SCBWI Summer Conference: Fantastic...

I'm back in the Nati, the humid humid Nati, and still coming down from the from the fantastic SCBWI Summer Conference in LA. If you weren't there I hope you followed the event on our equally fantastic Official SCBWI Conference Blog.

I'd like to thank the super-extra-fantastic members of SCBWI TEAM BLOG--Jamie Temairik, Jolie Stekly, Lee Wind, Paula Yoo, and Suzanne Young--for their hard work and dedication to covering the conference.

Here we are at our first SCBWI TEAM BLOG meeting.

TEAM BLOG's posts, photos and video were terrific (not to mention fast and furious) and I think we offered a good taste of the conference and shared some useful information for those who weren't there as well as for attendees who could only attend one session at a time. (We could attend 6, and a few times we attended 9 or 10.) If you haven't visited the Conference Blog, click here to check it out.

And below are a few more of my photos from the Blue Moon Ball on Saturday night. (I posted some on the conference blog after the event.) There were drink tickets. There were quesadillas. There was dancing. And, of course, there were outfits.

This year they're blue butterflies;
last year they were literary lady bugs.

This conference-goer's cow stopped jumping
over the moon to pose for a picture.

These Royals fans were happy about the party theme.

This conference-goer got wiggy with it and
enjoyed the Mexican food buffet.

Jay Asher is without mermaids but still ready to
disco as he poses with Linda Sue Park.

I'm not sure if she's a superhero or a cheerleader who mistook
her pom-pom for head gear. Either way I like this outfit.

This wizard is concerned about wrinkles.

Links to SCBWI TEAM BLOG Keynote Interviews...

Today blogger Lee Wind offers a great interview with Holly Black, one of the terrific keynote speakers for the upcoming SCBWI Annual Summer Conference. (She is also featured in the 2010 CWIM!) Lee has recently joined Twitter so add him to your follow list--he'll be blogging and tweeting along with the rest of us from the L.A. event August 7-10.

If you haven't, also check out Paul Yoo's interviews with keynoters Ingrid Law and Betty Birney. There will be more interviews with SCBWI conference keynote speakers from TEAM BLOG between now and the event which I'll link you to when they are posted.

(And for those of you who still may be thinking about registering for the event but haven't yet, read Suzanne Young's post featuring feedback from three first-time conference goers.)

National Picture Book Writing Week (NaPiBoWriWee) Kicks off May 1st...

NaPiBoWriWee (National Picture Book Writing Week) is author Paula Yoo's answer to NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month). Paula is challenging writers to create 7 Picture Books in 7 Days.

Here's the scoop from Paula:

• All NaPiBoWriWee participants should register on her website (www.paulayoo.com) and comment on her blog every day with their own progress.

• From those who participate in the first annual NaPiBoWriWee Paula will select a winner at random on the 7th day--that winner will receive an autographed copy of her latest picture book, Shining Star: The Anna May Wong Story.

• The basic rules? Just write 7 complete and separate picture books in one week. Each picture book must have a clear beginning, middle, and end. There is no required minimum word count because picture book lengths can vary from 50 words to 2000 words, depending on the genre.

• During NaPiBoWriWee Paula's blog will feature picture book writing tips and encouragement and updates on my her progress, plus links to Three Silly Chicks who will also be providing similar helpful blog tips.

• Everyone is encouraged to promote NaPiBoWriWee on blogs, websites, MySpace, Facebook, Twitter. Paula only requests that you link to her website.

• And for those NaPiBoWriWee participants attending the SCBWI Annual Summer Conference in L.A. in August, Paula will arrange an informal gathering during the event so NaPiBoWriWee writers can meet and celebrate their picture book writing achievement.

Click here for complete NaPiBoWriWee rules.

The End of the Conference: Autograph Party Photos...

After half a chocolate cupcake and half a yellow cupcake, I got some shots of the autograph party (which I didn't have to participate in because the 2009 CWIM didn't make it to the bookstore which in a way was OK because I feel a little silly signing books).


Susan Patron, Sara Pennypacker, and Ann Whitford Paul look happy about autographing.


Washingtonians Holly Cupala (who is holding one of the roses from the gorgeous bouquet her husband sent in celebration of her very recent two-book deal!) with RA Jolie Stekly and her stack of books.


The awesome Paula Yoo listens to a conference-goer as she prepares to sign her first novel, Good Enough.


Authors Katherine Applegate and Jay Asher--both of whom I interviewed for Insider Reports in the 2009 CWIM.


Rachel Cohn happily passes one of her novels off to a conference goer (note the red "Reading Is Power" bracelet) while Bruce Coville concentrates on signing.


Marla Frazee and her line of autograph seekers. (I wonder if her hand got tired.)


SCBWI RAs/authors Esther Hershenhorn (Illinois) and Ellen Hopkins (Nevada).


Down the row: Linda Zuckerman, Paula Yoo, Lisa Yee, Mark Teague, and Adam Rex (who you can sort of see).