Bruce Coville: at the intersection of plot and character

Bruce Coville

Bruce Coville, author of too many books to count, launched our conference with a speech about the ripple effect our writing can have in the lives of children. He helped wrap it up with a talk about plot and character, two elements that work together to create a story.

"You need to discuss them both interweaving with each other," he said.

There is a literary divide between plot writing and character writing, and Bruce has a theory of male and female storytelling energy. Male energy is about action, adventure, incident. "You blow stuff up and boys love it."  Female storytelling energy is about character, relationship and beauty of language. "Many girls will sit still for a story with that kind of energy."

The best stories partake equally of both male and female energy, he said, "in that sweet spot in the center where you have incredible characters engaged in fascinating situations."

Some useful nuggets: 

• Plot imposes discipline on the disorder of life.
• A perfect ending is both a surprise and inevitable.
• Fiction is held to a much higher standard of believability than life is. 
• On coincidence: it can start a story, but not end one.

What is a good story? 
Bruce loves to find three things in a story when he's reading: the Ha, Waah, Yikes! formula. Ha is a belly laugh. Waah is a tear. Yikes! is a gasp of surprise.

"It's hard to get somebody to gasp when they're reading a story, but it can happen," Bruce said.

The ha: Bruce loves jokes, but this isn't a belly laugh in a story. It's one that grows out of the story itself. When a bully gets his comeuppance, for example.

The waah: It's easy to get the tear. You just kill the dog. If you wake up one morning and you're a dog on the pages of a children's book, run for your life. Your pages are numbered.

What he prefers are the tears or joy of relief, because of what happened that was so true.

There's a third kind of tear that you can't plan for, but can happen: the tears of personal connection. They will ring true for the right person, who needs to hear that thing at that time. "The right story for the right person is like an arrow to the heart."

The yikes!: When the world of the story changes on us and we see the story in a new light. 

Some story and writing fundamentals
"The recipe for story is very simple: Take somebody you like and get them into trouble. The better the character, the worse the trouble, the better the story," Bruce said.

Another rule: The character has to solve the problem. Usually they're making a tough choice.

"Writing is, in many ways, the art of choosing details" Bruce said. "By choosing the right details, you can crank up the emotional drama and make the story more compelling... By asking questions and inventing scenes that answer them, you end up with a story."

For your major scenes, try to engage three of the five senses. Don't do it for all your scenes; that's too much.

* * * * *

JOKE INTERLUDE

Q. How do you write a story for the New Yorker? 

A. It's easy. Just write your story and throw away the last page. Then you have a New Yorker story.

* * * * *

On characters: Make your character face a tough choice: a moral decision, Bruce said. All of the elements in a story should lead to choice, which is the primary character revealer in a story. Generally, people will take the most conservative action that gets them what they want.

More Bruce

• His homepage
• Bruce on Facebook
• Bruce on Twitter

Super Special Golden Kite Luncheon Guest: Richard Peck is in the House!

Nobody every became a writer, said Richard Peck. We write in admiration of writers who are better than we are.

The book on my desk these days, he says, is STUART LITTLE. (He's currently writing books from the perspective of a mouse.) The one voice our story never needs is ours, he says.

I'm not getting pointers from STUART LITTLE. I'm getting companionship from E.B. White. That's the advantage of our field: we can talk to dead people.

STUART LITTLE was published in 1945, Richard says. E.B. White could give Stuart little an adult voice, because back then, children heard adult voices. Today the take orders from the leader of the peer group.

Why does STUART LITTLE live on? Because he's the smallest, most vulnverable character in the story, and he's the hero, Richard said.

Here is the sacred secret of what we do, Richard says:

A story is always something that never happened to the author.

E.B What was never a mouse or a spider.

J.K. Rowling never attended Hogwarts.

Stephenie Myer never got bitten by a you-know-what.

Every book begins in the library with the hope that it will end there, he says.

His message to young people: Unless you find yourself on the page very early in life, you will spend your life looking for yourself in all the wrong places.

Salley Mavor: Picture Book Illustration Golden Kite Award Winner

Sarah Stern says one of the reasons Salley Mavor's POCKET FULL OF POSIES won this year's Golden Kite Award for Picture Book Illustration is that every single page is beautifully crafted and embroidered, lovingly and carefully worked on for years at a time.

Some quotes from Salley's acceptance speech:

It is a great honor to have my work recognized this way.... Since my first book, THE WAY HOME, was published 20 years ago, I've felt like an outsider paddling upstream—with a needle and thimble in a stream of watercolors. Now I feel I'm floating down a stream of possibilities.

Some people Salley wanted to thank:

Margaret Raymo, her editor, who was patient while Salley worked, sometimes for a year at a time, without showing Margaret anything.
Salley's husband, who has encouraged her work and never suggested she get a "real" job.

from her Amazon page

Quotes from Salley's about her art style, which she calls fabric relief, and how she began to create in fabric:

I say I am part of the "slow art movement."

Machines are no help, everything is done by hand.

Growing up crayons, were never enough... I'd spend hours creating scenes and clothing for my miniature dolls.

At RISD she rediscovered her love of 3D art and had teachers that encouraged her to work outside of the yoke of traditional illustration mediums. It's during this time Salley taught herself to embroider.

Salley is an active blogger and I love the photos she posts. Check them out here. Her work can be found in a touring exhibit AND you can even learn how to do fabric relief by picking up her book, FELT WEE FOLK.

Alan Silberberg, Sid Fleischman Award winner for MILO: STICKY NOTES & BRAIN FREEZE

Alan Silberberg holds the paperback version
of Milo: Sticky Notes & Brain Freeze

Sid Fleischman was one of the founders of SCBWI and a master of comic invention. He died about a year and a half ago, and the award continues in memory of Sid and in honor of humorous writing.

Lin Oliver, no slouch herself when it comes to funny, introduced us to the delightful and warm-hearted Alan Silberman, who won this year's award for his book MILO: STICKY NOTES & BRAIN FREEZE, about a 12-year-old boy who loses his mother, sneezes on the girl he secretly loves, and learns to live with both.

"Like all great comedy, it has its basis in the human heart," Lin Oliver said. "From the moment we meet Milo we know we're in the presence of a hero who teaches us that humor and hope are the antidotes to grief and isolation.

He shared episodes from his writer's journey with us.

"My first book was pond scum," he said, not clarifying that POND SCUM was the title of the book and not his own personal post-publication review.
 
After that, he had a couple of false starts. He felt waves of panic until a bookseller asked him why he hadn't tried combining his cartooning and writing. Sort of like that little Wimpy Kid series.

That's when Milo was born. To get into the headspace of a 13-year-old, he had to travel back into his own memories ... to the time when he had braces and ate a forbidden Baby Ruth (with disastrous results), and to the death of his mother when he was 9 years old.

That's when he got the idea to combine humor and heartbreak so that he could tell the story of a funny kid living in a fog-filled emotional world. He wanted kids to laugh even as Milo dealt with that sadness, and to win a humor award for that means the world, he said.

For a description of his working relationship with editor Liesa Abrams, check out our recap.

He dedicated the award to his mother, Audrey Silberberg. And then we all cried.

• Visit Alan's site.
• Follow him on Twitter.

Rukhsana Khan: Golden Kite Winner for Picture Book Text

Writing the text of a picture book is deceptive. I mean, you look at the number of pages. 32. "I can write 32 pages!"
You look at the word count. Under 1,000. "I can crank out 1,000 words in one sitting!"
And you think, "how hard could it be?"

Well if you've tried it, you'll understand that crafting a great picture book text is like mastering the art of bonsai. Every word counts. Trim here. Shape there. Let the story grow and bloom and yet keep it tightly constrained while you revise and revise... and revise until there's magic shimmering in every word, in every page turn, in every emotion.

Rukhsana Khan wrote "Big Red Lollipop," and it's a beautifully written (and beautiful) picture book about culture clashes and wanting to fit in and sibling rivalry and ultimately, love.



Illustrated by Sophie Blackall, Rukhsana Khan's text for "Big Red Lollipop" won her the Golden Kite Award.

Here's Rukhsana accepting her award:



In her acceptance speech, she's telling us that she's been writing seriously for twenty-two years. And it took her ten years to write this. She's telling us that the first version of "Big Red Lollipop" showed up as an anecdote in her novel, "Dahling, If You Luv Me, Would You Please, Please Smile."

She's explaining the story behind the story - a moment from her childhood, where she wasn't the point of view character she later depicted in "Big Red Lollipop" - she was actually the younger sister who ate the lollipop!

And as an adult, she told this real life moment at a conference, and had to figure out, how do I make this a story? She uses it in workshops, and asks attendees to come up with different endings.

When you're writing a story, you can change what happens.

The ending in the book isn't what happened, but what should have.

She tried to make this story work in multiple formats over the years, (even as an easy reader), and then got the suggestion to re-write the story from her older sister's point of view - it was the breakthrough she needed and she wrote it in 15 minutes - "this story took me ten years and fifteen minutes to write."

Rukhsana is a great storyteller, and it's a wonderful picturebook!

Golden Kite Luncheon: Jennifer Holm: Fiction

Jennifer Holm is the 2011 Golden Kite Award recipient for TURTLE in PARADISE.

Jennifer opens with, "I like to revise. It's kind of an occupational hazard, if you know what I mean." Then she thanks the entire room and tells us she has a lot of thank you notes to write.

She could hardly believe she had won this award.

Jennifer was sick when she learned she won and said, "That call was better than any chicken soup."

TURTLE IN PARADISE wasn't an easy book to write, she tells us.

"Don't give up. Stopping counting after you hit the 16th draft. Save frequently. Hire a babysitter so you have time to write," she told the room and then shared that this room of people is here for us (all of us). "We are your people."

Unveiling the Golden Kite poster!

Sarah Stern has designed the first ever Golden Kite poster. This poster will be sent to schools, libraries and bookstores all over the country to promote the latest winners of this prestigious award. This year's poster features the art of past GK Picture Book Illustration Award winner, John Parra.

These are going to be collector's items, so beautiful!

Golden Kite Luncheon - Student Illustrator Scholarships

SCBWI has come up with yet another amazing opportunity for new artists. And no, it isn't a Ponzi Scheme. Lin may be privy to some Fonzi Schemes, but I digress.

The new SCBWI scholarship awards three full-time illustration students attendance to the national conferences.

The winners this year are Lisa Anchin, from the School of Visual Arts, Julianna Brion, from the Maryland Institute College of Art, and Sarah Krzynowek from Huntington University.

And just check out who one of the new mentees is and also placed in the portfolio show?

From Julianna Brion's portfolio

Golden Kite Luncheon: Tanya Lee Stone, Nonficton Winner

Tonya Lee Stone won the Golden Kite Award for Nonfiction for ther book THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE BARBIE. Tanya can't accept the award in person, but we get to see her speech on screen.

Barbie is why I'm "here" today, she said. She thanks her publisher Viking for being giddy about the topic of Barbie. Tonya seems rather giddy about her honor. (Congratulations, Tanya!)

2011 SCBWI Member of the Year

Huge congratulations to Michelle Parker-Rock for winning this year's Member of the Year Award.

Michelle is long-time Regional Advisor of the Arizona region and author of many books for kids.

"SCBWI, I love you," says a shocked Michelle.

Richard Jesse Watson - The Illustrator's Journey: From Capable to Mastery - Throw Yourself Down the Rabbit Hole

You may already like like Richard Jesse Watson. But after reading about his presentation you will LOVE Richard Jesse Watson. Below are some of his excellent tips for taking your illustrating skills to the next level.

Richard with his awesome models

 Richard says:

If you want to be in this business for the long haul, 

you have to throw yourself down the rabbit hole. 

It takes real commitment, real attention, real therapy. Richard says you don't have to PAY for therapy, he recommends going for a walk. And like David Small said, sometimes writing and making art IS the therapy.

Richard believes one of the things that has taken his art to the next level is building mock-ups and models for his illustration. Do other great artists do this?

YOU BET YOUR McCLINTOCK!

Barbara McClintock makes paper cutouts of her characters and sketches flat paper background scenes. They are only rough sketches of her characters to stand in front of, but she can position these characters anywhere trying out different configurations until she gets things just right.

NAUGHTY ROBERT!

Robert McCloskey got some ducklings in anticipation of doing MAKE WAY FOR DUCKLINGS. He sketched them while they were hanging out in his bathtub. Richard told us Robert gave them liquor to calm them down.

ADAM REX, THE ZIMA OF THE CHILDREN'S BOOK WORLD?

Adam Rex is a curious, effervescent mix of writing and illustrating talents. And he is so talented nmakes sculpy models of his characters, foam core versions of important prompts, like steamboats, as well as posing for reference photos himself.

DOES AN ELEPHANT POOP IN THE WOODS? I DON'T KNOW, BUT IF IT DOES, YOU CAN MAKE A BOOK WITH WHAT COMES OUT.

Richard not only builds maquettes, not only gets wild animals (though he doesn't slip them a Mickey), not only poses for photographs, he also rents planes. Look at his lovely caterpillar maquette. Without the maquette, Richard would never have imagined such amazing shadows were possible.

To do Tom Thumb, Richard got a pet mouse to sketch.  It would run around on his desk. The mouse was always on the move, very very hard to sketch. And the one time the mouse DID stand still, it was to pee right on Richard's final cover painting.

Richard's lovely wife, Suzi, sews costumes for Richard's models (usually his sons.)

For THE BOY WHO WENT APE, Richard went down to Oregon to sketch chimps.

To get reference for the aerial shots in THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS, Richard rented a private plane to fly over his hometown for a half an hour. He brought three cameras so he wouldn't miss anything, but didn't realize he'd get airsick. No one barfed, and Richard did not accidentally brain the mayor with a falling camera.

Final words from Richard on How To Turn an Industry BooHoo into a BooYah:

It's a tough time in the industry, but if you are patient, there's big opportunity. There are benefits to adversity. To paraphrase J.K. Rowling, failure means stripping away all of the inessential. Put all your energy into what you are working on, you don't have to fight the pressures of fame and fortune because you don't have any! Just do your best work.

Martha Rago - The Craft of the Picture Book

from SCBWI SoCal

Martha's session began with running us through how a manuscript is acquired (and the illustrator chosen and acquired.)

For starters, Martha says the driving force in the business right now is chain stores, so they do need to cater to their needs, but she/HarperCollins also try to balance that with the artistic and thematic leanings of each HarperCollins imprint.



A real world example:


Once upon a time, Martha got a manuscript from Anne Hoppe, WHEN I GROW UP. Chains like celebrity authors with built-in platforms (though Martha loved the manuscript before she realized it was written by Al Yankovic!) But celebrity books present an added pressure--the artwork will have to stand up to the scrutiny of Al's fans and fit in with his existing brand.

Martha: Sometimes it's pure luck that connects me to an artist at the right time.

The week Martha got the WHEN I GROW UP manuscript, she received a postcard with distinctive, quirky art. She looked up the illustrator's website and blog to see more of his work. She liked it very much, but thought his palette was a little limited. Martha emailed Wes Hargis about the project and her thoughts on some tweaks to his art that might be needed. Wes was open to change. And able to meet Martha's deadlines—the book's publication would need to be timed to come out with an upcoming tour of Al's.

Martha's role at the very beginning of a book:

RESEARCH: Find that perfect artist. Martha keeps a constant eye out for new illustrators, she meets with agents, looks at blogs, goes to conferences, visits portfolio days at nearby colleges. She often keeps samples she likes up on bulletin boards.

ACQUISITION: The editor initiates the illustrator acquisition process. An editor gives Martha a manuscript they're thinking of acquiring, and then talks with Martha about the size/trim/audience/look/budget of the book.

DON'T EAT IT, PITCH IT! Martha and the editor take all of this information and turn that into a pitch (coupled with a profit & loss statement) to an acquisitions meeting.

Martha: You have to really love the work. You live with this book.

Ambassador Emeritus Jon Scieszka Breaks It Down and Goes All Interactive On Us

Jon Scieszka wowing us

In his Breakout session, "Experimenting with Multi-Platform Storytelling," Jon dove deeper into the genesis of his four book series Spaceheadz, and how it was conceptualized and sold as half-book and half-digital program.



Spaceheadz was conceived to get kids to be media literate, giving them access, helping them analyze and evaluate and ultimately encouraging them to create media in a variety of forms.

He took the idea that everything broadcast on TV goes on and on into outer space, forever... all those "I Love Lucy" episodes, and those commercials, being watched by Aliens. And what if some of those aliens came to Earth and only knew about us from TV? From commercials?

What would they think about the Charmin toilet paper commercials? They wouldn't know what toilet paper was for. They'd think it was something that made big bears happy.

So the Spaceheadz books are integrated with digital pieces, online sites and experiences that expand on the story of three aliens and one human boy trying to save the world.

He runs down all the amazing elements of the Spaceheadz universe online, and then launches a Q&A, which covers lots of details of how he's doing it - pitfalls he and his digital team had to avoid, and advice for attendees on things to consider if we also want to take our stories across media.

It's a really valuable session, and the inspiration in the room is palpable!

Mary Pope Osborne: All About a Career in Children's Books

Mary Pope Osborne has written many books for kids. She is best known for her MAGIC TREE HOUSE series.

Mary starting writing thirty years ago.

When she first started, an editors took interest and told her it was great, but that they needed to see if she could rewrite. She grabbed hold.

Mary suggests: If you get an editor who responds to you and shows any interest, grab hold because they don't do that lightly.

She says she's never been mean to myself as a writer and does not believe in writers block. She is okay with writing badly. She knows she can go back and fix it.

Mary wrote 4 young adult novels and 4 picture books, but still wasn't getting her head above water as an author.

Became interested in Greek mythology and pitched an idea to do a collection of stories. She began doing many retellings. She continued to write many books until an editor asked her write a series which became Magic Tree House.

Mary through herself into four of the books, and then Random House asked her to do four more. School visits became key for her. A local bookstore helped her get the visits. She believes those visits helped with the series success.

Magic Tree House has had the same editor and illustrator all these years. Wow!

A fun side note: Mary admits that she thinks the first book wasn't written well and Random House has let her rewrite the first, DINOSAURS BEFORE DARK, for the 20 year anniversary of the series. 

Still today she questions when she should stop. Thinks she will when she dreads writing another one, but right now she's having a great time.

Mary admits she has boxes of things that never have never been published.

Tip: If you have a book coming out, meet the people who sell your books (meet the sales reps). Thank them, and remember them.

Tip: You should be an Authors Guild member if you've published even one book.

Tip: When you're stuck, get out of your chair, leave it and it will come to you through your subconscious. Also, keep notebooks all around because you never know when the answer will come to you.

Sarah Stewart: writing up to children

Sarah Stewart

Sarah Stewart is the author of five picture books: The Money Tree, The Library, The Gardener, The Journey, and The Friend. David Small, her husband, illustrated each of them. Her next book, The Quiet Place, comes out in 2012.

If you don't remember anything else, Sarah said, remember these two quotes:

Whenever Flaubert was asked for the true identity of Madame Bovary, he would say, "C'est moi."

"If it doesn't come from deep inside of you, forget it," Sarah said. "It's not going to go across the world."

And then, E.B. White, when asked about writing to little children, said, "I write up to children. They are my most discerning audience." 

Children listen differently, Sarah told us. Much more honestly to one another and in their speech.

She exhorted us to leave the room if we weren't willing to go deep with our work: "The blank paper stares at me unblinking, unforgiving, daring me to write a meaningful line. If you're not prepared to fling yourself, body and soul into your writing for the rest of your lives, you should rise up and flee out of this room right now."

And she gave us three words to live by: expect, protect, and reject.

Expectation: By this, she means to expect a lot of yourself and expect a lot of your reader. Honor that desire to know in all of us, she said ... the insatiable curiosity in nearly every child. The openness that is so natural for the very young. At the same time, acknowledge the best in yourself. Be quiet. Search within your own unique experience. Take the time you need. Take the time that you and your writing deserve. Remember that only in long silences are we able to hear our most inner selves.

Expect to finish what you've started. "Small miracles can come from the simple act of finishing a story," she said.

Expect a lot of yourself and write up to the child with honesty. 

Protection: She urged us to "Protect yourself from Internet invasion and family chaos and work stress in any way that does no harm to your relationships. Get up before everyone else. Ask for quiet time in the family when appropriate. If you work away from home, if you can, eat lunch occasionally and take notes. Eudora Welty said, 'Writing is a muscle. If you don't use it every day, it will let you down. It will diminish'."

Protect your brain. Eat well and exercise. You'll not only write better, you'll feel better. And when you're called up onstage to receive the award for your next book, you'll even look better.

Rejection: Reject the shallow connectedness of the web. Without being selfish or rude, give yourself and your own thoughts as much time as possible.

You do not have to be the most popular person ... to be a great writer. You have to write, and write some more, and then start again and write it better.

When you do send a story off and it gets rejected, remember that it's the story being rejected--and not you. And so put that story away. Let it rest. Don't look at it for months. Write another story. Get out from under that rejection.

Sarah read to us from three classic books (check them out for inspiration):

• The Grinch by Dr. Seuss
• Sylvester and the Magic Pebble by William Steig
• The Crows of Pearblossom by Aldous Huxley

A Three-Way Conversation: The Authors-Agent-Editor Relationship

Author Nova Ren Suma (IMAGINARY GIRLS), editor Julie Strauss-Gabel (Dutton) and agent Michael Bourret (Dystel & Goderich) are talking about the three-pronged relationship between author, agent and editor.

RELATIONSHIP BUILDING

Julie stresses that these relationships work different for everyone--no one starts their journey in the same way.

Michael and Julie have none each other for approximately a decade. Michael says Julie was someone he really respected and really wanted to work with. But he wanted to sent her the RIGHT project, something with the kind of voice she's looking for.

Julie says she trusts Michael's knowledge or her taste, Michael's taste, and the way Michael does business, so when he sends her a project, she looks at it immediately.

Julie stresses that choosing an agent is a critical decision for your career--it's important to find one who helps you develop your strength and work on your weaknesses. Be sure to ask questions, talk with an agents clients, and don't rush.

Michael says that it is worth your time to take is slowly and think about what you're doing. An agent doesn't (shouldn't!) expect you to make a decision in 24 hours.

Michael points out that once the editor and author strart working together, he's still involved in the process. He's copied on editorial letters. He answers questions an author will have. He gives pep talks.

THE DEAL

Michael says at this point, there are way more agents than there are editors. An editor recently told him that she got 20 submissions from agents last week. He wants his to rise to the top--and his relationship with editors helps facilitate that. 

Nova published her first book with S&S without and agent. When she was ready to shop her second book, she wanted to work with an agent. Michael told her he thought they could sell the project, but he wanted to find her an editor that would really push her. "That scared me," Nova says. And that's why she knew that's what she had to do.

Nova said she rewrote her synopsis some five times so they could get the propsal in the best shape possible. When she started working with Michael, she only had 20 pages written.

Michael took Nova's book to auction with a short list of editors. Julie was at the top of the list, and she also won the auction.

Julie points outs that she didn't get the project just because she had the highest bid. Once there was a short list of editors interested, Nova had conversations with all of the publishers who were interested. Julie says even if you're not in an auction situations, it's important to have that conversation before you deal is made.

Julie says the relationship betweenn the three of them works so well, is because it's really about the book that ultimatley came out of it (not about the deal).

Julie and Michael say this like to be really clear and honest with writers when it comes to the work that needs to be done with a manuscript.

THE EDITORIAL PROCESS

Nova says IMAGINARY GIRLS went through four or five rounds of revisions and it was the hardest work she never did. "I thought at times Julie knew my characters more than I did."

Julie learning, via a conversation with Micahel, that Nova has been a short story writer, gave Julie an insight that allowed them to get through a revision hump. Nova says that plot is her weak point. Julie took the novel and divided it up into four stories, illuminating everything for her.
 

Portfolio Showcase Winners

An esteemed panel of judges (possessing much expertise and very good taste) pored over portfolios yesterday to choose winners for the SCBWI Portfolio Showase! Laurent Linn, Steven Malk, Richard Jesse Watson, Nancy Conescu and Jamie Weiss Chilton chose a portfolio grand prize winner and three honor winners, and the Illustrator Committee chose several illustrators to participate in SCBWI's illustrator mentorship program.

Note that mentorship recipient Julianna Brion won an SCBWI student scholarship (one of three winners), awarded this year for the first time. And she's the recipient of both a portfolio honor and mentorship. Also note that honor winner Joen Deininger was a mentorship winner last year. (The wonderful SCBWI Illustrator Committee programs yield results!)

Here are the recipients...

Grand Prize Winner: ELIZA WHEELER

Portfolio Honor: GREG PIZZOLI

Portfolio Honor & Mentorship Recipient: JULIANNA BRION

Portfolio Honor: JOHN DEININGER

Mentorship Recipient: ANDREA ZUILL

Mentorship Recipient: JUANA MARTINEZ

Mentorship Recipeint: CHRISTINA FORSHAY

Mentorship Recipient: JESSICA LANAN

Agent Panel: Barry Goldblatt

Barry Goldblatt

Barry Goldblatt is a lucky man.

Not only does he happen to work for an agency with the same name as his (what are the odds?),  he's married to the fabulous Libba Bray, who has entertained and inspired us all weekend. And in addition to Libba, he represents some of the most compelling writers in the business: Holly Black, Cassandra Clare, and Lauren Myracle.

The 11-year-old agency has two agents now, Barry and Joe Monti. They represent everything from picture books up through YA.

On digital publishing:

The simple fact is, this is nothing new. The way it's being done is new. Vanity publishing has been around since the first printing presses have been available. It doesn't change anything about how professional publishing works or how we work. Our job is to find authors whose work we believe in and give them the best chance to be seen by as many eyes as we can.

On market segments that are thriving: 

Barry doesn't worry about this: "My job is, I get a great book. If I believe in that book and the author is really talented, I'm going to find that book a home whether the marketplace is buying that or not. Right now, you hear a lot of buzz about YA. But there are a lot of readers who aren't reading YA and we're still publishing books for them. Just because it's not fancy and glamorous doesn't mean there's not a market for it."

What makes you sure you can sell a first-time author's manuscript? 

I signed it! I have a full list and there's not tons of room left. But I'm always looking for new people. There is very little in agenting as satisfying as making that first sale for an author. It's the best rush we get. It really, really is.


What's voice? 

"We know it when we see it." With his clients on a recent retreat, he had everybody bring a paragraph or sample of what they thought was good voice. Having everybody read what they thought was great voice was really enlightening. It was different from every person there. What was consistent was, you knew it when you heard it.

What happens if you can't sell something? 

"I have a 98 percent sell rate. Are there things that can't sell now? Yes. Are there things we can't sell now that we pick up later? Yes. Are there things that are unsellable? Yes. As we've discussed, those conversations with the client can be really difficult. Sometimes you emerge from it as a team, sometimes you don't. I built this agency on the idea that great writing will always find a home, no matter how weird a problem is or how oddball it is in terms of where the marketplace is." 

"I don't measure my success or failure about whether the book becomes a huge hit. That's not what it's about. It's about a good publishing experience for my author." 

You have a magic wand. You can fix any one thing in the publishing business. What would it be?

I want the end of semiannual payments to authors. In Europe, they pay once a year.
How do we submit to you?

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What do you not want to see any more of? 
Bad.

What's the next hotspot?
Horror. 

What's your pet peeve about submissions? 
For me it's simply sending me things I don't represent. It drives me crazy.

What would you like to land on your submissions desk tomorrow? 
All of the above: brilliant, award-winning bestseller.


Barry took a moment to mention the passage of the brilliant William Sleater: "If you have not read his work, you should. His book INTERSTELLAR PIG will be enjoyed by any reader of any age. He will be sorely missed.

• Follow Barry Goldblatt on Twitter
• Barry Goldblatt Literary
• The Barry Goldblatt donut of choice

Agent Panel: Tracey Adams

Tracey Adams (with her husband Josh) runs Adams Literary - a boutique agency exclusively dedicated to representing children's and young adult authors and artists, including many award-winning and bestselling clients!

Tracey starts out by sharing that this month's SCBWI Bulletin's SCBWI Success Story is Veronica Rossi and her debut "Under The Never Sky" - whom she and Josh met at last year's Saturday night pool party... and then Tracey held up the published book!

When asked about e-books and the changes in publishing, Tracey mentioned how they're looking at working with some of the new smaller publishers (like Little Pickle Press) and for all the changes in format, from audio books through e-books and beyond, their goal is to figure out what's best for their authors.

Here's a great quote from Tracey:

While some agencies might be saying 'can I sell this?,' we're thinking 'am I in love with this?' ...We don't give up easily, and if we love something, we're gonna find a home for it."

The panel is funny, and there's lots of great info being share - it's fascinating to get this glimpse into Tracey's process.

Is she an editorial agent (doing revisions with her clients before submission?)

She likens it to real estate, and says

"we see ourselves as stagers - we get it ready in its best form to submit."

whether it takes a pass or two with the author revising it or if she gets it and it's good to go,

"If we see voice, we're gonna grab you up because I don't think you can teach that."

The panel ends with brilliant lightning round, and it was such a great opportunity to learn more about Tracey Adams. Oh, and you can follow Adams Literary on twitter here!

Agent Panel: Tina Wexler

Tina Wexler is a literary agent at International Creative Management (ICM).

ICM is one of the largest and oldest agencies in the world. The literary department consists of 11 agents representing everything from kids to adult. In the children's scope, she reps everything from tots to teens.


On Digital publishing:

Independently publishing a book is a vital option for some. It works if you just want something out there, but if your goal is to have a thriving career, it's just as much work, if not more work.


What if you have a client who has had several successful books, but the next one delivered doesn't seem strong enough. What do you do?

Tina has a relationship with her clients and she would have a conversation with that person, letting them know that this might not be the next book. It would be a difficult conversation, but an important one.

What happens if you have a author who's sold several books, but wants to take to the next level and get a better deal? 


If you want to get to that next level then you must take your writing there. "We're only as good as the material we're selling." You should ask, What are you doing to get there?

You have a magic wand, and you can fix anything in the publishing business, what would it be?

I want more bookstores to come back.

The lightning round:

What do you not want to see any more of?

Screen plays.

What's the next hot genre?

Sci-fi

Pet peeve about submissions?

Hostility.

What would you like to land on your desk? 

Ditto (to Marcia's, "Something brilliant")

Agent Panel: Marcia Wernick

Marcia Wernick has brought some of our favorite creators into the publishing world, like Mo Willems and Peggy Rathmann. Her new agency, Wernick & Pratt, just celebrated its six-month anniversary. She promises their website will be updated soon.

Thoughts on digital publishing?

The digital world offers a lot of opportunities, but it's not a replacement for publishers. It's changing the way
Opportunities for game apps, things linked to picture books, but I don't think it Most of our job is to be your advocate and business advisor, this is part of what we have to do, guide you through whether digital publishing will be good for your career.

In your opinion, is there a genre or age-group category that's drying up right now? Or one that's thriving?

Marcia: I think there's always a market for a well-crafted, strong original voice. It took her two and a half years to sell DON'T LET THE PIGEON DRIVE THE BUS, but it did sell, eventually.

One market more challenged than the others is the non-fiction market. It's taken a hit. It's traditionally been geared to the school and library markets, both of which have endured big budget cuts.

You have a client, you've sold four books with the client. They deliver their next book and you don't love it, what do you do? 

Sometimes, to support my opinion that it's not working, I'll share the manuscript with Linda Pratt to get her opinion and share that with the author, too. On occasion I'll share it with the editor who is publishing that author, too.

When you go out with a manuscript from a debut author, what makes you sure you can sell it?

This industry is driven passion, so I need to be passionate about the manuscript. I am the Mama Bear, I make sure my client is taken care of and their work is out there. I feel an incredible entitlement on behalf of my client. It's their right to get their work out there—it's our right. 

How do you find illustrators?

Most of my clients have come through referrals. Some digital submissions, sometimes meeting them at conferences. One of the things that's very different about looking at artwork vs. illustration is an illustration portfolio needs to show characters. And character development and emotion moving or changing through an illustrator's portfolio.

What happens if you can't sell something?


It's important that while I'm trying to sell a project the author continues to move forward by working on new projects. We're looking long term, I'm not just interested in selling one project.

If you were given a magic wand to change one thing in publishing, what would that thing be?

On the business side, I like escalating royalties across the board.

The Agent Panel Is Starting!

They're in bathrobes (a funny 'protest' at the early hour) but they're on and the ballroom is full!

Brenda Bowen (far right, standing) moderates the agent panel.

Seated, from right to left, Tracey Adams, Marcia Wernick, Tina Wexler, and Barry Goldblatt

We'll be blogging on each agent's comments in separate posts, so look for those...

The Agent Panel Is Starting!

They're in bathrobes (a funny 'protest' at the early hour) but they're on and the ballroom is full!

Brenda Bowen (far right, standing) moderates the agent panel.

Seated, from right to left, Tracey Adams, Marcia Wernick, Tina Wexler, and Barry Goldblatt

We'll be blogging on each agent's comments in separate posts, so look for those...

Gary Paulsen: Write What You Know

I've been coming to this conference for a few years now, but I have to say that today's breakout with author Gary Paulsen is something I will NEVER forget. In fact, I have six pages of notes--but I'm still speechless.

First, the topic of his talk was: Write What You Know: Some Thoughts On Outdoor Adventure, Sled Dogs, Sailboats, And Other Things Best Left To Experts Or Those With Self-Destructive Tendencies.

Gary Paulsen is the amazing author of Hatchet, Dogsong, The Winter Room and more. But the first thing that was clear when he started speaking was that Gary is a storyteller. His words had edge, passion, but more than anything, they painted a realistic picture of things I've never even imagined.





From stories of his time in the military to his years in Hollywood, his time spent in a cabin in the woods, trapping before getting dogs for the Iditarod--Gary's words were sometimes funny, sometimes shocking, but completely unlike any breakout I've ever attended.

During the Q&A, one audience member called out: "Forget the questions! Tell us another jail story!" To which Gary answered, "Okay." We were truly mesmerized.

Some of the most touching moments were when Gary talked about his dogs, his time on the Iditarod. The entire session was about his journey through life, his inspirations, his... unconventional take on publishing.

But one of the best lessons was when he said, "You write for writing and everything else is shit." Gary hit on a feeling, that feeling that this business is hard sometimes--but ultimately, it's the love of writing that keeps us in the game.

Mary Pope Osborne: A Bridge of Children's Books

Mary Pope Osborne has written many books for children, but is known for her ever-popular MAGIC TREE HOUSE series.

Mary speaks to how she studied and fell in love with: character, setting, voice, and plot, using examples from many well-loved books and even childrens' letters.

"There's a huge range of how to tell stories with humor and depth."

But there's something more.

"Being a children's book author after thirty years is more than a way to earn a living. It's a way of looking at the world in a way of seeing more deeply, with more love and more attention, taking kids by the hand and asking them to come along."