Breakout Session 1: Smells Like Tween Spirit with Julia DeVillers

Julia DeVillers is a bestselling and award-winning author of middle grade and YA books, including: MEET ME AT WONDERLAND (Simon & Schuster), MEET ISABEL and NICKI (American Girl), and HOW MY PRIVATE PERSONAL JOURNAL BECAME A BESTSELLER, which was adapted into the Disney Channel Original Movie “Read it and Weep.” She also has sold a TV pilot to CBS inspired by her life and a true crime show to Oxygen. She has been featured in The NY Times, People, Good Morning America, NPR’s Weekend Edition, and USA Today.

Smells Like Tween Spirit

Julia asks us to think of one character you remember vividly from childhood, and then think of 3 adjectives that made you love them. 

Where does Julia come up with her ideas for your character? Often real life experience. Julia's job at Chuck E Cheese as Chuck E Cheese inspired her latest book, a middle grade romcom MEET ME AT WONDERLAND. Julia suggests mining your own experiences. 

An exercise, because middle graders often about experience many first. Pick one, and write about it in a couple of sentences.

• First huge embarrassment
• First big changes (moving, puberty, middle school
• First loss
• First betrayal
• First crush/ first time a crush like you back

Tip: If you have trouble getting back to that time, it can help to play music from that time in your life. 

3 key elements of developing your character, know their:

• desires
• fears
• quirks

Julia notes that voice isn't just dialogue. It's how they sound. How they think. It's their word choice, tone, and rhythm. It's how they sound in their thoughts and in their dialogue. 

Code switching. It's great to remember kids sound different depending on who they are with. 

Julia notes that our character should experience growth. They don't need to fix all their flaws or become a new person, but still earn some insight, especially about themselves. "We want to see your character mess up, learn, try again, and grow."

"Creating characters is about getting the slang term right or perfect, it's about capturing that wild, awkward, amazing smell of being a tween." Julia asks, "If we bottle teen spirit, what would it smell like?" Ha! Fun considerations. What does it smell like to you, reader?

If you 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.

Kirby Larson: Where's Papa Going with that Ax? Whispers of the Past in Contemporary Middle Grade Novels

Lin welcomes our first keynote speaker of the morning as one of our local heroes. Kirby is a loyal member who also wrote the Newbery Honor book HATTIE BIG SKY. She now has a sequel HATTIE EVER AFTER, and many other beloved books for kids.

Last year Kirby was honored with the Crystal Kite by the West Division of the SCBWI for the FRIENDSHIP DOLL. This story was inspired by an old photo of a young girl from Montana with an Asian doll. Kirby explored how such a doll would come to be loved by this little girl. In 1927, beautiful artisan dolls were created and sent from Japan as Ambassadors of Friendship. There was genius there: "bypassing the screw-up adults to try and build peace one kid at a time."

As a child, Kirby adored her grandma, although her grandma wasn't a hugger and didn't even like reading. Kirby wondered what it was that created their bond. Then Kirby learned that as a child, when her mom was ill and only able to feed her, her grandma did the rest, keeping her safe.

Someone kept us safe during our newborn writer stage. They've kept us safe, and warm, and dry: our book grandmother.

"I admire anybody who has the guts to write anything at all." ~E.B. White

As writers we all need a community to support us, and possibly a grandmother for our books.

When Kirby's daughter was home with strep throat, Kirby read and reread books by Patricia Reilly Giff to her. Then Kirby studied those same books as a writer. "Patricia lit candle for me, so I could find a way in the dark. Someone has done that for you."

There are whispers of past works in the contemporary. You've possibly had someone dismiss your manuscript, told it is something that has been done, but Kirby shares the many echoes that have come from the greats of the past that now appear in new and wonderful novels for kids.

The writers before us leave breadcrumbs for others (like us) to follow.

"Leap and the net will appear." ~John Burroughs

Each time we write, we step on a thin cable over a wide crevasse with no net to catch us. Plus there are those many rules that people throw our way to try and knock us off the line. It's amazing we even pick up the pen or paintbrush. If you lose balance, just grab the wire and hold on. Someone will be there to rescue you.

Listen to Mister Rogers, you are not alone. All those writers that have come before, they have your back. Someday, someone will see the work you've done, and that's all they will need to be led into their own story.

WENDY LOGGIA, "I Wanted to Love This: 7 Reasons Why Your Manuscript Gets Declined"

WENDY LOGGIA, "I Wanted to Love This: 7 Reasons Why Your Manuscript Gets Declined"

Delacorte editor Wendy Loggia's panel focused on the manuscripts that ALMOST were accepted but were not quite ready for primetime. (She was not focusing on manuscripts that were obviously not ready at all, she was focusing on the manuscripts that are ALMOST ready to go.) She felt these 7 tips would help SCBWI members and aspiring writers as they revised their manuscripts.

WENDY LOGGIA BIO: Executive editor of Delacorte Press, an imprint of Random House Children's books; the focus at Delacorte is almost exclusively on middle grade and YA novels. She is the editor of THE SISTERHOOD OF THE TRAVELING PANTS series by Ann Brashares, the GEMMA DOYLE trilogy by Libba Bray, as well as several debut novels by SCBWI members including Kristin O'Donnell Tubb's AUTUMN WINIFRED OLIVER DOES THINGS DIFFERENT and Georgia Bragg's MATISSE ON THE LOOSE.

Wendy looks for a strong narrative voice, great stories, and for writers that display a clear authorial hand. She joked about spending "nine years crushing people's dreams" but then discussed the real reasons as to why she will pass on book submissions.

Some highlights from Wendy Loggia's panel:

-- She tells aspiring writers always to think about WHY someone will want to buy your book. They are going to pull out their wallet and spend 18 dollars or more, so make your book worth it.

-- She will pass on a manuscript that is "too similar to other novels I've worked on." Examples included writers who love THE SISTERHOOD OF THE TRAVELING PANTS series which she had edited, so they submit a novel just like it. She also says she will pass on books that are too similar to other books already in the marketplace. She says they have received a flood of similar Twilight vampire books, books about werewolves, etc.. "Instead of jumping on a trend, write what feels true to you."

-- Voice, voice voice. "I may love the concept, but I can't connect to the voice. The voice wasn't special enough, I don't see teens/tweens connecting to the voice, I think the voice is meant for adult readers. It may have great moments but if there's too much telling or not a compelling voice, I will pass on it."

-- Sometimes she will pass on a book if the author seems to be too much trouble to work with. "Working on a book is like a marriage," she says. "Editors and authors spend a lot of time together sharing ideas. It's not all fun and games. If person feels like trouble before process has even started, I don't want to get involved." She will google people who have submitted their work and read their blogs as part of her research to make her decision. She said "it's like a job interview."

These are just some of the tips she offered. All of Wendy's seven tips were all very helpful and telling to the standing-room only crowd at the main ballroom for both aspiring writers and published veteran writers. Again, another reason why this conference is so great - you get exclusive information that can really help you improve your writing and help you on your journey towards publication. 

Posted by Paula Yoo

Brenda Bowen: "Agents Panel: The State of the Business" Part 2

More highlights from Brenda Bowen @ Agents Panel:

• On revising a client's work: "I was working with an aurhor on a picture book, and he revised it couple times. I said it was good and he said, 'Let's see what an editor says.' (Much laughter from the audience. Brenda shrugs.) Well, I have a different hat on now."
• As a former editor, Brenda says certain agents who have excellent reputations or cache can influence editors' expectations. When she was an editor, Brenda says, "I was aware that some agents' names in the inbox meant that what was attached, although maybe not perfect for me, was going to be really good for someone in the house, and that it was ready to go. I'd like to be one of those agents, like you folks (she nods to the panel)."
• Brenda believes in a long-term relationship with her clients. "I spent my time nurturing creative careers. It's not good for us to make one sale and never sell your work again. You have to imagine a partnership, to trust that we're going to give our best to each other and that we'll be there for the long haul."
  

Posted by Paula Yoo

BRENDA BOWEN: "Agents Panel: The State of the Business" Part 1

BRENDA BOWEN: "Agents Panel: The State of the Business" Part 1

Highlights from the Agents Panel: The State of the Business featuring Brenda Bowen, Sarah Davies, Stephen Frasier, Dan Lazar, Kelly Sonnack, and Marietta Zacker.

Each SCBWI Team Blogger focusing on one agent. 

Stay tuned for live blogs from Lee Wind's blog on Dan Lazar, Alice's blog on Sarah Davies, Jolie's blog on Stephen Fraser, Suzanne's blog on Kelly Sonnack, and Jaime's blog on Marietta Zacker.

I'm focusing on BRENDA BOWEN: She is a literary agent with Sanford J. Greenburger Associates, a full-service agency founded in 1932, and the home of Dan Brown, Fancy Nancy, and Kafka. A former publisher, Brenda specializes in children's books at SJGA, and is always on the lookout for funny books for middle graders.

Highlights from Brenda Bowen's quotes @ the panel:

-- Her imprint, The Bowen Press at HarperCollins, became "a statistic" because it launched in January 2009 and was "axed" in February 2009. "But when a door closes, another one opens," she said to great applause, referring to her new job as a literary agent with Sanford J. Greenburger Associates.

-- What Brenda is looking for: "A strong voice, assured confident writing, and creative use of language."

-- She does like "literary books" but she also has a fondness for funny books and asks that if you plan to submit a funny book, please indicate so! 

-- Find out how to submit via their website: http://www.greenburger.com/

-- For Brenda Bowen, please put "SCBWI-LA" in the subject line of your email query

-- Although Brenda has only been an agent since July, she's already signed some great clients. She says one person had written such a compelling sample via email that she downloaded the entire 15 pages attached and read it immediately and signed the writer right away. "So it does happen," Brenda says, adding that again, the voice was extremely "compelling" which is what sold her on the writer.

Stay tuned for more highlights!

Posted by Paula Yoo