Attendees at our Fantasy Writing & World Building with Joni Sensel: SCBWI Germany
[Jan 14. 2012]:
Members: Kim Enderle, Juliane Kayser, Sarah Johnson, Mina Witteman (Regional Advisor-Netherlands), Barbara Scheer-Hocheimer, Lenore Appelhans, Kirsten Carlson, Joni Sensel, Donna Weidner, Norma Klein, Angela Cerrito (Assistant International Advisor), Twyla Weixl



Workshop Summary by Twyla Dawn Weixl

On January 14, fifteen SCBWI members from Germany and Holland learned much about creating convincing worlds, be they fantasy, historical or contemporary.

Workshop leader Joni Sensel, author of five published fantasy novels, covered a great deal of material in one afternoon, including writing exercises which challenged the participants to put theory into practice. Joni’s skill in pushing us to identify the specific nature of our “worlds-in-progress” and how that

forms and motivates our characters, was particularly helpful. She clearly showed us what kind of questions we need to ask to create a truly convincing world and its inhabitants.

Assistant International Advisor, Angela Cerrito has a great blog entry covering our first ever Library Day in Stuttgart

SomethingOnSunday - SCBWI Library Day

Yesterday I was able to spend my entire day at the library! Best of all I was joined by SCBWI illustrators & writers. And even better that kids, teens and parents came to enjoy the day ---LIBRARY DAY!
read more...

Twyla Weixl, author and illustrator, summarized our event in sunny Berlin

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On September 4, 2011 we were delighted to host a talk by Barbara Lalicki, Senior Vice President and Editorial Director at HarperCollins Children’s Books USA. Barbara presented “Changes in Publishing and What’s Happening Now” as part of SCBWI’s Free Professional Series, at STORYTIME: Books and More Bookstore-Café in Berlin.

Barbara explained some of the significant changes in publishing, which have resulted from the growth of social networking. This new media has especially affected middle grade and young adult book marketing and promotion. She also said that authors who write book series have an advantage, as well as those who have established blogs and fan bases. These latter two platforms provide readers with an opportunity to follow and comment on their favourite authors’ activities. Editors at big publishing houses are depending more and more on agents because they have less time to edit, while trying to keep up with changes in book publishing.

Barbara predicted that middle-grade and early teen books will generate more interest in the future. As younger readers become ever more sophisticated and numerous, they’ll need books about more “grown-up” topics written appropriately for their developmental level.

Following Barbara’s presentation, several members benefited from individual manuscript critiques. Later, members also enjoyed a lively get-together, which provided an opportunity for far-flung SCBWI members to get to know each other and discuss various book projects and issues.

Kirsten Carlson is author-illustrator of a new ocean-themed activity book WHERE THE LAND AND SEA MEET in English and Italian




Lenore Appelhans [writing as Lenore Jennewein] and illustrator Daniel Jennewein have been signed by Simon & Schuster's Children's to produce CHICK-O-SAURUS REX, a humorous picture book about a little chick who discovers that he has a very mighty lineage. Keep up to date on her work at Presenting Lenore




Constanze von Kitzing has won a gold medal for Children’s Illustration and a bronze medal for a Children's Book for 3x3 THE MAGAZINE OF CONTEMPORARY ILLUSTRATION. Her winning artwork will be featured in the No. 8 Annual

Summary of July 23/24 2011 Workshop with Donna Jo Napoli          

By Twyla Dawn Weixl

On July 23 and 24, SCBWI Germany hosted a two-day workshop with author Donna Jo Napoli and her husband Barry Furrow, contract agent / lawyer.

Drawing on her vast experience teaching language and writing for all levels,



Donna Jo described in depth the essential aspects of each level of books for children and young people, including writing for magazines as a source of income and professional recognition by future editors. Audience interest in “voice” led to a fruitful discussion on the pros and cons of possible voices, in particular using the first person for YA. She urged us to write our first drafts without compromise or revisions.

Two exercises sharpened our understanding of the topics covered: the first challenged us to write a conflict dialogue; the second invited us to write a piece which spoke to all of the reader’s senses. Both produced results which surprised their authors!

Donna Jo gave us some memorable advice, distilled from her decades of writing:

*Children read books to find friends, who do not have to be able to “fix” their worlds, but who do have to find a way to live with hope.

*Win your reader’s trust, then increase tension wherever you can.

Donna Jo also explained the best ways to find an editor/agent/publisher appropriate for one’s work, and how to deal with difficult topics without alienating kids, parents, teachers or librarians, and gave us many useful resource links and book recommendations.

Barry Furrow spoke at length on negotiating the best possible contract. He explained how to handle advances, royalties, subsidiary rights, option clauses, electronic rights and many other important aspects.

An important aspect of any workshop are the informal conversations over coffee and at dinner - Donna Jo and Barry were very generous with their time and attentive to our endless questions – all in all, a very informative, inspiring weekend!

 

 

Jen K. Blom's POSSUM SUMMER published by Holiday House was just released this Spring!

It is "A heartwarming, vibrant story. It's a book that middle graders will want to read." --Bill Wallace, author of 'A Dog Called Kitty.'



Jen is having a book release Party and signing on July 23rd at: 



STORYTIME BOOKS AND MORE, Smargendorferstr. 36/37 in Berlin-Friedenau



Here is also the link to the Facebook event:



https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=138684862876110&pending





Please join me in wishing her all the best, along with lot's and lot's of sales!



[BookEvent_Berlin.pdf]

Here are a couple of photos from our Weekend Illustrators Workshop held on June 11 and 12, 2011.

Twyla Dawn Weixl  spent Saturday teaching how to keep your story figure "On Model" and our own Illustrator Coordinator, Kirsten Carlson, followed on Sunday with an introduction to scratchboard.  

            En route to launching the German version of her YA novel, Neva (English title: Dark Parties) at the Leipzig Book Fair, Sara Grant, also a former Regional Advisor for Indiana, gave a revision workshop and individual critiques to eight European SCBWI members gathered in Icking, near Munich on March 12. Germany RA Donna Weidner organized the event with help from member Jim Calliotte. Participants came from as far as Paris and Berlin, drawn by Sara’s expertise as an author, editor and story developer in the U.S. and London. Her many years of experience and passion for writing informed her highly instructive talk on the necessity, process and skills of revision. Drawing on ideas developed by classic experts on storytelling and screenplay writing such as Joseph Campbell and Robert McKee, Sara spoke at length on how to create believable characters, and how to revise one’s work to maintain the consistency of those characters. She also spoke about building conflict into a story and when and how to increase and resolve it, emphasizing the importance of rigorously removing anything, no matter how precious it had become, which is unnecessary or detracts from the story.

Hands-on practice took the form of developing elevator pitches for our books as well as a very colourful approach to making one’s material more “transparent”.

            Participants had been asked to bring material from their current projects, which was then subjected to an exercise in highlighting the lines dealing with action, dialogue, exposition, emotion, etc. in different colours, in order to make visible the pattern and content of our writing.  We then spread our sheets on the floor and had some “aha” moments as the colours showed us what we had not yet grasped on our own: too much or too little action, exposition, dialogue…

            Inspired and motivated by the dense amount of useful information Sara gave us, and by her warm and open approach, we continued sharing ideas and experiences through dinner and into the night. I, for one, went home not only itching to slice the precious goo out of my story, but much better informed on how to do so. 

 

 

 Angela Cerrito's debut YA novel THE END OF THE LINE published by Holiday House will be released in March 2011.  Angela will be in Amsterdam on 12 March sharing her experience.



See:  http://shop.englishbookshop.nl/about_us/hiring_the_store

Barbara Schneider was awarded the Design Award 2011 in Como, Italy for MY TRAVEL GUIDE for kids in the category "Toy and Recreation Design 2010-2011"  see attached for details: 

http://www.adesignaward.com/design-image.php?y=2010&design=22495

Illustrator Kirsten Carlson's new ocean-themed activity book WHERE THE LAND AND SEA MEET is now available at   http://seagrant.uaf.edu/bookstore/pubs/SG-ED-74.html 



Lenore Appelhans writing as Lenore Jennewein and  illustrator Daniel Jennewein's CHICK-O-SAURUS REX, the humorous story of a little chick who proves his mettle to the farm's big bullies when he discovers that he has a very mighty lineage has been sold to Alexandra Cooper at Simon & Schuster's Children's, by Stephen Barbara at Foundry Literary + Media (NA).



Two of illustrator Constanze von Kitzing's works have received a gold and bronze medal by the 3x3 children's show.  Here's more to read:http://www.3x3mag.com/No8_CBSWinners.html 



Angela Cerrito's debut YA novel THE END OF THE LINE published by Holiday House will be released in March 2011.  Angela will be in Amsterdam on 12 March sharing her experience.



See:  http://shop.englishbookshop.nl/about_us/hiring_the_store

 

POSSUM SUMMER by Jennifer Blom, published by Holiday House, April 2011

Bug and Bear by Ann Bonwill/Layne Marlow, Oxford University Press, June, 2011

Hugo and Bella by Ann Bonwill/Simon Rickerty, Oxford University Press, October, 2011



PENGOUIN GLACE by Constanze von Kitzing, La Joie de Lire, 2011



Bernhard Oberdieck will have 2 Picture Books, 2 Story Books and a Fairy Tale Book released sometime in 2011 –and—in September/October, Bernhard will have three illustration exhibitions in Helsinki, Finnland and Tallin, Estonia.



Alison Stevens  sold an article to Boys' Quest for their June 2012 issue.  It is titled "What Do They Eat?" It challenges readers to match up teeth from different kinds of animals with a description of what they eat.  Then they have to guess what kind of animal each one is.  It is a fun way to look at how various kinds of teeth are specialized for different functions.



Where the Land and Sea Meet is an activity book by Kirsten Carlson that is full of activities to help children develop observational skills like scientists use to explore the world's seashores.  See:  http://seagrant.uaf.edu/bookstore/pubs/SG-ED-74.html





Level Two by Lenore Appelhans has been acquired by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers in a joint acquisition with CBS Films. According to S&S, this is the first time the company has coordinated a deal so that an author received a simultaneous book and film offer. In Level Two, the place between our world (Level One) and heaven, Felicia spends her days reliving her memories from the security of her pod—until she gets broken out by Julian, a boy she met on Earth. Appelhans writes the popular YA blog Presenting Lenore. Level Two will be published in either fall 2012 or spring 2013, with a 200,000-copy first printing.