Network News South West Round-Up, 2013-14: To Bristol – And Beyond!

Lesley Moss

Into Wonderland –
photo by Jo Thomas

Trip to the
Oxford Story Museum

A distant rumble from the Bristol and Bath area last autumn (hmm, it HAS been a long time!) informed us of many members longing to get together. All that was needed was someone brilliant, talented and awfully well organised ...  and on the spot ... step forward Jo Thomas. Professional writer, editor and children’s author Jo had no sooner joined SCBWI than she was persuaded to arrange meet-ups for a mix of published and emerging writers and illustrators, which she has done with aplomb.

Jo says: 

Since starting the Bristol group last autumn (2013), we’ve had several get-togethers and we keep each other up-to-date with any interesting book-related events through regular group emails. There are over 30 members on the mailing list now and we’ve had a good turnout at each of our meetings, with people coming from further afield as well as from Bristol and Bath. 

We’ve met in a different venue each time and tried out different ways of sharing ideas and catching up. Our first meet-up was in a café in a yurt and we had a good time telling each other about what we write and what we’d like to get out of the group. In early 2014, we met up at the Folk House for a chat and lunch and some gentle goal setting! 

Another gathering was at the end of March at Bristol Museum, where we did a short sketch/scrawl around the weird and wonderful exhibits and then had a nice catch up over coffee and cake. This sparked a plan for an outdoor walk and talk sometime over the summer, and we had the idea to organise a trip to the new Story Museum in Oxford. 

SCBWI in Narnia – photo by Jo Thomas

Bristol and Oxford SCBWI’s met up in Oxford.

Oxford Story Museum

Elen tries costume and the Story Loom – photo by Jo Thomas

At the Oxford Story Museum

And the Road Trip took place – complete with car mints!

The late Richard Masson, Undiscovered Voices winner and published author of Boonie (Hot Key Books), came up from Cornwall for the first Bristol meet-up in the yurt cafe, and it was a delight to meet him and talk about his life’s journey and his books. We are sad to lose him, but were so glad to have had the opportunity to meet him – and that he was able to bring his writing to the world, via SCBWI, UV, and Hot Key.

Meanwhile, over in Exeter, we held our very first masterclass, From First Draft To Gold, with the very lovely and skilful author/editor Lil Chase (Secrets, Lies and Locker 32, and Boys For Beginners, published by Quercus).

Lil has a wide range of editing experience with different publishers, including Working Partners, which she shared generously with us. A year later, we’re still feeling inspired ... unfortunately, some of us are still clinging to our adjectives and haven’t quite managed to let go of that vital ten per cent in our edits! But we are definitely using both sides of our brains  ... now where did I put that plot outline ...

After a cocktail-filled December Seasonal Social, Amelia Mansfield kindly arranged our next batch of Exeter write-ins for 2014, and somehow managed to fight her way through the storms to be there to host them, despite all rail links being cut off.

Our write-ins have continued to be popular, including plot discussions, publishing gossip, advice on WIP’s and even agony aunts to proffer support over rejections as a side order to the main event: writing together while consuming coffee and cake.

Recently, we have begun more focused write-ins in a new venue – with set times for silent intensive writing interspersed with coffee breaks. This is a change from our usual cafe drop-in and chat/write sessions, and we’re aiming for a combination of the two, as both have their advantages.

It’s always exciting to hear of our members’ publications and contracts, such as:

Sandra Greaves The Skull In The Woods (Chickenhouse),
Cecilia Busby’s Deep Amber (Templar),
Ellen Renner’s Tribute (Hot Key Books),
Rowena House’s The Marshalling Of Angelique’s Geese, in the War Girls anthology (Anderson Press), and 
Clare Helen Welsh’s first picture book contract, following her second place in the Greenhouse Funny Prize! So do let us know your good news so we can celebrate!

With the imminent demise of our Ning Network group, we now have our own Facebook group, SCBWI SW Chat & Info, which is great for virtual meet-ups and getting to know each other - do join us there. It’s a useful way of organising informal get-togethers – for example several Exeter members arranged to meet recently at a local YA festival. 

We can also check out who else is going to national SCBWI events, such as the Conference or Masterclasses and arrange to meet there or travel together.

Newsflash: Another new group: a critique group has begun in Marlborough, Wiltshire, run by Wendy Allen. Contact us on the email below for information.

I think that is all for now – if you are a South West SCBWI_BI member, do get in touch at southwest@britishscbwi.org and let us know if you have any questions, or any news and events to be included in the next South West round-up! 

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Lesley Moss is the joint SW network organiser.

Jo Thomas, writer and editor,  is currently coordinating

meetings for Bristol and Bath

@jotwriting   

Ten-Minute Blog Break - 4th March

Oh my, there were some terrific blog posts this week. What to pick? What to leave out? What to have for lunch? The life of the Words & Pictures Blog Editor is filled with so many difficult choices...


Elizabeth Wein continued her slow climb to greatness by delivering the keynote speech at the SCBWI Winter Conference in New York. There's a summary of her keynote on the official conference blog, and Elizabeth herself contributes a charming post in which she celebrates friendship, family and a secret addiction to My Little Pony.

After what seems like a very long wait, Ellen Renner is back with Tribute, her first YA fantasy novel for Hot Key Books. She blogs about it at the Hot Key site and shares a short story called My Enemy's Eyes, that introduces the world of her book. And boy, does this story go dark!

It's World Book Day this week, news that will fill parents with horror if they haven't sorted out book character costumes for their kids yet. But Julie Fulton is looking at the positive side of this yearly tradition and also highlighting the work of Book Aid International, a charity supporting literacy, education and development in sub-Saharan Africa.

Sally Poyton feels like a one-horned unicorn, but longs to be a phoenix-multi-horned-unicorn-bride hatching from a golden egg. No idea what I'm talking about? Along with some outrageous metaphors, Sally's blog post Always the Bridesmaid contains an honest examination of what it's like to keep getting recognised for your work, but not quite enough.

Finally, there was much goggling (and Googling) in disbelief at Lynne Shepherd's bizarre attack on J.K. Rowling last week, and Addy Farmer provides a great commentary at Notes from the Slushpile. It turns out that criticising the taste of millions of Harry Potter fans can lead to an unexpected, career-limiting disaster. Who knew?

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 and currently writes short fiction for Stew Magazine, an event that was recently celebrated on this site.

Network News, Featuring Ellen Renner South West Network

Ellen Renner on SCBWI and the writing life - in conversation with Lesley Moss

@Ellen_Renner

Ellen Renner has been a South West Network Organiser for SCBWI_BI since 2006. She talks to Joint Organiser Lesley Moss about volunteering for SCBWI, her writing career, and her latest book.
 Ellen was born in the USA, but came to England in her twenties, married here, and now lives in an old house in Devon with her husband and son. She originally trained as a painter and surrounds herself with sketches of her characters as she writes. She spins wool as well as stories, knitting and weaving when time allows. She plays the violin, fences (badly!) and collects teapots and motorcycles.
 Her first book, CASTLE OF SHADOWS, won the Cornerstones Wow Factor Competition, the 2010 North East Book Award and was chosen for both the Independent and London Times summer reading lists and, along with the sequel CITY OF THIEVES, was included on The Times list of best children's books of 2010.

Ellen, you’re a multi-published author – how do you fit in volunteering for SCBWI_BI as well?

That's right: start with the tricky question! I wasn't published when I first volunteered. My life went crazy in 2010/11 after CASTLE OF SHADOWS and CITY OF THIEVES came out. I was headhunted to write a series for OUP (THE FLIP FLOP CLUB, as Ellen Richardson). Working with OUP and Working Partners was a totally brilliant experience: I loved the collaborative process, but it was hectic because I was doing a lot of school visits as well as beginning my own next 'big idea'. When the final OUP ms went off, an editor came fishing. Within a few weeks there was a UK auction for two books based on a concept and twenty thousand words. Exciting but scary.
At times, volunteering has had to take a back seat to writing: I've written six books for publication in two-and-a-half years. The fact is, once you have a contract, deadlines can be brutal, especially with the self-promotion side added in. I'm not a born organiser (cue ribald laughter from friends and family) but I enjoy sharing some of the editing and writing skills I've learned working in the industry.

Why did you volunteer for SCBWI?

I wanted to pay back a little of what SCBWI-BI has done for me: given me support and friends, along with the information and tools to understand what it takes to write professionally. SCBWI provides a unique service to aspiring writers/illustrators. Also you make very good buddies in SCBWI.

What kind of events did you put on in the SW in the beginning?

I hosted a critique group and I put on creative writing workshops. The Exeter Write-ins we developed together recently are great fun! Y

You and I met first at a SCBWI_BI conference in 2006. And in 2010 you invited me to be Joint Organiser. We’re based in Exeter, where for me, the best thing has been meeting other lovely SCBWI members. An amazing range of life and writer/illustrator experience passes through the group, with a dedicated core and occasional visitors. What have you enjoyed about volunteering for SCBWI?

Oh definitely: the people you meet! And hearing about the things they're working on. Sometimes I want to be an editor just so I can work on some of these exciting ideas! And talking to other people about their work somehow inspires you to push yourself further with your own. It can revive your interest in the whole process. Writing is hard work, especially if you're always trying to take it to the next level.

Our Exeter Write-Ins (writers / illustrators meet in a café and work / exchange news / eat cake / critique) sprang from our discussion with author Lucy Jones, our socials organiser, author and film maker Yona Wiseman, and author Amelia Mansfield – we wanted to meet, but everyone had work to get on with. How well do Write-ins work for you?

Really well. I get quite a lot done - as long as the chatting doesn't go on too long, which is always the danger, as we enjoy the social side. It is good to get out of your normal writing environment and go to a gathering dedicated to what we're all trying to accomplish. It gives our work its appropriate weight somehow. Writers and illustrators can feel quite isolated and it's a joy to talk to like minded people. Family and friends may love (or tolerate) our obsessions, but only other writers/illustrators understand.

A Write-in with Ellen and Lesley

 Yona Wiseman at a recent Scrawl/Sketchcrawl

 

Exeter has become a supportive network, with people travelling in from far afield at times. In the last few years we have offered Meet-ups, Write-ins – with some informal critiquing - Sketch/Scrawl Crawls, support at book launches, and Seasonal Socials. And we plan to have Edit-ins to follow Write-ins. But the SW is a large network area – what would you say to those too far away to travel to Exeter?

The Write-ins and Scrawl Crawls are great, and I have great hopes of the Edit-ins. The size of the SW region is something I've struggled to deal with over the years. There isn't an easy answer other than to encourage people in places such as Bristol to be self-starting and organise their own meet-ups. But it does take one or two people to step forward, set the ball rolling and keep it rolling. And as I know only too well: everyone is busy.

And finally, we’ve all been inspired by your publishing success and benefited from your experience and industry knowledge during our Write-in chats. Can you tell us anything about your next book, or is it all hush-hush?

I'm very excited about the two books being published next year in the UK by Hot Key Books: TRIBUTE in March 2014 and the sequel, OUTCASTE, following in August. The TRIBUTE books are my first foray into YA fantasy and explore themes very close to my heart: power; politics; war; technology and how it drives social structure. The books are about empathy, and what happens when the ability to feel empathy is short-circuited because of tribalism. 
 TRIBUTE is dark: the inciting incident is told in flashback – a nine year old child is murdered for the crime of literacy in a world where only the magical ruling elite are allowed knowledge. It's not all gloom and doom however: there is a love story, which I found the most challenging part to write, to the great amusement of one of my writing buddies, Sharon Jones, who is disgustingly good at it! She tells me I've pulled it off though, so I'll have to believe her. 
This is the first time I've sold a book based on a concept, and I will admit to trepidation about editorial input from the publisher at that delicate first draft stage. I needn't have worried: my editor, Sara O'Connor, is totally brilliant (as is her maternity leave replacement, Jenny Jacoby) and her guidance has been invaluable. 
 For me, entertaining the reader is paramount. I write to ask questions of myself and the reader – fantasy is the perfect form for exploring issues in our own society – but I never forget that story is everything. My ambition is to transport readers to new places and create characters and worlds that live on in the imagination. I'm delighted to announce that the TRIBUTE books have recently sold at auction in Germany. They'll be published by DTV Junior in 2015 as lead titles.

Thank you, Ellen – it’s been great to share part of your journey. Good luck with Tribute!

Exeter Write-ins will begin again in the autumn. And we are very excited to be hosting a masterclass with an experienced visiting editor in October. Please contact southwest@britishscbwi.org for details or visit your Ning group. 

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Lesley Moss joined SCBWI in 2003 and over several years has volunteered for SCBWI as SW Joint Network Organiser, e-critique group moderator for Picturebook Too!  and the Poetry e-critique group, which became  www.thefuneverse.com (run by Maureen Lynas). She writes 8-12 fiction, picture books and funny verse. She originally studied art and design and spent some years in community arts, including a spell as a mime animateur, working creatively with children of all ages, and much more. But her first love is writing.