Soar with Southern Breeze's Mentors!

Oh, for a Mentor!

If that thought has crossed your mind, this may be your chance! The Southern Breeze mentorship program provides 8 months of back and forth discussion and direction for lucky writers.

Drumroll please \.\.\.\.\.\.\.  Our illustrious mentors for 2018 are:

For Young Adult writers, Janice Hardy, awesome author of a teen fantasy trilogy, The Healing Wars, has come on board. So, if you love dragons, magic, creating worlds, and names like Aeryn or Taureil, this could be a perfect fit! Of course, you don’t have to write fantasy to apply for this YA mentorship. Plot, structure, characterization and voice cross all types of writing.

We have three terrific middle grade mentors – Kami Kinard, Lisa Lewis Tyre and Jamie Dodson.

Kami write humorous novels, which is so hard!  Her books The Boy Problem and The Boy Project are with Scholastic Publishers. She is well published in shorter formats as well. If you need to exercise your funny bone, Kami is the mentor for you!

Lisa writes contemporary stories with strong characters. LAST IN A LONG LINE OF REBELS and Hope in the Holler, with Nancy Paulsen Books, both garnered excellent reviews. Lisa masterfully weaves historical details into her writing.  Learn from a master!

Jamie writes the Nick Grant Adventure series and other histrical fiction. He also published nonfiction magazine articles. If you love to blend fact with fiction, he could be a terrific mentor for you!

Two picture book authors are available as mentors – Tracey M. Cox and Jo S. Kittinger.

Tracey has eleven books with Guardian Angel Publishing, so if you are interested in that company, Tracey can provide the inside scoop. Additionally, she has two books with other publishers. Non-rhyming picture books are her specialty. Tracey is both an author and illustrator, so she can offer you a unique perspective!

Jo is offering to mentor both picture books and easy readers, so if you like to write both, she’s the one for you. Fiction or nonfiction, rhyming or not, she is open to a wide range of picture book styles. Jo has published over 25 books with traditional publishers. Her latest book is ALABAMA, in the MY UNITED STATES series through Scholastic.

This year we have four fabulous nonfiction mentors – Avery Hurt, Heather Montgomery, Jennifer Swanson, and Jodi Wheeler-Toppen. Nonfiction is often overlooked, but offers greater opportunity for publication.

Avery often writes about science, social studies and science fiction, but her interests are broad. She has authored over a dozen books for children and young adults. She is one of the authors of the Weird But True series from National Geographic Kids Books, plus a regular contributor to magazines. This broad experience makes her an appealing mentor for many!

Heather gets kids excited about nature and often incorporates the yuck factor to draw their attention. She has over a dozen books with major publishers. Her latest is SOMETHING ROTTEN: A FRESH LOOK AT ROADKILL. An award-winning educator, Heather knows how to offer constructive direction. Picture book or Middle Grade non-fiction writers would benefit from her expertise.

Jennifer loves science, evidenced by over 30 nonfiction books. She has received excellent reviews and accolades for her work. SUPER GEAR: NANOTECHNOLOGY AND SPORTS TEAM UP was named an NSTA Best STEM book of 2017 and got a starred review in Booklist. So, if you are a science geek, Jennifer would be a perfect mentor for you.

Jodi loves to experiment as her books reveal. Her love of science is contagious! As a former teacher, Jodi knows how to communicate and direct others to improve in their work. Jodi has over 10 books with major publishers, including National Geographic Kids, Capstone and NSTA Press. Jodi can help you make science exciting and understandable.

A magazine article or story is often the first publishing credit an author receives. But magazines are not only a stepping stone on the path to book publishing. Magazines offer rewarding exposure and income for writers. Johnna Stein is offering to mentor an author for magazine writing.

Johnna is a former teacher and loves helping others advance, whether it be as a writer, a reading coach or advocate. She has multiple publishing credits and would love to help you on your path to publication.

Learn more about the mentorship program and access the application form at the Southern Breeze website.

TIME IS SHORT! APPLICATION DEADLINE IS February 25. Mentors will be announced in early March and the relationship will run through October.

Jo Kittinger is the Southern Breeze SCBWI Mentorship Coordinator. When she's not writing picture books, she's busy reading 'em to her grands. If you have questions about anything mentorship-related, she's the one to contact!

Everyone a Winner at WIK'18: One-on-Ones Still Available!

We're this close to the 30 day deadline for wik'18!

But this close means you still have time to sign up for a one-on-one session. And with four agents, there's someone for any kidlit writer:

John Cusick represents picture books, middle grade, and young adult writers. And he's an author himself. Is he a good fit for you?

Erica Silverman is with Stimola Literary, a small boutique agency. They're very selective, but they might just select you.

Kristy Hunter loves voice-driven stories, so if you have one of those in a middle grade or young adult novel, she'd love to talk to you.

And Claire Easton's sweet spot is picture books, but she also represents chapter books and middle grade. If you're one of those writers who switches back and forth between age groups, she may have the advice you need.

In fact, with twenty minutes in a one-on-one, you're sure to get plenty of advice! But you'll need to register for wik'18 first, and then sign up for your one-on-one even quicker. Because we're this close to filling up!


       

                              REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN! CLICK :::HERE:::TO REGISTER!

Cathy C. Hall has been so busy getting everyone to introduce themselves (herself? himself?) that she completely forgot her own introduction! She lives in the metro Atlanta area (which is a fancy way of saying the suburbs) and she writes for all ages. Her leveled readers are published in Korea and (possibly? unlikely?) legendary!

EVERYONE A WINNER AT WIK'18: Deborah Halverson and Teen Talk Tips

The deadline for submitting manuscripts for formal critiques may have passed (hope you all got your manuscripts in on time!), but that doesn’t mean there aren’t still great opportunities for those attending wik’18 to enhance their conference experience with optional activities. 

There are still slots available for One-on-One sessions with an agent, and Linda Sue Park, Matt Ringler, Janice Hardy, Heather Montgomery and Jodi Wheeler Toppen, Kami Kinard and Rebecca Petruck, and Deborah Halverson are all teaching morning intensives on Sunday.

Deborah Halverson is one of SCBWI’s superstar teachers. When it comes to writing for teens, she wrote the book – literally, THE book on how to write for teens and young adults.

We hear it all the time: you need to have the right “voice” for your teenage character. Easier said than done when it comes to writing dialogue. For some of us it has been decades since we were teens ourselves, and have you tried to actually talk with teens the way teens talk?

Oh, the way they look at you, like you’re all creepy or weird even if you get the jargon just right. There’s just something about an AARP member throwing around teen slang in a conversation that feels awkward.

So if you can’t converse in teen-talk with teens to make sure you get it right, what can you do to develop that skill?

I was lucky enough to attend one of Deborah’s intensives on writing for a teen audience while at an SCBWI conference, and know that those attending her intensive will come out with new tools in their writing toolbox. You won’t want to miss a single tip, resource url or sneaky way to eavesdrop on teens talking with teens. Way better than camping out at the food court in the mall.

                         REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN! CLICK :::HERE:::TO REGISTER!

Claudia Pearson, Regional Advisor for Southern Breeze, is a retired trial attorney, earned a masters degree from Hollins University in Children's Literature, speaks French, and once worked as a sous chef in a French restaurant. She writes a bit of everything and has published two books about children's books.

Mentorship Opens!

It’s time! Mentorship applications are NOW being accepted.

The Southern Breeze mentorship program is geared toward writers who have been working at their craft for some years – attending workshops and conferences, submitting manuscripts, but so far, not finding success in the genre in which they are currently working. The mentorship program spans 8 months, over which time there are back and forth discussions about the work in progress. Details of what can be expected are on the website.

I especially encourage writers of nonfiction to apply for mentorship. We have several very accomplished nonfiction authors on staff. When I was a young writer with a stack of rejections, Larry Dane Brimner said at a conference -- "If you are having trouble breaking into publishing, try nonfiction. There is greater demand and less competition." I followed his advice and got my first contract within a year.

So, if you have been writing for a while and have hit a plateau, a mentorship may be the perfect jolt to advance your writing to the next level. We can’t promise publication, but do our best to help you advance your career.

Check out the list of available mentors on the website. DON’T DELAY! Application deadline is February 25. Mentors will be announced in early March and the relationship will run through October.

Happy Writing!

Jo S. Kittinger

Jo Kittinger is the Southern Breeze SCBWI Mentorship Coordinator. When she's not writing picture books, she's busy reading 'em to her grands!

Breezers In Your Neighborhood: February!

                                         


Come take a look and see if there's a Breezer in your neighborhood:

Bobbie Canada, our Local Liaison in the Pine Mountain/Columbus, Georgia area invites all to a special speaker/workshop event.

When:     Saturday, February 3, 9:30 to 11:30 AM
Where:    Longleaf Library/Post Office
               Pine Mountain, GA
Who:     Author Betsy Hollis Frey

Be prepared for a "critique breakout" after the presentation. (Frey's books will be available for sale following the program.)



Breezer Sara Lynn Cramb would love to see you at this reception and gallery show:

Georgia GNSI Members Show
February 15 to March 12
The Gallery at the Galloway School
215 W. Wieuca Rd NW, Atlanta, GA 30342

Reception/opening at 5:30 February 15

This show brings together the works of ten science illustrators working in Georgia, most of whom are members of the Guild of Natural Science Illustrators.



Ginger Stewart will be speaking at "Night of Aspiring Artists." Says Ginger, "It's about how art and illustration work together to tell stories."

When:    February 22, 6:00 to 7:30
Where:   Walker Elementary
               13051 Northside Rd
               Northport, AL


Also on February 22nd, Claire Datnow will present a session at the Environmental Education Association of Alabama conference. In "Environmental Detectives," environmental sleuths will role play how to investigate, and then solve, a mysterious environmental crime. For more information, visit their website; it's not too late to register for the conference.



And speaking of registering for conferences, there's still time to register for all the fun at wik'18! There are spots available in intensives, and plenty of agents are waiting to help you advance your career in the One-on-Ones. There are even a few days left to sign up for a manuscript critique. But you can't join us for the fun and activities unless you register first! Join us at wik'18 and meet the Southern Breezers from your neighborhood!

(If you have an event for Breezers in your Neighborhood, please send the information to cathyhall55@hotmail.com so we can share it here. The monthly post is a regular feature; please send the information at least one week prior to the event to get it listed.)