Write It Now! Competitions
For Teachers and Librarians
|
SWJ - August 2004 |
|
| |
 | Lara M. Zeises
|
 | Susan Juby
|
 | Patrick Jones
|
 | | Laurie Faria Stolarz |
| | |
IS SEX SIZZLIN' IN YA LIT?
AND WHY DOES IT MATTER?
By Kelly Milner Halls
According to www.Kidspeak.com, a censorship watchdog with a membership of young readers and book insiders, 500 titles were challenged in public schools in 1999. Their figures suggest 646 titles were challenged in 2000. After Colorado’s Columbine school shootings, Kidspeak saw a surge in the banning of violent music, television, video games and Internet sites, in addition to “questionable” books.
But even in the wake of Columbine, violence is NOT the primary target of most censors, according to KidSpeak. Three little letters are more likely to stir the pots of conservative uproar than guns and lives lost. And those predictable letters are S-E-X.
How do YA writers feel about sexual realism in their books? And how do librarians feel about offering honest works of fiction to teens stumbling into their own sense of sexuality, like it or not?
To answer those questions, we went straight to the source – we canvassed for volunteers from the American Library Association’s YALSA BK listserv to share their expert views. Only a sampling of those responses are posted here, in the interest of brevity. But the expanded version is available for open review by clicking HERE.
Susan Juby (Miss Smithers, HarperTempest 2004; Alice, I Think, HarperTempest 2003), and Laurie Faria Stolarz (White is for Magic, Llewellyn 2004; Silver is for Secrets, Llewellyn 2005) and Lara M. Zeises (Contents Under Pressure, Delcorte 2004; Bringing Up the Bones, Delcaorte 2002) were our writer respondents.
Patrick Jones (Things Change, Walker & Co. 2004) of Connecting YA and Libraries, and Ian McKinney of Fort Wayne, Indiana’s Allen County Public Library were our media specialist respondents.
We want to express our thanks to these champions of free speech who courageously shared their thoughts. Countering views are welcome and will be shared in a follow up article six months from now. Just email
This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it
and use I OPPOSE SEXUAL YA LIT in your subject line, and watch for a follow-up report in February of 2005.
WRITER QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Is sexually realistic fiction for young adults important? Why or why not?
Lara M. Zeises: Yes. Trying to protect teens from sex is futile. Educating them - not just about STDs and condoms, but also about the emotional side to sex - probably makes for better birth control than scared-straight Lifetime movies like FIFTEEN AND PREGNANT.
What standards do you use in crafting sexual content for young adults? Do you have restrictions? Self-censoring techniques?
Laurie Faria Stolarz: I try to do what’s most believable for my characters. For example, in Silver is for Secrets, the novel I’m writing now, there is a sexual scene that occurs between two characters who’ve just graduated from high school. The novel, however, the third book in a mystery trilogy for ages twelve and up, isn’t dependent on this sexual encounter, nor their romantic relationship; while readers have expressed interest in their relationship, the mysterious plot of the novel, coupled with the main character’s interest and practice of wicca, are really the driving force. With the young readership and the genre in mind, I wrote the scene honestly, but also kept things a little open to the imagination. If, however, I were writing a scene for older young adults, one in which the sexual content was essential for the dramatic situation, I would be sure to express it honestly, developing the events to the point that the scene needed.
How do you deal with challenges that come based on your work's realistic sexuality?
Susan Juby: I’ve experienced some backlash from readers offended by the (rather mild) depictions of sexuality in my first book and I handled it by putting it out of my mind. My job as a writer is to be honest.
What novels that you've read would you consider realistic in their depiction of teen sexuality?
Susan Juby: Chris Crutcher, Blake Nelson, Judy Blume and Melvin Burgess all handle different aspects of teen sexuality realistically.
Lara M. Zeises: Judy Blume's FOREVER, of course. I think Hilary Frank's BETTER THAN RUNNING AT NIGHT dealt well with the emotional side of a sexually charged relationship. GIRL by Blake Nelson, even though that wasn't published as YA. Chris Lynch's WHITECHURCH. I just read Annette Curtis Klaus's BLOOD AND CHOCOLATE, which is an extremely sexy book. But, I don't know if you could call it realistic because hey - the protagonist is half-wolf. The interesting thing today is that books dealing with homosexuality are given a little more latitude in terms of what's acceptable. Sara Ryan's EMPRESS OF THE WORLD is very sexy, but also very tender.
Is there anything you would NOT put in a YA novel, in terms of sexual content? Why?
Lara M. Zeises: You probably can't quote this but -- anal sex. This is because a few years ago I learned it was a growing trend for young girls to engage in anal sex to preserve their virginity. It's almost as bad as teens dismissing oral sex as something akin to french kissing.
Do you write with any age group in mind when it comes to sexual realism?
Susan Juby: My books are aimed at teens and adults. When I’m asked what age group my books are for I usually say 13 and up, but what readers can handle depends more on the individual reader than their age. When I was 11 or 12 I was sneaking into my mom’s sewing room to read her racy adult books, both the realistic and “bodice-ripper” variety. I’ll never forget the time she caught me with her copy of Henry Miller Sexus. When I first read Jilly Cooper’s Riders and the second Clan of the Cave Bear book, the rampant sex didn’t even register. I just thought they were good stories. It was only when I was older that I realized how totally sex-saturated they are.
I don’t think reading material that is too old does any lasting damage. Books in general can’t begin to compete with the level of explicit content kids are see on MTV, HBO and at the movies. And unlike in music videos, literature at least provides some context for the sexual content.
I'm not saying I think kids should be reading Henry Miller or Jilly Cooper. I just don't think it'll do them any lasting harm if they do occasionally get their hands on "inappropriate" reading materials. Let's face it: the interest is there. Better to have realistic depictions of teen sexuality in teen novels than have young readers on a steady diet of the kind of sex featured in books like Flowers in the Attic, a perennial favorite in the 14- to 18-year old set.
Where do you believe mature YA literature should be shelved in libraries and bookstores?
Lara M. Zeises: I know there are some people who are for intershelving teen fiction with adult fiction, but there was a library I went to in Newton, Mass. that did that and I didn't like it. I used to love to browse the new YA releases and pick something I'd never heard of, and with intershelving, that's rather difficult. I also think that there isn't as much of a stigma attached to YA as their used to be. You've got adults who are addicted to GOSSIP GIRLS now. I don't think teens are as embarassed to browse the YA shelves as they were in years past.
Are there any sexually slanted topics you have NOT seen addressed in literature that you feel should be? For example, gay literature was unavailable for a long time.
Susan Juby: YA writers are busy challenging all kinds of ideas about what teen fiction can and cannot do in all areas, including teen sexuality. There are many YA writers pushing a lot of boundaries and that’s why YA literature is having such a wonderful renaissance. I’m really inspired by the integrity at work in many of the books coming out now.
Laurie Faria Stolarz: I think there’s a lot more that can and will be introduced in the next ten years. Teens need to know they’re not alone.
Why do you personally feel strongly about writing sexual content for YA readers?
Laurie Faria Stolarz: Young adults are curious. They want to read about what they’re not doing, as well as what they’re doing, or what their friends are doing. I think they often seek to gauge themselves against the decisions and actions of characters; they seek relation and identification. It’s important for YA authors to remember this when they choose to write sexual content. Sexual content has value in literature. In a society where it seems families are talking less and less about sex at home, we as authors have more of a responsibility to be a “voice”, whether it be to “speak” about values, consequences, responsibility, coming of age, or otherwise.
LIBRARIAN QUESTIONS AND RESPONSES
Is sexually realistic fiction for young adults important to a library collection? Why or why not?
Ian McKinney: Yes, it's important, for these reasons: 1. Sex is part of the human experience. Reading about different ways sex fits into the human experience is an important way that YAs can figure out who they are and what they think about it. 2. Adults tend not to tell YAs what they really want to know about sex. Reading about it in fiction can be informative on a non-technical level (different from reading about it in non-fiction). 3. That's sort of the same, but not quite, as this reason: teens have a need for information about sex. YA collections try to select books that appeal to teen interests. Teens are interested in sex. (I'm pretty sure.)
What standards to you use in selecting or rejecting a sexually honest novel or nonfiction title?
Patrick Jones: Librarians always try to judge the book as a whole, not just because it does or does not have a realistic portrayal of sexuality. Thus, the standards are really no different than choosing any other materials for teens. With nonfiction, accuracy is first and foremost. With fiction, the goal is to have materials which explore teen sexuality, not exploit it. So, for example, you would and should find books like those of Jacqueline Woodson in a YA area, but not titles by Zane. We look for books about sexuality, not erotica.
How do you deal with challenges that come based on shelving a sexually realistic title?
Patrick Jones: This is always an issue. Most of the challenges I've dealt with over the years relate to an adult's concern about their son or daughter reading (or having access to) a book which openly, honestly, and sometimes without a judgmental attitude, portrays teen sexuality, in particular homosexuality. Again, you deal with these the same as you would with other challenges: look at the collection policy, find the reviews, and then defend the selection. Teen sex makes people nervous, mostly because they are in denial.
Ian McKinney: The same way we deal with challenges to any other book: First, we listen to the patron's concerns, try to determine whether they've actually read the book, try to defuse the situation by explaining how we make selection decisions, and then, if necessary, give them a form for reconsideration of materials.
What novels in your collection now would you consider realistic in their depiction of teen sexuality?
Patrick Jones: Well, there's one called Things Change that's not bad. Kristin Fletcher-Spear, a young adult librarian in Arizona, wrote the book has "positive sexual examples …I thought the scenes were touching and Johanna was smart about it--she researched it and decided how and when sex would happen." Sara Ryan's Empress of the World which looks at a young woman's first sexual experience, albeit with another girl, is fantastic. Parallel Universe Of Liars by Johnson Kathleen Jeffrie, and Earth, My Butt, And Other Big, Round Things by Carolyn Mackler both look at sexual ethics, and the important issue of body image among teens. In Michael Cart's new literary journal Rush Hour, the story "Intrinsic Value" by Alex Flinn is almost a noirish look at teen sexual politics, plus Cart did a whole book of stories Love & Sex. One of the stories was by Shelly Stoehr, and her decade-old book Crosses is still one of the most honest portrayals of teen sexual behavior ever. There are lots of gay coming-of-age stories, but it seems there are fewer titles about straight kids figuring it out. There was a wonderful article in the June 2004 issue of Voice of Youth Advocates about this issue and the author concluded, and I pretty much agree, that most books about teen sexuality might be more explicit than in the past, but are still very "moral" about the issue: i.e. if you do it, bad stuff happens. The book Doing It by Melvin Burgess is supposed to be the next big thing about it, but it's not a very good book and seems to exploit more than explore in my opinion. Teen literature seems more interested in exploring sexual abuse or obsession than portraying healthily teen sexual behavior.
What titles have you decided against shelving based on their sexually graphic content, if any, and what line did they cross?
Ian McKinney: There have been a few graphic novels that we've sent to another collection in the library that have incidentally had some vaguely sexual content, but the decision was made to move them mainly because they were not really of interest to teens. I don't remember the titles; suffice to say that they did not deal with teenagers, but were also not really graphic or explicit.
Do you qualify the readers before you suggest these more mature titles, and if so how?
Patrick Jones: Not to a teen reader because if there is a sexual relationship in the book, the ad copy gives it away and teens can always put the book down if the content makes them uncomfortable. I would, however, tell a parent or teacher if a book had any sexual content, since they are more likely to be shocked and upset.
Ian McKinney: Only sometimes. If the sex is the main focus of the book, like Burgess' Doing It, I'll say "this book is about sex." If it's not the main focus, I usually don't say anything.
Where do you shelve these more mature titles?
Patrick Jones: Again, if it was marketed YA: that is, if the publisher felt the book had an audience of teens, it would be shelved in the YA area. Some public libraries divide their YA between middle and senior high titles, which comforts some parents, but just makes the books for older kids more appealing to younger kids.
Ian McKinney: In our regular collection, which spans 6th through 12th grades.
Are there any sexually slanted topics you have NOT seen addressed in literature that you feel should be? For example, gay literature was unavailable for a long time.
Patrick Jones: A lot, but I don't want to give too much away since now that I'm writing YA fiction, I want to save the good ideas for myself. The novel I am working on now, Nail, contains, at least in the first version although it may not make it to a published version, a lot of references to and one fairly explicit scene, about oral sex. And while maybe we don't need a YA Portnoy's Complaint, it is amazing that the sexual practice which lots of teens do participate in - masturbation - is rarely mentioned. One of the big over-riding issues, which people also don't like to do talk about is that this content makes librarians, editors, and even publishers uncomfortable if it strikes too close to home. Everybody wants to keep their sheets clean.
There's more to this provocative interview! REMEMBER, YOU CAN READ THE COMPLETE TEXT BY CLICKING HERE.
|
|
| |
|
| |  | | Stefanie von Borstel consulting with writers at a retreat in Palm Springs, March 2004. |
| | |
MIX IT UP! A LOOK AT CROSS-CULTURAL WRITING
with Literary Agent Stefanie Von Borstel
It’s a fascinating time to work as a literary agent today. This June, I attended the BookExpo America Convention, the annual conference where publishers preview upcoming lists to tempt booksellers into stocking their titles and recommending the newest reads to their customers. As I walked the aisles, I was excited to see the continued growth of cross-cultural diversity in children’s books.
Growing up in a mixed Mexican-German family, we would sing-along to mariachi songs and dance traditional polkas at our get-togethers. However, I heard more stories about my cultures from family members than I read in picture books. There simply weren’t many multicultural titles. But times have changed! As children across the United States see themselves and their cultures reflected in the books available to them, they will be inspired to read more and more.
But there is a lot of work to do. According to recent reports Latino children, the U.S.’s fastest growing minority youth population, are performing below the national average in reading with 56% of Latino fourth graders reading below grade level (The Education Trust, 2003). I believe it is more important than ever for publishing professionals and writers to embrace needs of young readers.
Here are some writers and publishers taking action that I discovered at the BookExpo:
- Lee y serás (Read and You Will Be) is a reading and literacy initiative created by Scholastic to support the development of Latino children across the U.S. The program is being piloted in San Francisco with plans to launch nationally next year. In addition, the publisher recently launched Scholastic en espanol, a new imprint of Spanish language and bilingual books. Scholastic will continue to promote diversity with The Misadventures of Maya and Miguel™, a new animated children’s series starring two 10-year-old Latino twins, to air on PBS Kids in fall.
- Publisher Rising Moon will launch a new bilingual imprint called Luna Rising this fall. My Name Is Celia: The Life of Celia Cruz/Me llamo Celia/La vida de Celia Cruz by Monica Brown, illustrated by Rafael López, is the first in their Latino storybook-biography series. This lively bilingual picture book (available in September) brings the inspiring boom-boom-boom and the shake-shake-shake life of the beloved Queen of Salsa to readers ages 5-8.
As people across our nation become increasingly multiracial and share experiences with a variety of cultures, what will books for young readers look like in the years ahead? If the current trend is anything to go by, children’s books will continue to explore cross-cultural characters and experiences. With the mix of cultures, races and faces surrounding all of us today, there is more inspiration than ever to mix it up with creative children’s books that address these everyday realities!
Stefanie Von Borstel is a literary agent with Full Circle Literary based in San Diego, California. She is always looking to connect with writers who incorporate diversity and fresh viewpoints into their writing. Please visit www.fullcircleliterary.com for more information.
|
|
|
| |  | Candie Moonshower and her first boyfriend,
lovin' life at 13 |
| | |
TEENS AND SEX: TO READ OR NOT TO READ
by Candie Moonshower
I don't remember the date I lost my virginity. I don't remember much about the experience at all except my abject fear of being discovered. But I do remember certain times in my younger days when I anticipated a kiss with such longing—such yearning—that my entire being felt on fire from within with that delicious tension that starts in your belly and vibrates out to every extremity.
Although my teen years began over three decades ago, I still do remember, and celebrate each year, the date of my first kiss (March 10, 1973, in the back of my brother's car with a boy named Greg). I just finished raising my teenage son. I have two more children that will be hitting their teen years soon (too soon). I work with teens and tutor reading in a learning center. I employ four teenage girls. To top it all off, I love and read all the young adult literature I can get my hands on and have one book for teens under contract and several others in the hopper. All of this qualifies me—in a most unscientific manner, to be sure—to write about teens and their reading of sex in young adult literature.
Here's my thesis: For all the "edginess" in the current generation of young adult books, there are still only a handful of books on the market that depict actual sex scenes. Books that portray "sweet" romance continue to be published and sell well. And books that were popular with teenage girls fifty years ago or more continue to be reprinted and put on library shelves. I think this speaks less to any held-over sense of morality on the publishers' parts and more to the fact that teens still want to act like teens and read about teen activities.
Okay, okay! I know that sex is and always has been a teen activity. But from my observation and reading, I think teen readers want to read about the anticipation and tension that accompanies sexual feelings more than the actual act. Yes, they're "doing it." But do they want to read about doing it? Not until they're ready to read it, and when that happens, most teen readers move from traditional young adult literature into books sold to adults—category romances and Stephen King novels and the like.
Case in point: I'm working on an idea for a contemporary novel geared toward teenage girls—a novel such as those published by Smooch, SimonPulse and other imprints that focus on young love and teenage life. I asked the girls that work for me to help me brainstorm the plot. One night after work, the five of us had a "roundtable"-type discussion. These four girls—Beth, 18, Anastasia, 17, Dina, 17 and Eva, 15—are all avid readers of both young adult and traditional adult literature. Not all of these girls are virgins. Yet all of them, to a girl, said the same thing about my book idea: "Please do not put sex in your book!"
I surveyed a couple of kid-lit writers' listservs and asked about books that have sex written into them as an integral part of the plot. The list of books I received back was sparse, and many comments from these writers of young adult fiction commented on the "ghastly consequences" of sex in YA books, such as rape, pregnancy and STDs, and death or near-death. Yes, some show tender foreplay, such as The First Part Last by Angela Johnson; or show in as tasteful a fashion as possible a frightening subject such as pedophilia, as in Counterfeit Son by Elaine Marie Alphin; or "first love" sex as in Forever by Judy Blume; sex amongst urban teen runaways as written by Will Shetterly in Never Never; or a pivotal rape scene such as in Donna Jo Napoli's Song of the Magdalene. And I applaud these writers. Their books are wonderfully and tastefully written and serve a healthy purpose. But why aren't there more books with sex as part of the plot out there for young readers? The answer seems clear, even if you only boil it down to dollars and cents: there's not a huge market out there for young adult books with sex in them.
Year after year, books like Beverly Cleary's Fifteen, Jean and Johnny and Sister of the Bride, and other girls' fiction (or what are now being called "Maltshop Books"), continue to be reissued and enjoy brisk sales, even forty and sometimes fifty years since their original publication. The Betsy-Tacy books, written by Maud Hart Lovelace and first published in the 1940s, are still in print. Particularly popular, according to sales rankings and customer reviews posted on online book sellers' sites, are the Betsy-Tacy books that focus on Betsy's high school years and subsequent wedding to her long-time beau, Joe. Companies such as Image Cascade Publishing (www.imagecascade.com) have repackaged books in soft trade editions (but with delightful facsimiles of the original covers) by famous "maltshop" authors such as Lenore Mattingly Weber, Janet Lambert, Rosamond du Jardin and Anne Emery.
I believe there's a market for edgy fiction for teens and, yes, young adult books showing sex in its various forms. But, obviously, the lion's share of the market is still owned by books that explore the tension and anticipation of love and sex, but close the door before the reader gets to the bedroom. I enjoy reading good sex, and in some of my work geared toward adults, I write good sex (according to my critique group members). But I really have no desire to put any sex in any of my books for teens. When I was a teen, I liked reading the "tension," but I didn't want to read "all the way."
For me, it's not about being moral or PC. It's about leaving something to the imagination. And heaven knows teens have always had vivid imaginations. It's a shame, but they don't get as much of an opportunity these days to exercise their imaginations, being surrounded as they are by every modern convenience known to man, and movies, TV shows and music that leaves nothing unsaid or unshown. Perhaps that is why books that don't say all and show all continue to sell well in the teen market.
Of course, this is only my opinion. I welcome your thoughts on the subject!
Candie Moonshower taught herself to type the summer after she turned eight, believing that writers type. Later in life, Candie's son, David, told anyone who asked, "My mom's a typewriter." After years of publishing articles, essays, stories and reviews for adults, Candie's novel for teens, THE LEGEND OF ZOEY, which she typed herself, will be published by Delacorte in 2006. Dreams do come true! Visit Candie at www.CandieMoonshower.com.
|
|
|
| |  | | Kim Hutmacher |
| | |
TERRIFIC REJECTIONS!
by Kimberly M. Hutmacher
It sounds like an oxymoron to anyone else but a writer. How could rejection ever be good? It was about one year ago that I received my first personal note of encouragement on a picture book manuscript. Phrases like nice story arc, fun language, and there’s no doubt in my mind that you’ll find a home for this manuscript sooner rather than later, sprinkled the page. I floated on air, reading those lines. I felt validated. I was confident that my work didn’t totally stink!
Then I became curious. Did authors I admire like Lisa Wheeler, Anastasia Suen and Esther Hershenhorn ever receive rejections? Did they receive any terrific rejections before they experienced their big break? What did the letters say? How did the words make them feel? Curiosity got the best of me, and over the past few weeks I emailed these ladies and several other stars in children’s literature, asking them to share some of their memorable terrific rejections. These are the responses I received!
Anastasia Suen, author of more than 60 books for children shares this quote and a bit of good advice for all of us. Your manuscript is incredibly sweet and well written. Unfortunately, some of the themes in your manuscript are similar to one of our forthcoming titles. “It wasn’t the writing that was a problem, but the fact that I wasn’t the first to send in that idea to this publisher. This happens. There’s no way I can know what every editor is acquiring, so…I write something new and try again.”
Ellen Jackson, whose latest title is LOOKING FOR LIFE IN THE UNIVERSE, shares two wonderful stories with us. She had received more than 30 rejections for her fractured fairytale, CINDER EDNA. She was obviously getting discouraged. Then she received another rejection with this line, In regard to Cinder Edna, I must tell you how much I laughed, and that I have been talking about it for days…this was a hoot! But the market has been flooded with fairytales…etc. “This rejection cheered me up tremendously. I decided that if this editor had been talking about my manuscript for days, CINDER EDNA was definitely publishable. I kept sending it out and, sure enough, it was purchased by the 41st editor who read it.”
Ellen also told me about a time when she sent one of her best manuscripts to a small publisher on the east coast. Much to her surprise, the editor called her saying that she would be traveling in her area for other reasons and asked if they might be able to have dinner together. “I convinced myself that the editor was going to tell me that she loved my manuscript and wanted to publish it. Why else would she be coming? When we sat down for dinner, the first thing she did was dash my hopes by handing me my manuscript and telling me that it wasn’t right for her. Then she told me that she had another manuscript that she wanted me to write. I immediately forgot the rejected manuscript. I quickly agreed, and the resulting manuscript, TURN OF THE CENTURY, eventually became an extremely successful book.”
Queen of cryptic rhyme, picture book author Verla Kay, shares this quote from a highly respected editor. Thank you for sending me your manuscript. I’ve now had a chance to read it, and I’m sorry to say it’s not for me. Although I think the facts you present here are fascinating, I don’t think they are coming together to form a cohesive book…etc. I’m sorry to have to turn this down, and do appreciate your giving me the opportunity to consider it. I hope you’ll try me again with other ideas! “While this rejection was disappointing, it was obvious to me that this editor wasn’t adverse to working with me in the future if I could come up with another story that better fit her needs. So while it was a rejection of this story, it certainly wasn’t a rejection of me as a writer!”
Mel Boring, author of numerous non-fiction books and editor of the Institute of Children’s Literature Website, tells us, “The rejection came from a well known science writer of old who wrote and edited some terrific science books. She worked at Walker and Company when I submitted a nonfiction manuscript about robotics. Her rejection was memorable because she wrote it from her summer place, in handwriting on both sides of a loose-leaf page. What she said was that my book about robotics looked good, but that they had just contracted for a book about robotics from the great Isaac Asimov.” Mel felt like he was in wonderful company since Isaac Asimov had written over 500 books!
Picture book author Lisa Wheeler (FARMER DALE‘S RED PICKUP TRUCK, Fall 2004), shares a story of a rejection revisited. “I had a manuscript rejected and a year later my editor called to see if I still had it (I did) and he asked to see it again. After some very intense revisions, it was sold. Wa-hoo! I felt it was a great opportunity to revisit the story and make it stronger per his suggestions. AVALANCHE ANNIE was published by Harcourt and came out last Fall 2003. She was my orphaned Annie and I am glad she found a home!”
Sydney Taylor Book Award Winner, Esther Hershenhorn (Chicken Soup By Heart, Simon and Schuster 2003) has a few cherished letters of her own. “I treasure the rejection letter that read, Charlotte Zolotow likes your writing and would like to see more. I will always be indebted to Walter Lorraine who turned back my easy-to-read, when easy-to-reads were first in vogue, informing me my story was more the stuff of picture books. He then went on to write, But I think you are a writer. If you sit down and write a book from your heart, I promise you I’ll read it. The U.S. Post Office returned that first novel effort, along with a standard rejection form. I’ll never know if the manuscript made it past the first Houghton Mifflin reader, if Walter Lorraine did indeed read my novel, if in fact the Editorial Director included those encouraging words in all of his rejection letters. What I do know is that the invitation and my affirmative response sent me on my way to both learning my craft and understanding story, which then sent me on my way to uncovering my story and eventually publishing.”
Esther also said, “My record-length Writer’s Journey offered up a plotline with enough twists and turns to serve three children’s book writers. Lucky for me, however, more than a score of requisite friends, allies and mentors peopled that plotline.“
Lucky for us that such a talented group of children’s writers were willing to share a bit of their own writing journeys, thereby educating and inspiring the rest of us as we plod along our own. |
|
|
| |  | | Author Margot Finke |
| | |
WRITER'S RETREATS AND CONFERENCES
by Margot Finke
Where writing skills are honed and the tricks of the trade are revealed.
A place where editors and agents lurk, and lasting friendships can develop.
August’s list of four conferences show that SCBWI is not the only organization that hosts great conferences for children’s writers. The British Isles are also included for our English readers.
14th Annual Flathead River Writers Conference • October 12-17, 2004 - Grouse Mountain Lodge in Whitefish, northwest Montana - a few miles west of Glacier National Park. Focus: Autobiography/memoir, Children's, Fiction, Humor, Marketing, Mystery, Nature/Environmental, Nonfiction, Playwriting, Poetry, Publishing, Romance, Science fiction/fantasy, and Screenwriting. Read what Karen Buck, Spokane, had to say about this conference: “The mix of people, all with different perspectives on writing, selling, promoting, etc. was wonderful - trouble is I wanted to go to all the workshops - do it again!” Activities: Consultation with faculty, lectures, readings, social events, workshops Fees: $180 ($150 early bird) for weekend conference, includes continental breakfast & lunch. Lodging available at conference site or nearby. $460 for combined 3-day workshops & weekend conference. Further Details: e-mail Jake How
This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it
Faculty: Go to their website to read about the faculty (too numerous to list here) and other information. http://writing.shawguides.com/FlatheadRiverWritersConference/
SCBWI ArkansasFall Retreat For Writers of Children’s Literature.September 24-26, 2004 - Yellville, near the Buffalo River. This Eighth Annual Retreat guides you through a series of revisions on your picture book. Explore new territory and bring your picture book to the next level by working hand-in-hand with published poet and picture book author Ann Whitford Paul, and other professional writers. Accommodation: The Buffalo Point Lodge Bed and Breakfast, located south of Yellville, near the Buffalo River, continues its fine tradition of great food and welcoming hostess. Visit their website for a schedule of events and a registration form. http://members.aol.com/ddpattison/scbwi/fall.html E-mail Darcy Pattison
This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it
for further help. Fees & Registration: SCBWI members $240.00 - Includes accommodations, 6 meals, and seminars.
SCBWI AZ "Welcome to Our House: A Day With Guest Editors" November 6, 2004 - Chaparral Suites Resort, 5001 North Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale, Arizona 85250
Featuring: Cheryl Klein, Associate Editor at Arthur Levine Books - Samantha Schutz, Assistant Editor at Aladdin Paperbacks and Simon Pulse - Rebecca Waugh, Editor at Dial Books for Young Readers. Manuscript critiques, morning refreshments and lunch will be included. Registration will open on September 1st. Fees and further information will be posted by that date. (A few rooms will be held at the conference rate of $99.00, including breakfast. Rooms are suite style; perfect for sharing.) Visit their website www.scbwi-az.org or contact Michelle Parker-Rock at
This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it
or 480 342-7045, for more information.
In the British Isles: SCBWI BI Professional Series: Editing Masterclass - 23 September 2004 7-9pm –31 Half Moon Lane, Herne Hill, London SE24 9JX (020 7274 6242) Speaker: Marie Campbell of the Transatlantic Literary Agency. She was Kenneth Oppel's editor at HarperCollins, Canada, and taught editing in college. Published SCWBI members can share tips about honing that first draft into a page turner! Fees & Registration: E-mail Jennie Walters, Professional Series Coordinator, for this and other details.
This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it
(020 7274 6242) and visit their website http://www.wordpool.co.uk/scbwi/events.htm for directions to the Masterclass.
Margot Finke is an Aussie writer now living in Oregon. She offers an affordable critique service to newcomers. See Website for critique info, plus details about KANGAROO CLUES, her newly published rhyming adventure - the first in her series of rhyming picture books about US and Aussie wildlife. Her monthly “Musings” column can be read in The Purple Crayon, or in the SCBWI “News Worthy” magazine. Margot has also written midgrade Australian outback adventures, fantasy, and a ghost mystery.
|
|
|
|
GUIDEPOSTS SWEET 16
(formerly Guidepost for Teens)
Writers Guidelines
You asked, we heard you! Many thanks to editor Betsy Kohn.
About Our Magazine: Guideposts Sweet 16 is a general-interest magazine for teenage girls (ages 11-17) published by Guideposts. It is a bimonthly, four-color publication that offers teens TRUE, first-person stories about real teens. Our watchwords are "wholesome," "current," "fun," and "inspiring." Sweet 16 has it all: fashion, beauty, celebs, boys, embarrassing moments, advice columns. We¹ll publish the occasional action/adventure story, but our ongoing focus will be on relationships and real-life teen issues: friendship, romance, peer pressure, etc. We need "light" stories about finding a date and learning to drive‹as well as catch-in-the throat stories. Language and subject matter must be current, uplifting, and teen-friendly. No preaching or lecturing, please!
Note: Sweet 16 is a relaunch/repositioning of our successful teen title, Guideposts for Teens, to reach a girl audience. The premiere issue of Sweet 16 will be Aug/Sept 2004. A sample issue of Guideposts for Teens is available: Send $4.50 to Guideposts, 39 Seminary Hill Road, Carmel, NY 10512, Attn: Special Handling.
Sweet 16 is not a beginner¹s market. We do not publish poetry or fiction. Areas of interest to freelancers include:
TRUE STORIES ‹ Five each issue. 400-1,200 words. A typical Sweet 16 story is a first-person narrative by a teen, written in a simple, dramatic, anecdotal style. The story may be the writer¹s own or one written in the first person for someone else. We are seeking mainly girl narrators, but will consider an occasional boy-narrated story. (If ghostwritten, no "as told to" byline given. But we will make out the check in your name...) Please keep the following in mind:
Don¹t try to tell an entire life story in a few pages. Focus on one specific happening in a teen¹s life. Bring in as few people as possible so that our interest stays with the narrator.
Decide what your point, or "takeaway," will be. Everything in the story should be tied in to this specific theme.
Don¹t leave unanswered questions. Give enough facts so that the reader will know what
happened. Use description and dialogue to let the reader feel as if she were there.
Dramatize the situation, conflict, and struggle. Then tell how the teen was changed for the better or the problem was solved.
Most important: Study the magazine. (Sure, you¹ve heard it before‹but it¹s true!)
MYSTERIOUS MOMENTS ‹ "Strange-but-true" stories. Miracles. Unexplained coincidences. Girl or boy narrators. Tell us what happened in around 250 words. Note: These can either be ghostwritten for teens, or adults writing about their teen years. Be sure voice is "teen." Send full manuscript.
POSITIVE THINKER ‹ A single-page feature on a teen girl who has overcome something remarkable and has kept a positive outlook. (A cheerleader with no arms. A girl who was homeless and started a summer program for shelter kids.) Text is a series of bulleted items in first-person, a catchy tag followed by a few lines of text. Be sure this tells us a story‹rich in anecdotes, dialog. 300-500 words. Query.
MY (TRUE!) BAD DAY ‹ Similar to "Positive Thinker." A teen girl or boy who had a really bad dayŠand survived it. Something tragic or embarrassing that came out of the blue, a turning point, a moment when the teen¹s perspective changed. (Example: a teen guy struck by lightning, a teen girl who flubbed the National Anthem at an NBA game.) First-person, short bulleted items with catchy tags. 300-500 words. Query.
MY OWN THING ‹ A profile of a teen girl who has followed her passion to do something extraordinary‹often (but not always) something that helps others. A third-person write-up, similar in format to our "Positive Thinker," with catchy tags/lead-ins followed by short blocks of text. Athletes profiled in this department must be national/world-class standouts, not high school/state champs unless there is a secondary angle. 300-500 words. Query.
TGTBT ‹ Profiles of boys who are "Too Good to Be True." We¹re seeking guys to profile who are cute, wholesome, and doing something very, very cool. (We can only run 6 of these per year, so we¹re really choosy!) TGTBTs we¹ve already acquired include a stunt pilot, a hot-air balloonist. Query with a photo.
DIY ‹ Trendy crafts, do-it-yourself fashion & beauty, bedroom accessoriesŠanything that a teen girl would find cool, fun, easy to create. We see a lot of this materialŠquery with something original! Seasonal ideas always welcome. Send snapshot of finished project.
FASHION/BEAUTY/SELF-HELP ‹ Fun, trendy, seasonal pieces about a single topic in beauty or fashion. We¹ll consider health-related, safety-related, consumer-type pieces here, also. (Example: How to Stop Biting Your Nails‹Once and for All!) 500-1,000 words. Query.
QUIZZES ‹ 500-900 words. Teen issues, approached with humor. "Are You Rude?" "Are You Dating a Dud?" "Are You Crushing Too Much?" We are seeking both multiple-choice quizzes and quizzes in other, more graphic-based formats. Query with sample questions. We also purchase quizzes for Web use.
Now...about the $$$. True stories range in payment from $300-$500, occasionally higher. Will pay approved expenses. Shorter manuscripts (100-750 words) pay $100-$300. Payment on acceptance. Buys all rights.
All manuscripts must be typed, double-spaced. A self-addressed, stamped envelope is essential. Please allow two months for a reply (but we¹ll try to get back to you sooner). Send to:
Guideposts Sweet 16
1050 Broadway, Suite 6
Chesterton, IN 46304
or via e-mail to:
This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it
|
|
|
|
ANOTHER BRAND NEW MARKET!
KidMagWriters.com seeks to fill an information gap in children's writing. So many sites and children's writing publication have very basic material about magazine writing, sprinkled in with their main focus -- book writing. On KidMagWriters.com, magazine writing is our main focus. So we have editor interviews, technique articles, and market assistance (including a growing online market guide) and support for children's magazine writers. KidMagWriters.com was founded and is edited by Jan Fields.
|
|
|
|
|
Tell a friend about SmartWriters.com!
|
