Mentor Cyd Moore with Mentorship Winner Kenneth Kraegel at the Fall 2009 Conference

2010 ILLUSTRATOR MENTORSHIP UPDATE

by Rachel Anderson

Last October, conference attendees gathered in the general session room at Yarrow waiting to hear the name of the lucky winner of the 2010 Illustrator Mentorship. The mentor, waiting in the wings, was Cyd Moore, widely acclaimed illustrator of over 40 books including I Love You, Stinky Face, Granny's Dragon, and Willow. The one-year mentorship was awarded to Kenneth Kraegel.

I recently checked in with Kenneth and Cyd to get their thoughts about the mentorship program.

RA: How has the mentorship helped you grow?

KK: Cyd has given me some great feedback and has been very willing to answer questions about the industry, illustration technique, the publishing process, and more. I am a self-taught artist, so I always have this nagging worry that my illustrations are flawed in a way that I can't see but a trained artist can spot immediately. Cyd has affirmed strengths that I didn't know I had and helped me to understand what it is that is missing in the weak areas. So, in the end, I feel more confident in my approach to illustration.

CM: This might seem like a question for the mentee, but I actually was energized by this process. Kenneth's free spirited way of working was inspiring. He has terrific ideas, puts together cute dummies and goes for it! It takes courage to go through this process, and not only did he submit his ideas to me, but he hired an agent and sent his dummies off to her. I have no doubt he'll be on the bookstore shelves one day. He made me want to get busy on some of my uncompleted projects.

RA: The mentorship is set-up for bi-monthly feedback. Has this been a good time-line for you to follow or did you create your own time-line? How has it worked out so far?  

KK: It is working well. Having a deadline to show new work to someone that I respect means that I work pretty hard to have something substantial and refined to turn in. It also means that there isn't time to worry over it. I do my best and then it is time to send it off.   

CM: I think it's a good schedule. It forces the artist to keep working, rather than losing momentum. 

RA: What has surprised you the most about the mentorship?

KK: Before we started I wondered how it would work because our styles are fairly different. I guess I wondered if we would be speaking the same language in a way. As it turned out, Cyd got what I was trying to do right away and helped me in that direction. I realized that artists may work in very different media, styles, and subjects, but they often are working toward very similar goals. 

CM: Kenneth really produced a lot this year. I expected a few illustrations from him this year, and instead, I got several complete dummies.

RA: Kenneth, would you encourage unpublished illustrators to sign up for the mentorship contest?  

KK: Yes, I certainly would. This is a great and unique opportunity. You have a year in which somebody from the 'inside' can help you see your work as it is viewed by agents, editors, and art directors. And it is clear from the start that the mentor is only providing her or his comments, no contacts or the like, so there is no pressure that "this might be my big break." You can relax and interact like a normal person.

RA: Cyd, would you encourage established illustrators to consider becoming a mentor?

CM: I would! It's a terrific experience and you get to know your fellow artists in the area. 

 RA: Is there anything else you'd like to share about your mentorship experience with our Michigan members?  

KK: It has been a great experience. Cyd has been a lot of fun to learn from. Thanks to SCBWI-MI for organizing this.

CM: I hope that Kenneth received useful advice that will help him in the future. Our industry is difficult these days, but I still believe that fresh ideas and a unique style will always sell... eventually!  I wish Kenneth great success in his career.

Many thanks to Cyd and Kenneth for sharing their thoughts with us. Please visit our website www.kidsbooklink.org for more information on the mentorship program.

Rachel Anderson thinks illustrators are AWESOME! She can't draw a straight line without a ruler.

COMMERCIALIZING THE CLASSICS

by Lisa Wheeler

We keep hearing the same messages. Publishers want "literary books with commercial value" and "commercial books with literary quality."

I think I might have the perfect solution. What if publishers took classic books and reinvented them into commercialized versions of themselves? It is not out of the question. Look what George Lucas and Steven Spielberg did with the digitally enhanced Star Wars.

When prompted with this idea. My friend, Kelly DiPucchio, immediately came up with one of her own. "How about a scratch-n-sniff Blueberries for Sal?"

That is brilliant. . .and commercial!  Just add some glitter to the cover and it can become a mass-marketed success story.

I think everyone should help out the publishers and come up with a Commercialized Classic. All you need is a hook, or a celebrity, or a good cause, or a gimmick, or a bag of glitter.

Since I want to be the first on the bandwagon, I've already begun compiling my master-list.

The Cat InThe Hat And The Half-Blood Prince (and Princess)

With their feline familiar under an imperious curse, two siblings, home for the summer from wizarding school, try to find the cure to combat the evil spell without their mother finding out.

Charlotte's Web of Deceit: A Spy-Girl Novel

When Wilber Porcine, son of a controversial European ambassador, disguises himself as a pig and seeks asylum at a hog farm, he has no idea he has fallen under the protection of Spy-Girl Fern and her high-tech mechanical spider, Charlotte.

Make Way For Ducklings Driving The Bus

*Comes with Matchbox™ bus or miniature Webkins™ duckling

Millions of Cats: A PETA Cautionary Tale

Twilight in The Secret Garden

It's the Secret Garden--with vampires!

The Snowy Day: A Lesson on Global Warming by Al Gore

A Little Princess Gift Set

*Comes with sparkling crown, wand, and matching Chihuahua in a purse. That's hot!

Now that you have the idea, run with it! We'll all be on the NYT Best-seller list in no time.

Lisa Wheeler attempts to write commercial books with literary value from her home in Addison. Her newest attempts are Dino-Baseball (CarolRhoda) and Ugly Pie (Harcourt).

Leslie Helakoski, Sarah Perry, Jody Lamb, and Monica Harris showing everyone in L.A. where they're from

WHAT THIS NEWBIE LEARNED IN L.A.

by Jody Lamb

I wrote the last few words of the first draft of my first middle-grade novel manuscript and clicked Save. Finishing a marathon couldn't have felt as good. I packed a few copies in my suitcase, cashed in my SkyMiles and flew out to a swanky Los Angeles hotel for the SCBWI's annual conference. At first, I was beyond intimidated by the 1,300 accomplished and aspiring writers and illustrators. Then I realized how energetic, upbeat and happy everyone was to be among fellow creators and book-loving folk.

With my new SCBWI-MI pal Sarah Perry, children's and YA writer and super cool librarian, the two of us were slightly star struck by the big-name authors, but played it cool (or tried to) while chatting with them. It was like being at the Oscars and hanging out backstage with the superstars. The kid lit community version, of course.

It was oh so inspiring. Kidlit people are the most determined, dedicated, hopeful and sweet-natured people I've ever met.  There are no shoulda-woulda-coulda regrets swirling around inside these grownups!

There were stories from Coleen Murtaugh Paratore who wrote 14 books in six years with a full-time job during most of it and three kids. And genius artist E.B. Lewis told us he often works from 10 pm to 6 am in his studio, fighting sleepiness by talking to an artist friend via Bluetooth all the while. And Gordon Kormen (whose seventh-grade writing assignment turned into his first published novel) said he looks for new ideas every minute of every day.

As a result of the conference experience, I am fueled up on inspiration and determination. Tackling my rewrite, Gordon Kormen's "you're probably a lot closer than you think" encouragement echoes in my mind.

Cue the Mary Tyler Moore Show theme song and slap me five.  Thanks, SCBWI.

Jody, who calls Whitmore Lake home, escapes the grownup world by writing middle grade fiction. The third draft of her first novel manuscript is 99.9% ready for agent eyes, thanks to SCBWI. She spends her days as a corporate-y marketing manager and once broke up an office shouting match over whether square bullet points are more effective than round ones in a PowerPoint presentation. Visit her website at www.jodylamb.com. 

On Viney's Mountain by Joan Donaldson

CREATING A BOOK TRAILER

by Joan Donaldson

Last fall NPR aired a feature on book trailers and soon afterward, Poets and Writers printed an article about trailers, the cost involved, their length, and companies that specialized in making book trailers. I wanted to create one for my new young adult novel, On Viney's Mountain, as I assumed that teens would expect that trailers would introduce new books. I asked a middle school librarian to point out a few trailers that she felt were well produced, and I talked to a friend who teaches high school students how to make films. Because my budget allowance would be gifts of books and boxes of blueberries from my organic farm, I needed to solicit my talented associates.

My friend Deborah agreed to film and create the trailer and pointed out that most videos are about one minute long and the narration is short, perhaps only half of the allotted time. I summarized the plot in a few words, from the main character's point of view, and we considered which images would best show the viewer the situation and the story. Deborah drew out a story map and we charted the opening scene featuring the settlement's name (Rugby, TN) and the date (1880). The following short glimpses showed the main character, Viney, encountering the central problem (foreigners invading her mountain), her reaction (vowing to drive them off), and the moment she met Charlie, who confuses the situation by stealing Viney's heart.

We had hoped to cast one of Deborah's students to act as Viney, but due to timing, I ended up playing that part while our farm intern, Levi, pretended he was Charlie. In one evening, despite eruptions of laughter from everyone involved, Deborah directed the scenes we had discussed and shot all the footage. Later, she recorded one of her students reading the thirty second narration and edited the footage. She also inserted graphics and a bit of fiddle music. We posted the video on YouTube, plus Facebook and my author website, www.joandonaldson.com. While our clip may not be as professional as a film created by a company that specializes in trailers, the trailer delivers the necessary information, provides a peek at On Viney's Mountain, and helps market the book. Throughout the process, I learned more about the craft of filming and will be prepared to create a trailer for future books.

Joan Donaldson earned her MFA at Spalding University and has published four books. Her latest novel, On Viney's Mountain, won the Friends of American Writer's Award, appeared on the Bank Street List of the Best Books of 2010, and represented Tennessee at the 2010 National Book Festival.