I am so excited to say that my submission from Fly to the Hills, my middle grade historical fiction told in verse, earned me the Student Writer Scholarship to the SCBWI New York Winter Conference! Will you be there?
SCBWI events always include some incredible authors and illustrators, and this conference will not disappoint. I can’t wait to laugh through Jack Gantos‘s speech – he is charmingly quirky and smart! My high school students will be so jealous that I get to hear Ellen Hopkins talk about censorship. The unflinching topics she tackles in her verse novels for young adults have made many of my reluctant readers eager for more poetry. I’ve heard Kate Messner before at SCBWI events, and I am eager to be in workshops with her because she always offers hands-on advice you can apply immediately. I’m thrilled to be in Jane Yolen’s workshop on writing in verse since that’s the format that won me the scholarship. I fear I might go all fan-girl to hear historical fiction author Elizabeth Wein share her insights!
Though I have a deep love and affection for historical fiction, the manuscript that I am busy drafting now is a young adult book that slides into the post-high school year. Some might argue that those traits make it a New Adult book, and I’ll let you know if I agree after hearing from Tessa Woodward, an editor with HarperCollins.
If you write for children and aren’t yet a member of SCBWI, join today.
See you at the conference!
Story Catching 