Far North Queensland—the New Kid on the Block

The Far North Queensland sub-chapter of SCBWI met last week, marking my first stint at the helm. As we, in the tropical north, are spread from Port Douglas to Mena Creek, with Cairns somewhere in the middle, our members need commitment and determination to attend these meetings. Even so, we seem to have a staunch group of regulars with a diverse collection of skills, strengths and experience.

Nine SCBWI members and prospective members contributed to our lively meeting on Sunday 18th September at Rydges Tradewinds Cairns, the venue of the Tropical Writer’s Festival. The day was balmy and beautiful, and we had a taste of the summer edging near, encouraging us to grab a table where a breeze may find us next time.

The New Kids on the Block. Introducing the Far North Queensland sub-chapter of SCBWI.

The New Kids on the Block. Introducing the Far North Queensland sub-chapter of SCBWI.

The experience of our members varies as do our interests. We have well-published writers in our group and writers just starting out. We write picture books, junior novels, YA, poetry and pretty much everything in between. This gathering gave us a chance to discuss a loose format for our future meetings so that we can make the most of our time when together.

Frequency and venue

We all seemed to agree that 3-4 times a year on Sunday mornings will work well for everyone.  At each meeting we will set the date of the next. This should keep us on track although, during the wet season, anything could happen.

Format

The format of the meeting seemed to work well but, as always, when people have a lot to offer, time goes quickly. But generally our meetings will unfold like this:

  • With beverages in hand, we’ll start with a brief circuit so everyone can share what they’ve been working on (or not) and how it’s going.
  • Next we’ll agree on a date and venue for the next gathering.
  • The bulk of the meeting will be discussing the two to three questions or topics that have been brought up in the weeks before the meeting.
  • The sands will run out by this time and some, if not all, will stay for lunch.

Interim connection

Another idea came up as well, which seems to be working already. To keep the lines of communication open between meetings, we have decided to start using group emails to throw out questions or concerns. This will allow us to receive answers to specific questions more quickly and help to shape the topics raised at our next meeting.

But wait – there’s more

Aside from discussing our future as a group up here in the steamy north, we also discussed: 

  • how we make the most of our writing time
  • Kay Crabbe’s publishing journey with her latest book The Pearl-shell Diver
  • picture book structure and the difference between educational PBs and trade PBs
  • Celia Barrell’s project with grade 7/8 kids illustrating her book of poems
  • combatting the sagging middle and losing incentive.

 

So that just about wraps it up for the FNQ sub-chapter of SCWBI, except for a quick plug for a couple of our active members up here: On 9 October, Celia Berrell, of Science Rhymes fame is hosting a Picture Book Poetry Garden Party with picture book author, Trudie Trewin. This is also being held at Rydges.

Happy Spring!

Ann Harth

Interviews with Industry Leaders: Mallory Kass

Mallory Kass—Commissioning Editor, Scholastic Press USA
Mallory edits middle grade and young adult fiction with a focus on magical realism, fantasy, and contemporary with a twist. Her titles include the New York Times bestseller A Snicker of Magic by Natalie Lloyd, Horses of the Dawn by bestselling author Kathryn Lasky, Fortune Falls by Jenny Goebel (Indie Next Pick), Rootless by Chris Howard (PW Flying Start), and The Sin Eater’s Daughter by Melinda Salisbury (Edgar Award Nominee). She loves rich world-building, magic in unexpected places, Gothic touches, and heart-expanding emotion.

Mallory Kass, Commissioning editor for Scholastic USA

Mallory Kass, Commissioning editor for Scholastic USA

What sort of opening pages 'grab' you?

I believe that the first few pages should showcase what’s special about the manuscript. So, if your book is special because it’s funny, then ideally, the opening will make me laugh. If your book is scary, then something in the first few pages should send shivers down my spine. If your book is poignant, then there should be an observation or description that plucks at my heartstrings.

I’m also looking for characters I want to spend time with. If I acquire a manuscript, I’m going to read it about 10 times before it’s published, so it’s important for me to feel a deep connection with the protagonist, for their voice to grab me. I tend to fall hard for characters who see the world a little differently than I do—who see beauty, irony, ugliness, or power in places I’d never think to look. 

I also think it’s important for the opening to reveal:

A)     The main character’s central emotional conflict: what he or she wants (to make a friend, to fit in, to stand out, to build a better life for their family etc.)

B)     What’s going to happen if they don’t get it (the school year will be terrible, someone will suffer etc.)

When you receive a manuscript, how long will you read on before you put it aside?

I always read at least fifty pages.

If a manuscript is not ready yet, but you love the voice, would you return it? Make suggestions? Re-look at it? What time frame?

If the voice is stellar, but the plot needs work, I might ask for a non-contractual revision so that the author has the chance to get the manuscript to a place where I can share it with my acquisitions committee.

How important is the agent's pitch?  Can they re-pitch it?
The agent’s pitch can get me excited to read a manuscript quickly, and make me move it to the top of my increasingly large pile. However, I read submissions on my kindle and generally don’t forward the pitch along with the manuscript, so by the time I start reading, I’ve generally forgotten the pitch and am reading blind, which I like as it keeps me unbiased.

Fantasy is a successful genre, but the challenge is how to make it different to the plethora of fantasy books on the market. What do you look for?

Great question! I’m looking for rich world-building, especially settings beyond the western European/medieval norms. I’m also looking for characters with compelling voices, strong emotional drives, and unique ways of looking at the world. Basically, if your character is someone I want to spend time with, then it doesn’t really matter whether their quest feels a little familiar. However, I am getting a little tired of manuscripts that open with a girl navigating a busy marketplace. I know it’s a great way to showcase the politics, geography, and culture of your fictional world, but I’m ready for a different kind of introduction!

YA fiction ranges from 12 to 18 year old readers (and older). What do you want in the 12-14 year age group?  What do you want in the 15 plus age group?

I want writers to tell the most honest, authentic version of their story possible. Nothing is off limits as long the issues feel pertinent to the characters, and they’re able to engage with those questions sincerely.

Is the market more interested in stand-alone books, or series? Is it different in middle grade and YA markets?

This varies a lot by publisher and editor, but I love to see standalone books with series potential, especially for YA and older middle grade.

What do you expect authors and illustrators to do to promote their books?

Keep writing! The most important thing you can do to support your first book is to write your second book. With the frenzy of activity happening on social media, it’s easy to start fixating on twitter or instagram followers, but none of that is nearly as important as producing a fantastic follow-up.

That said, there are certainly useful things you can do. If you write books for younger children (i.e. middle grade or younger), it’s great to have an engaging presentation ready for school visits. Slideshows, demonstrations, and writing/drawing activities can be great for getting kids excited about your work and your characters. If you write YA and feel at ease on social media, twitter and instagram can be a rewarding way to connect with readers and with fellow authors. However, this only works if you feel comfortable talking about things unrelated to your books, as no one wants to follow someone who only tweets about their writing.

Any comments you believe will be helpful to authors.

My colleague, Cheryl Klein, just published a phenomenal book on writing for children called THE MAGIC WORDS. It’s the most valuable resourced I can think of for someone who’s serious about taking their writing to the next level.

SketchLook! September 2016

SketchLook is an ongoing feature of the SCBWI Blog. It is a glimpse into the working process of artists, how we experiment, think through our ideas, stretch our imagination and observe the world. This is a glimpse at current work in progress, free doodles, rough drawings, and sketches from life. CLICK HERE to participate in SketchLook.

 

Take a peek at the working drawings and sketchbooks of some of our members:

Nicky Johnston — When I am looking to buy a new hand bag, the deciding factor is whether or not it will accommodate my sketch book and pencil case!

A sketchbook is an essential accessory and I have one with me at all times. I use it every single day.

It is my visual diary, of things around me, children, places, feelings, events, moments that I need to capture. Nearly all of my initial book roughs begin in my sketch books. I store all my sketchbooks in my studio for easy access and I often use them for reference or inspiration.

Giuseppe Poli — The recent SCBWI Sydney conference was amazing. I received a huge amount of feedback, confirmed previous thoughts, learnt a lot of new things.

Biggest takeaways for me :
- regularly challenge myself
- find what I love and illustrate that.

One of the biggest challenges for me is keeping a regular art practice... too often I'm stifled by fear of making mistakes...so these pics show how I'm challenging myself.

Lots of real life drawing (didn't really do that before), lots of free form experimenting, trying different media, exploring different ideas, constantly creating.

I can't wait to see where this leads.

A call-out for the next selection will be sent out in good time but members of SCBWI Australia East & New Zealand are invited to submit images at any time. Work should be scans or snapshots of sketchbook pages featuring sketches, drawings from life or working drawings. Up to five images, Jpeg format, 72 dpi, 750px width maximum. Kindly avoid overlaying text on images and other digital manipulation. CLICK HERE to submit images for SketchLook.