Last weekend was the annual SCBWI (Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators) conference in Winchester, which was as ever educating and inspiring.
Sunrise over Winchester on the first morning of the SCBWI Conference
I’ve volunteered with SCBWI for very many years now, initially when I was in Japan, and, since my return to the UK, with the British Isles chapter. Apart from supporting Anne-Marie Perks on the illustrator’s committee I co-run our network in East Anglia with writer Helen Moss, and edit the Friday (illustration themed) page of our web-journal Words & Pictures. As the Conference is such a key part of the SCBWI calendar I wish I could go every year, but picture book deadlines and other concerns have often intervened. As a volunteer I try to attend once every other year at least, though I’m not directly involved in organising the Conference itself (I may be raising my hand next year though!).
One of the highlights of the weekend – and there were many – was receiving a prize in recognition for volunteering, I was greatly surprised and absolutely delighted – thank you SCBWI!!
There are full reports of the Conference on Words & Pictures, so these are just my thoughts. This year I was there to help out, but also on a personal level with the hope of reviving interest in my own picture book ideas. All my children’s book work over recent years has been commissioned texts for publishers in the US and Japan, written by others. These titles have been sometimes complex projects that completely absorbed my attention, just looking at the past three years – Stone Giant – Michelangelo’s David and How He Came to Be (written by Jane Sutcliffe), Crinkle, Crackle, Crack – It’s Spring (written by Marion Dane Bauer) Will’s Words: How William Shakespeare Changed the Way You Talk (also by Jane Sutcliffe) Yozora o Miage-yo (written by Yuriko Matsuoka) and, forthcoming from Holiday House in 2017, Magic For Sale (written by Carrie Clickard).
All of these books have been wonderful projects, fine texts by marvelously talented writers, but concentrating on these has meant I’ve neglected my own stories, which remain as rough idea notes and little more, I’ve not submitted dummies to publishers for a very long time. However right now I’m working on black and white ink drawings for novels, so taking a break from commissioned picture books, this slight breather is encouraging me to once more look over my story concepts and ideas.
It’s hard to believe I’ve been back in the UK for almost nine years now – my life in Japan still seems like just yesterday (though I do go back whenever I can). After an initial period of re-adjustment I enthusiastically pursued UK publishing, but the obstacles of the book trade in this country compared to the relatively easier markets (for me at least!) of Japan and the US led me to focus on my Japanese and American connections, hence most of my work still comes from overseas. It’s about time I really tackled British publishing head on and started submitting again!
Will’s Words on sale through P & G Wells bookshop at the Conference
So, was the Conference as inspiring as I’d hoped? Absolutely! The activities for illustrators were brilliant, from the fringe event Sketchcrawl around Winchester, which really got the creative cells buzzing, to the illustration keynote from Leigh Hodgkinson, and really excellent Pulse events – a hands-on picture book workshop from Viv Schwarz, and thorough session on promotion from Paul Stickland. Plus the sheer energy of seeing all my old friends, new faces, discussion, companionship – it was terrific.
Industry Picture Book Panel talk, with Miranda Baker (Nosy Crow) seen here with the book, David McDougall (Walker), Caroline Walsh (agent) and Polly Whybrow (Bloomsbury)
Some of the costumes at the Mass Book Launch (photo: George Kirk)
Hard at work during Viv Schwarz’s workshop
Leigh Hodgkinson artwork
The Marvellous Paul Stickland
But what about my plan to get writing? In addition to the illustrator activities, two key-note presentations particularly inspired me, one from author David Almond (who I’ve known since he presented to our Tokyo SCBWI group many years ago) and another from Sarah Davies of the Greenhouse Literary Agency. Both these had me squirming in my seat, their passion for the story really shook me up, I’ve got to write, I’ve got to write!!!
David Almond (photo: Candy Gourlay)
This isn’t the first time I’ve been to an SCBWI conference and been inspired to write, but with no major picture book projects on now I’ve no excuse NOT to write now, to actually do something about it.
My problem is that I regard myself as a professional illustrator, with years of experience and a back catalogue of over 50 published children’s books illustrated, and the confidence that brings. I’ve struggled with creative writing though, it’s not my natural form of expression, although I can write, I don’t feel I’m a comfortable picture book writer. My pictures already tell stories, but expanding them to create a binding narrative is a struggle. When I write, pictures kind of get in the way, I’d rather write without thinking of images, then once the story is there come back to illustrate it with my ‘artist’ hat on. This may not be the best way for an illustrator to go about writing picture books!
I wonder if I’d feel a little more comfortable writing longer fiction than picture books. Because I don’t feel my words are as professional or instill me with as much assuredness as my drawings, I’ve not much confidence when it comes to submitting to publishers. Also I don’t take story rejection well, my one attempt at writing a novel when I was 16 was shelved after two publisher rejections (it really was not very good though!), previous picture book dummies sent to publishers have also been shelved rather than worked on and improved.
Although I’ve had stories published in Japanese through children’s publishers in Tokyo, I’ve not been published as a writer in the West, only as an illustrator. This really has to change!
Anyway, the Conference really helped me feel a bit more focused on this, I’ve a lot to thank SCBWI for, not only the award, but the companionship and encouragement. Maybe this time I will get writing again, it really is about time! As a US editor once told me, “if you want to make a mark you have to produce your own stories, it’s no good sharing your royalties and glory, your books should all be yours”. Indeed!
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