SCBWI LA: Day 4 (#LA10SCBWI)

I know I’m a week behind everyone else, but what else is new? If you are still curious about day 4 of the recent summer SCBWI conference in LA, keep reading.

Did you know that Bruce Hale is also an actor and a Fulbright Scholar in storytelling? He says, “Series are an easy way for reluctant readers to get hooked on reading.” According to Hale, there are three types of series: the repeating concept/setting (i.e. Bruce Coville’s Magic Shop series; the Dear American historical series); the repeating character/situation (i.e. Nancy Drew, Junie B. Jones, Magic Tree House); and the story arc series (i.e. Suzanne Collins’ Hunger Games trilogy; Philip Pullman Dark Materials series).

Gennifer Choldenko, Newbery Medal winning author for Al Capone Does My Shirts says of writing the MG novel, “each scene must be gratifying in and of itself and not just a set-up scene for a later scene.”

Paul Fleischman says, “Research should be like a slip. It should be there but never show.” [How many of us are guilty of not following this advice?]

Ashley Bryan encourages authors and illustrators to help children feel the spoken word as they recite poetry. Play with the sounds of words. Repeat key phrases. Make it musical. Make it fun!