The Publishing Process, Writing Advice

How the SCBWI Conference Blew My Mind

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My Seawig of Books! All the launching SCBWI Titles of 2015 Awesome Photo by: Candy Gourlay

 

Every year I think this year’s conference has been the best ever but this year, it really might have been. Was it just me or did we fill Winchester with enough warmth and creativity to power a small ship? And what about it really blew my mind?

Was it our fantastic, if bonkers, keynote speakers who set the tone for a fabulous weekend? Sarah Macintyre & Philip Reeve, Jonny Duddle and David Fickling were all inspiring and hilarious.

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With Sarah Macintyre and Philip Reeve – two of our AWESOME keynotes. They sold out of books, our lovely bookseller sneaked back to one of the shops and got me one! Thanks David from  P.G.Wells in Winchester!

Was it because we had a great break out program which showed me the way to go with my school visits, fixed a HUGE plot problem I was having (Candy Gourlay you GENIUS) and answered many tricky questions under The Cone of Silence?

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Candy Gourlay’s Structure Break Out was exactly the butt kick I needed.

Was it the fringe critique or the killer 1-2-1 that may have been hard to hear but was absolutely the medicine my younger fiction needed? Thanks David Maybury –  honesty was definitely the best policy. I’ve stopped crying now.  I’M KIDDING – it’s all good.

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With  George Kirk (valiant organiser), Steve Hartley (school visit genius), Philippa Francis ( all round good egg)

It may have been  the awesome party, celebrating the success of all our new SCBWI books published this year. Or was it just the gathering of the clan? The cementing of of old friendships?

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Addy Farmer, Me in a Wig, Teri Terry

The sparking of new ones?

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Dom Conlon fellow FunEverser.

 

Robin Stevens, I wish I could post our pictures but what happens in the bar, stays in the bar…

It was all those things because all those things embody SCBWI.  The sharing of our craft, our knowledge, our experience, our friendship. And that true symbol of SCBWI,  giant pants.

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Steve Hartley Doing His Thing.

 

 

8 thoughts on “How the SCBWI Conference Blew My Mind”

  1. Amazing conference – can’t praise everyone enough for another terrific year. Not to mention how much you put into it all behind the scenes, Kathy!

    There’s also something definitely useful about being in a workshop or talk in person that gets the mind thinking differently that if it was just me at home. Thank you SCBWI, Kathy and everyone!

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