Current Scratch: Join Us, Opportunities, Vote Now, & Tips for Reading Poetry

In light of poetry month, here's a little treat! I'm not claiming to be a poet, but it was fun anyways! 

 

Beauty and the Hiss

Across the vast Brazos Valley, fields of wildflowers attract the human eye. Like bees to honey, we're drawn to it. Beauty. Canvasses of bluebonnets, paintbrushes, winecups, and more, we long to frolic and dance upon nature's palette. And while we may fall prey to nature's alluring spells, amongst the wildflowers, a slithering creature dwells. It hisses. It strikes. It slides. It glides. Remember, you're in charge of saving your hide! So, while you're out enjoying nature's bliss,

listen & beware of the dreadful hiss!

JOIN US

 

Poetry Slam, 10 a.m. April 30, Barnes & Noble, College Station, TX.  Take time this month to create a new poem or revise some old ones using the word prompts below. Then join us at 10 a.m. Wednesday, April 30, in the College Station Barnes & Noble for the slam. Also come early for gentle critique at 9:30 a.m. and/or stay around as the discussion continues over lunch. Join us!

RULES for the Poetry Slam

Our goal is to provide a professional setting for members and friends to present their work. To that end, the following rules will be enforced.

1. The poems must be for children or teens—rated PG-13 or less (look it up).

2. Besides stating your name and the age level and genre of your poem, no other commentary will be allowed during your reading. You may only read your poem(s).

3. You will have 5 minutes. Several short poems within the time span will be allowed. You will receive a one minute warning and a 30 second warning. The time-keeper will stop you at 5 minutes even if you are in mid-word. (Practice timing yourself.)

4. The first 12 poets to sign in will read. (Assuming 5 min. per person. If there's time before the end of the hour, we can do more.)

5. Each poem must include at least four words from the list below. Have fun!

PROMPT LIST

Include at least four words from the following list in each poem presented. Plural forms are allowed.

1. bluebonnet

2. brazos
3. chupacabra
4. family
5. football
6. heat
7. sno cone (counts as one word)

Come early for gentle critique at 9:30 a.m. and/or stay around as the discussion continues over lunch.

 

Children's Book Lit. Club

 

This month, we will discuss PROTECTING MARIE by Kevin Henkes at our meeting next Thursday, April 24, 4:30-6 p.m. in the Arts Center on Dartmouth. Please bring a picture book by Henkes to share as well.

 

OPPORTUNITIES

 

May 13, 2014, 7:00-8:30 p.m. Don't miss this great opportunity to participate in a SCBWI webinar on craft! Click on the link below to find out all the details.

Webinar With Darcy Pattison: Characters Who Walk Off the Page and Into Your Heart

 

A chance for picture book submissions, folks! Meegenius Accepting Manuscripts

 

VOTE NOW!

 

Round Two of the Crystal Kite Awards Closes April 30th

 

TIPS ON POETRY READING

 

Are you crafting your poem for our poetry slam on April 30th? Need a few tips for reciting your poem out loud? Voice, physical presence, and more! This link has it all... Poetry Out Loud.

 

The views expressed here are my own, and not necessarily those of the SCBWI.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Current Scratch: Join Us, Author News, Gender Bias?, Agents, Revision

Oh, what glorious days we have been having! National Poetry month, folks! I totally understand why they picked April.  From an ode to bluebonnets by Grace Noll Crowell:

It was so blue beneath the Texas sky,
It made me want to cry.

I hope that you enjoying the weather and finding time to write.

 JOIN US

Poetry Slam, 10 a.m. April 30, Barnes & Noble, College Station, TX.  Take time this month to create a new poem or revise some old ones using the word prompts below. Then join us at 10 a.m. Wednesday, April 30, in the College Station Barnes & Noble for the slam. Also come early for gentle critique at 9:30 a.m. and/or stay around as the discussion continues over lunch. Join us!
RULES for the Poetry Slam

Our goal is to provide a professional setting for members and friends to present their work. To that end, the following rules will be enforced.

1. The poems must be for children or teens—rated PG-13 or less (look it up).
2. Besides stating your name and the age level and genre of your poem, no other commentary will be allowed during your reading. You may only read your poem(s).
3. You will have 5 minutes. Several short poems within the time span will be allowed. You will receive a one minute warning and a 30 second warning. The time-keeper will stop you at 5 minutes even if you are in mid-word. (Practice timing yourself.)
4. The first 12 poets to sign in will read. (Assuming 5 min. per person. If there's time before the end of the hour, we can do more.)
5. Each poem must include at least four words from the list below. Have fun!

PROMPT LIST

Include at least four words from the following list in each poem presented. Plural forms are allowed.

1. bluebonnet
2. brazos
3. chupacabra
4. family
5. football
6. heat
7. sno cone (counts as one word)

Come early for gentle critique at 9:30 a.m. and/or stay around as the discussion continues over lunch.

 Young Poets on the Brazos Contest -- Awards ceremony and poetry reading on Tuesday, April 15, at 6 p.m. in the Clara B Mounce Public Library in downtown Bryan. Arrive early, as we will start the reading promptly at 6 p.m. in order to leave the library at closing time one hour later. Join us for this brief ceremony applauding 30 young poets and acknowledging the family, teachers, and friends who encourage them.

Children's Literature Book Club meets the day after the Schmooze at the Brazos Arts Center.

Upcoming Webinar -- details to come. The Texas RAs led by Austin and North Texas have planned a series of webinars to make available to all members in the state. The idea is that each region will set up registration for the event so each region will receive payment from its members, so we all benefit. The first one will be May 13 with Darcy Pattison.

AUTHOR NEWS

Mary Mize announces her two books Letters to Scamper (illus. by Shirley Hoskins) and His Name is BEN (illus. by Suzy Keller) are avaliable for purchase.  These books were edited by Tammy Hensel (Check out her blog) and published by Erin Casey.  If you wish to purchase these books contact Mary at marylouisemize@gmail.com

or

Here is the Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/His-Name-Ben-Mary-Mize/dp/0983251460/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1396967387&sr=8-1&keywords=mary+mize

Here is the Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/Letters-Scamper-Mize-Mary/dp/0983251436/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1396967387&sr=8-6&keywords=mary+mize

GENDER BIAS?

Join the discussion.

Here's an article that may be of interest to you:  http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/the-dollar-and-cents-case-against-hollywoods-exclusion-of-women/

Laurie Halse Anderson's take on John Green, YA world and the New York Times.

AGENTS

Here is the monster list of picture book agents: http://frolickingthroughcyberspace.blogspot.com/p/monster-list-of-picture-book-agents.html.

REVISION

Need to cut down a manuscript. Here is some RX help for Writer Unblocked. Love every word. http://writerunboxed.com/2014/04/06/love-every-word/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+WriterUnboxed+%28Writer+Unboxed%29

The views expressed here are my own, and not necessarily those of the SCBWI.