Inspiration, the Winning Intangible of SCBWI

There are lots of reasons to join SCBWI, but we often look at the tangibles when it's the intangibles that can ultimately help us into the winner's circle. Take inspiration, for example.

When I attend a conference, I may not always get great feedback on my latest manuscript. I don't always walk away with an agent's interest, and it's been forever since my First Page has been chosen. But I know I will come away inspired.

And one of the most inspiring aspects of our conferences is the Book Launches. At this year's SpringMingle, long-time Southern Breezer, Lisa L. Stauffer, shared her story; so many people loved it--and were inspired by it--that I asked if she'd share it here. Lisa graciously sent the following:

If you tell a writer…

By Lisa Lowe Stauffer

(With apologies to Laura Joffe Numeroff)

If you tell a writer about SCBWI, she’ll want to go to a conference.

When that conference is over, she’ll want to go to another—

and another…

and another.

When there are no more conferences, she’ll want to go to all the workshops—

even if they’re about writing poetry.

(At least she could hang out with her friends. She was no poet!)

But when she goes to the workshop, she’ll find playing with words is lots of fun.

So she’ll keep playing when she goes home.

She’ll draft and edit…

draft and edit…

draft and edit,

until she’s got a weird little poem about monkeys taking over Noah’s Ark.

Then she’ll send it to the Southern Breeze SCBWI contest,

where, to her surprise, it’ll win second place!

(She’s entered lots of novels into these contests, and they never won.)

So she’ll take the judge’s feedback,

draft and edit…

draft and edit…

draft and edit,

until the weird little poem flows.

When she thinks it’s finally perfect, she’ll ask critique partners to take a look.

(sigh)

Draft and edit…

draft and edit…

draft and edit.

Finally, she’ll send it to her agent—who she met at an SCBWI conference.

And she’ll wait as the poem goes out on submission.

(waiting, waiting, waiting, waiting, waiting, waiting, waiting, waiting…)*

So when the book comes out, it’ll remind her of that poetry workshop so long ago.

And when she thinks about the workshop, it will remind her of SCBWI,

and chances are when she thinks of SCBWI,

she’ll want

to go

to another

conference.

*(Five years from first draft to sale. Two more years to publication.)

A big thank you to Lisa Lower Stauffer, and here's hoping that she's inspired you! (P.S. See you and your new book at the next Book Launch at wik'20 in Birmingham! Keep up with us here for more details coming soon!)

~ Cathy C. Hall, ARA
SCBWI Southern Breeze