Breakout Session 4: How Tension and Conflict Drive Storytelling with Krista Marino

Krista Marino is a VP & Senior Executive Editor at Delacorte Press where she acquires and edits Young Adult and Middle Grade fiction. Among her list are bestselling series, like the Maze Runner; literary gems, like Kathleen Glasgow’s Girl in Pieces; genre-bending classics, like Rory Power’s Wilder Girls; trendsetters, like Karen M. McManus’s One of Us Is Lying; and masterful works of fantasy, like Amélie Wen Zhao’s Song of Silver, Flame like Night. Whether it’s an original voice, a unique world, or a compelling plot, she’s looking for stories you can’t stop thinking about.

How Tension and Conflict Drive Storytelling

The basics:

• Conflict is the engine of plot.
• Tension is the emotional strain that keeps readers hooked. 

How Conflict Drives Tension:

1. Conflict sets opposing forces in motion--it is "a problem with resistance"

2. Tension lives in the place between want and outcome--between a character and a character's desire and whether they'll achieve it

3. Conflict raises stakes, which amplifies tension

4. Unresolved conflict sustains suspense

So...

• conflict creates friction
• friction produces uncertainty
• uncertainty + stakes = tension

Tools for building tension:

• layer conflict (external and internal)
• use secrets and silence
• raises the stakes 
• mix fast-faced conflict with slow-burn emotional tension

Now, make it more tense:

1. withhold key information (peel back in layers)

2. Use time pressure

3. Layer internal and external conflict

4. Raise the stakes in every scene

5. Exploit secrets and lies

6. Shorten scenes in high moments (pacing)

7. Trap characters together

8. End chapters on uncertainty 

Krista takes this breakout group through all of these many aspects of conflict in tension in story, uses the books above, and more. Check out the greater depth of exploration and conversation in the replays.

If you are not registered and want to view this session to hear the full content, along with the rest of the conference, register at https://www.scbwi.org/events/virtual-summer-conference-2025. Replays of the conferences will be available until September 14th, 2025.

The Outlook for Children's Publishing in 2024: Mallory Loehr

Mallory's first person bio: I'm an EVP and Publisher at  Random House Children's books, working with the five trade imprints (20 editors): Random House trade, Doubleday, Random House Studio, Labyrinth Road, Little Golden Books, and Crown Books for Young Readers. I've been with Random House for over three decades! As an editor, I've shaped the careers of many authors, including Mary Pope Osborne, from the inception of the Magic Tree House series and New York Times Best Selling Author and Illustrator, Emily Winfield Martin. I continue to edit books, including Jimmy Kimmel’s THE SERIOUS GOOSE and Rachel Ignotofsky’s WHAT'S INSIDE A CATERPILLAR COCOON.  My house is full of books, 3 kids, a partner, an English Shepherd, and too many art supplies (in no particular order).

Mallory Loehr on the big screen

When asked to share your proudest moment in publishing, Mallory cites The Magic Treehouse Series, because it "created so many readers."

Mallory suggests - if you're going to submit a rhyming picture book text, make sure it really works--that it really rhymes. That someone else can read it aloud and it rhymes for them (and not just in your mind).

What she's looking for: "I feel like I read like a 12 year old. That's my inner reader... If you don't get me on page one, you're not going to get a 12 year old. Or an 8 year old... Something has to happen." She continues to explain that she wants the characters in the first pages to be people you want to hang out with, you want to be friends with, that at minimum you are curious about.

Mallory shares about how her editorial style is different with different authors, and how for picture books, she once asked the author to write out separately what they thought their book was about, to better be able to help them realize their vision and make sure it was on the page.

There's also a story Mallory tells us about how one of the editors on her team received a picture book manuscript from an agent, and they liked it but didn't love it. They turned it down. But then the manuscript was paired with an illustrator and re-submitted together -- and the editor was now able to envision the book and acquired it! (Lee's note: This is fascinating, as it goes against the "rule" about not submitting a book with illustrations if you're not also the illustrator. Perhaps it worked because the matching was done by the agent, but proceed with caution on this one...)

Advice on a publisher choosing to pay for someone to go to a conference is an investment. Publisher wants to know it will be worth it. Have you been going to schools? Building your speaker chops locally? Hard to know if you'll be comfortable in front of a room of people. Work on it. Take videos. Share those videos with your editor/publisher so they know you'll be amazing.

Figure out your thing. What can you do? You are your best advocate.

The discussion also touched on the blurring of the boundaries of age and categories, a discussion on romantacy, representation, and lots more!

Kate Egan - The Outlook for Children's Publishing 2023

Kate Egan began her career at Scholastic, then veered into the freelance lane when she moved with her family to Maine. As a freelance editor, she worked with authors from Cynthia Lord to Suzanne Collins, and launched a YA imprint, KCP Loft, for Kids Can Press. Now she is an executive editor at Pixel + Ink Books, specializing in IP publishing. Kate is also the author of many books, including the Magic Shop series and Golden Ticket, a middle grade novel. 

Panelist moderator, Martha Brockenbrough, starts by asking the panel why they choice editing book for kids. Kate notes that for her it's not just a business, it's a mission.  The sense of mission in work really appealed to her in children's books. 

Kate went to a high school with a robust tutoring system and as junior or senior it was real honor to be tapped by a mentor teacher to be a writing tutor. When Kate was tapped, her mentor teacher shared that you don't want to tell the student that the work is bad but that her role was to ask questions so that the writer could come to the improvement of the the writing on their own. The teacher underscored the importance of caring for the young writer. Kate felt she was truly helping and loved the experience. She didn't know being an editor was a job early on, but when she did, she knew editing was for her. 

When asked three words that described their taste, Kate shares: accessible, friendly, approachable and she adds a fourth - humor.

Martha moves onto talking about the process and wondering if it's changed at all in the last few years. This opens up a great conversation between the panelists about auctions, with a clear note that while the money is great, it doesn't mean you get the best editor for your book. 

What stands out to these panelists? Kate says it's often emotional connection, work that moves you. 

A way that the pandemic has changed publishing is that much of the publishing staff is working remotely. An editor can be anywhere now and be part of the process. It's opening door for a more people to become editors, allowing folks to come in from many places and backgrounds. 

Emma Ledbetter (Abrams): Editors Panel #scbwiWinter22

Editorial Director of picture books, Emma Ledbetter, has been at Abrams a little over three years. Prior to that she was an editor at Athenaeum and has spent most of her career in children's books, but her school background is in art history, and she did intern at Nickelodeon so she is probably very happy to chat about Sponge Bob with you if you ever find yourselves in an elevator together.

What matters most in the manuscripts you select and why?

Emma is really looking to be surprised. This can take many forms, but when you see as many submissions as she does you observe a lot of patterns in story telling or plot tropes and characters. Surprise could be a unique way into narrating nonfiction, or a character's voice with a truly distinct personality.

What happens after you decide you want to make an offer on a manuscript?

All of Emma's acquisitions go to an editorial team meeting, and then an acquisitions meeting with profit and loss statements, etc. In attendance at that meeting is the Abrams CEO as well as reps from sales, marketing, publicity, library, and subsidiary rights.

Do authors/illustrators now have to the social media clout of a Kardashian to be considered for publication?

There are no expectations that non-celebrities are having a million followers! But it's helpful to have at least one platform that teachers and librarians can find you on, people want to engage with you about your books. Similarly, even if you're not a super social media pro your publishers need somewhere to tag you/your books, so help out their marketing department and at least have an account somewhere.

One of Emma's books, SOUL FOOD SUNDAY, is a
2022 Coretta Scott King Book Award Illustrator Honor Book

Best first steps when submitting?

Kindness and professionalism go a long way, show interest in hearing/being open to feedback. It's not hard to flatter Emma! Even just a little bit of research into her list shows a level of care in your submission, that you know your tastes align.

Are you sure you don't need to be a 12-year-old yodeling TikTok star to get a book deal these days? 

Remember that what you're reading about in the news is because it's a newsworthy outlier and a skewed view of book deals. There is still a huge range of people being published of all ages, backgrounds and locations.

Another of Emma's books, THE PEOPLE'S PAINTER, won the 2022 Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Award as well as the Association of Jewish Libraries Sydney Taylor Notable Picture Book Award

Michelle Frey: Editor Panel

Michelle Frey is an executive editor at Alfred A Knopf Books for Young Readers. She's been editing for twenty-five year, and twenty of those have been with Knopf. She's worked on all kinds of books. Some of her best known are ERAGON by Christopher Paolini, THE PENDERWICKS series by Jean Birdsall, I'M NOT YOUR PERFECT MEXICAN DAUGHTER by Erica Sanchez, and OF THEE I SING by Barack Obama, illustrated by Loren Long. 

When discussing what makes a submission to turn into a book Michelle must have, she says the absolutely number one things is voice. When she finds a great voice, there can be other problems, but Michelle finds she can work with those problems, but voice is that element that's hard to teach. 

Michelle shared an SCBWI success story. She met an author with an amazing voice at a first-pages session at an SCBWI event, but it had a lot of problems. Based on Michelle's feedback, the writer worked on her book for six months and then submitted to Michelle, and Michelle ended up buying that book. 

When it comes to social media, an authors presence is not important to Michelle when acquiring. Michelle would rather see an author spending time on writing rather than building a social media presence. That said, if social media is a place that an author wants to be, and creates a following, that's great too.

Michelle says she really wants to work with people who are kind. In terms of the creative relationship, building on the partnership is important. She's not expecting a writer she's working with to take every bit of feedback. It's both listening well to the feedback, and also trusting yourself as a writer to fix issues, even it's not in the way she suggested. 

If Michelle takes the time to give a writer feedback (a writer who has submitted), it's because she sees something in that project. It's also a time for her, as an editor, to see how a writer she's never worked with revises. 

The Editors Panel!

top row: moderator Lin Oliver, sign language interpreter Brian Truitt, and Carol Hinz
middle row: Emily Feinberg, Kandace Coston, and Melissa Manlove
lower row: Sydnee Monday and Farrin Jacobs

Moderated by Lin Oliver, the panelists discuss what they're publishing and why, and then answer some audience questions.

Highlights include:

Kandace Coston, Assistant Editor, Lee & Low Books:

Kandace is looking for "strong female protagonists...unapologetic women who have been overlooked by history" but "whose contributions to society cannot be ignored."

Kandace speaks of POC and native creators and other underrepresented communities, and how Lee & Low's New Voices contest has for the last 20 years worked to create a path to publication for those creators and stories. (One of her responsibilities now is to read the hundreds of submissions that come in for the contest.)

She discusses the demand for greater diversity, and how "writing nonfiction can become a form of activism."

She recalls watching Hidden Figures in the movie theater, and the impact the true story of a brilliant group of Black women mathematicians might have had on her if she'd seen it as a young person.

Nonfiction is "an opportunity to break stereotypes... and the story of how our country is more multifaceted than we know."

Emily Feinberg, Editor, Roaring Brook Press

Emily shares about some of the books she's published, starting with picture books, and considers the through-line of many of the books she's worked on.

If Sharks Disappeared is a series that started as an infographic that Emily saw online, and then contacted the illustrator.

She cautions that she doesn't do a lot of picture book biographies as they can seem "wikipedia-ish," but then speaks of "Secret Engineer: How Emily Roebling Built the Brooklyn Bridge" as an example of how to do it right.

For older readers, she encourages playing with how a story is told, like the transcripts of sourced quotes in “Bringing Down a President: The Watergate Scandal.” 

Emily says her goal with nonfiction is 

"To give young readers the tools they need to be part of the conversation... To impart knowledge in way that sticks."

Carol Hinz, Editorial Director, Millbrook Press & CarolRhoda Books at Lerner

Carol is looking for “books that spark my curiosity, and that I think will spark the curiosity of parents, educators, and most of all, young people.” 

Carol shares categories and titles she publishes, including picture books that address science concepts in fresh ways, topics that may be be unexpected or "difficult," and middle grade nonfiction picture books on environmental themes (especially highlighting scientists of color and underrepresented backgrounds.)

She mentions science literacy, saying "the pandemic has made it clear what a poor job we've done with this in the US." She would love to see some novel approaches to help young people become more scientifically literate.

Overall, Carol says that about nonfiction, she loves "just how much is possible, in terms of topics and approaches," with Point of View and voice.

Farrin Jacobs, Editorial Director, Little Brown Books for Young Readers

Farrin discusses how Malala's story lent itself to spinning off to other formats, taking an anecdote from Malala's autobiography and making a picture book, and now even a chapter book. 

She speaks about how if its not a "big person with a big platform" then they're "looking for a story that will be picked up" for things like all-school reads and state lists and "have that long tail."

It's "all about stories and characters," and she talks about big idea books, and telling underserved stories.

Farrin says, "we're reaching readers when they're still developing" so she wants stories that help develop empathy, with "characters who feel and think."

Melissa Manlove, Senior Editor, Chronicle Books

With nonfiction, Melissa tells us that "you can do so many things."

And Melissa challenges us to ask ourselves, "What can I do that is new? What can I do that is surprising, and inspiring to kids?"

Sydnee Monday, Assistant Editor, Kokila/Penguin Random House

Sydnee explains that she's "Focused on publishing subversive, entertaining narratives" and especially the stories of Black, Indigenous and Queer people.

One example Sydnee mentions is the upcoming "Not Everyone Is Going To Like You" by Rinny Perkins

She speaks of self-sufficient marginalized communities, and using her list to celebrate underrepresented subjects and audiences. She's looking, in particular, for YA nonfiction.

Thanks to all the editors!

#SCBWISummerSpec Editors Panel: Neal Porter

Neal Porter, founder and publisher of Neal Porter Books, with Yuyi Morales, author/illustrator of the award-winning picture book DREAMERS

Neal Porter is VP and publisher of Neal Porter Books, an imprint at Holiday House, and is also the founder of Roaring Brook Press, an imprint of Macmillan. His books have won a plethora of awards, including the Caldecott Medal, four Caldecott Honors, Geisel Honors, Sibert Honors, the Coretta Scott King Award and Honor for illustration, Pura Belpré Awards, and the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award, and in 2015 he himself was awarded an Eric Carle Honor in the category of Mentor.

I had the pleasure of meeting and having more than one conversation with Neal at an SCBWI conference at Asilomar a few years ago, and I made a point of introducing myself and expressing my respect because ye gods, the man is having a CAREER, you know what I’m saying? He’s been in the children’s publishing industry for 43 years, with positions at too many publishing houses to even try to list, and works with some of the most heralded authors and illustrators in the field, including my personal choice for The Best Picture Book Author/Illustrator On the Planet Earth Right Now, Yuyi Morales.

The man himself, Neal Porter.

Neal exclusively publishes picture books - 24 picture books spread across 3 seasons per year, to be exact - and some of the books he’s especially proud of are DREAMERS by Yuyi Morales, NINE MONTHS by Miranda Paul and Jason Chin, HEY WATER! by Antoinette Portis, and A PLACE TO LAND by Barry Wittenstein. In fact, he met Miranda, Antoinette, and Barry at SCBWI events, so, you know, SCBWI has served up a few bottles of that particular flavor of lightning.

Neal’s also done the publishing equivalent of finding a movie star working at the local soda fountain - in his case, the soda fountain being an indie bookstore, and the movie star being future Caldecott medalist Erin Stead - but he mostly hears about new talent from agents. He entertainingly describes the three-person staff of Neal Porter as a “vast empire,” but one which doesn’t accept unsolicited material because, you know, three people. Dude is good with irony.

He was not shy about acknowledging the changes and challenges forced upon the publishing industry by the Covid-19 pandemic. He misses the easy spontaneity of strolling down the hall to chat with colleagues, which is a more formal and ritualized process via Zoom. His list is full through 2022, and looking to 2023 means looking toward a reality we can’t yet predict the shape of. At the end of the day the publishing industry is still a personal, intuitive, and selfish (in the sense of only publishing books he truly loves) one for him, but he second guesses his choices more these days because of pandemic-induced uncertainty.

Neal acknowledges that as a 66 year old white guy, he carries an immense amount of privilege that he sometimes struggles to check at the door, but he finds much inspiration and learning from the examples set by his younger colleagues, and is eager to keep finding new work that prioritizes underrepresented voices, confronts racism, and empowers individuals and communities to rise up. Publishing has proven infinitely adaptable, and he believes a good book will always find its audience, no matter the circumstances.

Lin Oliver, Neal Porter, Arthur Levine, Namrata Tripathi, Julia Strauss-Gabel, Stacey Barney, Jill Santopolo, and Brian Truitt during the #SCBWISummerSpec editor panel.

#SCBWISummerSpec Editors Panel: Arthur A. Levine

After a wonderful conversation with Sir Phillip Pullman on Friday afternoon to start off the Summer Spectacular in the best possible way, Arthur A. Levine is back to take part in the Editors’ Panel: Discovering New Talent and Publishing New Books: The Challenges, The Decisions, The Criteria. Arthur has well over 30 years of experience in children’s book publishing. He first worked his way up to Editor in Chief at Knopf Books for Young Readers, and then founded the imprint Arthur A. Levine Books at Scholastic, and after 23 years as its President and Publisher, he founded Levine Querido in April 2019, where he is determined to showcase a diverse range of voices, delivering “The Best of the World’s Literature for Young People” to readers.

Arthur is joined on the panel by Namrata Tripathi (VP & Publisher of Kokila, an imprint of Penguin Young Readers), Julie Straus-Gabel (President and Publisher of Dutton Books for Young Readers at Penguin Random House), Stacey Barney (Executive Editor at G.P. Putnam’s Books for Young Readers), Neal Porter (Founder Neal Porter Books, an imprint of Holiday House), and Jill Santopolo (Editorial Director of Philomel Books, a Penguin Young Readers).  

When thinking about the criteria he uses to find new talent, Arthur speaks of his company’s motto: “Beloved books, beautifully made, giving voice to a world of talent”

                                                   

And “beloved” is a central consideration when thinking about the kind of books Levine Querido is interested in publishing. 

“We are looking for books that not only do we love reading now,” Arthur says, “but that you could imagine being a beloved book . . . One that stands out for a reader in that special shelf of books they treasure forever.” 

He spoke of the concept of books having an essential truth.

“A book having an essential truth—that there’s some essential truth in that book that you carry away with you and it stays with you maybe for the rest of your life.”

A few examples he gave of books his worked on over his career are:

 

Officer Buckle & Gloria by Peggy Rathmann

Essential truth—Always stick with your buddy

“If you carry that through in the rest of your life, you’ll have something good.”

Mirette on the High Wire by Emily Arnold McCully

Essential truth—Think only of the wire and of crossing to the end

“Truly it’s everything, the project you’re working on. A challenge that you’re facing. If you can break it down, if you can only think of the wire, the path that you’re on and of crossing to the end, you’ll be okay.”

Everything Sad Is Untrue (a true story) by Daniel Nayeri

Essential truth— Your truth, your deep truth is untouchable

Arthur says you need to grab the book August 25^th to know the full meaning of its essential truth. J

Levine Querido is all about “beloved books, beautiful made,” which also speaks to the fact that their books will have an “exceptional quality” and lasting appeal.