband and two sons, and teaches creative writing to children and adults.

Beyond "He Said, She Said": The Do’s and Don’ts of Dialogue
Dialogue is a powerful tool for fiction writers, but it’s a big challenge to depict conversation clearly yet unobtrusively. This workshop offers a systematic approach to the mechanics of dialogue, addressing tags, punctuation, interruptions, distinctive modes of talking, mixing speech with action and thought, and how to say goodbye to common mistakes.

J. L. Bell has edited books for major publishers and individual authors for over fifteen years, working on two New York Times bestsellers and a National Book Award winner. For young readers, he has written the book Soap Science, historical articles, and short stories. He is also an Assistant Regional Advisor for NE-SCBWI.

Voice: Defining, Recognizing and Developing It
When awards are given it is often noted that the writer has a “unique voice.” What is “voice” and how is it developed? Through example and exercise, this workshop will explore voice, that compelling part of writing that helps make a work inimitable.

For 20 years, until her retirement this year, Sue Burgess taught a variety of children’s literature courses at Framingham (MA) State College. A long-time member of the SCBWI, Sue was designated Member-of-the-year in 1985 for her service as New England RA and critique group leader. For the last 15 years she has been the SCBWI’s Work-in-Progress Grant coordinator.

Here are directions to Rhode Island College.