A Visit to the Scholastic Store

On Friday, I rolled into Penn Station at 12:35 pm and made 557 Broadway my very first stop. I hit The Scholastic Store by 1:30. I've seen so much of New York City over the years, but this was something new. Something I had to do. What an impressive sight. Props everywhere, with a wide range of books for every taste, from pre-readers and easy readers to mid-grade and young adult, Clifford the Big Red Dog, The Magic Schoolbus, Harry Potter, Star Wars, Captain Underpants, you name it. If you love children's books, try to go someday. It screams kidlit.

Enjoy the pictures! 

Welcome!

What does a dragon read? Anything it wants!

 

I have no idea why he's not slaying the dragon.

Harry Potter soaring over Hogwarts. Not surprisingly, Hermione busy reading.

Only one other place has a flying elephant, but this one dresses better. 

WordGirl and me. Or is it I? Oh, WordGirl will know. She's very smart. But then she has a very big head...

WRITERS CONFERENCE CHECKLIST



SCBWI 2009 Conference
by Rita Crayon Huang



As the saying goes, writers write. And they should write down everything, including a writers conference checklist. I’m two days out from leaving for the SCBWI Winter Conference and here’s what I’ve done so far…

 

1. Written a one-line pitch for every book. This is a pitch. Keep it short and hook ‘em right away. I’ve seen editors and agents drift away (not to mention potential readers and buyers!) as authors launch into some long-winded description about their book. "It's about a boy, um, raised by wolves after his parents died, only his parents are actually living with a clan of bears, which is a problem because the humans, who live in a nearby village, have turned to their spirit gods to forever separate man and animal, and..." Bored yet? So are most people, even if they listen politely. Get to the point. Every manuscript can be described in one line, two at most.
2. Written a three-line pitch for every book. If they’re intrigued after one line...
3. Read interviews with some of the attendees. A few are on the SCBWI blog, a few in other places. Unlikely I’ll meet any of these people among the thousands in attendance, but you never know. One of my favorite PBS hosts (John Forde, Mental Engineering) sat at my table during a media luncheon. He was impressed that I knew who he was (and that I genuinely loved his show). We hung out for three days after that. Be ready.
4. Memorized pictures of people I hope to meet. OK, this sounds creepy, but I want to know what they look like, not, “So that's what you look like. I should have been warned about that scar…” and I definitely don’t want to walk around looking at everybody’s chest trying to read their nametag. Turns out, that’s creepy, too. I blunt this one by saying "hope to meet." Otherwise it’s stalking (and editors and agents hate that).
5. Figured out what I’m going to say to the people I have scheduled to meet. Work ahead. If you can meet someone, do it. What has an editor worked on? Who does an agent represent? Read something of theirs. Even a snippet is better than nothing. But know what you’re going to say when you get there. Like the one-line pitch…
6. Made two copies of my hotel and conference registrations. I will lose one. I promise.
7. Cleaned out my portfolio. It gets messy in there. Taking only what I need. A few stories, a pen, paper, and business cards that are easy to pull out. Be quick. Like the one-line pitch.
8. Found my extracurricular activity. I always make plans to do one outside – yet writing-related – activity. In this case, visiting Scholastic’s bookstore. It’s legendary. Perhaps the best children’s bookstore in the country. It’s like Mecca for me, only in SoHo . I want to experience it, see it, feel it. And maybe send good karma my way as they considering two of my manuscripts. OK, I don’t believe in karma, but rather hard work and diligence, but like throwing salt over your shoulder, it can’t hurt.

Well, that’s some of what I do for every conference and some of what I’ve done specifically for this one. I’ve had good luck at conferences. I plan ahead but also keep no rigid schedule (except as need be). The subject of another post, I suppose. My credo at these events? Be loose yet diligent, fun yet practical, and be ready to talk with everyone. You don't have to always be "on" like a bad comic, but be prepared like a Boy Scout. Oh, and have the work to back up your words. Oral and written. Why pitch if you can't provide?

 

I’ve been to several small SCBWI conferences, but New York is huge. I hope the results are, too.

 

So, how do you prepare for a conference? Any tips? Any advice?

Fun Author Sites

It's no surprise picture book authors have some of the most fun sites -- for kids and parents. Here are a few of my favorites:

Bad Kitty by Nick Bruel. I put this one first because it's my son's favorite. Johnny K loves Bad Kitty Mad Dash, sort of Frogger with our hero avoiding kitty litter, vacuums, and Uncle Murray. He also likes Go, Cat, Go where Bad Kitty does what good kitties do, too -- runs for no reason. Great fun!

It's no surprise Mo Willems makes this list. He does just about everything right. His GoMo.net focuses on Cat the Cat and so is aimed at younger readers (and web surfers), but Elephant, Piggy, and Pigeon all pop up. Some simple and silly games that will entertain Mo's fans (and their children).

Jamie Lee Curtis has a lot of games on her site. They're mostly the same games, with mazes and matches, but for every one of her books. In other words, fans of any one book can find a character they love; fans of many books can chase plenty of their favorite characters around!

Okay, yes, this one looks more like the TV show than the original books, but it was inspired by the Rev. W. Awdry's stories. It's also a lot of fun for the little ones who can't get enough of Thomas, in visual or printed form. Games, puzzles, activities, and of course, video.

How could any list  be complete without Dr. Seuss? There's everything here for Dr. Seuss fans -- games, puzzles, sound effects, blips, bops, gar ginkers and trum tupers. You'll see his best known and least known characters. It's like the Wikipedia of children's sites -- you could get lost in there!

I found that these sites actually encouraged my son to read more, from Thomas in preschool to Nic Bruel and his chapter books now -- they do a wonderful job of promoting the authors, their books, and the joy of reading.

Check them out when you get a chance. Just make sure you have some time to spare!

Know of another fun site? Recommend it below!

Today Show Snookers Children's Books

In a bizarre decision, the Today show decided to abandon a more than decades-long tradition of interviewing the Caldecott and Newberry Medal winners after the prizes were awarded. Producers decided to go in a slightly more controversial direction and pick someone less representative of their audience and more representative of the Jersey Shore... actually The Jersey Shore -- Snooki. Now, I have nothing against Ms. Polizzi, or her appearing on the show. She needs an audience and they need ratings, but really, NBC -- in place of two talented authors (Clare Vanderpool and Erin Stead) who serve much of what your viewers find worthwhile -- their children and grandchildren?

I'm trying to guess the Today show's logic...

1. Producers figure Snooki's audience is still up from the night before.
2. She reads at a YA level.
3. With a name like Snooki, it has to be good.
4. It's tough to change channels when you're getting the kids on the bus.
5. They thought "Snooki" was an actual children's book character.
6. Ms. Vanderpool and Ms. Stead won't punch you in the face if they get canceled.

I'm sure the producers had their reasons, and I'm sure it comes down to money and "exciting television," because Ms. Polizzi, who is also promoting a book, will be more outrageous (and less educational). I think they call it "interesting,". Still, class, culture, and top-notch writing deserve a place on television, mainstream television, not just in spots reserved for PBS and niche channels on the upper end of the broadband. I hope Today reconsiders its decision and quickly books award-winning authors Clare Vanderpool and Erin Stead rather than lightweight, orange-toned pugilists who step from the pages of overwrought fiction and very bad television.

Hey, that's it! Maybe the producers grabbed Snooki as a cautionary tale... a chance to feel better about yourself before breakfast... or a reminder to have carrot juice in the morning... or...

SCBWI has taken to writing The New York Times and The Los Angeles Times to get these authors rescheduled. Here's hoping the Today show does it. To read more about it (in a serious vein), visit SCBWI's home page.

Writing Backstory Naturally

"Hey, Bob, remember that time we went bass fishing and you lost your leg in that horrible fishing lure accident?"
"I'm just glad you were there, Jim, to jump in and retrieve it as it sank to the bottom. Who knew you could hold your breath for three minutes?"

OK, the above scenario is a bit of stretch, but unfortunately not by much. I've read lines like, "Do you remember that time you got shot?" Yes, of course. The person got shot! Same with the above "example." A reader should know, needs to know, certain facts. but the author should be able to find ways to introduce backstory without being ham handed or clumsy.

Bob limped into the room on crutches, having lost his leg bass fishing years ago. His lure got caught in the boat's motor and pulled him forcefully toward it, severing his left leg just above the knee.

Jim dove into the lake to save his daughter. He struggled for air, turned purple, fought for five more seconds. He hadn't held his breath this long since recovering Bob's leg from the bottom of the lake.

Incorporating facts into action, not just exposition or dialogue, is a great way to present backstory. But make sure it fits. Make sure it doesn't take away from the scene. The last thing you want is for your reader to say, "That's nice, now get on with it!"

Don't introduce backstory too soon or too late. Your reader can forget certain information, or they might say, "Thanks, but I could have used that 30 pages ago. That explains Bob's fear of ordering sea bass in a restaurant." Backstory, like comedy, is all in the timing.

Don't introduce it all at once, unless it's in a scene. Can you reveal pertinent information by fully re-creating the time and place in your story? Do we have to know about Bob's horrible accident in the past tense, or can you create a full-fledged scene for us in the here and now? Describe Bob's accident, the pain, the stupidity, and Jim's valiant efforts to dive in and retrieve it like a Labrador. The information will stick with your reader longer, make more sense, be full of tension, action, and drama, and add rather than detract from your story.

Consider all the ways to introduce backstory and find the one that works best. Even if that means rewriting whole passages. When the time comes, reread your piece and see if your attempts at keeping the reader up-to-date and informed are awkward and heavy-handed. If they are, find a way around it, or you might lose your reader long before they learn why they need to know all that information in the first place.

Read more about it @ Fiction Groupie

A Pair of Picture Books on an Editor's Desk

A few days ago, an editor at Scholastic Press requested I submit a picture book she and I discussed in passing back in June. I am amazed at her memory and her notes.

 

But I’m even more amazed that just two weeks before that, she requested an entirely different manuscript that she had expressed strong interest in at the same June conference.The one she was paid to critique.

So two weeks, two picture book requests from the same editor. 

 

I don’t know what to make of this new request, but I’m taking it as a good thing. In my experience, and say that of a few thousand other writers, if editors aren’t interested in your work, they don’t request a second manuscript. They simply say “Thanks, not for us. You have talent, but we can’t use it.” (Rejection letters let you down easy; critiques are a slap in the face).

I rewrote this second story, too, just a bit, to make sure it was right to send to her. I didn't quite agonize over it the way I did The Spaghettisburg Address because an editor at Cartwheel (an imprint of Scholastic) had once expressed interest in it and had taken to offering her thoughts on revision. Between her notes and an agent's thoughts on the project, I felt relatively comfortable sending it out. Now I'm in the waiting and hoping game, hoping not only that it gets signed, but that I don't have to wait too long to find out.

And then I'm hoping that one other thing she said in passing also comes true -- that she could see me doing an entire series of these books. Now that's worth waiting for!