Breezers in the Neighborhood: JULY!

It must be too darn hot around Southern Breeze for book signings and such 'cause there's not a single one in the neighborhood. But there is an event this month, and there's still time to register:

Non-Fiction Rocks with Jennifer Swanson

Saturday, July 13
10:30 to 3:00 PM
Savannah, GA



Swanson is one of the science rock stars in this region and her non-fiction workshop will give you hands-on tips on non-fiction topics, research know-how, and even how to get that tricky photo permission. Bring your manuscript for expert advice and soon you could be rockin' a non-fiction book yourself!

Find more details and register at the Southern Breeze website here.



Just a reminder if you have an event coming up for Breezers in Your Neighborhood: send the who, what, where, and when, plus a book cover or photo to Cathy Hall. Make sure to use the ARA email:
southern-breeze-ara2@scbwi.org. We know it's not always possible to get that event in by the first of the month but please understand that it's not always possible to add an event later in the month. However, late events will usually get a shout out on the Southern Breeze Facebook page so if you haven't checked us out there yet, come say hello today!

Non-Fiction Rocks! With Jennifer Swanson

What's all the excitement about non-fiction? It's getting published every day! And one of Southern Breeze's rock star authors getting published every day is Jennifer Swanson. She's coming to Savannah, Georgia for a whole-day workshop to help you get your non-fiction ready to send out in the world. On Saturday, July 13th, join Breezers at this jam-packed workshop:

In this hands-on workshop, writers will learn how to come up with intriguing nonfiction topics, dive into research, and get tips on where to find agents and editors. Attendees will come away with a better understanding of how to craft a well-written, fascinating biography, history, or science book for readers from ages 6 to 60. There will be a special session on photo permissions and how to work with experts. Bring works-in-progress, finished manuscripts or proposals– from picture books to YA–or just ideas for this very interactive boot camp.

Morning Session: STEAMing into Nonfiction

LUNCH

Afternoon Sessions: Nuts and Bolts of Writing Proposals

                                 Photo Research

                                 Working with Experts

And here's the 4-1-1 on Jennifer Swanson:

She is the award-winning author of over 35 nonfiction books for children.  Jennifer’s passion for science resonates in all her books but especially, her Astronaut-Aquanaut: How Space Science and Sea Science Interact which received a Florid Book Award, a Eureka California Reading Association Gold Award and an NSTA BEST STEM book award.  She has presented at multiple SCBWI conferences, National NSTA conferences, the Highlights Foundation, the World Science Festival and the Atlanta Science Festival. 

Want to rock along with Jennifer Swanson? Sign up for Non-Fiction Rocks at the Southern Breeze website. Registration is open now!

EVERYBODY A WINNER AT WIK'18: Nature Nuts and Nonfiction!

Hey Breezers,

You have a passion to share with readers. Kids have endless curiosity. Put those two together and you have great nonfiction for kids, right?

If your attempts end up a little too encyclopedic, if you are forcing rhyme just to add something fun, if you struggle to cram 1,000 pages of notes into 32 sparse pages, you are not alone. 

Passing along your passion for nature or science through the written word is not simple. But we Breezers don’t give up easily. When our manuscript – which we were sure sung the praises of nature or clearly clarified a complex concept – doesn’t quite do our subject justice, we dig in and learn some more.

That’s what Jodi Wheeler-Toppen and I, Heather Montgomery, will be doing on a Sunday afternoon in March. Come join us for “Curiosity Meets the Printed Page,” one of the many intensives offered as a part of wik18.  

It will be an extravaganza of nonfiction fun! We’ll explore the terminology of the nonfiction world. What does that editor mean when she says she’s looking for “commercial” nonfiction? Why did a reviewer describe a particular book as “narrative”? What is trade versus the educational market?

Come discuss different structures in used in nonfiction to turn bits of trivia into timeless lessons.  Compare and contrast different texts. Examine structural frameworks which might fit your topic. 

What techniques turn dry data into an “Aha!”? To understand that, we must become students of nonfiction. We must learn to read like writers.

Join us for an afternoon of analyzing mentor texts, discovering ways to make tough topics

understandable, and – my favorite! – reveling in rowdy research.

We hope to see you there!

Heather L. Montgomery is passionate about the underappreciated creatures of the planet and loves to wade in – literally – to her research. Learn more about her 12 nonfiction titles at www.HeatherLMontgomery.com.

REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN! 

CLICK :::HERE:::TO REGISTER!

The Southern Breeze Mentorship Program Wants YOU!

You’ve been writing for years. You’ve learned so much from the conferences and workshops you’ve attended. Your critique group says you are right on the cusp of getting published. You just need something . . .

The new Southern Breeze Mentor program might be just the thing to help you get over the hump!

Of course, a mentorship can’t guarantee that your manuscript will land in the right hands at the right time. That would take a magic wand. But months of mentoring by a well-published author can help you polish your words and see your work more clearly.

We have mentors waiting in the wings in most every juvenile genre PLUS grant writing! I would imagine this program would be especially helpful for novelists. It’s difficult for a critique group to provide in- depth feedback on an entire novel, generally hearing only 1-2 chapters per meeting. And the other alternative – hiring a freelance editor for a novel is cost prohibitive.

Our talented pool of mentors includes:

Heather Montgomery, NF and Grant Writing
Vicky Alvear Shecter, Novels and Nonfiction
Susan Nees, Chapter Books
Jodi Wheeler-Toppen, Nonfiction and Magazine
Karen Kurtz, Nonfiction and Grant Writing
Nancy Raines Day, Picture Books
Kami Kinard, MG Novels
Irene Latham, Poetry
Jo S. Kittinger, Picture Books, Fiction or NF

Beyond the fact that these authors are successful in their fields, they also each have a teacher’s heart. They want to invest in the next wave of writers coming up the ranks. That attitude is what makes SCBWI such an amazing organization. We all want children to have the best books possible, whether or not it is you or I that writes it.

Learn more about the Southern Breeze Mentor Program on the website. It’s not too late to apply!!

~Jo S. Kittinger
Mentorship Coordinator