Cynthia Leitich Smith's Blog, page 100

2016 SCBWI Bologna Illustrator Interview: Erin Bellingham

By Angela Cerrito
for SCBWI Bologna 2016
and Cynthia Leitich Smith's Cynsations

Erin Bellingham grew up in San Diego, where you could usually find her playing make believe, running around outside, reading a book, or doodling. She studied illustration at Cal State Fullerton and moved to Oregon shortly after graduating. 

She now lives in Sherwood, Oregon with her husband Ryan and their dog, Scout. She still enjoys reading and playing outside (usually with Scout right beside her). 

And of c...

Guest Post: P.J. Hoover on The Awesomeness of School Visits

By P.J. Hoover
for Cynthia Leitich Smith's Cynsations

OMG an author visit! It’s a huge, exciting time for students, teachers, and the author. We, the authors, are honored to be visiting your school.

Aside from the fact that it gives us an opportunity to get out of the house (and change out of our pajamas), there is nothing better than connecting with our target audience about a subject we love: books.

About the Visit

I like to start my school visits off with a story from Greek mythology. It’s a gr...

2016 SCBWI Bologna Author-Illustrator Interview: Nicola L. Robinson

By Elisabeth Norton
for SCBWI Bologna 2016
and Cynthia Leitich Smith's Cynsations

Nicola L Robinson is an illustrator based in Nottingham U.K. Her children's illustration work includes cover art, pop-up books, pen and ink illustrations, hand lettering, illustrations for children's poetry and illustrations for prints and greeting cards. She particularly loves drawing monsters, dragons, animals and architecture, often with a slightly creepy edge.

She is the author and illustrator of The Monster Mac...

Guest Post: Linda Covella on Going Indie: Tips & Advice on Self-Publishing in the YA Book Market

By Linda Covella
for Cynthia Leitich Smith's Cynsations

Thinking of going indie?

Self-publishing can be a fun, exciting, and rewarding endeavor. But get ready for an eclectic collection of hats, because you’ll be wearing many. It’s important to realize you’re selling a product that should be of the highest quality.

Here are some tips and resources to help you through the process.

Editing

By the time you’re ready to publish, you should have already gone through developmental editing of concept, char...

2016 SCBWI Bologna Author-Illustrator Interview: Lauren Mills

By Angela Cerrito
for SCBWI Bologna 2016
and Cynthia Leitich Smith's Cynsations

Lauren Mills spent her youth in the woods trying to tame wild animals and has been illustrating since she could hold a crayon. She always knew she wanted to write and illustrate children’s books and was the first in the California State System to receive an MA in Illustration.

Her picture book, The Rag Coat (Little, Brown, 1991), won numerous awards including the Charlotte Award, and her original fairy tale, Fairy Win...

Cynsational News

By Cynthia Leitich Smith
for Cynsations

A Conversation with Author-Illustrator Matt Travers by Lila Quintero Weaver from Latin@s in Kidlit. Peek: "Once all my sketches are approved by my art director (after a couple rounds of revisions, usually), I start working on the final illustrations. That part usually takes four to six months. The whole process, from start to finish, can take nine months to a year, depending on the book."

Tropes About People with Hearing Loss by Cristina Hartman from Disab...

Guest Post: Alexandria LaFaye on Acting Your Age: Writing Across the Ages of Young Readers

By Alexandria LaFaye
for Cynthia Leitich Smith's Cynsations

Kicking, screaming, and spinning tantrums are appropriate in a picture book—though surprisingly sparse in children’s literature for how prevalent the are in the life of most children, but we don’t expect to see a teenager spinning on the floor throwing a fit because the "'rents won’t extend curfew."

Know your audience when you write across the ages/genres of children’s and young adult literature.

(Harcourt, 2001)For instance, when does a...

Guest Post: Carol Coven Grannick on In a Dark and Not-So-Quiet Room

By Carol Coven Grannick
for Cynthia Leitich Smith's Cynsations

I’m in a cozy, dark room – too warm, and scattered with noises of children’s breathing, soft wordless Beatles’ arrangements, and the burble of the turtle tank filter. It’s nap-time at the early childhood school where I work, and I’m on duty. I’m also working on a major revision for my novel in verse.


It’s an unlikely setting, this child-dense room with documentation of the children’s discoveries through paint, clay, blocks, but betwe...

Guest Post: Janet S. Fox on Blending History With Fantasy

By Janet S. Fox
for Cynthia Leitich Smith's Cynsations

Some of my favorite books ever are the books of C.S. Lewis's Narnia series. The fantasy of leaving home and entering a land where a child can experience talking animals, mythological creatures, desperate (and deadly) battles - where a child can be perceived as making real, respected choices - where good deeds are rewarded by kindness and love and bad deeds are punished, but only by "just desserts" - I read these books (and still read them)...

Guest Post: Susan Thogerson Maas on Writing from a Faith-Based Perspective

By Susan Thogerson Maas
for Cynthia Leitich Smith's Cynsations

Why do we write middle grade and young adult books? Perhaps we love to play with words. Or we admire the honesty and realness of kids—and never quite grew up ourselves.

These reasons also apply to those of religious faith, but we have an added motive—to inspire children, deepen their faith, or help them live a better life. These ideas can be part of both religious and mainstream market books.

Writing faith themes in children’s literat...