Jan 5: Deadline to
submit for manuscript critiques (paid conference add-on)
Jan 7: Middle Grade Book Club meeting in San Francisco
Jan 13: Middle Grade Lunchbreak in Menlo Park
Jan 24: Translation and International Kidlit Social in San Francisco
Jan 24: Webinar on Reading for Craft with Anne-Marie Strohman
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Feb 4: Critique Meet-Up in San Francisco
Feb 10: Middle Grade Lunchbreak in Menlo Park
Feb 24: Bookstore event at Bookasarus in Sunnyvale (speaker TBD)
Feb 26: Webinar on Rhyming Picture Books: Dos and Don'ts with Tim McCanna
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Thank you for your overwhelmingly positive response to our upcoming Golden Gate Conference in March. We are almost sold out! If you have been thinking about attending but haven't yet registered, now is the time to grab one of the last remaining seats.
Conference Dates: March 13 - 15, 2020
If you purchased an individual critique, the deadline for submission is coming up fast on
January 5th.
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A note from Danielle Sunshine, Regional Advisor
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Dear regional members,
Happy New Year! I hope you are enjoying the holiday season.
While I love this time of year, it's sometimes difficult to find the time and energy to be creative. By the time January 1 rolls around, I find myself making BIG resolutions: read 100 books, write 50 pages by February, finish x, y, and z project. I'm sure you can relate.
Well, this year I'm going easy on myself. My resolutions will be less results-oriented and more process oriented. Read, think, write, think, work towards x, y, and z project. Why? Because there's a lot to be learned along the way to our goals and sometimes I'm so focused on getting to the finish line that I forget to appreciate the process.
However you decide to set and manage your goals, I wish you the best in 2020. May we all be inspired and move closer to our creative dreams.
Kind regards,
Danielle
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Middle Grade Book
Club in SF
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Date: January 7th at 11am
Location: The Park Branch of the San Francisco Library
Calling all middle grade writers! We're starting a new group in San Francisco where w
e'll read and analyze a middle grade novel each month with the goal of improving our own craft.
January's Book:
The Line Tender by Kate Allen
Meets the first Tuesday of the month at the Park Branch of the San Francisco Library starting January 7th. We'll discuss from 11-12 pm--and wander over to the Haight for lunch or snacks afterward.
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Translation and International Kidlit Social in SF
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Date: January 24th at 2pm
Location: Le Marais Bakery at 498 Sanchez, San Francisco
Meet and greet for translators, aspiring translators, and fans of international kid lit. (Illustrators welcome, too!) Friday January 24th at 2 pm at Le Marais Bakery at 498 Sanchez.
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Date: February 4th from 6:30-8:30 pm
Location: The Noe Valley Library
(
451 Jersey St, San Francisco)
Join fellow writers and illustrators for an evening of critiques. Receive feedback on your craft and hone your work by critiquing others. A fresh set of eyes can provide new ideas and inspiration. All kidlit genres welcome.
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Want to start a YA book group in SF? Other ideas for events you'd like to see or host in the city? Email Jackie at
[email protected]
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Date: the second Monday of every month at noon
- January 13, 12:00 Noon
- February 10, 12:00 Noon
Location
:
Kepler's Books in Menlo Park (1010 El Camino Real)
Join us for a monthly discussion of middle grade craft. We read one middle grade book per month and gather to discuss what we can learn from it. Here is our schedule for the upcoming season:
January: Look Both Ways, Jason Reynolds
February: Over the Moon, Natalie Lloyd
March: The Year We Fell From Space, Amy Sarig King
April: Sal and Gabi Break the Universe, Carlos Hernandez
May: Harbor Me, Jacqueline Woodson
June: Lexi Magill and the Teleportation Tournament, Kim Long
Please also feel free to gather beforehand for an informal brunch/lunch next door at Cafe Borrone. We usually start arriving around 11am, and then move to Kepler's for the meeting at noon.
We post announcements in a private facebook group, found
here
. Please feel free to request to join.
This event is free, and there is no need to RSVP. Just come on by and join us!
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Bookasaurus Book Store Event
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Date: February 24, 7pm to 8:30pm
Location: Bookasaurus (125 S. Murphy St., Sunnyvale)
Details, and speaker, to be announced! (Stay tuned for the February newsletter.)
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Your South Bay Regional Area Coordinators, Margaret Greanias and Julia Maisen, would like to learn more about the people in their region.
If you live in the South Bay area of the region, please fill out their member survey. Many thanks!
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Santa Cruz/South Member Survey
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Your Santa Cruz & Monterey Regional Area Coordinators, Ashley Wheelock, Stephan Joanides, and Peter Hester would like to learn more about the people in their region.
If you live in the Santa Cruz/South area of the region, please fill out their member survey. Many thanks!
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Reading for Craft with Anne-Marie Strohman
Date: January 24 11:30am
Join Anne-Marie Strohman in our January webinar as she discusses reading to improve your craft.
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Most new writers hear the advice to “read a lot.” But reading a book for enjoyment can only help your writing so much. This webinar–for experienced writers and newbies alike–will focus on the
why
and
how
of reading for craft. We’ll dig into examples, expand your arsenal of craft categories, and explore how to apply your craft reading to your writing.
Anne-Marie Strohman writes picture books, as well as middle grade and young adult novels. She taught writing and literature at the college level and collects degrees–an MA in English Literature, a PhD in Renaissance Literature, and an in-progress MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults at Vermont College of Fine Arts. Her best ideas arrive when she’s hiking or knitting.
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Rhyming Picture Books: Dos and Don'ts with Tim McCanna
Date: February 26 11:00 am
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Join acclaimed rhyming picture book author Tim McCanna (Bitty Bot, Watersong, Barnyard Boogie, Jack B. Ninja) as he pinpoints the hallmarks of a strong rhyming manuscript. We’ll analyze works by a few of the rhyming greats, and turn the spotlight on frequent missteps. Tim will also offer tips, tricks, and tools for getting your next rhyming picture book submission-ready. Great for all levels of writers looking to improve and expand their craft.
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In case you missed them, here’s the replay for our most recent webinars:
- November webinar: Meet the Mentors. This webinar is packed with craft tips, so it is worth watching even if you are not planning to apply for the mentorship program. Watch the replay here.
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Is your book coming out between
September 5th 2019 and April 25th 2020
?
The children's specialist at Books Inc. in Palo Alto is looking for recently published or soon-to-be published authors and illustrators from our region to attend Independent Bookstore Day on April 25th at their store in Palo Alto.
This event is for traditionally published authors only.
If you are interested in participating, please contact Drew Durham at
[email protected]
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Access our self-serve "seeking a critique group" database through our SCBWI San Fran/South regional page. Please note: you must be signed in to the SCBWI website in order to access the database.
If you are seeking critique partners, add your name/info to the database and then take the initiative to contact writers/artists listed in your area to see if they might be a good fit for a critique exchange. Our system is “self-serve” because only YOU can determine what works best for you.
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If you have any questions about Critique Connection, please contact our coordinator, Lynne Ann Biscay, at
[email protected].
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A Huge Thank You
to our Regional Area Coordinators
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We are so grateful to this team of volunteers who have stepped up to organize events in the following sub-regions:
A huge thank you to these generous volunteers!
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Find out more about what's happening in our region by visiting us on Facebook or Twitter:
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