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This summer, July 9-13 we proudly will present the tenth Oregon Coast Children's Book Writers Workshop, www.occbww.com, in the exquisite Oregon coast town of Oceanside.
The instructors for the workshop will include five established children's book authors (between them, specializing in YA and middle school novels, picture books, non-fiction, magazine pieces, and poetry), two children's book editors from major houses (we have yet to sign our second editor), and one children's book agent. Summer Workshop 2012 promises to be our best yet because:
- The instructor-student ratio will be a maximum of one to seven (probably less)
- Each day you will meet with an instructor for at least one comprehensive consultation
- You can have one-on-one informal meetings with instructors each day as well
- Every student who wishes can have an anonymous first page manuscript critique by all eight instructors in front of the class
- We will offer at least twelve instructional lectures on various aspects of writing and publishing
- There will be two evening presentations by instructors
- Out-of-class consultations with instructors are available
- There will be at least two guest lectures/writing workshops
- There will be two wonderful parties (quite appropriate for friends, partners, spouses, children)
More and more of our students are publishing and signing with agents. If you are ambitious to publish a children's book (or simply adore children's books) this is the workshop for you. It will allow you to connect directly with authors, editors, agents who are active in the children's book business. If you go to the website and look under Evaluations, you'll see that it's received extraordinarily high praise (some listed below).
The course is available for graduate credit.
For complete information we welcome you to visit our website at www.occbww.com
There's a generous refund policy (described at the website) if you decide to register now and then later on change your mind.
Any questions, feel free to ask.
Oregon Coast Children's Book Writers Workshop
www.occbww.com
Kendra Levin
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Peter Brown
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Michael Koyama
Deb McGuire
Matthew Kaopio
Marsha Gibson
Lynne Wikoff
Tammy Yee
Fiction Workshop with Donna Jo Napoli
Friday and Saturday, December 9 and 10, 2011
Donna Jo Napoli, multi-award-winning author of dozens of middle grade and YA novels and picture books (and a university professor of linguistics) will be back by popular demand for another great fiction-writing workshop. (See her website at www.donnajonapoli.com) The workshop will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, December 9 and 10; Friday’s location is Paki Hale (adjacent to Kapiolani Park) and Saturday’s location is the Aina Haina Library meeting room. Cost is $200 for members, $225 to nonmembers. Enrollment is limited, and the workshop is almost full. Preference to members. To sign up and/or for more information, please email Lynne at lwikoff@lava.net.
THE WORLD OF CHILDREN'S LITERATURE WITH AWARD-WINNING AUTHOR AND YOSEMITE NATURALIST MICHAEL ELSOHN ROSS
UHM Outreach College Noncredit Workshop
Writing Your Children's Book
with Michael Elsohn Ross
Tuesday and Thursday, Nov 3 & Nov 8 • 6:00-9:00pm • UHM George Hall 214 • $65 • To register: 956-8400 or www.outreach.hawaii.edu/noncredit
"What impresses me years later is that I wrote a kids' book without knowing much about children's literature. Ignorance was bliss, because I wrote and illustrated free of the constraints of trying to fit a mold. I created with kids in mind..."-- Michael Elsohn Ross
Writing books for children is very different from other genres since the audiences are kids and the publishers, buyers, and librarians are adults. Michael Elsohn Ross, naturalist and award-winning author of over 40 books for children, offers this entertaining and informative class for anyone with a love of children's literature, and an interest in writing or illustrating books.
In his 2-day workshop, Ross explores the wide variety of styles and formats of current books, and shares some useful writing and publishing tools gleaned from his extensive experience in the field. Participants will have a chance to write and edit short pieces, as well as gain an overview of the publishing process.
Michael Elsohn Ross lives on a bluff overlooking the Merced River, right next to Yosemite National Park. Since 1975 he has worked as a naturalist in Yosemite where he continues to lead field classes for the Yosemite Association. He is the educational director of Yosemite Guides and teaches writing workshops at Cal State Fresno and other US Mainland colleges.
Ross' nature and science books include Sandbox Scientists, a guide to setting up science activities for 2-8-year-olds; Cycles, a series of books introducing young people to various cycles in nature and the environment; You're the Scientist books, providing a creative outlet for young experimenters; and The Happy Camper Handbook, a guide to help kids prepare for camping in the great outdoors. Picture books include Snug as a Bug, Baby Bear Isn't Hungry, and What's the Matter in Mr. Whisker's Room? Turning from science to art, Ross wrote Nature Art with Chiura Obata, a biography of a Japanese-American artist who was interned during World War II and
a related title, Salvador Dali and the Surrealists: Their Lives and Ideals. Ross also added to the "World's Children" book series with Children of Northern Ireland and Children of Puerto Rico.
Visit the author's website at: http://www.bugauthor.com/
OREGON COAST CHILDREN'S BOOK WRITERS WORKSHOP, SUMMER 2011
This summer, July 11-15 we will proudly present the ninth Oregon Coast Children's Book Writers Workshop, www.occbww.com, in the exquisite Oregon coast town of Oceanside. At this time the class is three-quarters full. If you care to join us, probably it would be a good idea to sign up soon by using the registration form at the site.
The instructors for the workshop will include five established children's book authors (between them, specializing in YA and middle school novels, picture books, non-fiction, magazine pieces, and poetry), two children's book editors from major houses, and one children's book agent. Summer Workshop 2011 promises to be our best yet because:
- The instructor-student ratio will be a maximum of one to seven
- Each day you will meet with an instructor for at least one comprehensive consultation
- You can have one-on-one informal meetings with instructors each day as well
- Every student who wishes can have an anonymous first page manuscript critique by all eight instructors in front of the class
- We will offer at least twelve instructional lectures on various aspects of writing and publishing
- There will be two evening presentations by instructors
- Out-of-class consultations with instructors are available
- There will be at least three guest lectures/writing workshops
- There will be two wonderful parties (quite appropriate for friends, partners, spouses, children)
If you are ambitious to publish a children's book (or simply adore children's books) this is the workshop for you. It will allow you to connect directly with authors, editors, agents who are active in the children's book business. If you go to the website and look under Evaluations, you'll see that it's received extraordinarily high praise.
The course is available for graduate credit.
For complete information visit www.occbww.com
"The course of true love never did run smooth."
~William Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night's Dream |
"Participants were recruited via flyers posted...on Facebook and Craig's List. All participants were right-handed (recall the burning left forearm) and received $175 for their participation."That must have been a hellova flyer.
"Sensory neurons flash a message to the spinal cord, spinal cord neurons relay the message to the brain, and the brain decides (a) damage has occurred, (b) it has been inflicted on the toe, and (c) something needs to be done (we start hobbling, raise the foot, utter an expletive). It may feel as if our toe is throbbing, but the experience is all contained within a mental projection of the condition of our toe within our brain."Thus pain, as explained by Dr. Donald A. Ranney, is not a sensation, but a perception:
"This perception is real, whether or not harm has occurred or is occurring. Cognition is involved in the formulation of this perception. There are emotional consequences, and behavioral responses to the cognitive and emotional aspects of pain."
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"Emotional pain involves the same brain regions as physical pain...the anterior cingulate cortex may respond by increasing the activity of the vagus nerve—the nerve that starts in the brain stem and connects to the neck, chest and abdomen. When the vagus nerve is overstimulated, it can cause pain and nausea."This association of physical pain with emotional pain may be related to the survival of our species. Whether on the Pleistocene savannah or in New York City, we thrive in social groups, with friends and family to watch our backs. As Naomi Eisenberger at UCLA explains,
"The social attachment system is piggy-backed onto the physical pain system to make sure we stay connected to close others. Being wrenched from another or rejected by a group is painful, so we avoid it."The problem arises when emotional pain persists. An inability or unwillingness to move through the stages of bereavement can progress to what neuroscientist Mary Frances O'Connor calls "complex grief":
"They experience a lot of bitterness and anger, that their future is senseless. They don't adapt with time as others do."Like physical pain, emotional pain can lead to chronic, debilitating heartbreak.
 ~Henry Brooks Adams |
Be one of the 240 writers who visit our bucolic campus this summer to study with Pulitzer Prize, Guggenheim Fellowship, and National Book Award winners in poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, memoir, novel, personal essay, short story, playwriting, children’s literature, YA novel, screenwriting, and the musical book.
12 to 1 student-faculty ratio
9 am to 9 pm emersion in workshops, electives, and evening events
5 and 11 day conferences
A thriving community of writers
Graduate credit available
Now in its 36th year, The Southampton Writers Conference is excited to announce its summer lineup:
Southampton Writers Conference - July 13-24, 2011
Creative Nonfiction with Matthew Klam
Fiction with Melissa Bank
Memoir with Roger Rosenblatt
Novel with Meg Wolitzer
Poetry with Billy Collins
Poetry with Mark Doty
Poetry with Julie Sheehan
Personal Essay with David Rakoff
Short Story with TBA
Southampton Playwriting Conference - July 6-10, 2011/ July 13-24 2011
Session I: July 6-10 (5 days) Playwriting with Adam Bock
Session I: July 6-10 (5 days) Playwriting with Leslie Ayvazian
Session II: July 13-24 (11 days) Musical Book with Marsha Norman
Session II: July 13-24 (11 days) Playwriting with Emily Mann
Session II: July 13-24 (11 days) Playwriting with Jon Robin Baitz
Southampton Screenwriting Conference - July 6-10, 2011
How to Write Stronger Scenes with Andrew Bienen
Structuring Your Screenplay with Christina Lazaridi
Finding Your Story with Frank Pugliese
Breaking The Back of Your Story with Paula Brancato
TBA with Stephen Molton
Southampton Children’s Literature Conference - July 6-10, 2011
You Don't Have to Choose: Lessons Learned While Balancing Playful Picture Books with Rigorous Research with Chris Barton
Hearing Voices: Writing YA Fiction with Patricia McCormick
The Write Stuff: Nonfiction and Historical Fiction with Andrea Davis Pinkney
How to Extract a Fable: Writing with Message and Mission with Peter H. Reynolds
All in the Telling: Writing the Middle Grade Novel with Tor Seidler
Visit www.stonybrook.edu/writers for more information, author bios and applications
 Reka Simonsen, executive editor at Houghton Children’s Books |  Author John Ritter |  Illustrator Michael Furuya |
"The Authors agree to promote the Work to the best of his/her abilities...particularly in the first quarter following the Work's publication..."Expect to find a similar clause in all your contracts, detailing your required participation in autograph sessions, interviews, and digital promotion on websites and social networking sites.
"According to NMFS, 60 to 90 percent of NWHI (North West Hawaiian Islands) seals die by the age of three. However, research has shown that MHI (Main Hawaiian Islands) seals do well, with 60 percent surviving to adulthood. Jeff Walters, of the NMFS, said a reason for this could be that there are less predators and competitors on MHI."
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| Locals swim alongside KP2, an abandoned monk seal pup raised by humans |
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| KP2's friendliness was of concern. Officials worried his playfulness might injure people as he matured. |
Please join us at Mission Houses Museum for Historic Bites on Tuesday, Oct 5th at noon in the Chamberlain House Kitchen.
Our topic is...
Victorian Horrors
Senior Curator, Elizabeth Nosek will give a background look at this unique genre of literature during the early 19th century before welcoming author, Mary Shelly who will read from her famous work, Frankenstein...
The program is FREE
Two other pieces of information
This program is a nice introduction to the Story-a-thon: A Celebration of Literacy event on October 22 which begins with Victorian Horrors ($15 a person, registration strongly recommended).
Don't forget this weekend's Bookfair at and Noble. You can support Mission Houses and read great books!
Unnaturally large squashes aside, Halloween dates back some 2,000 years and in its current form is a mishmash of ancient Celtic practices, Catholic and Roman religious rituals, and of course, modern commercialism. Long before Walmart, October 31 marked the Celtic holiday of Samhain, a harvest festival observing the end of summer, when ancient Celts disguised themselves in costumes and masks and lit bonfires to ward off evil spirits. The harvest holiday was especially important because it marked the seasonal transition between the warm "lighter half" of the year, or the growing season, and the cold, dreary "darker half". This transition from a time of bounty to impending austerity extended into the spiritual world; it was believed that the boundaries between the living and the "otherworld" became especially thin, allowing the dead to pass over into this world.
Samhain and its pagan rituals, and some elements of the Roman festival of Feralia, which honored the dead, became integrated into All Saint's Day and all Soul's Day. In medieval Ireland and Britain, the poor would go from door to door asking for food in return for prayers for the dead, giving rise to "guising", a tradition in which Scottish and Irish children disguised themselves in costumes and went door to door requesting food and coins.
Bat Origami | Black Cat Origami |
Owl Mask |  |
Owl Paper Bag Puppet | Pinwheel Spider |
Pumpkin Box  | Skeleton |
Michael Elsohn Ross, a science educator and an award-winning author of more than 40 books for children on nature, science, and art will be teaching a two-session noncredit evening course UH called ‘Writing Your Children’s Book’ (Event ID: P11028). The class will meet on November 4 (Thursday) and 9 (Tuesday) from 6 to 9 p.m. in Kuykendall 303, and the course fee is $65. Michael describes the class as follows: “Discover the wide variety of styles and formats of current books, and pick up some useful writing and publishing tools from an author with extensive experience in the field. Participants will have a chance to write and edit short pieces, as well as get an overview of the publishing process.”
Michael, who works as a naturalist in Yosemite, presents at schools and conferences throughout the U.S. and internationally and teaches writing workshops. See his website at www.bugauthor.com. (While we don’t know Michael personally, he’s an SCBWI member, and the Regional Advisor where he lives recommends him highly.) Register online at www.outreach.hawaii.edu/noncredit/registration.asp, or call 956-8400.
The 39th Annual SCBWI International Summer Conference features 4 days of agents, editors, publishers, workshps and networking designed to take your writing and illustration to the next level. From individual consultations on your manuscript or portfolio with an editor or agent, to keynotes and targeted workshops from best-selling writers and illustrators, the SCBWI Summer Conference gives you the opportunity to focus on honing your craft while networking with industry decision-makers.What: 39th Annual Summer Conference
When: July 30 - August 2, 2010
Where: Hyatt Regency Century Plaza, Los Angeles
What: University of Hawai‘i KIDS FIRST! Film Festival
When: Sundays • June 13 & 27, July 11 & 18 • 3:00pm
Where: UH Manoa Art Auditorium • FREE!
http://www.outreach.hawaii.edu/summer/kidsfirst.asp
• Caldecott Medal-winning author/illustrator Ed Young
• Award-winning middle-grade author Tor Seidler
• Accomplished editor and novelist Cindy Kane
• Best-selling author/editor Emma Walton Hamilton
• Award-winning YA author Margaret McMullan
"When creating anything, especially book covers, changes are going to happen and first ideas will become third ideas or even sixth ideas. But, with every change or every new idea comes a more polished and a more cohesive cover, so that the end result is something that we are all proud of and something that highlights the story."Congratulations, Shan!
"I have a new method of poetry. All you got to do is look over your notebooks...And think of anything that comes into your head, especially the miseries...Then arrange in lines of two, three or four words each, don't bother about sentences."
Oxford University researchers have discovered the heaviest element yet
known to science. The new element, Governmentium (symbol=Gv), has one
neutron, 25 assistant neutrons, 88 deputy neutrons and 198 assistant
deputy neutrons, giving it an atomic mass of 312.
These 312 particles are held together by forces called morons, which
are surrounded by vast quantities of lepton-like particles called
pillocks. Since Governmentium has no electrons, it is inert. However,
it can be detected, because it impedes every reaction with which it
comes into contact.
A tiny amount of Governmentium can cause a reaction that would
normally take less than a second, to take from 4 days to 4 years to
complete. Governmentium has a normal half-life of 2 to 6 years. It
does not decay, but instead undergoes a reorganisation in which a
portion of the assistant neutrons and deputy neutrons exchange places..
In fact, Governmentium's mass will actually increase over time, since
each reorganisation will cause more morons to become neutrons, forming
isodopes. This characteristic of moron promotion leads some scientists
to believe that Governmentium is formed whenever morons reach a
critical concentration. This hypothetical quantity is referred to as a
critical morass. When catalysed with money, Governmentium becomes
Administratium (symbol=Ad), an element that radiates just as much
energy as Governmentium, since it has half as many pillocks but twice
as many morons.
Sunday, March 21
Breakthrough Performance and Dance Party
A BENEFIT for the Honolulu Waldorf School
6:30 Performance
8:00 Dance Party
$15, Gordon Biersch Restaurant
Aloha Tower
Call 888-3768 for tickets
Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned pro, you’ll benefit from this banner program. Polish your skills and hone your talents as you plunge into the world of children’s books!
 Nancy Siscoe |  Kathi Appelt |  James Rumford |  Margaret South |  Tammy Yee |  Scott Goto |
For all:
- general session with Nancy Siscoe, executive editor at Knopf on character development in both text and illustration.
- after-lunch panel with representatives from Mutual Publishing, Island Heritage, and Bess Press who will talk about what kinds of manuscripts they are looking for and how to submit to them.
- optional manuscript and portfolio critiques.
For writers:
- hands-on session with Newbury honoree Kathi Appelt on “Endowed Objects–What’s in your Character’s ‘Magic Box?’”
- first-pages session
- session on “The Art of Story” with Margaret South, who wowed us all at last year’s conference.
For illustrators:
- hands-on session with James Rumford, “Now That’s Another Story: the Art of the Picture Book”
- presentation with Tammy Yee on “The (Happy) Marriage of Illustration and Technology”
- presentation with Scott Goto “Working from References and Other Tricks of the Trade”
"This is the first conference I have walked away thinking this was worth every penny. I actually feel like I have something of value, and I am a better writer for going."
"The critique groups were amazing. The editors, agents, and authors were very approachable, and their comments/edits were invaluable. The writers in both critique groups shared fresh/unique perspectives, with an uninhibited ear/eye for what was and was not working. I stayed up nearly all night on both nights to create a revised first chapter that's both immediate and evocative...
...kick your butt in a good way workshop. It was inspiring."
"The best part was the intensity. The editors/agents are so down to earth & accessible. I like that serious writers were here to discuss work. It raised the standards for people!"
Friday, April 9, 7:30-9:30 pmWhere:
Saturday, April 10, 8-5 pm
1601 Punahou Street
Honolulu
OREGON COAST CHILDREN'S BOOK WRITERS WORKSHOPS, SUMMER 2010
www.occbww.com
Next summer, July 12-16 and July 19-23, 2010 we proudly will present the eighth Oregon Coast Children's Book Writers Workshops, www.occbww.com, in the exquisite Oregon coast town of Oceanside. The instructors for each workshop will include five established children's book authors (between them, specializing in YA and middle school novels, picture books, non-fiction, magazine pieces, and poetry), two children's book editors from major houses, and one children's book agent. Summer Workshops 2010 promise to be our best yet because
- The instructor-student ratio will be a maximum of one to six,
- Each day, you will meet with an instructor for at least one comprehensive consultation, and
- You can have one-on-one informal meetings with instructors each day as well, and
- Every student who wishes can have an anonymous first page manuscript critique by all eight instructors in front of the class, and
- We will offer at least twelve instructional lectures on various aspects of writing and publishing, and
- There will be two evening readings/discussions by instructors, and
- Out-of-class consultations with instructors are available, and
- There will be at least three guest lectures, and
- There will be two wonderful parties (quite appropriate for friends, partners, spouses, children)
If you are ambitious to publish a children's book (or simply adore children's books), this is the workshop for you. It will allow you to connect directly with authors, editors, agents who are active in the children's book business. If you go to the website and look under Evaluations, you'll see that it's received extraordinarily high praise (some listed below).
The course is available for graduate credit.
For complete information we welcome you to visit our website at www.occbww.com
We always tend to fill up early and turn many people away who wish to attend simply because there isn't space. So, if this is of interest, you may want to register sooner than later. There's a generous refund policy (described at the website) if you decide not to attend.
If you have any questions, feel free to ask.
Oregon Coast Children's Book Writers Workshop
www.occbww.com
"Over the past three decades, I’ve written columns in both the Advertiser and Stat-Bulletin, published several articles in national magazines, worked in corporate communications and PR, and been a free-lancer editor and writer. I’ve had two books published by Island Heritage and currently have a completed novel under consideration by agents."
Today’s harried editors are demanding close-to-perfect manuscripts. That means the task of revision falls to writers. (Yes, you.) Whether you’re ready to refine a completed novel draft or you want to temporarily switch from writing to editing, I can help.
In two 3-hour sessions, I’ll reveal the tricks of the editor’s trade—revision techniques sure to make your manuscript stronger. (Maybe even strong enough to sell!)
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