Interviews and Overviews - Sydney Conference Vox Pop

The SCBWI Conference Blog would be but an empty flower pot if not for the commendable efforts of our Roving Reporters. Through their reports, images and carefully crafted thoughts, the blog has blossomed into a veritable jungle of facts, figures, writing advice, publishing know-how and illustrative wonder.

I hope you have enjoyed our coverage of the 2019 Australian NZ SCBWI Conference and maybe have even discovered a little nugget of information that will help your writing or illustrating careers germinate into something special. Please join me in thanking our fabulous team - the RRers!

Here’s what some of you had to say about your SCBWI Conference experience.

‘It’s great seeing firsthand that agents and publishers are real people’ Michelle

‘Being altogether’ Jo

‘The camaraderie and how approachable everyone is is phenomenal. The sessions really crystalise one’s knowledge’ Candice

‘Feeling the love and genuine sense of community from the crowd’ Katrin (read Yvonne’s full interivew with Katrin post her Illustrating Award win, here.)

‘I learned how to accept feedback and how important that is’ Giuseppe

‘The friendliness and open welcoming inclusive nature from everyone was great’ Maria

‘The constant reminder that nothing else matters except story - it’s all about story’ Serge

‘Memorable because of the all round friendliness and Julia Marshall’s advice in “celebrating the quiet”’ Emma

‘The amazing support from everybody throughout my near disaster episode of losing my portfolio - and then getting it back in the nick of time!’ Thea

‘Loved my first time illustrators’ showcase experience’ Bethany

‘Appreciated the immersion with kidlit themes and the intensity of the whole experience. Loved catching up with online friends in real life, too’ Elizabeth

‘The best thing was the collective wisdom’ Liane

‘I loved the vibe and energy and particularly, the Illustrator Duel!’ Jo

‘Loved my critique session with Mira Reisberg and her knowledge. Enjoyed meeting my online critique group IRL, too!’ Nicole

‘Loved Julia Marshall’s masterclass and her advice on marketing. Learned how to hone my writing skills so I can take control of my career’ Heather

For many, this summarised what the conference confirmed for us all -

‘That just as we are the masters of our own pens and paintbrushes, so too are we the captains of our own careers.’ Dimity

Till the next time I get to don my gardening gloves,

Rove ya later!

Dimity (Head Gardener)

www.dimitypowell.com

#SCBWISyd

Illustrations by Tania McCartney

Masterclass D: Picture Books with Essie White

Storm Literary agent/partner Essie White is passionate about creating beautiful and meaningful books for children. Her passion started as an educator when she learnt that providing children with exceptional literature was imperative in education.

Five years ago, Essie made the seamless transition from educator to agent – both careers harbour a true love for children’s literature.

“YOU NEED GRAB CHILDREN’S ATTENTION FROM THE VERY BEGINNING”

Essie’s masterclass was generous and thorough providing all participants with important takeaways.

• Title – make it good and alert the reader to the concept. The title must also set the tone, introduce the character and setting.

• First sentence – make it better than the title. It must snag attention and hold it immediately.

• Narrative Arc – start with a great plot and begin with a ‘bang’. Immediately alert the reader to the crisis and establish the character’s motivation. Motivation drives the story forward. The protagonist responds to the crisis or cause which results in ACTION. The Protagonist then overcomes!

• Create a satisfying ending – bring the story full circle. It must also resonate deeply.

• Unforgettable Characters – ensure they are fully developed and they are authentic, memorable and create merchandising opportunities.

• Language and word choice – Be selective – 500 to 750 words or less. Non-Fiction can be longer.

• Verbs – Vivid, Active, and Visual!

• Cadence – rising and falling of voice.

• Convey emotion – be authentic to the character

• Avoid rhyme (it does work occasionally).

Essie outlined some Universal Themes in picture books.:

• Firsts: First day of school, first pet, first birthday, first unicorn costume!

• Momentous Events: New baby, new pet, Doctor visit etc.

• Relationships: Parents, siblings, grandparents, neighbours, teachers, community members

• Animals and more!

“A GOOD BOOK EMPOWERS AND GIVES PURPOSE, IT KEEPS KIDS THINKING.”

The necessary collaboration between author and illustrator

Author –

1. Provide illustration notes but give artist room to breathe

2. Share research/background info

3. Offer feedback on sketches (when asked)

Illustrator –

1. Do your research (especially non-fiction)

2. Accuracy is imperative

3. Be selective

4. Sometimes your vision needs to be flexible.

Illustrations should:

• Help children understand what they are reading.

• They should enhance the text and move the narrative forward.

• Stimulate imagination and allow children to analyse.

• Help create the mood of the story.

• Must have storytelling capabilities and establish the primary character…especially in wordless picture books (very popular in the US right now).

Essie also spoke about the use of shapes and colours to create mood and feelings in illustrations.

• Yellow – hope

• Red – anger

• Blue – calm

• Grey – gloom

• Circle – warmth, completeness, wholesome

• Rectangles – ridgity, inflexibility, enclosed

• Triangles – Hierarchy, power, strong, solidarity, substantive

Click on the video for a visual snapshot of the session by Roving Reporter, Giuseppe Poli.

Essie’s final message was so important.

The goal of picture books should be to:

Provide a beautiful experience that leaves the reader impacted, empowered, challenged and changed. Good children’s literature is transformative!

by Rachel Noble

#SCBWISyd

CBCA Big Book Day Out Sept 13, 2015

This was the second BBDO and it was even bigger and better than last year. The sun was shining, the cupcakes were colourful and the sausages were sizzling on the BBQ. It was a day of books, writers, illustrators and families in the grounds of the NSW Writers Centre, Rozelle.

SCBWI had a stand with the brilliant Marjorie Crosby-Fairall, Aura Parker and Ben Johnston wowing passers by with their wonderful illustrations. Beside them were authors Margaret Roc, Therese Waters, Lesley Gibbs, Monica Lizama, Georgie Donaghey, Penny Morrison and Deborah Abela.

Congratulations to the CBCA, especially Dot Tonkin and Gail Erskine for juggling all that needs to be juggled to make such a successful day. This is a brilliant way to connect kids and families with writers and illustrators and have fun on a perfect Sydney spring day.