Writing a Synopsis

yes, I'm parking links here on my blog so that I can find them again when I need them. (no searching my whole computer for the file -- the file whose name I have forgotten.)

Here's How to Write A 1-Page Synopsis  by Susan Dennard.

Thoughts about Fantasy from Lloyd Alexander

I'm working on a fantasy story and happened upon this article by Lloyd Alexander written for the Horn Book Magazine in 1965 when he was halfway through his five book tale of Taran, the assistant Pig-keeper who becomes King in the final book, The High King.  (Newbery Medal winner, 1969)

Alexander declares that his goddess of Fantasy is a Flat Heeled Muse.  
(I'm linking it here because it's true, and because I want to go back and read it again and again.

KidLitCon 2014

Jen Robinson, who blobs at Jen Robinson's Book Page,  invites you-all to come to the next KidLitCon to be held in Sacramento, CA. on October 10th and 11th.
General information about the conference is here.  Click on over to see why this is a must-see for blog readers/ blog writers/ and children's book writers.

If you'd like to present a lecture/ workshop/ or propose a panel discussion, those proposals are due by next Friday (August 1st).

Tanita Davis has written a great article today about what it is that we're looking for in proposals, and why people should consider participating in KidLitCon as speakers.  Or even just as attendees.

The theme this year is diversity.
Tanita also discusses the broadest of definitions of diversity at this same link.

Click here for the registration form for the conference.

Twitterites can follow the news on the KidLitCon Twitter feed.

VCFA Class Names

I've been thinking lately about college. (probably because my teen is entering high school and we should begin looking at colleges -- eventually)

Recently, I've been attending a graduate school where I am studying writing.  The wonderful thing about this college is that the class groups become very close and have a tradition of adopting a name for themselves.

July 2008, I began a picture book certificate course at Vermont College of Fine Arts in the school of Writing for Children and Young Adults.  This is a correspondence course with the requirement that students spend 10 days on campus attending lectures and readings from 8:30 am to after 9:00 pm.  Then we go home and write (at least 25 hours a week, often more), sending our work to our advisor about every 4 weeks in an email packet.  At the next residency, in January 2009, our picture book group gave a lecture about what we had learned.

In 2010, I read One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia.  Instantly, I realized that I needed to go back to Vermont College of Fine Arts and take the full course (4 semesters) that would result in an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults.

Names of the classes I have been a part of are:

July 2010 - Thunder Badgers  (they began their study the semester I did the Picture Book Certificate program)

January 2013 - Dystropians

Then I had to take a break because of family events.  I came back and joined:

July 2014 - Allies in Wonderland

Another break in attendance

January 2015 - Darling Assassins 

Break

July 2015 -  The Craftographers

I hope to graduate at the July 2015 Residency.

All these groups contain wonderful writers and it's been my privilege to have known them.

Look for their books coming out in the next few years.

Walter Dean Myers

Those of us who attended the Corretta Scott King breakfast at ALA in June wondered why Walter Dean Myers was not there to accept his award.  His editor accepted it in his name.  Early in July we discovered why. The Children's Book World was shocked by the information that one of our giants had died.

There have been many tributes to him. Here are links to a few:

Lyn Miller-Lachmann -- We've Lost a Library
Fuse #8 Production blog on the School Library Journal Website
And here's his biography on the Walter Dean Myers' website