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By Carol Fisher Saller There was a moment when I was writing Eddie’s War when it occurred to me that I had a cast of thousands (well, dozens), interacting and overlapping like the characters in an Altman film, in a collection of little scenes that was speedily adding up to . . . not much. “You have Continue reading The Character Who Got Away By Juliet C. Bond “How hard could it be?” may be the most overconfident, delusional phrase in the entire English language. I’ve used it frequently. It’s an expression I should have ditched about two months into parenting my first child, a few weeks into the hours of colic-laden shrieking in my second child’s life and about Continue reading How to Adapt a Children’s Book for the Stage, or: “How Hard Could It Be?” By Cheryl Bardoe Talk about the power of word choice. My MFA faculty advisor said that my critical essay analyzing the layered details in Daniel Pinkwater’s book The Neddiad was generally fine, but that I had “ducked” when it came to answering the question of how writers might achieve this effect. Ducked? I doubt my advisor—successful middle-grade Continue reading Critical Writing Strengthens Creative Work By Sheila Kelly Welch On January 29, 2010, I signed a contract with a brand new, independent publishing company. Not only is the company new, but it charged a submission fee, offered no advance, and announced each “print run” would be one book (at a time). No wonder the Authors Guild had a “completely negative and pessimistic” Continue reading How I Joined the New Age of Publishing By Lynn B. Sanders Ever think about turning your story into a musical? If you’ve created an engaging story, perhaps it’s time to bring it to life onstage! I’m happy to share my own creative journey with you about creating a kid’s musical, A Whooper’s Tale: The Incredible Story of Tex. Where do I begin? Let’s start at Continue reading Confessions from Backstage: The Writing of a Children’s Musical Former SCBWI-Illinois members Carol Brendler and Keith McGowan talk about their experiences as debut authors living abroad… What brought you to your new location? CAROL: I used to live in Chicagoland: Palatine, Oak Park, and Mokena—all told, seventeen years in northeastern Illinois. But through a series of twists and turns, my husband and I ended up moving to Ottawa, Ontario, a little over a year ago. The land of moose and maple syrup. The land of Michael J. Fox and Colin Mochrie and Dudley Do-Right. Of hockey and curling, and long underwear and toques. I’d never lived in another country, so I was excited to move. My husband had an interesting job waiting for him; we found a place within walking distance to restaurants, movie theatres, etc.; and as for writing? Well, as I said when asked how the move would affect my life, a person can write anywhere! KEITH: My wife is Austrian, so we moved from Chicago to Vienna to be closer to her family and friends. We moved after I had a contract for The Witch’s Guide to Cooking with Children but while later revisions were still going on. Continue reading Writing Beyond Illinois’ Borders By Lisa Chellman As you may know, the American Library Association (ALA) will hold its annual conference in Chicago this July. The Annual Conference is a huge event, regularly seeing over 25,000 attendees—most of whom, of course, work in libraries. However, there will be much for book lovers of all stripes to enjoy in the Exhibition Hall. Let me tell you what you can expect with your $25 pass. Continue reading ALA Chicago: What to Expect
By Chris Rettstatt When I first came up with the idea for Kaimira, I had a choice to make. I could follow the traditional path of the author and try to find an agent and then a publisher. There’s a certain nobility to this path that’s not lost on me, but I’ve never approached my career traditionally. Continue reading Online Gaming and Beyond With Kaimira By Aaron Reynolds By Lisa Chellman As a librarian, I’m a bit biased: I think public libraries are a great place for everyone. But they’re a particularly great place for authors. You enjoy a greater variety of literature than any store can offer. You can visit the nonfiction stacks for your subject research. And then there are all the resources you may never have considered because you didn’t know they existed. Continue reading Print Library Resources for Authors 
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