Carolinas 29th Annual Fall Conference, best of 2021  

Friends, my heart is full after spending our conference weekend together. Those sessions were the first virtual meetings I have looked forward to and enjoyed so thoroughly in such a long time. Thank you for being there with us as your schedules allowed. Your energy for this region was palpable through the screen and it makes me feel excited for what's to come! 
If we had a conference yearbook, I would write on your page:
u r 2 Awesome 
  + 2 B
   4 gotten
See you soon!

Erica Wood
Regional Advisor, SCBWI Carolinas
POST-CONFERENCE PRIORITIES
The months after an amazing conference are the most important. NOW is the time to reflect on what we’ve learned, set creative goals, and begin working--while that post-conference spark of motivation is still burning strong. Here are some tips from your Regional Team: 

  • Nurture your inspiration. Most of us come away from conferences ready to create, but all too often life intervenes and we’re unable to nurture that inspiration as diligently as we’d planned. Set aside time for yourself daily (or several times weekly) to create and keep your post-conference inspiration burning
  • Watch (or rewatch) conference videos and take notes. You may hear something you missed before, and you can pause videos to fill in anything missing from your notes.  
  • Organize your conference notes now. Taking time to type your notes can help you absorb and retain this information. It also provides a great resource to reference as you create.
  • Don’t miss out on the conference submission opportunities! This happens more than you might realize. Time goes by and--oops!--that submission window has closed. Set a reminder in your calendar. If you’re submitting, we want to hear about it! Let us know on the SCBWI Carolinas FB page, IG, or Twitter. #SCBWICarolinasSUBClub
  • Network with new (and old) conference friends. The energy we build from being around other creators is one of our biggest pandemic deficits. Follow conference attendees and faculty on social media. Connect with your conference friends!
  • Utilize faculty resources. Our faculty provided favorite links, materials, advice, etc., which are compiled in the Virtual Goodie Bag portion of the Attendee Materials. Read it and explore!
  • Take advantage of the opportunities offered in our region. There’s so much available to our Carolinas membership--check out our SCBWI Carolinas webpage to learn more.  
  • Don’t forget to fill out our short Conference Survey. Only five questions. Your responses will help us better plan for next year. 
  • Keep our 2021 theme in mind: Creating Together. We are all on this creative journey together, and your Regional Team and Volunteer Coordinators are here for YOU. Please contact us with questions, ideas, and feedback. We are busy planning our next year of programming, and our key focus is connecting and supporting our wonderful membership. 

Save the date for SCBWI Carolinas 30th Annual Fall Conference:
September 30th - October 2nd, 2022
Then go forth and CREATE!    

The purpose of this program is to support our PAL members by getting more of their books out into the Carolinas communities.

Each month, our membership will be notified of new PAL member releases and asked to help out by contacting their local library systems, local bookstores, local schools, and other specialty locations that might be interested in a particular title. 

Email PAL Coordinator Derick Wilder with any questions! 

October's Participants:

Donna McKinney
Title: ENGINES! With 25 Science Projects for Kids
Author: Donna McKinney
Illustrator: Tom Casteel
ISBN-10: ‎ 1619309378
ISBN-13: ‎ 978-1619309371
Publisher: Nomad Press
Release date: Oct. 15, 2021

Derick Wilder
Title: The Longest Letsgoboy
Author: Derick Wilder
Illustrator: Catia Chien
ISBN: 978-1452177168
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Release Date: October 26, 2021

BOOK FAIRIES: FIRST LOOK!

This month we will be posting our monthly Book Fairies First Look interview! Our first video featured author/illustrator is Jane Smith. Check out the video here!
SCBWI Carolinas members are invited to Ignite the Spark by writing—and drawing—MicroFiction. Fast, furious fun and inspiration...all within one hour! Hosted by our very own
John Strong Linda Gerber!

Ignite the Spark is held every third Tuesday. The next meeting will be
October 19th @ 7:30 pm EDT with special guest, Maya Myers, author of the picture book "Not Little," illustrated by Hyewon Yum.

For more information:

To sign up:

Mary Jane Nirdlinger, a graduate of VCFA, has done a deep dive into extending your literary education. One writer asks, "I'm considering [an MFA program that’s] easier to get to, but I've heard from others that when it comes to agents and editors, VCFA is the only low-residency program that counts. Is this true? I don't want to spend thousands going to a low-residency program that might help my technique but is disregarded by traditional agents and publishers. (I'm not interested in self-publishing or small presses.)" Click here to access the full blog post.
NEW CRITIQUE GROUP OPPORTUNITY!
Calling PB writers in Wilmington/Myrtle Beach/Fayetteville Triangle: 

I'd love to start a hybrid critique group with some face-to-face meetings (location TBD), some Zoom, and some online correspondence. I've been an SCBWI member for a year and a half, I'm active with Ignite the Spark, and I am also a member of Word Weavers (Wilmington).

If interested, please email me at: tonnyefletcher@gmail.com 
Tonnye Fletcher
Carolinas Cocktails & Promo Event!
Thursday, November 4th
Attention PAL and FULL members who teach/train/coach writers & illustrators, you are invited to promote your workshops/trainings/coaching sessions during SCBWI Carolinas Self-Promo day! We want to know what opportunities are available for children's books creators right here in our own region. On Thursday, Nov 4th, tag us, tweet @ us, post in our groups, and use #LearnWithCarolinas.

At 7pm, ALL members are welcome to meet up on Zoom for cocktails and conversation. We'll use breakout rooms to find out more about the opportunities offered by our PALs and FULLs. 

Featured Illustrator: Ashley Belote
Ashley Belote is the illustrator of FRANKENSLIME (Feiwel & Friends, 2021) and VALENSLIME (Feiwel & Friends, 2021). She is the author-illustrator of her solo debut early reader THE ME TREE (Penguin Workshop, 2021) and her solo debut picture book LISTEN UP, LOUELLA (Feiwel & Friends, 2022). 
 
Ashley studied traditional animation under the direction of Don Bluth. She earned her BA from Alderson Broaddus University and her MA in Arts Administration from the University of Kentucky. Her graduate study included a children’s literature and illustration course, The Whole Book Approach, through Simmons College at the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art. Ashley also serves as the Illustrator Coordinator for the Carolinas chapter of SCBWI. She is represented by Moe Ferrara of BookEnds Literary Agency.

Website: AshleyBelote.com
Twitter: @AshleyBelote1
SOME NEWS FROM SCBWI HQ!

Check out virtual events in other regions on the NEW Regional Webinars Page

SCBWI's Out from the Margins Award opens for submissions Oct 15th. This robust marketing award for underrepresented creators of children’s literature will be awarded to eight winners. 

We want to blast your good news throughout our social media, so please send it our way!
Check out the details at Hurrahs!

Send news of agency signings, contracts and awards to
A warm welcome to all of our new members—we are so glad you've joined us! If you have any questions, please let me know! —Megan Hoyt

scbwicmembers@gmail.com
SCBWI MEMBERSHIP

You MUST be a member to join the WIN Facebook page and/or the new PAL FB group. You can check your membership expiration on your profile page at www.scbwi.org. You can also renew online if necessary.
Unless otherwise specified, questions about the contents of this newsletter should be directed to one of the following members of the SCBWI-Carolinas Regional Team: Erica Wood (Regional Advisor); Elizabeth Rawls (Assistant Regional Advisor); Becky Shillington (Co-Assistant Regional Advisor); or Ashley Belote (Illustrator Coordinator).

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Our mailing address is:
SCBWI-Carolinas
P.O. Box 805, Mount Holly, NC 28120

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