scbwi meetings


	Welcome to the San Diego Chapter of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. We meet the second Saturday of the month from September through May at theUniversity of San Diego’s Hahn School of Nursing Room 106 from 2:00-4:30 p.m. maps/location Meetings are open to SCBWI members and nonmembers. Cost: $7 for SCBWI members, $9 for nonmembers Season Tickets are available from September through November. They provide discounted admission to all meetings and include a subscription to our Chapter newsletter, The Sand Castle Legends. newsletter Monthly meetings feature a speaker on writing/illustrating and have time for chapter business, member announcements and networking. Some of our speakers are local; others are brought in from out of town. Every meeting is planned to further the development of our members' careers. Suggestions of topics and speakers are always welcome. We are looking forward to our 2007-2008 program and hope you can join us. May Topic Sharpen Your Language-Ann Whitford Paul At our next meeting, author Ann Whitford Paul will teach us how to sharpen our language. As a writer of picture book, early readers and poetry, Paul knows all about producing tight copy with and lively and sharp language. She is the author of Hello Toes, Hello Feet, Manana Iguana and All By Herself, among many others. Paul's love of language came early. In elementary school she started keeping a journal, until neighbor girl stole it and read all the mean things she had written about her. "Seeing her hurt expression made me fearful of the impact of the written word, and I immediately put an end to journal writing and any thoughts of being an author," she said. Instead she studied sociology at Northwestern University and the University of Wisconsin, and social work at Columbia University. Then she worked as a social worker until her children were born. "It was not until I was 35 and had just given birth to the third of my four children that I began to think about writing books," she recalled, especially the time every night when she would read to them. "I loved the peace and closeness of those bedtime readings so much, I decided I would try to write books that other adults and children could share together. "I prefer writing picture books because of their brevity (which doesn't necessarily make them easier to write!) and their musical, poetic language. It took me five years of submitting 18 different stories a total of 180 times before I made my first sale (Owl at Night, in 1985). That number isn't meant to be discouraging, but encouraging. Persistence is the name of the game. Those who give up will never succeed. Those who keep trying will either succeed, or at the very least, have a wonderful journey along the way. "My advice to people who are thinking about writing for children is to first of all, get to know yourself and what interests you. Secondly, read lots and lots of picture books, especially those published in the last ten years. Picture books have a form. It behooves you to learn that form before you experiment with ways to break it. And third-write, write, write and write some more. Fourth, don't be shy about seeking knowledge from others. And last and most important of all, enjoy the process!"

Welcome to the San Diego Chapter of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.

We meet the second Saturday of the month from September through May at theUniversity of San Diego’s Hahn School of Nursing Room 106 from 2:00-4:30 p.m. maps/location

Meetings are open to SCBWI members and nonmembers. Cost: $7 for SCBWI members, $9 for nonmembers Season Tickets are available from September through November. They provide discounted admission to all meetings and include a subscription to our Chapter newsletter, The Sand Castle Legends. newsletter

Monthly meetings feature a speaker on writing/illustrating and have time for chapter business, member announcements and networking. Some of our speakers are local; others are brought in from out of town. Every meeting is planned to further the development of our members' careers. Suggestions of topics and speakers are always welcome. We are looking forward to our 2007-2008 program and hope you can join us.

May Topic

Sharpen Your Language-Ann Whitford Paul

At our next meeting, author Ann Whitford Paul will teach us how to sharpen our language. As a writer of picture book, early readers and poetry, Paul knows all about producing tight copy with and lively and sharp language. She is the author of Hello Toes, Hello Feet, Manana Iguana and All By Herself, among many others.

Paul's love of language came early. In elementary school she started keeping a journal, until neighbor girl stole it and read all the mean things she had written about her. "Seeing her hurt expression made me fearful of the impact of the written word, and I immediately put an end to journal writing and any thoughts of being an author," she said.
Instead she studied sociology at Northwestern University and the University of Wisconsin, and social work at Columbia University. Then she worked as a social worker until her children were born.
"It was not until I was 35 and had just given birth to the third of my four children that I began to think about writing books," she recalled, especially the time every night when she would read to them. "I loved the peace and closeness of those bedtime readings so much, I decided I would try to write books that other adults and children could share together.
"I prefer writing picture books because of their brevity (which doesn't necessarily make them easier to write!) and their musical, poetic language. It took me five years of submitting 18 different stories a total of 180 times before I made my first sale (Owl at Night, in 1985). That number isn't meant to be discouraging, but encouraging. Persistence is the name of the game. Those who give up will never succeed. Those who keep trying will either succeed, or at the very least, have a wonderful journey along the way.
"My advice to people who are thinking about writing for children is to first of all, get to know yourself and what interests you. Secondly, read lots and lots of picture books, especially those published in the last ten years. Picture books have a form. It behooves you to learn that form before you experiment with ways to break it. And third-write, write, write and write some more. Fourth, don't be shy about seeking knowledge from others. And last and most important of all, enjoy the process!"