Picture book author and National Ambassador for children’s literature Jon Scieszka kicked off the 2010 SCBWI LA Conference with his opening keynote address. In it he shared what he wish he knew before he started, his journey, and why it’s so important that we write for children. The following are notes from his keynote speech….
Why do you want to write and illustrate picture books? Illustrator Loren Long, began his keynote speech at the 2010 LA SCBWI Conference with this question. The following notes are an overview of what he had to say about his process, creating emotion in art, and the importance of leaving something behind for the next…
Prolific picture book author Lisa Wheeler spoke at the 2010 SCBWI Writer’s Day event in Southern California. The following is her list of the Do’s and Don’ts of Rhyming for Picture books. The Do’s and Don’ts of Good Rhyme DO think about using a refrain. It breaks up the monotony of a sing-song verse. It…
“I don’t want books that rhyme!” For the picture book writer, this is often the mantra one hears from editors and agents, over and over. Rhyme is out! But author Lisa Wheeler has a thing or two to say about this so-called “trend” in the picture book market. In her opinion the truth about rhyme…