Ten-Minute Blog Break - 1st October

For a while, this post was called "Lino Sniffing", which would certainly have looked interesting up there on the main page! But although I've bowed to convention with the title, you'll still find plenty of fragrant delights in this week's Blog Break.

Some advice falls on stony ground, and so it was with my suggestion to Rosie Best that she come up with different names for each of her blog posts. Rosie is up to Things and Stuff #13 now, and with her debut novel Skulk soon to be released, it's a good time to catch up with her. Along with the obligatory box of books photo and details of her launch party, Rosie also gives us a useful round-up of links from her blog tour and gets excited by a photo of Meryl Streep in a tree (no, I am not making this up).

Someone else rocking a blog name series is Mark Jones, who brings us Amazing Writing Advice #24: The Secret of Synopsiseses. I mean sinopsyes. Or synopsisis. Or something like that.

Space on the Bookshelf are doing another of their intensive 3D book review features this week, examining Anthony McGowan's novel Brock from every possible angle. The book is designed for dyslexic and challenged readers, so Sally Poyton (a dyslexic herself) kicks off by interviewing Anthony with the help of a teenage reviewer. Other features will follow later this week, including detailed reviews of the book and an interview with Anthony's editor.

Finally, I suppose I should come clean about the lino sniffing. This is what Anne-Marie Perks does to find out whether her piece of lino is in prime condition to print from. Anne-Marie has blogged at Big Little Tales with lots of beautiful images from her recent linocut course, but sadly no scratch and sniff. My campaign to make every post on Word & Pictures smell of chocolate starts here!

Nick.

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Nick Cross is a children's writer, blogger and all-round techno-ninja. In 2010 he was a winner of Undiscovered Voices with his zombie comedy Back from the Dead.

This week on his blog, Nick's taking a long hard look at his life and wondering why it constantly feels like he's Spinning Plates.

How to Meet an Agent and Impress Them

The SCBWI Agent’s Party is one of the events of the year… but whether you’ve got a coveted ticket or not, if an agent walks into a bar near you, it’s best to be prepared. After all, the SCBWI Annual Conference isn’t that far off! Michelle Newell, the Agent Party Co-ordinator gives us her list of tips, so that you can get set to meet your dream agent, whatever the occasion.


Agent Tip 1: Have faith (in you)
Those of us who’ve met agents before, or who have been lucky enough to secure our very own agent, have all been guilty of putting ourselves down in front of them. Maybe you think you don’t truly deserve to be in that ‘elite’ group of people who are published. Maybe friends and family have been shaking their heads at you for wasting your time for the last 10 years.

Wherever those niggling negative voices came from, when you come face-to-face with an agent, you’re going to hold yourself tall, look him or her in the eye and talk with confidence about your work. On this occasion, you’re going to believe that it can happen to you, because you and your work deserve it.

On this occasion, you’re going to believe that it can happen to you, because you and your work deserve it.

Agent Tip 2: The elevator pitch
The elevator pitch is so called because the premise is that you step into an elevator and find you’re sharing it with the agent of your dreams. They don’t know you, and you only have a few precious minutes in the lift before the doors open to convey the essence of your picture book or novel. You need to engage them and compel them to want to know more.

A great elevator pitch should:

- introduce the main character/s
- touch on the central conflict
- set up the action to follow
- be unique and fresh

So plan your pitch, draft, write, read aloud, revise and write again. Why not practice on your family and friends, the dog, your children… anyone who will listen?

You can read a couple of examples here.

Agent Tip 3: Agents are people too
For most writers and illustrators our work is pretty all-consuming. Despite this, we know that we’re more than the sum of the parts of our picture books, novels or illustrations. We have other hobbies outside this work and interests we share with non-writing/non-artistic friends.

Ditto agents. Although they’re pretty darn busy professionally, they don’t spend all their time editing, reading manuscripts or perusing portfolios in the quest for the NEXT BIG THING. Nope. They have hobbies too. Families. Pets. They even go on holiday, sometimes.

So relax and have fun. You’ve got your elevator pitch perfected, but don’t forget to talk about things that interest you beyond your book/portfolio and the world they’re wrapped up in. Show the different dimensions of your personality. Ask questions. Be interested in the agents as you would be in a potential friend you might meet at the gym or a barbeque. That way, you’re all guaranteed to have a fantastic evening.

Show the different dimensions of your personality. Ask questions.

Agent Tip 4: Leave an impression
Agents are often looking for more than just a great writer or skilled illustrator to represent. In fact, when you first meet them they won’t know how talented you are yet. So what else might they be looking for?

- Are you personable? Can you successfully market your work to your audience? Agents will by struck by the excitement in your voice, the confident way you express your elevator pitch, or the ease with which you talk about the broader themes of your work.

 - Are you presentable? Dress to impress. For the particularly bold, you might even consider dressing in a way that reflects your work and personality.

- Are you traceable? Consider what an agent might find if they Google you after they meet you. A simple blog is a fantastic way for illustrators to showcase their range, and for writers to highlight their ability to engage an audience. And don’t forget Twitter. Love it or hate it, it’s a unique tool for meeting other writers, illustrators, agents and publishers. Retweet and comment on things that inspire you and post interesting snippets to establish your voice.

- Are you genuine? The final tip for making an impression is simple - just relax, and be the best version of yourself.

Agent Tip 5 – Business Cards
SCBWI events are a great opportunity to meet new friends as well as agents. Many people come away from them with a writing buddy, a critique group or a social support network; and that requires exchanging details at some point.

If you want to be prepared when an agent, writer or illustrator is interested in you, think about having some business cards at the ready.

A business card is a neat little snapshot of your personal details and creative work. With carefully chosen images and text, you can also use a business card to reflect your brand identity.

Business cards don’t have to be expensive: anyone with a computer, printer and scissors can make their own! There are also some fantastic sites that allow you to create your own cards by uploading images or choosing from a stock library. One of the best is moo.com.

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@michelnewel

Michelle was born and raised in a country town in Australia. She taught History at an all-girls school before moving to England a decade ago to take up the thoroughly modern job of designing new schools. Michelle still loves anything old, and has compulsively collected ‘junk’, as her bemused family call it, since she was a girl. Her flat in London is crammed with fluffy 1950s ball gowns, daintily painted tea sets, and well-worn children’s toys. The stories she imagines behind each of her vintage treasures ultimately inspired her to fulfil a long-held ambition to write novels with an historic twist for young adults. Michelle is currently working on her first novel and is represented by Jenny Savill at Andrew Nurnberg Associates.

Results - 2nd Slush Pile Challenge

The winner of the second 2013 Slush Pile Challenge is Gill Hutchison.

Sarah Frost from Hodder Children's Books set the challenge in July 2013. The challenge was to send write a picture book (text or PB dummy) that celebrates the relationship of mother and child or a father and child - the perfect Mother's Day or Father's Day book. 

We sent all the entries to Sarah Frost without mentioning the names of the entrants. We asked Sarah to tell us about the entries and how she chose the winning entry.

Sarah Frost

"Our brief was for a picture book text of 500 words or under that celebrated the relationship between mother/father and child and would make the perfect Mother's or Father's Day gift. 

The winning text did the best job of fitting the brief. The story had lots of humour but also warmth and a sweet, satisfying ending that focused on the child. 

We liked the juxtaposition of Mum in a fantasy world and Mum in reality and felt this would give an illustrator scope to have lots of fun with the story and add to the humour. 

Finally we thought the voice of the narrator who let his/her imagination run wild felt childlike and convincing."

Gill Hutchison

We asked Gill about her experience of taking part in the competition and about her chat with Sarah Frost.

"I had SUCH an informative and inspiring One-to-One with Sarah Frost this morning. She has the gift of putting me right without putting me off!

Sara kindly telephoned me for the One-to-One, to avoid the long trip from Lincoln to London. 

The ideas she gave me for improving “My Mum’s bigger than your Mum”, which won the Slushpile Challenge, will be doubly useful because of the way they carry over to my other writing. 

I made notes as we talked, but I could hardly write fast enough to jot down all the ideas for improvements and for new directions which sprang up as a result. Thank you Sarah!

Like many other SCBWI members, I have entered the Slushpile Challenge on previous occasions without being “randomly selected”, but that’s all to the good. 

The Challenge is like the real world in miniature – there is a lottery element to as to whether your manuscript gets picked up at all and writing to a brief wonderfully concentrates the mind. 

I tried to pay special attention to the requirement that the PB text must “celebrate the relationship between mother and child”.

So thank you to Sarah Frost, Commissioning Editor at Hodder Children’s Books, for sharing her insight into what makes a picture book “work”, to the SCBWI Competitions team, and most particularly many thanks to a lovely 7 year-old called Aiden who listened (not very carefully) to my lesson on “Family Similes” and then missed the whole point by writing a story about how much he loved his Mum.

The “voice”, though not necessarily the words, in “My Mum’s bigger than your Mum” is Aiden’s.

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Chitra has published over 20 books in Singapore, UK, USA and India. She loves writing picture books, folktales and is also working on fiction for 7+ with a lead character brightly named Aurora. Chitra is a member of the Words & Pictures' editorial team, managing The Slush Pile Challenge.

For the love of a good list

Plans to get on top of things were scuppered this week by a brain-numbing headache. Being more of an it'll be fine than a plan b sort of person, my worry cloud grew. However on Saturday during pain free moments amazingly induced by chocolate, I made a list. It runs to three pages but in spite of its length, it makes me feel better. Don't know why didn't I do it sooner.

Anyway this has put me in mind of lists and what wonderfully focusfull things they are.  How they blitz the cloud and help a person feel so much more in control.

Lists, chocolate,  and pens,
all have very beneficial effects.

There's a list app called Clear that I used for while, it helps you prioritise. You slide items up and down according to their urgency with quite satisfying sound effects.

But when I'm under pressure, nothing beats a sheet of A4 and being able to scribble things out with gusto as soon as they're done. And I know I'm not alone in writing down stuff that I've already done then crossing it off straightaway, just to make me feel better.

I'm grateful to Nicky Schmidt who posted a link to this listworthy article from the man himself which has many a fine point on which to focus. So while I should have been assaulting my own list, I ferreted around brainpickings,  picked my favourite fine points, and made a nice short one here:

1. You have to finish things — that’s what you learn from, you learn by finishing things. Neil Gaiman
2. Avoid haphazard writing materials. A pedantic adherence to certain papers, pens, inks is beneficial. No luxury, but an abundance of these utensils is indispensable. H.P.Lovecraft
BUT
3. Take a pencil to write with on aeroplanes. Pens leak. But if the pencil breaks, you can’t sharpen it on the plane, because you can’t take knives with you. Therefore: take two pencils. Margaret Atwood

What sensible maxims to live and work by! Do hope illustrators as well as writers can extract some wisdom from these too.

could probably do with a few more pens, though... 

(P.S. I would also like to include every single point on Elmore Leonard's list with his 'short disclaimer of sorts' about being invisible, but that would make this editorial far too long.)

Now, the last two lists for you, and this time with titles:

Last week's highlights:

• On self editing: 'Look at what you've done with a curious gaze...'
• Oneish day to get your MS in for a conference 121
• Bumper Blog Break
• Penny Holroyde!
• Check the comments in Network News
• Soaring Penguin Press -  a brilliant name and two fantastic shirts
• Congratulations W&P's own Mel!

W&P Treats to come:

• Agents' Party Tips and Nicola Morgan!
• Wonderful interview with one of our older members, octogenarian, Jose Paterson
• An illuminating illustration feature

Hope your week's fully under control,

Jan Carr

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Jan Carr is the editor of Words & Pictures. Her fiction is older middle grade, she blogs occasionally and loves to write in magenta. You can contact her at editor@britishscbwi.org.

Another UV success story - our very own Mel signs with an agent!

This week we’re extra-special thrilled to celebrate the good news from our lovely joint features editor, Mel Rogerson. Mel won a UV 2012 Honorary Mention with the opening of her novel Breakwater and she just signed with... drumroll please... Tom Witcomb of the Blake Friedmann Literary Agency!

@mcrogerson

Mel's been writing ever since her short story, 'The Sandals and the Unsuspected Witch' was published in the Puffin Post when she was twelve years old. For many years, she wrote for fun - starting countless novels that were never finished, but after she moved from London back to the Peak District in 2008, she decided to take her writing more seriously. Mel joined online forums, read books on the art of story and finally completed her very first novel, The Moonlocket, which was longlisted in the 2011 Times/Chicken House Competition. Keen to improve The Moonlocket, Mel commissioned an editorial report from Cornerstones and became a member of SCBWI. The advice she received was invaluable and encouraged her to start a new YA manuscript, Breakwater. Working with several critique partners, she learned lots more, and was thrilled when the opening of Breakwater received an honorary mention in the 2012 Undiscovered Voices Anthology. Motivated by Breakwater's success, Mel continued to work on the manuscript on and off during 2012. She then began to submit it to agents in mid 2013 and was delighted to sign with Tom Witcomb at the Blake Friedmann Literary Agency a few months later. 


Mel says "My number one aim is to write books that people will enjoy reading and that's not as easy as it looks! Being a SCBWI member has been an essential part of the learning process - everyone has been so helpful and willing to share constructive advice. I'd recommend joining to anyone who wants to take their writing to the next level."

"She's a font of marvellous ideas - and a great person to boot!"

@TWitcomb

Tom Witcomb says: "I loved Breakwater from the get-go. Mel wrote a great pitch letter, which gave me all the information I needed, holding enough back to keep me intrigued. Her synopsis was a one-page, succinct account which covered everything that was important, and the sample chapters really showcased Mel’s talent. There’s a strong thriller element to Breakwater, a far-cry from the usual clichéd romance plots so often associated with paranormal teen fiction and that really drew me in. Hannah was the perfect lead as well: shy at first, fallible, certainly, but lionhearted! And then, of course, when I started talking to Mel about the trilogy, and her future writing plans, I fell in love all over again – she’s a font of marvellous ideas – and a great person to boot." 

 Hear hear! And now let’s raise our glasses and wish Mel congratulations and every success for the future!

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Tania Tay is an ex-advertising copywriter and has been published in Sable LitMag. She is currently writing a YA romantic thriller, and is on the editorial team at Words & Pictures.

Graphic Novel Publisher – Soaring Penguin Press

Amanda Lillywhite

When SCBWI member John Anderson set up a company to publish graphic novels and poetry he named it Soaring Penguin Press because he liked “the idea of a name that encompasses an oxymoron, and that suggests that dreams can come true”.


Since 2009 he has published ten books and secured a North American distributor. Two more books are being launched later this year and he is happy to receive submissions from graphic novelists, poets and illustrators.

The Beginnings of Soaring Penguin Press

John Anderson (left) with Woodrow Phoenix
at comics festival Caption in 2012.

Fifteen years ago, aware that there were very few good quality comics anthology titles available at the time, John recruited some talented friends from the Comics Creators Guild (CCG) and published Meanwhile. The anthology ran for four issues then John was asked to assist with the production of CCG’s magazine Comics Forum. With his help the magazine became profitable for the first time in its history.

Well and truly bitten by the publishing bug, John put a couple of other titles (From The Tomb, Spooky The Warren Fanzine and Space Babe 113) into print. He also helped other members of the CCG to publish their own titles.

Two years ago he made to decision to “do it all properly” by joining the Independent Publishers Guild and attending London Book Fair. At LBF 2013 he exhibited a graphic novel recently published by Soaring Penguin Press: Peter Pan by Régis Loisel, a 372-page, full colour hardback. Peter Pan has been described by Paul Gravett as an “audacious release” by Soaring Penguin Press and “a gripping expansion and enhancement of the J.M. Barrie play”.

Soaring Penguin Press’s Range

John says that Peter Pan by Régis Loisel is, because of its subject matter, “for mature readers only” as is The Lengths a graphic novel by Howard Hardiman (due for release October 2013). The launch party is on Friday 11th October - you could use this Facebook link for it  or this one from the Gosh! comics website.

In common with many other graphic novel publishers Soaring Penguin Press’s books are not currently categorized for particular age ranges though John does have plans to add this feature to the website. John says that Ellen Lindner’s Undertow (a graphic novel about Coney Island in the early sixties) and The Black Feather Falls (a four-issue mini-series - Book One out soon) are great graphic novels for teenagers. He adds that The Jam Trap by Chrissy Williams is delightfully funny and suitable for the whole family.

a self-portrait of Ellen Lindner

Soaring Penguin Press’s books are available on its website and in bookshops. Plus there are upcoming opportunities to see the books, meet John and support an SCBWI member. He will be exhibiting at: London Winter Film & Comic Con on October 5 and 6; Comica Comiket on November 2; and at The Lakes International Comic Art Festival on November 18 . The Lengths by Howard Hardiman will be launched at Gosh! Comics on October 22 and in 2014 John intends to exhibit again at London Book Fair.

the comics vending machine in Vienna where John first saw the book Little Death
- now published by Soaring Penguin

Submitting to Soaring Penguin Press

John says he is very happy to receive submissions from graphic novelists, poets and illustrators: “Tell them to send me what they have, if they think it's ready to be seen. I'm happy to look at anything from synopses to final works. Also, as I seem to be getting into the sub-genre of illustrated poetry, I might be looking for illustrators for various anthologies.

What I want is good storytelling. I'm all about the story. Earlier this year, I agreed to publish Masha Solon's poem Five, illustrated by Katriona Chapman. Katriona's artwork is gorgeous, but I wouldn't have taken the book if Masha's poem hadn't been so lovely. Five has such brilliant take-away, that the poem could easily have stood on its own. Katriona's work simply brings the book to another level, making the story almost tactile.”

Details of how to contact John are available at Soaring Penguin Press, on Facebook  and Twitter.

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Amanda Lillywhite is a south London based illustrator, writer and comic creator.Her children' s portfolio is at Crazy Panda. For more information about graphic novels and comics visit her blog or follow her on Twitter 

Network News - it's quiet in the networks - or is it?

The summer’s done – even though we’ve had good temperatures this week. The children are back at school. Some older siblings are leaving home to go to university for the first time. We’re all getting ready for the autumn and winter. The networks seem to have gone quiet. We’ve even had to cancel a critique group meeting in our area this week because not enough people could attend. A friend of mine who runs an editing / critiquing service reports a lack of work.
Has everyone lost interest? Actually, nothing could be further from the truth ….


It’s partly seasonal, of course. There is a slight time lag. The summer can be a fallow time for some. It can be a very productive time for others. It can even be so productive that people really get absorbed by projects and don’t want to stop. Those who’ve had it quiet are anxious to get back down to work. And even those whose children have left home long ago or who are childless are impacted by what the French call “la rentrée”.
The traffic gets heavier, the days get shorter and story time approaches.
And the networks are getting busy again, checkout our what's on:

• A session on polishing your manuscript is being run by Sara Grant in York.
• Masterclasses by Mike Brownlow on creating characters and by Sarah O’ Connor of Hot Key books in on middle grade fiction are taking place in London.
• North West members are planning Scrawl Crawls and Day Retreats.

Many members of the networks are busy taking part in more critique groups and networking events.
Yes, we’re coming into the season when what we do comes to the fore. Children (and adults) actually need more stories as the days become gloomy. Of course, for your book to be in the Christmas market your publisher should have been working on it for several months already. But there’s always next year.
And that’s precisely why after the lull of the summer we’re getting busy again now.

Over to you...

• Have we missed anything?
• What's been happening in your network?

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Gill James’ Veiled Dreams is a young adult novel published on 26 July by Our Street, an imprint of John Hunt Publishing.You can contact her with your network news at networknews@britishscbwi.org 

Ask an Agent - with Penny Holroyde from the Caroline Sheldon Literary Agency

This month, Penny Holroyde from the Caroline Sheldon Literary Agency has stepped in to answer our readers' questions and also has a few handy tips for those looking for an agent.

Thanks to Words and Pictures for asking me to guest post while Gemma and Molly enjoy well-earned breaks. I’m an agent with the Caroline Sheldon Literary Agency. I’ve worked in publishing for 18 years in the UK and the US. I’m looking for authors and illustrators for children’s books for all ages. 

On my wish list currently are: an M R James for 10+, the junior novel that makes a child a lifelong reader – Gerald Durrell did it for me, a really funny series for 8-10s that makes the mundane funny, a historical novel (although it doesn’t have to be set in the past, I guess) where the protagonist has a very unusual job – assistant to Charles Darwin – something like that. I’m also looking for some narrative nonfiction – if you can do for children what Wendy Moore and Giles Milton do for adults, I’m really interested in seeing it. And I’m always looking for picture book texts. 

Are picture book authors who write in a variety of styles more appealing to you than those whose stories are all similar in approach and subject matter? 

Ten-Minute Blog Break - 24th September

It's been a bumper week for new blogs - whether you're published or unpublished, relaxed or overworked, I hope you'll take ten minutes out with our fantastic SCBWI bloggers.




Lorraine Gregory has found some quite unusual reasons to be cheerful this week. Lorraine doesn't have an agent or a book deal and yet she couldn't be happier!

Those writers who do have a book deal will find Nicola Morgan's post on the cost of author events immensely useful. The question of how much authors should charge is always a contentious one, so Nicola lays out her scale of charges in exacting detail, showing exactly how she arrives at the figures and why she thinks they're fair.

Miriam Halahmy has some useful advice on writing the perfect one line pitch. With the SCBWI Agents' Party just a week away, there's never been a better time to boil your manuscript down to a single sentence. I was thinking of having a T-shirt made up with my one line pitch, but I decided that was probably just a bit too creepy...

T-shirt slogans aside, I'm also trying to meet an impossible deadline to revise my manuscript ahead of the Agents' Party, and Jane Heinrichs' latest post resonated strongly with me. Instead of admonishing ourselves for every tiny creative misstep, she'd like us to be gentle with ourselves.

Finally, dogged detective Rebecca Colby is blogging over at the funeverse, investigating that most terrible of transgressions, the Rhyme Crime! Are your rhymes guilty of being wilty? Find out from Rebecca how to give them sizzle before they fizzle.

Oh sorry, I have to go. I think the poetry police are breaking down my front door.

Nick.

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Nick Cross is a children's writer, blogger and all-round techno-ninja. In 2010 he was a winner of Undiscovered Voices with his zombie comedy Back from the Dead.

This week on his blog, Nick's taking a look at story franchises and wondering why No-one Ever Really Dies.

Conference manuscript reviews – meet the gatekeepers!

How often can you look an editor or agent in the eye and talk seriously about how your work can be improved for a whole fifteen minutes?

How often do you get the chance do find out what's really needed to make your story marketable? How often does this happen? Hen's teeth! It's once a year – at SCBWI Winchester!



Here's what some people would probably say if I asked them:

• 'Unmissable chance to meet the people who matter!'
• 'The advice given was personal and precisely what I needed to improve my chances of publication!'
• 'I love one-to-one manuscript reviews!'

Writers, you have until the 30th September to scrub up that manuscript, polish that story and grab your chance to submit direct to a gatekeeper. 

What do you mean, you haven’t registered for the conference, yet? Take that chance!

And if you’re an illustrator, even better! You’ve got AGES to polish your portfolio!

The Portfolio Reviews are a rare and unique opportunity to present your portfolio to an agent or art director without negotiating the dreaded slush pile. You get to talk directly to the professionals who will look at your style, individual pieces and the portfolio as a whole plus feedback with suggestions on what to work on to improve, your presentation and advise you on Marketability. 

Illustrators, you have until November 1st to book your place. 

What’s stopping you? Grab your place at the conference and get your work seen! 

You never know what might happen…

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Addy                         Sally

Star Volunteers, Addy Farmer and Sally Poyton are organising this year's 121 Portfolio and Manuscript reviews. If you have already booked but would now like to add a 121 to your booking, please email conference@britishscbwi.org

Let the editor speak!

Currently there’s an ‘Editorial’ theme to Words & Pictures. In journalism, an editorial means an opinion piece by an editor. I had the good fortune to be editorial assistant as part of my MA in Creative Writing – and I can’t resist the opportunity to voice my opinion. In common with my other inspiration pieces, there will be work for you to do, though.


Quite rightly, you will have been told to stifle your inner editor when creating. Cover her mouth with Elastoplast and stick her behind a locked door when doing your first draft. (For good advice on that process download this free poster from copyblogger -it works for illustrators too.)

First task 

Work on a sketch for 10 minutes - yes, that means you, writer or illustrator 

Keep your door shut.
Do not stop
Do not think

Do not edit If you’re stuck for an idea, try here Writing prompt generator 

Then when you’ve done, open your door, brew some tea, cut some cake and invite your inner editor back in. Be nice to her. Relax. Talk about the weather.

Then get down to business.

Second Task 

Look at what you’ve done with a curious gaze. What’s good about it? (There will be something) Pick one dominant aspect – the spirit of the ideal version beneath the mess on the paper. Celebrate.

Now examine every word, line, colour or pixel. Does it bring out that underlying spirit? Tweak, remove or do it again till it does. Work swiftly and decisively. Trust yourself.

Opinion bit 

The two-part exercise above is a microcosm of the creating-editing dialogue throughout your whole work. Just remember that conversation works best when both listen and take turns.

Editing is like educating – you are ‘bringing forth’. That could mean stripping away excess material to reveal the story (like weeding an overgrown garden) or it might mean adding to it, letting the work grow into itself. The intention, whether it’s your own work or someone else’s, is to make the piece more the thing that it is. In the same way you’d listen to a good teacher, listen to your editor.

By Philippa R. Francis who writes as K. M. Lockwood

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K. M. Lockwood is a writing name of Philippa R. Francis. As well as being a regular contributor, Philippa (@lockwoodwriter) also tweets as @Words8Pictures helping to maintain our 'Industry news' feed.

Buns, Bags and Emergency Fabric

Nothing screams tourist like walking through Bath with a Sallly Lunn bag. But I did because OH said 'bring us back some buns' and I'm nothing if not obliging.







The queue for lunch at Sally Lunn's was getting on for Betty's proportions so I tried the 'Regency' Tea Rooms round the corner. But the embarassment of having to leave because they don't take a card, only cash or cheques (who has cheques now?) didn't help  and guess which bag I forgot and had to barge through cashed up tea drinkers for, two minutes later?

the bag not to be seen with

Regency tea rooms hmmm - the clue's in the name - parts of the city really are stuck in the 18th century.

I was there for a Golden Egg appointment with friend to SCBWI and W&P, Imogen Cooper, and another reminder of how important it is to get an editor and how hard it us to do the job yourself on your own work, though I'm guessing not impossible. The older I get and the more I learn, the less I know. Some days giving up and getting the sewing machine out is very attractive. However, I haven't done that... yet.

emergency fabric

Though I did have to buy a couple of emergency squares of fabric during the afternoon just to keep things on an even keel.

During the week, Sheila had some excellent ideas for creating mood boards on Pinterest, there was controversy rather than crochet on the Blog Break and how enlightening to find out how an agent works editorially with their authors - thank you Julia!

The North West featured in Network News with their ideas for getting together in the region and in Events, when George gave us a colourful write up of Steve Hartley's character workshop. Has Steve ever risked a trip South? We'd love to have him. Finally, the fizz flowed on Saturday for Sandra Greaves on the launch of The Skull in the Wood, another Undiscovered Voices triumph!

Next week we welcome Penny Holroyde to Words & Pictures. She's a literary agent with the Caroline Sheldon Agency and will be answering some of our Ask an Agent questions. Very timely for me, Philippa has some practical tips for self editing and Amanda has been interviewing publishers of Graphic Novels.

Have a good week,

Jan Carr

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Jan Carr is the editor of Words & Pictures. Her fiction is older middle grade, she blogs occasionally and loves to write in magenta. You can contact her at editor@britishscbwi.org.

Hooray for Undiscovered Voices winner Sandra Greaves!

@sandra_greaves

This week, we’re cracking open the champers for SCBWI debut author and Undiscovered Voices 2012 winner Sandra Greaves. Her novel, The Skull in the Wood, a contemporary ghost story for 10+ was published by Chicken House on 5th September. And being such lovely publishers they turned out in force to her launch in Totnes, together with a whole clutch of Scoobies....

You can watch the atmospheric trailer for The Skull in the Wood here. 

In Old Scratch Wood on Dartmoor, quarrelling cousins Matt and Tilda find a buried skull. And from that moment, dark things begin to happen. Birds and animals turn bad, and there are rumours of the return of an ancient curse known as the gabbleratchet. But what can Matt and Tilda do to stop it...? 

Rachel Leyshon, Sandra’s editor at Chicken House, says: “Sandra was a dream to work with – a wonderful mix of creativity, child-focused writing, and professionalism. Give Sandra a deadline, and she’d make it every time – nothing was too much trouble. But her sunny personality masks a dark and dangerous imagination! Editing The Skull in the Wood made me remember childhood fear all too clearly…” 

A wonderful introduction to Sandra's launch from
Chicken House publisher Barry Cunningham

Sandra Greaves was born in Edinburgh and lives in Devon. The Skull in the Wood, is her first novel. She was formerly in journalism, TV and communications and now works as a copywriter, as well as being a poet. Sandra and her partner keep several badly-behaved chickens on a smallholding midway between the moor and the sea. 

Sandra says: "Winning Undiscovered Voices 2012 was an amazing turning point for me. Suddenly I had a lovely agent in Anna Power of Johnson & Alcock – and then my book was bought by Chicken House. It all happened very quickly and felt totally surreal. My friends have been so brilliant about the book that I wanted to have a bit of a party! And it’s such a big milestone, I felt I had to mark it in some way. I bit my nails a lot beforehand, but when it came to it, the launch was great fun. Publisher Barry Cunningham did a wonderful introduction. Some friends from SCBWI South West generously made the trek over to Totnes to give me support. And my local bookshop – The Totnes Bookshop – was bowled over by the number of books they sold!"

So grab a glass of something fizzy and enjoy some photos of the evening, taken by our roving reporter, Rowena House. Here's to Sandra and we wish her every success with The Skull in the Wood!

SCBWI southwest joint coordinator Ellen Renner with Sandra Greaves,
Barry Cunningham, and SCBWI members Yona Wiseman and Amelia Mansfield

The Chicken House team: Eileen Lohf from their German office,
PR supremo Tina Waller and Sandra's editor Rachel Leyshon

SCBWI member Rowena House puts down her camera and celebrates
with Sandra and Barry Cunningham

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Tania Tay is an ex-advertising copywriter and has been published in Sable LitMag. She is currently writing a YA romantic thriller, and is on the editorial team at Words & Pictures.

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Rowena House is a journalist, mum and dog-walker as well as a wannabe novelist. She’s currently working on an edgy love story for teens set in east Africa as part of the MA in Writing for Young People at Bath Spa University.