SCBWI | Cathy C. Hall Writes

Now, who doesn’t like money for writing? But you can’t get something for nothing if you want to win one of the SCBWI Work-in-Progress grants. You’re going to have to apply.

Here’s how it works. Let’s say you’re working like a dog on your latest manuscript, and you could really use a little financial help whilst working. Let’s say you need to make a trip for research. Or maybe you need to make a retreat for uninterrupted writing time. Honestly, maybe you’d just like grocery money. You can use the grant money for whatever your need is.

And there are different categories of grants, with main winners and runners-up. Your chances of winning a grant (as long as you’re an associate or full member of SCBWI) are good. But you can improve your chances by working just as hard on that grant as you do your work-in-progress. Check your spelling, write complete sentences, present yourself professionally. Make SCBWI want to throw that money at you!

That’s why I’m mentioning it now. Go check out all the details here and start working on the application. You have a full two months to make everything spiffy! On the other hand, you only have a few days to make your children’s poetry spiffy.

But you can do it! Check out my post over at the Hall of Fame regarding several poetry contests. I think every contest had a category for children’s verse. If you have a wonderful poem, hanging about collecting cyber-dust, polish it off and send it out. The entry fees are so reasonable, you can’t afford to pass this opportunity up.

‘Cause you know…who doesn’t like money for writing?!

I do so love my SCBWI Southern Breeze conferences, but the wik 2010 conference was extra-wonderful!

How wonderful? Let me count the ways…

*The keynote speaker, Darcy Pattison, was inspiring in her words and generous with her words! She gave every participant a take home CD, Fiction Notes Bookshelf. Wheee!

*The faculty presenters were, as always, informative and entertaining. Though I didn’t attend every session, I can say with certainty that thanks to editor Kate Sullivan, I have a little plot-tweaking and novel-revising to do before I send off my manuscript. And thanks to agent Jamie Weiss Chilton, I completely understand how important that whole character development thing is to the plot!

*I’d read Irene Latham’s lovely novel, Leaving Gee’s Bend, but it was quite the education to hear the story from behind the scenes, along with comments from her editor, Stacy Barney. I took very careful notes about what Irene learned after the contract. My recommendation? If you ever have the opportunity to attend a session like that, run grab a seat!

*The number one tip I’d give to anyone planning on attending a SCBWI conference is to read current best-selling children’s literature. During every session, The Hunger Games came up. Every. Single. Session. Fortunately, I’d read (and loved) The Hunger Games. But if you hadn’t read it? Um, those examples wouldn’t make much sense.

*And guess who won a totally awesome award for her YA novel manuscript, Pen Pal? Come on. I’ll bet you had a feeling it was me. It doesn’t get more wonderful than that! (Thanks, Southern Breeze and all those volunteers, for the best conference ever!)