Monday, January 21, 2013

Children's Picture Book Illustration with Dana Sullivan


 

Do you have a children's picture book idea just waiting to be discovered? This class will give you creative tools to help with visual storytelling, character development, and making story boards and book dummies. Learn how to find your place in the children's book market and create original art for a professional portfolio. SCBWI's Dana Sullivan took this class three years ago and will have two books published this year. You can too!

Where: Pratt Fine Art Center, Seattle
When: Wednesdays, 10 am - 2 pm, Feb 6 - Mar 13
Cost: $256
Prerequisite: None
Questions? email Dana at danajsullivan@comcast.net

Children's book illustration with Craig Orback

Children's book illustration classes with local illustrator Craig Orback began in January, both in Seattle and Bellevue. Check his website for details on Children's Book Illustration I and II, to be held at Bellevue College (Saturdays, January 19–March 9) and North Seattle Community College (I: Tuesdays, January 15-March 5; II: Mondays, January 14–March 18).

Friday, May 21, 2010

From Cover to Cover: A Picture Book Class

Are you brimming with picture-book drafts after NaPiBoWriWee? Do you have a drawer full of stories clamoring to be completed and polished? Then Liz Mills has the class for you! Together, we’ll explore your ideas for their marketability, review your drafts to make them the best they can be, discuss the importance of making a dummy book even when you’re not an illustrator, and tackle submission guidelines. All in four weeks! The class will be conducted online, with up to eight participants. I will send out an email at the beginning of each week with information, guidance, and writing prompts. Then as you send in your work, I’ll send each of you feedback. We’ll work on one story a week. I encourage all participants to critique as well. We learn best from each other. Come write and revise some stories with me!

Length of class: Four weeks
Cost: $75
Payment by check or Paypal
Start Date: July 5, 2010
Registration ends: June 20, 2010

About Liz : I am a freelance editor and author who acquired, edited, and managed more than a hundred books in all kinds of formats as an editor at Scholastic. I have also written thirty books, including THE EVERYTHING KIDS’ EASY SCIENCE EXPERIMENTS BOOK and TICK-TOCK SHARKS. My picture book, THE SPOOKY WHEELS ON THE BUS, will be published by Scholastic in July 2010. In my spare time, I am the editor of The Chinook, a quarterly newsletter for the Western Washington chapter of SCBWI, and I’m a member of the Northwest Independent Editors Guild. Visit my website, and contact me at jemills1 AT gmail.com.

Monday, May 17, 2010

Romance writing class with Mindy Hardwick

Do you have a young adult romance story you are writing? Or maybe you just want to add a romance into your mystery or fantasy novel. From the first meeting to the final break-up, this class will explore writing about that first love. Mindy Hardwick will teach, Writing the Young Adult Romance, on Monday nights at Hugo House beginning on July 5th and ending on July 26th from 6:30-8:30. For more information check out the Hugo House Summer Course Listings.

Mindy's young adult romance short story, GHOST IN THE BATTING CAGE was published with Bridgehouse Press (UK). She was a winner in the 2009 Seattle Romance Writer's Early Bird pitch contest and has published articles and a short story with the The Washington State History Museum's e-zine, COLUMBIAKids. Mindy holds an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College. To learn more about Mindy, visit her website. Contact her about the class at mindy AT mindyhardwick.com

Sunday, May 16, 2010

Revision class with Joni Sensel

Need revision tools and tricks, motivation, or structure and guidance? Consider the novel revision class Joni Sensel will teach in July through Hugo House. Called "Extreme Makeover: Novel Edition," the class will meet Wednesday evenings over four weeks starting on July 7. For more info, check out the Hugo House online summer catalog or email Joni at senselj (at) yahoo.com.

Thursday, May 6, 2010

Online revision class with Ann Gonzalez

Do you have a completed manuscript that you need to revise? Do you have the first third of a novel written and you need help and a push to get to the end?

Join Ann Gonzalez, MFA and author of Running for My Life, and a group of other writers in an eight-week workshop class where you will learn aspects of craft, receive revision notes and support, as well as an occasional push to help you reach the end.

No one walks away from this class without getting their money's worth since it comes with a money-back guarantee. At $125 for 8 weeks it's possibly the cheapest way to receive editorial notes on your work-in-progress while learning about the craft of writing at the same time.

The next session begins on May 16. Contact Ann at ann@anngonzalez.com for more information or to sign up.

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Illustrating Children's Picture Books


The UW Illustrating Children's Picture Books class really is the perfect way to keep your butt in chair over the summer. I consider it a boot camp for picture books. All levels are welcome to attend. We will be learning about what constitutes a great picture book and making dummies. Even if you think you know it all, are you practicing it in your own work? Or do you get more done if you are accountable to others? I'm happy to account you this summer!

You don't need to be an illustrator to attend: authors will be encouraged to practice paginating their work and thinking more visually. And I'm SO EXCITED to share the book report assignment I've come up with -- yous guys are going to love it.

You don't need to be an author to attend: if you don't have a manuscript to dummy up, I will have some published texts for you to practice on or you can find a song or folktale on your own.

Wouldn't it be fun to spend a few nights a week this summer making your next project shine, surrounded by kindred, picture book lovin' spirits? Listening to some stellar guest speakers -- Julie Paschkis and Paul Schmid? AND DID I MENTION THERE WILL BE CUPCAKES?

Plus, the class is happening during Eric Carle's birthday and the anniversary of the awarding of the first Caldecott Medal. So be prepared to celebrate those if you sign up!