SCBWI Caribbean South.. Blog

SCBWI - serving the southern Caribbean !

2011-02-01T10:32:00.003-04:00

For many reasons both personal and professional, our Caribbean South blog has been dormant for some time - but new life is sprouting in our Caribbean South chapter and the internet is playing a big part in connecting West Indian authors.

I encourage you to renew your membership or sign up for the first time and then volunteer with me to build a region that will serve not only the careers of individual authors and illustrators, (including yourself), but also will stimulate publishing in the Caribbean.

Stay Tuned for more, and above all, Happy Writing!

Joanne
Regional Advisor

Call for Member News to Post on our Blog

2010-11-01T14:25:00.002-04:00

SEND IN YOUR GOOD NEWS AND PHOTOS to share on our regional blog

to: joanne@caribbeanchildren.com

put: SCBWI NEWS in the subject.

LUCKY YOU!

2007-10-21T17:53:00.000-04:00

Because you joined SCBWI Caribbean South's blog/ googlegroup you get to fill in the blanks!

Here are the further details from our

Newsletter October 2007

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1. CALL FOR ENTRIES - THREE US $1,000 PRIZES for your children's sci-fistories 800 words..... Why play lotto when you can fulfill your creative dreams? Could be your turn to win!!

CONTACT: Senior Editor Marileta Robinson

Three $1,000 Prizes to Be Awarded in Fiction Contest

Highlights for Children will accept submissions to the publication's 29th annual fiction contest during the month of January 2008. Thecontest is open to anyone interested in writing for children and three winners will receive $1,000 each.

For this year's contest, Highlights seeks stories set in the future.

Under contest rules, any unpublished story is eligible, whether submitted by a professional or a new author. Previous winners have included both published and first-time authors.

"Kids deserve the best, and we've long been committed to doing all we can to help raise the quality of writing for children," said editor inchief Christine French Clark. "Encouraging children's writers is what we do every day, but this annual contest allows us to recognize them in a special way. It's especially gratifying when we discover new talent.

"Contest guidelines state that all entries must be postmarked between January 1 and January 31, 2008. The stories should not exceed 800 words, and they may be considerably shorter for younger children. Stories glorifying war or crime or containing violence or derogatory humor are not acceptable.

Manuscripts or envelopes should be clearly marked "Fiction Contest. "Those not marked in this manner will be considered as regular submissions to the publication. There is no entry form or fee. Authors who wish their work to be returned should enclose a self-addressed stamped envelope with each submission.

The three contest winners will be announced on Highlights.com in June2008. Winning manuscripts become the property of Highlights and will appear in the periodical at a later date. All other contest submissions will be considered for purchase at regular rates and terms. A list of winners will be sent by mail if a self-addressed stamped envelope is included with submissions.

Highlights also accepts the submission of articles, stories, and fillers throughout the year.

For guidelines or additional information, write to Fiction Contest, HIGHLIGHTS FOR CHILDREN, 803 Church Street, Honesdale, PA 18431.

This promotional message was sent to Joanne Gail Johnson sarena@tstt.net.tt by Highlights for Children, 1800 Watermark Drive, Columbus, OH 43215.

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2. NEED HELP TO FILL IN THE BLANKS? - Get Published info you need to know!

Here are some sobering statistics from Nielsen Bookscan, a company that in 2004 tracked the sales of 1.2 million books in the United States:

Of those 1.2 million books, 950,000 sold fewer than 99 copies. Another 200,000 sold fewer than 1,000 copies. Only 25,000 books sold more than 5,000 copies. Fewer than 500 sold more than 100,000 copies. Only 10 books sold more than a million copies each. The average book in the United States sells about 500 copies.

1) Agents and editors know these statistics. Because of that, you look like an amateur if you say your book will be a bestseller in your query letter or when you meet with them. They will then look for reasons to turn you down when they read your manuscript or proposal, rather than keeping an open mind.

2) Writing a book just to make money doesn't usually work, unless you're already famous. If you're writing non-fiction, particularly as a way to promote your business, a book needs to be part of an overall strategy that includes publicity, developing a mailing list, and creating other products (paid newsletters, teleseminars, CDs, DVDs, boot camps, coaching and training programs, etc.) for which you can charge higher prices. According to a national survey, 81% of your friends and colleagues believe they have a book to write.

NOVEL NOTES: THE FIRST FIVE PAGES

Here's the truth about how it works when you submit your novel or a book proposal to an agent/ editor: Typically, yours may be one of about two hundred submissions received gets in a week. With that kind of volume, the agent or his assistant is not reading carefully. Though they have a goal of finding new properties to sell, at this stage of the process agents have a different mission: rule out as many manuscripts as possible so they can spend more time reading the best stuff. In real terms, unless your manuscript is one of the top few in a given week, you'll get a polite rejection letter.

Most agents will take five pages along with a query letter. And one of my agent friends says she skips the query altogether until she reads the sample five pages. But--and this is really important--since an agent is looking to rule out manuscripts that aren't ready, if your first page(and sometimes even your first paragraph) isn't strong enough, you will land in the reject pile.

Literally every unpublished manuscript I have seen in the last few years has suffered from this problem. Even the best, which recently landed an agent, needed a complete re-do of the first two pages.

Maybe it's because most people start their novels at the beginning, and they don't know their story or characters well enough until later in the book. Maybe new writers write better as they get further into the story.

Whatever the case, you can't afford to wait until page three (or seven or fifty) for your best writing. It has to start with page one, sentence one, and continue with sentence two, sentence three, etc. Otherwise your manuscript is bound for the reject pile.

What's the biggest reason agents get turned off by awriter's first page? Instead of starting where the real story begins, with the juicy stuff, writers fill their first pages with either dull, unnecessary scenes or background information that can be skipped. I've seen manuscripts that begin with the equivalent to the words that appear on the screen before a movie begins--the stuff that's too boring to waste money filming. Obviously, this is not the kind of writing that will make a great first impression on an agent.

One of my favourite examples of a great beginning is from Jennifer Weiner's novel, 'Good In Bed'. It starts with a big event that propels the story. The first four words of this novel push you right into the story--the main character's best friend simply asks, 'Have you seen it?

'The 'it' in question is an article by the protagonist's somewhat ex-boyfriend (they're taking a break), in anational magazine, titled 'Loving a Larger Woman. 'Her reaction to this article is entertaining and keeps you reading for a long time to come. Eventually Weiner fills you in on the story between the ex and the main character on a need to know basis, but she doesn't let it get in the way of the important material that's happening right now. This novel starts with the event that changes the main character's life--which is where most stories should begin. (There are other ways to start a novel, but this is a very good one.) Where does your novel start? And what can you cut from your beginning without hurting your story?

My advice? Be ruthless. Here's to your bestseller!

President

The Authors Team

www.AuthorsTeam.com

You may post or send these articles to anyone you want as long as you credit Mahesh Grossman as the author AND it includes the following information at the end of the article:

Mahesh Grossman is the author of Write a Book Without Lifting a Finger(www.writeabooktoday.com) and President of The Authors Team (www.AuthorsTeam.com), a company that helps credible experts become Incredible Authors, through ghostwriting, editing, coaching, and publishing. He can be reached via e-mail at:

GetPublished@AuthorsTeam.com.

For a free list of more than 400 agents as well as a newsletter with tips on how to find an agent, get published, publish your own book and get publicity for it, go to www.findagreatliteraryagent.com or www.AuthorsTeam.com.

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Island Garden

2007-05-21T20:37:00.000-04:00

(cover illustration by vanessa soodeen)
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A Comforting Words project Published by Glaxo Smith and Kline Trinidad coordinated by local NGO Pour L'innocents

Title and cover concept:....... Joanne Gail Johnson

Cover illustration: ................Vanessa Soodeen

Edited and compiled by: ......Joanne Gail Johnson

Illustrated by: ......................Vanessa Soodeen and Jason Cole

Deisgn: ..............................Carole-Anne Ferris of Cafe Moka

Authors:

............... Marsha Gomes - 'The Duck in Red Boots'

............... Natalie Williams - 'Justin and the Piece of String'

............... Caroyln Ali - '4 Pairs of Hands'

............... Yasmin John-Thorpe - 'An Extraordinary Christmas'

"Island Garden" Tended to by Gentle Giant, GSK.....Children’s Panadol Comforting Words Programme

There's no getting around it - GlaxoSmithKline is big business and big medicine. But the mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters who make up this company, understand that quality of life is not only improved by research and medicines. The Children’s Panadol Comforting Words programme is the corporate story of a gentle giant tucking in sick children who face long, hard days filled with white lab coats and IV needles at the Mount Hope Paediatric Hospital

Recognizing that life authors healing realities when people work from the heart, GSK Caribbean (Trinidad Branch) teamed up with a Trinidadian NGO Pour L'innocent - an organisation which is well known for its commitment to giving children a better chance at life. After many months of coordination, the reading programme was officially launched at Mount Hope on Wednesday 18th April.

(illustration by Jason Cole)
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Children’s Panadol Comforting Words, which has already been successfully implemented in hospitals throughout Colombia and Honduras, is about giving hospitalized children a chance to laugh, dream, imagine and, for even a short time, forget their pain. It involves trained volunteer readers visiting three of the children’s wards at Mount Hope Paediatric for two hours each day. There, the volunteers read to the children from a number of carefully selected books housed in a specially crafted mobile library.

Of particular note is "Island Garden", a publication compiled and edited for the programme by Joanne Johnson, published children's author and Regional Advisor of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (www.scbwi.org). The four stories featured were authored by Carolyn Ali, Marsha Gomes, Yasmin John-Thorpe and Natalie Williams and illustrated by Vanessa Soodeen and Jason Cole. "Island Garden” was crafted with Caribbean children in mind, will be given to the children facing long stays at the hospital and it will also be distributed to doctors in the public and private sectors as a way to introduce the program.

(illustration by vanessa soodeen)

Literature is filled with magical and therapeutic words. Comforting company and friendly voice may work the miracle of helping a sick child feel better and even ease the pain suffered by the parents.

A volunteer in Colombia related this story:‘ “How much does it cost for you to read my boy a story?” This question from one father took me aback. I told him it didn’t cost anything and explained about the programme. The father cried. He told me that it was his child’s first chemotherapy session. I stayed and read the child a lot of stories until he fell asleep’.

…Caribbean Children deserve as much!

NESTLE-NALIS Storytelling Adventures

2007-04-26T18:11:00.000-04:00

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IBIS STEW? Oh NO! book tour WEEK ONE
(see other Debe photos below courtesy NALIS) with Joanne Gail Johnson....

The Amazon Rain stick creates atmosphere and is a fave with even the grown ups.
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- It is refreshing to feel like a tourist in your own country. The feeling of NEWNESS is intoxicating!
- The pouiis are spilling out pretty petals everywhere; onto highways and into school yards, under Nikes and over windshields. The pink, not the yellow, dominate the landscape this year, eh?
- As I drove the Churchill Roosevelt Highway the musical score on my car radio placed me in a movie not yet produced, but one I love so well..
- This Trini-Trinidad moving outside my window transported me to a place of deep gratitude. What more could I ask for?
- I am doing what I love and loving what I do!
- For lingering moments I could indulge my imagination in seeing myself as the lead actress in a Hollywood hit: The author's car moving down the highway.
- Then it felt too like the interior of my car was not the stage set, but the cinema. The panes of glass around me became screens displaying a cinematic kaleidoscope!
- Later that day, Alice Walker's children's book "There is a Flower at the Tip of My Nose Smelling Me" came into my life at the Point Fortin library. It taught me something deeply personal that I needed to learn, but cannot explain.
- On my return into Port-of-Spain the journey was simply effortless.
- The car enveloped me in a sweet, still bubble. The road drove.
- Trinidad was all around me loving me; as it whizzed past to where? Where was I going? Where are we going?
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To Here and Now.
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This week's story telling adventure was very much about being in the moment. Responding to the inner and outer experience of the moment. Going with the beautiful flow of Life and encouraging the children to do the same.
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I will always remember my first cashew fruit in La Brea; librarians making posters with my photo and biography; the unique drumming and acting talent of a student in Point Fortin. I will never forget that particular aloo pie in Debe; or the helpfulness of drivers, messengers, security guards who helped lift boxes of toys and tins, props and books. It is indeed an honor to know that the small library in Siparia closed for one hour to accommodate the author of Ibis Stew? Oh No!.
I count my blessings to have the support and respect of people whoinfuse the best of themselves in what they do...

Nestle tent with gift bags - each child gets one of my books with readalong CD courtesy Nestle and other Nestlegoodies - milk, juice, smarties etc.

Without Mr. Ali to drive me, I would be too exhausted to have this much fun. Without Ms. Singh's friendly ease and companionship, movement from the culture of one library to the next may not be as graceful.
And none of this would be possible without Mrs. Habaran's commitment to and passion for "the GOOD of books and authors" if I may say it that way. Her ability to oversee it all with both ease and efficiency is appreciated.

MP Dr. Roodal Moonilal was in the house - he popped in to give a thumbs up to kids - "Read, read , read" he said.

It is a privilege to have the sponsorship of NESTLE again this year. At a time when there are so many competing interests, I understand what a privilege it is to be partnering with such a corporate giant.

Remember this? We played moko jumbies on sponsors (KLIM) tins - like the moko monsters in the story.

I feel grateful for the individual cooperation and investment of the organisations each represents. Thank you all for the faith demonstrated.
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If we can inspire a child, encourage a teacher, offer appreciation to a librarian in any small way - it is more than worth it.

I love this thought and it is a reality I nurture as I go:

We may count the seeds in a tomato, but never the tomatoes in a seed.

I trust that through the sincerity of our work, we may be fruitful beyond measure.

Sincerely, JOanne

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Joanne Gail Johnson www.caribbeanchildren.com

storybook paradigm

2007-04-25T15:33:00.000-04:00

FYI fabulous authors

Happy writing and reading,

JoanneJoanne Gail Johnson

www.caribbeanchildren.com

RegionalAdvisor-SCBWI Caribbean South

Join online at www.scbwi.org

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Excerpt from The Prairie Wind – Newsletter of the SCBWI-Illinois Chapter

March, 2007 Issue

Ricardo Keens-Douglas - Review

2006-11-06T18:59:00.000-04:00

Mama God, Papa God -

By Richardo Keens-Douglas,

illustrated by Stefan Czernecki

Mama God, Papa God - By Richardo Keens-Douglas, illustrated by Stefan Czernecki, Tradewind, 32 pages, ages 3 to 7 "Once upon a time -- before my time, before your time, before anybody's time, even before there was time -- Mama God and Papa God lived in the empty darkness.'' So begins a creation tale notable for its vivid Haitian-style art (double-page spreads that dazzle), for a nicely cadenced text that begs to be read aloud and, not least, for its gender-equity approach to the nature of God." -- by Susan Perren, Toronto Globe and Mail

REVIEW BY: Carolyn Ali

SYNOPSIS: Mama God, Papa God is the Caribbean version of the Biblical creation-story. It is a different account of the same events: the making of the world and its inhabitants; trees, animals and lastly, people. At first Papa and Mama, through love, make people who all look alike. Mama then observes that if the people were different like the birds and flowers, that would add beauty to the earth. Papa agrees and so scatters them to different parts of the world, giving them different languges as well.

COMMENTS: This creation story can earn its place in the collection of similar stories. This version is multi-layered. For a child it is an enchanting story of how the world began. For the Christian adult, there are parallel themes most notably - darkness giving way to light. The artwork also includes visuals of Biblical references, serpents, devil etc. Papa God's repitition 'This is good' links the story to the Bible.

THE ARTIST: Czernecki uses vibrant Caribbean colours and his stylized drawings are complimentary to the text. The artwork carries the story smoothly and although no direct mention is made of the 'Tree of knowledge'or a 'serpent' in the garden of Eden, there is an illustration showing a large tree and a horned man holding two serpents. On the last page the illustration looks like a dragon, but I can see no reason for this inclusion.

FAVOURITE PART: The theme of creating diversity as a blessing is especially significant for our multi-ethnic Caribbean. Also, Papa and Mama are very polite to each other. They joke around and respect each other's wishes.

THE STYLE: The style is personal, very conversational, and translates the writer's story-teller voice into print. The text is rich with visual expressions: Mama God has a 'big belly laugh' to create woman.

UNIVERSAL APPEAL: Mama God, Papa God is universal because of its theme of Creation. It is uniquely Caribbean because of the artwork, the expressions used and the style of the storyteller. Even the title, 'Mama God, Papa God' invests a universal concept with Caribbean style. Keens-Douglas demonstrates that archetypal themes are a great resource for new stories, or old stories told in a new Caribbean way.

Tradewind Books seek Caribbean folk-tales, poetry and original stories from Caribbean-born authors for an upcoming anthology. .

The deadline for entries is December 30, 2006.

Submit to:

Yasmin John-Thorpe,

Editor–Tradewind Caribbean Anthology

4011 Finnerty RoadPenticton,

British Columbia,

Canada V2A 8W2250.492.0629

email to:- yasie1@shaw.ca

PEPPERPOT COMPETITION

2006-09-07T14:11:00.000-04:00

PARENTS: Welcome to the world of
Pepperpot Productions!

*Who is Pepperpot Productions:

We are a multi-media company focused on producing out-of-the-box educational work for children; founded by Joanne Haynes- mother, award winning writer, lecturer and self-esteem builder.

*Our goal:

To encourage our children to be more aware of who we are as a people, to see our history and culture as something more that a classroom lesson so that we raise children to be appreciative of our culture as an everyday reality rather than a season and raise them to be proud Trinbagonians who will go into the world without losing their sense of identity.

For more pepperpot check out:www.pepperpotproductionstnt.com

Think of a two homes- HOME 1 & HOME 2.

HOME 1 is a place where:
Parents tell stories of grandparents, of how it was long ago and of all they hope for the future.

HOME 2 is a place where:
Parents never tell stories of grandparents, or of how it was long ago and they feel no hope for the future.

In which home would children grow with knowledge and respect for the past and a belief that they can determine their future?

If each home encourages each child then many homes will encourage many children who are proud and contributing citizens of T&T!!

For more pepperpot check: www.pepperpotproductionstnt.com

Proud 2 b a T&T me!!

Graphic Novels

2006-05-24T14:47:00.000-04:00

Thanks to Jeanne Mason for forwarding this article to SCBWI Caribbean South Blog

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The term graphic novel describes stories that are written and illustrated in comic-book style, yet published in book form, in either a hardcover or paperback format. In the comic book industry, these works are actually called trade comics and are divided into three main categories: graphic novels, trade paperbacks, and comic strip collections.
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Graphic novels represent original book-length stories or collections of related short stories that have never before been published in comic-book form. Trade paperbacks are collections of stories previously published in comic-book form, like reprinted consecutive issues of an ongoing or limited series. These collections usually include additional materials such as unused sketches or an introduction. Comic strip collections, like the Revenge of the Baby-Sat by Bill Watterson present serialized newspaper strips that don’t necessarily tell a continuing story. In this book, or course, we’re most interested in the book-length graphic novel.

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While graphic novels have been available since the eighties, appealing mostly to adolescent males who were reluctant readers, in recent years, there has been a growing popularity among preteen and adolescent girls. Although there are several types of graphic novels, of particular interest to girls is manga, which means “comic” in Japanese. Manga reflects a certain type of artistic style, completes with characters with large eyes. Many of these works, like the widely popular Inu-Yashi are also based on anime shows—Japanese animation.

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In all graphic novels, the pictures and narrative are interdependent. Unlike traditional text-based books, the story unfolds in panels from the upper left corner to the lower right—just like a comic book. Despite the use of the word “novel, these books may be either fiction or nonfiction. Fiction genres include action and adventure, crime and mystery, fantasy, historical, horror and supernatural, humor, martial arts, romance, science fiction, sports, and superhero. Many are written as part of a series, either as a story arc—which means that each book has a self-contained story—or, in the case of manga, as story lines that flow from one book in the series to the next. Some graphic novels are even adaptations of classic literary works such as Moby Dick. Nonfiction topics include are, autobiography, history, myths, legends, and fairy tales, poetry and sports. Note that may, but not all, have mature content, including violence, sexuality, and profanity.
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Most completed graphic novels are 112 pages long, although they can range from 32 to over 400 pages Both black-and –white and color versions are available. The writer who likes to illustrate comics would find this an appealing market, but because the narrative is so closely integrated with the art, publishers accept only those submissions that contain both. Thus, the writer who can’t illustrate her own book must have an artist do so before submitting her work to a publisher.
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You can find graphic novels in collector stores, bookstores, and libraries. There are over 150 comic book publishers including DC Comics, Dark Horse, and Marvel. Some traditional trade publishers, like Pantheon, a division of Random House, also produce graphic novels. To find a complete list of publishers that specialize in graphic novels visit the http://www.comiclist.com/ website and click on “publishers and distributors.”

MORE of what you get with SCBWI membership

2006-05-19T18:11:00.000-04:00

.... Insider information and networking online!

This invitation expires in 30 days.
Wednesday, 17 May 2006 - 4:44 AM GMT

bpteditor@yahoo.com has invited you to join the expression_online group!

Hi. You're getting this because we want to make sure all international SCBWI members know about Expression OnLine.

Expression OnLine is the SCBWI international online newsletter. It's an added bonus for your membership in the SCBWI, available for free to all current members of the Society of Children's Book Writers & Illustrators (SCBWI) anywhere in the world. It includes news and short feature items about children's books, the industry in general as it is practiced in different parts of the world, and the people involved - writers, illustrators, book designers, publishers, editors, booksellers, librarians, teachers, parents, educators, and more. There's a regular section announcing good news about SCBWI members wherever they are, and a constantly updated listing of SCBWI events worldwide.

There's also a calendar of other children's book-related news and events that might be of interest to SCBWI members - from Tirana, Albania to Wahroonga, NSW Australia. From Brussels, Belgium to Smith's Parish, Bermuda. From Russe, Bulgaria to Phnon Penh, Cambodia. From Belo Horizonte, Brazil to Mississauga, Canada. From Beckenham, UK to Quimperle, France to Cavite City, Philippines to Gipuzkoa, Spain to Los Angeles, California and many, many more places where SCBWI members live and work.

By subscribing to _Expression OnLine, you get two to four issues a month that will make you feel that you are indeed part of an international SCBWI community.

To subscribe, email Beaulah at bpteditor@yahoo.com with your complete name and your email address that is on file at the SCBWI head office. You can try it and if you tire of it, sign off. You may also, on your own, change the email address that you would like to use in receiving the newsletter. You can also join by going to

>Best wishes,

Beaulah Pedregosa Taguiwalo

Editor, Expression OnLinebpteditor@yahoo.com

Join this group! Yahoo!

Groups is a free service that allows you to stay in touch with friends and family or meet new people who share your interests. Yahoo! Groups values your privacy. It is a violation of our service rules for members to abuse this invitation feature. If you feel this has happened, please notify us. You may also change your email preferences to stop receiving group invitations in the future. Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to our Terms of Service.

Image Makers meet Image Buyers

2006-05-04T18:00:00.000-04:00

BOB SWAN

Design Manager for Macmillian Caribbean ,Oxford, UK Commissions design and illustration for all age ranges with contacts in Caribbean, UK and elsewhere. Works on educational, general and reference books. Visiting lecturer in illustration and design at various colleges in UK and Caribbean. Bob has worked in book publishing since leaving college (many years ago!). Prior to Macmillan he worked on dictionaries, novels, picture books and encyclopedias at Oxford University Press and before that in Manchester and London publishing houses. He has always had a passion for international publishing and has visited Frankfurt, and Bologna Book Fairs to seek new talent and promote titles. In between commissioning others he is able design a few covers and some publicity materials, but confesses he is not an illustrator, hoping that he can inspire confidence in others instead to put pencil to paper (or to be creative with another tool - the computer!). Bob is married with 4 children and has been fortunate to have plenty of opportunities to trial and test children's books illustrators and authors, prior to their exposure to the book buying public.

DREAM OF SEEING YOUR WORK PUBLISHED?

SCBWI Caribbean South presents Bob Swan - Art Director

meeting review 29th April 2006

Thirty-five of the fifty-something who registered, attended last Saturday's SCBWI seminar. The guest speaker, Bob Swan not only offered a presentation about his role as Art Director and the specific needs of Macmillan Caribbean's book list, but made himself available for quick"How do you do?" one-on-one meetings. Artists, designers, authors, magazine editors/ publishers, from around Trinidad spent time networking with one another as well. The atmosphere was relaxed and enthusiastic with all parties feeling the venture was worthwhile.

Brief "How do you do" sessions with Mr. Swan. Artists and designers had an opportunity to show their work and make professional contact.Bob shared afterwards that he felt enthusiastic about what he saw, adding that he could now add some locally based illustrators and photographers to his work list.
As Bob explained: Preparation, professional presentation and personal interaction often have as much to do with getting work as pure talent - so this was an opportunity for developing presentation and networking skills locally as well.

PARTICIPANT FEEDBACK:

Although Mr. Swan may not have been looking for written material, (As an author) I benefitted because I got an overview of how an international publishing company works. This is an insight for me as I hope to continue writing. My husband Ian, who is an artist, was impressed with the presentation.

Carolyn Ali - author - SCBWI member

It was an informative occasion and useful to have an introduction to and hear directly from an Art director of an international publishing company. Bob Swan was very open and approachable. The publisher's needs are now much clearer and I believe it will be an inspiration to apply that knowledge in presenting appropriate solutions to benefit both the image makers and an image buyers.

Cafe Moka - Photographer/ Designer

The Bob Swan event presented an opportunity for those who attended to 'stretch beyond' and, in the future, to project their work in ways that are not necessarily available locally. It always helps to meet people who work abroad in creative fields that are not developed here. The exposure, though brief, can be beneficial in ways that are personal to each participant once they are open. Even though I met with Bob Swan for 2 minutes it did not feel 'too short'. He got to the point and was professional. The event was well organized and flowed smoothly, given the amount of people who were waiting to meet with Bob Swan. Personally I was glad I had put together a photo montage that quickly showed my work in one go. This confirmed for me the benefits of taking the time to be organized and as professional as possible – i.e. not just relying on the strength of ‘the work’ alone, but also thinking of presentation. I also realized the importance of showing both the artistic and photojournalistic sides (in a case like this). After the meeting I was inspired and felt like joining SCBWI – but just haven’t got around to it yet.

Elspeth Duncan - Photographer/ mulit-media artist

Participants browse SCBWI and Macmillan materials. News from SCBWI - Caribbean North's Regional Advisor Rosemarie Johnson Clarke in the Bahamas, was also posted.

Regional Advisor:

Joanne Gail Johnson

connect to our blog via : www.caribbeanchildren.com

The Society of Children's Book Writers & Illustrators is a professional information and networking society of over 19,000 authors, agents, editors and illustrators world wide. Based in Los Angeles, the SCBWI is the largest of its kind and has chapters in 200 regions.

SCBWI Caribbean South was launched in Trinidad in September 2005.

Meetings are open to non-members and are held the last Saturday of each month in the NALIS AV auditorium in Port-of-Spain from 10 am to NOON.

At least one monthly newsletter is circulated via email and are archives alone with related activities on our blog: http://www.scbwi-caribbeansouth.blogspot.com/

For further information and membership details log on to www.scbwi.org or contact your Regional Advisor: Joanne Johnson (868) 762-6225

MANGA - The world of Japanese Comics

2006-05-03T16:20:00.000-04:00

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GRAPHIC INTERFACING
Manga fans take their Japanese to another level
By FREDERIK L. SCHODT
The Japan Times, Tuesday, May 2, 2006 (C) All rights reserved
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(This is an article from the Japan Times. Just about everything you need to know about those comic books you see many men reading, as well as those for the kids. Manga is also the graphic novel.)
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Manga are the engine of Japan's new multibillion dollar export success, its pop-culture sofuto sangyo-- software industry -- which includes anime, video games, and music. Not surprisingly, perhaps, more and more foreigners are also using manga to learn Japanese.
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The most popular are sutori (story) manga, a post-war innovation on an art form imported from the United States. Highly visual, novelistic and often stretching thousands of pages, they are first serialized in omnibus manga zasshi (magazines) and then compiled into a series of tankobon (books).
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Why are manga being used to learn Japanese? First, they are highly addictive. Manga are a great alternative to forcing the adults to mindlessly repeat infantile passages in textbooks because, after all, even if the language is incomprehensible the pictures can presumably be enjoyed.
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And there are always a wide variety of manga to choose from. You like fantasy/psycho/horror themes? How about the chilling, soon-to-be-a-live-action film, "Desu Noto (Death Note)," serialized in Weekly Jump? You prefer stories about fund managers? Try "Za Fando Maneja (The Fund Manager)" now running in Super Jump magazine. Or to really get your mojo going, go for the bounteous genre of women's erotica, including reality-based mags with titillating stories submitted by readers, such as "Honto ni atta marunama koko dake no hanashi (Ultra-Real and Scandalously Secret Tales)."

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Mark Blum, Associate Professor in the East Asian Department at State University of New York, Albany, marvels that recently most of his students are motivated to study Japanese because of manga and anime. He says manga are a particularly good resource for the 14-20 age group because they combine "creative artwork, a nostalgia for the pre-puberty experience of cartoon viewing and comic reading, and themes of greatest concern to adolescents and young adults: sex and violence."
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Wayne Lammers, the author of the acclaimed "Japanese the Manga Way: An Illustrated Guide to Grammar and Structure," points out that manga are ideally suited to those who have learned basic Japanese, and want to go to the next level. Manga are "the most logical next step after [studying] textbook dialogues," Lammers says.
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Emphasizing the advantages of the "graphic interface"in manga, Lammers says, "If your ultimate goal is primarily to master spoken Japanese, you can just keep reading manga and pick up lots of great lines to use. But even if your goal is to achieve full literacy, manga are a fun way to take your skills to a higher level before tackling heavier-going prose."
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What manga to read, then? I recommend avoiding short yon koma (four panel) manga; they usually have too many cultural nuances. In reading long, novelistic story manga, difficult passages can be skipped and much information can be gleaned from context. Also, hundreds of such titles are now available in translation.
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Manga for the younger set, such as shojo (girls') manga and shonen (boys') manga have advantages, in that the language is easier and kanji characters are annotated with hiragana rubi. This annotation is a godsend for adults learning the language too.
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It may be easier to start reading gender-neutral or male-oriented stories, rather than girls comics,because the page layouts are less abstract and more orthodox. It also helps to read stories on familiar subjects, and for that reason I recommend avoiding samurai-oriented jidaimono (period pieces) as all but the history buff will find the unfamiliar terminology daunting. When I was learning Japanese, I liked a tragic-comedy, "Otoko Oidon (I am a Man)," about a starving student living in a four and a half mat tatami room, because I lived in one, too.
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You'll learn more than language when studying with manga; you'll get a peek into a different cultural Id -- into a Japan quite different from the official version. This knowledge will be essential for true fluency anyway, because language is always about more than words; it's also about assumptions, sensitivitiesand dreams.
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Frederik L. Schodt is the author of "Manga! Manga! The World of Japanese Comics" and "Dreamland Japan:Writings on Modern Manga." He works as a conference interpreter, and has a Web site at http://www.jai2.com/
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sally leads the way!

2006-03-29T17:38:00.000-04:00

For more updates on Joanne's Storytelling Adventures

sponsored by Nestle KLIM

please click here

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Thursday 23rd March, 2006 - DAY #2

Joanne Gail Johnson and other Caribbean Storytellers

Sponsored by Nestle KLIM

The three sessions on Thursday were nothing less than thrilling for me. Reading goes together with thrilling? Yes, absolutely!

I must preface this entry of our Storytelling journeys by expressing my appreciation for the friendly, helpful and modest yet exuberant professionals of both Nalis and Nestle.

I began partnering ventures with NALIS in 2005. Since then, whether at the National Library in Port-of-Spain or in community libraries around the country, without exception, every interaction rehabilitates any build up of "Oh gawsh Trinidad!" frustration. If only for that reason, I wish more and more of our people would flock to their neighborhood libraries where they will find an oasis of respectful experience to inform them, and a world of books to delight!

The tasteful presence of Nestle's KLIM at the sessions fills me with a feeling of being well supported and recognised too, for what I do. Their crews are relaxed, involved, efficient and on time. Who could ask for more?!

for more photos click here

. Our first session on Thursday at Tunapuna was delightfully new for me. I read Sally's Way to a group of hearing impaired children. Marsha, in white, signed for me as I spoke and read - more slowly, and intuitively than I would normally. This was very instructive in teaching ME how to be more deeply attentive as I interact with any audience, and others in general. (See Tunapuna librarian Stacey, in peach. Thanks, Stacey!)

At the beginning of the story, Sally enjoys feeling the pounding water of the gushing stand pipe on her back. I often focus on what characters are feeling since it is a vital but mostly ignored aspect - of our living, and by extension our writing and reading experience.

Children get a chance to use their sense of feel to gather information and identify objects. One teacher from the School for the Deaf told me after the session how "bang on"these activities are for the kids.

The children all said their favorite part was when Sally surprised her grandmother. Then they received a surprise of their own: an individual copy of the book! Thanks Nestle!....

I did a google search to inform myself a bit beforehand about a subject of which I knew nothing: 'reading for the deaf'. I have to admit I was somewhat nervous and uncertain. Would I be able to connect? Would they be interested?

This session really opened me up to understanding how alike we all are. These children are some of the brightest, funniest and most friendly I've ever met. Reading for them helped me to let down some of my barriers. I noticed the stereotypes of my expectations before hand reflected fears that are not at all real.

I dare say this is now one of my most unforgettable experiences!

for more photos click here

...And with more treats to take home too, hopefully they will remember it as well.

Another treat was to be introduced to R.O.S.E.C. Pre-School by Sarah Maharaj, Senior Librarian IV at NALIS. Her individual interest and enthusiasm has facilitated this tour. Thank you Sarah!

What can you hear inside a seashell?

Did you hear the sun yawn?!

Mrs. Perreira, teacher at R.O.S.E.C. helps the children with a game of "Guess what this is?"

for more photos click here

Three teachers came from R.O.S.E.C bringing a larger group than expected - thirty-nine in all. Luckily I had extra Sally's Waybooks and the better readers took home a copy each. With theread alond CD enclosed, (Thanks Audio Concepts!) the more mature youngsters will enjoy the story and pictures -and may even pick up a few new words!.....One last photo before you go!

Mt. D'or Government Primary at the San Juan branch was our last stop. I was told many of these children were 'under privileged'and 'slow readers'. I found them so disciplined yet expressive, co-operative and creative.

We began our session with some personal introductions, and then turned out the lights to enact a scene from The Scottish-Island Girl.While Tootan with torch in hand led Lizzy and Alex to see a giant turtle (curled on the carpet - smile) an orchestra played sensitively to fit the mood. One on drum, another with shak-shak, one on flute and another with rain stick. "Look! It's a giant turtle!" They instinctively knew to build to a crescendo and voila! a room full of children were eager to read the story from the book!

With this group I handed out the books as a part of the session and invited them to read along. ( These 'slow' readers turned out to be good readers too!)

One little girl kept asking, "This is mine? For me? You mean I get to keep it? To take it home? Forever?""Yes, my dear child. It is yours to take home. To keep. To enjoy forever."They seemed to find it hard to believe that someone was giving them something for themselves, for FREE!

This may appear to be a routine part of a corporate sponsor's activity but for the kids and me it is far from the ordinary.

The love of reading can only come from focussing on the LOVE even more than the reading. Kids will, in time, learn the words and spelling, the grammar, punctuation etc. Unfortunately very few of us make it into adulthood with a LOVE for reading secured!

Thank you Nestle for facilitating these extraordinary community - reading experiences!

Photos: Akeisha Ross

Joanne Gail Johnson

www.caribbeanchildren.com

Go Barefoot - Pre-schoolers!

2006-03-23T15:35:00.000-04:00

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For more updates on Joanne's Storytelling Adventures
sponsored by Nestle KLIM
please click here
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STORYTELLING ADVENTURES!
Go Barefoot:
by Joanne Gail Johnson
Sponsored By: Nestle/Klim

It was a real joy to see the beautiful library spaces in communities outside of Port-of-Spain - well done NALIS!

Here's Joanne waiting for the YTEPP Pre-schoolers in Maloney. See? The computer desktop hosts Joanne's site www.caribbeanchildren.com

Activity: Get Touchy Feely

While most adults are stuck in the intellect, children still learn naturally from all their senses, Encourage this by offering kids items that relate to the story in some way (either directly or indirectly). Let them see, touch, hold, listen to, taste, talk about...

Joanne explains: "When I showed this group the seashell, I was holding it straight up. I asked what it was and they all said,"An ice cream cone!" So I went ahead and tasted it! There is no ice cream cone in Go Barefoot, but this is how the moment allows us to explore the lesson at hand. From that moment of imagination, a playful tone was enjoyed throughout our session."

Follow Up Activity:

Stretch their imaginations by taking an object with and interesting shape and asking -What else could this be? Pass it around allowing each child to hold it and pretend/ demonstrate. e.g. A seashell could be an ice cream cone, or a telephone!

We listened to the Go Barefoot Read Along CD.Let's listen and turn the page everytime Panman rolls his tenor! Can you hear the rhyming words?

Activity: Rhyme & Rhythm:

Let the children join in as you initiate old familiar rhymes. Ask for and help recite their favorites: Twinkle Twinkle, Humpty Dumpty etc.. Allow kids to 'show off' if they feel brave.

Point out the sound of the rhyming words and find others that MATCH/ sound similar: Hand - sand - land - band. Do silly words too! zoo rhymes with do, you, and moo moo (say it like a cow) or alakazoo (wave your hand like a magician) !

Hand out musical instruments to those who feel inclined (don't force anyone). Shake the shak-shak/ bong the drum/twist the rain stick/ toot the flute to the beat. Pre-Scoolers love to help and practice manners. This little girl used the tray and gracefully collected all the play items. Saying please and thank you was also part of the activity.

At this age it is important to respect that for little ones ( the youngest was a bright and confident 2 year old!) -just the trip in a bus from school to a new place called the library is a Life lesson in itself.

Spend lots of time finding things to congratulate them and compliment them about.

Joanne spent twenty minutes allowing each child to come to the front of the group and introduce themselves:

My name is _______.
I am __ years old.
I like to _______.

Encourage them to speak in full sentences saying the words for them and having them repeat after you. Give them permission to use their BIG, BOLD, BRAVE voices - as loud as they feel!Then each child took a FEEL GOOD bow! Ta-Da! and received a gift bag from Nestle. Those in the audience learn to offer attention - they listen and clap for those 'on stage'.

Practice confidence and self-esteem building in this way with the youngest of children. Again, do not force but encourage them. One child felt very brave before coming up and then could say nothing at all. Joanne whispered with him and hugged him. That was enough!

Thanks to Nestle Klim, for a GREAT start to our Storytelling Adventures!

Joanne Gail Johnson

www.caribbeanchildren.com

Ready-Go-Read!

2006-03-23T06:38:00.000-04:00

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STORYTELLING ADVENTURES...premieres!
The Scottish-Island Girl
By Joanne Gail Johnson
Sponsored by Nestle / KLIM

.For more photos click here

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Monady 21st March Joanne is introduced at St. Helena Library to the children of Grade One at The St. Helena Hindu Primary School. The Scottish-Island Girl is a great choice for children aged 6-8 years, so these 5-7 year olds loved hearing about the Lizzy's birthday adventure to see the giant leather back turtles.

Have you ever been to the beach? What does it sound like? Someone is calling on my sea phone!

Warm Up Activity:

SOUNDSCAPES Together the children made "soundscapes" - a great way for creating atmosphere and getting kids involved, (read - break the ice- smile!)

The teacher serves as conductor and assigns children to make different sounds. As the groupgets the hang of it you can invite a child to conduct the sounds. Eventually you can make soundscapes for other settings - eg a book on a farm; in the jungle; with a city / outer space setting etc.

For more photos click here

Our beachscape went like this - What do the crashing waves sound like?

"Splush! Crassshhhhh!

"What else do we hear at the beach? Wind? Yes! "Can you sound like the wind?

"woooooo.....sssssssshhhh..."

Birds? Yes! We hear seagulls and pelicans at the beach!

"Squawk! Tweet!"

That's it!

Now let's put it all together!

When I move my arms up like this we'll get louder and down like this means softer.

What signal shall I make for "STOP!"

OK so this (signal) means silence everyone!

We listen to the first few pages of the read along CD. Children TUNE IN.

Listen to the different "accents" - Lizzy's voice sounds Scottish and Alex sound more like us, like a Trini. We hear the Scottish bag pipes and then the Trinbago steelpan. We learn that Lizzy is not sure she likes Trinidad yet.....

Miss Shanti (a teacher) gets involved too. She shows the pictures while Joanne continues the story reading out loud.

The children discover that Lizzy changes her mind after her beach adventure. She loves both Trinidad and Scotland.

For more photos click here

The characters in the book were born in different places in the world. This offers a great introduction to Geography even for very young readers.

This is the World, yes! You are very smart. This is called a globe.

Have you been to Tobago? And Canada? It snows there? Yes it does.

I have put a red push pin to mark Trinidad and a green one for Scotland. The blue area on the globe represents the sea.

Can you see just how far Lizzy had to travel to get from Scotland to Trinidad?

In the story Lizzy told us how things FELT.

The stones hurt her feet at first, remember?

The water felt cool around her ankles. When they touched the giant turtle's head do you remember what she said? Yes, it felt rough. What about the turtle eggs? That's right they felt like jelly, not like hard chicken eggshells.

ACTIVITY TIE IN: FEEL IT!

For more photos click here

Kids get to experience the sense of touch and the information we receive all the time, just from feeling.

Fill a box/ bag with objects that relate in someway to the story. Then have each child either close eyes (no peeking) or blindfolded, and take and object out . They examine it with their hands and identify: A camera! Sun glasses! A toy car! a stone! a plastic coconut tree! Something to wash the dishes? A sponge, yes! ( Throw in some everyday objects too!)

What next? Get gift bag from Nestle! Cool!

For more photos click here

and....

A copy of The Scottish-Island Girl with read along CD (Audio Concepts) for everyone!

ENJOY!

Follow Up activity:

Printable colouring page (permissions from Macmillan) available at www.caribbeanchildren.com

Miss Shanti got a class set of a Turtle for the kids to colour back at school.

Joanne Gail Johnson

www.caribbeanchildren.com

"IBIS STEW? Oh,No!" FLIES!

2006-02-25T05:09:00.000-04:00

. Ibis Stew? Oh, no! is a great read aloud experience. The book hit stores here in Trinidad before Christmas and was well received. At my favorite outlet, " Rainy Days" Rhonda Abraham said they sold "like hot bread". Her first ten sold over night literally and her second ten bythe first weekend, when she placed an order for "More please!" In my experience - that was grrreat going! smiles

.I was delighted too when Suzette Julian, principal of the International School of Port-of-Spain invited me to read at their elementary school's Family Night Story Time. Imagine how pleased as punch I was to discover the school library already had my book and some of the kids had read it and were genuinely delighted to meet "the author"

.Getting that first contract as an author is an exciting moment to be sure. I did not feel like a 'real' author however, until someone I had not previously known and was not related to, recognized my name as the writer of a book she purchased - at her daughter's request. That was almost four years ago. On January 25th, 2006, five titles and thousands of books later, I was reading my first hard cover book, Ibis Stew? Oh, no! out loud for the first time, to children and parents of all ages and nationalities - right here in Trinidad.

.Many of them were expatriates so I was interested to learn first hand, just how well the universal appeal of my work delivered the Caribbean-specific details. My best compliment was the rapt attention of young and old alike for the full length of the story, with laughter and oohs and ahhs, at all the right points. I was further rewarded with successful sales of all my titles afterwards. What writer could ask for more?!

.Joanne Gail Johnson

www.caribbeanchildren.com

INVITATION TO SHOW & TELL:

2006-02-11T11:23:00.000-04:00

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IT'S A PLAY DATE !!
SCBWI monthly meeting at NALIS
(In the auditorium /basement)
Saturday 18th. February, 2006 10 a.m.- NOON
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OPEN CALL TO ALL CULTURAL CREATIVES
Our next SCBWI meeting will take the form of a creative workshop. Whether we write, paint, act or bake we do this most effectively and fluently when we tap in to our universal creative essence.
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Participants will:
- have an opportunity to network and experience creative fellowship
- remember the spirit of play and learn that "doing the work " - is fun
- explore practical exercises to unblock and inspire
OPTIONAL: Bring work to share (writing/ illustrations)
FEE: A willing heart and open mind
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FEEL FREE TO BRING A FRIEND WHO SHARES YOUR INTEREST!
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NEWSLETTER CONTENTS:
Review of January
1. New members share enthusiasm...
2. Free Bulletins for all...
3. Calling artists...
4. Guest Speaker - Lisa Allen Agostini on: Creative Discipline
See also link to Lisa's talk click here
5. Our Blog tour
6. Call for submissions (both writers and artists)
from: http://www.indigoleafmagazine.com
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1. New members share enthusiasm...
Our January meeting was well attended and I was happy to greet both familiar and new faces. Those who have joined the SCBW I spoke about receiving their packages and some were willing to share with the group their delight and enthusiasm thus far -Thank you Patricia Reyes, Carolyn Ali and Walcott Prize '05 finalist, Marsha Gomes!
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2. Free Bulletins for all...
Not only do I want to show non-members the benefits of the society but I also want to remind those who join that the package/membership is only as useful as you make it. We need to read, engage and employ the suggestions/ tools and information offered to actually experience the benefits.
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To this end I accepted an offer from SCBWI Head Office to send out a box of SCBWI Bulletin back issues which I have been distributing freely to non-members as well. Better than just a 'brochure', the bi-monthly Bulletin truly reveals the quality of the society and its work.
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Using one of the issues I was able to point out an article on the copyrights involving the use of photographs (just as Karen Waldron discussed with us FIRST HAND in November!), and another on helping artists put together a portfolio for art director sat publishing houses.
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3. Calling artists...
As I expressed last month in my goals for 2006, I want our regional chapter to be ever mindful of illustrators as well. I'd like to put the word out to artists who have always wanted to illustrate children's books - joining SCBWI and/ or attending our meetings goes a long way to making this a reality...(SO TELL A FRIEND ABOUT THE SCBWI AND OUR MONTHLY MEETINGS AT NALIS!)
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To this end, SCBWI member, Terry Suresh spoke about getting his first gig illustrating for children, networking through SCBWI.
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He brought his illustrations to show and also mounted a mini-exhibition of his impressive air brush works. Picking up on the suggestion of post cards which illustrators mail out to art directors he proudly handed me his first batch which includes child friendly interpretations of T&T's folklore characters and a Soca Warrior/ football bonus- smiles! He is already accessing sales for the cards locally - person to person, and in souvenir/ gift shops. (Go Terry!)
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4. Guest Speaker - Lisa Allen Agostini...
The highlight of the meeting for me and other writers I am sure, was an informal presentation by Guardian Editor and soon to be published children's author (Macmillan)Lisa Allen Agostini.
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I think I first met Lisa at the Holy Underground - an open mic poetry affair over a decade ago- and we have been acquainted over the years. She has been very supportive of my own budding talent and accomplishments.
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In September she asked me to read two novel length manuscripts - both suitable for Young Adults with tremendous cross over 'adult' appeal. I was struck by the 'readability' of her work. A hard to define quality that is so important not only for marketability in a general a sense, but KEY to making willing readers out of reluctant teens.
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I asked if she would be willing to submit something on speculation for the new (pre- and young teen) series I am currently editing for Macmillan. The Chalice Project- a trilogy, made the cut! and All of this before the end of 2005!! Despite her dodging the label of 'disciplined writer', the results indicate to me, that Lisa is accessing a very disciplined creative space in herself and her life. Thankfully, she accepted my invitation to speak about this at our January meeting. With her kind permission, the written version of what she shared can be read on our blog. (© 2005 Lisa Allen Agostini)
Please click here to go to Lisa's article on 'Discipline in Writing'
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5. Our Blog tour
To help you make your way around our blog:
- Most current news will be on the front page
- There is a section for writers to blog and another section for artists to blog;presuming the interests will be different. If this proves cumbersome we will revise it later on.
- An events calendar will let you know what's going on/ coming up in our region.
- See archives for past actitivities/ newsletters
- There's a link to the SCBWI Kansas "In The Wind" regional news letter. It's instructive to see what others are doing and how they're doing it.
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6. Call for submissions (both writers and artists)
from: http://www.indigoleafmagazine.com
One of our members Karen Waldron - lawyer, writer, photographer, wife and mother - is a tremendous example of self starting. Marrying her creative expression with a bit of tech savvy, she has launched (yet another) online magazine www.indigoleafmagazine.com
The magazine intends to spotlight talented writers and artists "who do not yet make a living from their art". It may offer a professional showcase and reading audience for writers who have not yet had a lucky break, and who do not have a web presence of their own.The work has to be considered of 'publishable' quality:
" Indigo Leaf welcomes high quality submissions for publicationon our website. All articles are reviewed by a committee of published writers, to ensure the highest standard."
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Joanne Gail Johnson
www.caribbeanchildren.com

LISA ALLEN-AGOSTINI - Discipline in writing

2006-02-01T03:54:00.000-04:00

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SCBWI MONTHLY MEETING
NALIS, PORT-OF-SPAIN
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It’s funny; I looked up the meaning of the word discipline in preparation for today and almost every one of its several meanings had something to do with punishment, rules or consequences. Well, I’m happy to report that I’m not going to treat with those meanings. Discipline, in writing, as I see it, is simply deciding what goals you want to achieve and doing what it takes to achieve those goals.
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I say simply, although in fact it may be one of the hardest things you have to do. Or not; it really depends on you.
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Joanne Johnson (SCBWI South Caribbean chapter founder and leader) kindly asked me to give this talk because I did something that I guess is pretty unusual. Last year I wrote three manuscripts. They were short, ranging between 19,000 and 37,000 words, and not fully fleshed out, but the point is that each had a beginning, middle and end. How did I manage to write three? That’s a great question—and one day I’ll meet God face to face and ask him what angels he had help me write those stories. In the meantime, we have to look to more prosaic explanations.

I’ll try to talk about discipline using myself as an example.
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Discipline is sitting down and writing
I can’t emphasise this enough. One of the stories I wrote was about a Trinidadian policeman whose wife has left him. I had this story in my head for three or four years and never wrote a word. It was a great idea, but until I sat down and wrote —over the Easter holidays, when my children had coincidentally deserted me during a two-week vacation from work—it would remain just a great idea. Now it’s a manuscript.
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Read lots
Joanne is fond of saying that you have to read a thousand books before you write one. I don’t know if I’ve read a thousand, but I’m pretty voracious and have always been the kind of person to hide in a corner and read a book rather than play Atari or, later, Xbox. Reading stories gives you ideas about plot, structure, character, voice, style. They also give inspiration.
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Research
This is different from reading for pleasure. This is picking the topic you want to write about, or are writing about, and learning enough about it so that you become conversant with its terminology and concepts. In writing about my policeman, I had to research Trinidad in the 1930s, the city of Port-of-Spain, the cocoa industry, the police service, education, government and society. It was great fun for me—I like history—but it was also tedious and time-consuming. I spent days speeding through texts at UWI and the Heritage Library in order to get a good grasp of what I wanted to say. My reward was that I feel more comfortable saying, for instance, that Sonny took a tram from the railway station to St James—because I know for sure there was a tram, that it ran to St James, and that he would have taken it instead of walking because the trams were very affordable and popular.
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Put away distractions
I really like TV sometimes, but I recognize it for what it is: the modern opiate of the masses. Would you rather watch TV than eat? Drink water? Sleep? Talk to other living humans? Well, as a parent I found that my children would. My solution was to banish cable. One consequence is that I have a lot more time on my hands in which I can read or write. Of course, the trick is making yourself write.
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Be your own taskmaster
Set a goal. One of the manuscripts I wrote last year was written on speculation for a publisher. Because I wanted to have something to present by November, I took a couple of weeks off during the term and used it to write. I would get up, pack the children off to school and write from about ten in the morning until about four in the afternoon, with breaks for making myself lunch, doing laundry and running the odd errand. You may not want to do that or may not be able to. Still, within the schedule of your normal day I put it to you that you have two to three “missing” hours, time in which you don’t really do anything constructive, aren’t resting or spending time with loved ones. Those are hours you can use to write.I had seven 3,500-word chapters to complete; I gave myself a goal of a chapter a day. I met the goal and exceeded it, having time to write about 7,000 words more for another manuscript that I was working on.
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Edit
When you’ve written what you want to write, go back over it first with a general eye to get the drift of it, see if it makes sense, if it follows logic or the logic of the world you’re creating. Then go over it with a fine-tooth comb to pick up grammatical, punctuation and spelling errors. They matter. Then—yup, you’re still not done—find every single literary friend you have, or even the merely literate ones, and give them copies of the manuscript. Ask them to read it for concrete things such as content (is this correct?), style (does this sound forced or stilted?), character (is he realistic or credible?), dialogue (would someone really say that, in that way?), and any other concerns you may have. You don’t have to listen to every word they say but do consider their comments and try to cast an impartial eye on your baby. She may not be as pretty as you’d thought. Then it’s time for tough love.

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Lisa Allen-Agostini
trini_lise@yahoo.com

LYN KNOTT Illustrator

2006-01-18T08:37:00.000-04:00

Hey Trini artists & SCBWI members!
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Check out Lyn's e-folio site

She is also posted on www.caribbeanchildren.com
(see photo/ bio) as illustrator for Digger's Diner.www.lynknott.co.uk

Best blessings,
JoanneJoanne Gail Johnson
www.caribbeanchildren.com

INTERESTED IN WRITING / ILLUSTRATING...

2006-01-12T18:14:00.000-04:00

(Caribbean) CHILDREN's BOOKS? KNOW SOMEONE WHO IS? READ ON...
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Happy New Year everyone!!
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©SUN TV LTD. artist Vanessa Soodeen
This and other free original e-cards are available at www.caribbeanchildren.com

IN THE WORKS for illustrators - Macmillan / Katie Mc Connachie

This year I intend to host an event / seminar especially for artists/ illustrators. (SCBWI members will be offered preferred access in the case of limited space) Macmillan Art Director Bob Swan will be visiting with us and I also hope to lure the illustrator of my newest book " Ibis Stew? Oh, no!"Katie Shears McConnachie was born in Los Angeles, California. With no formal training she worked at Hanna Barbera Productions for 8 years painting special effects for cartoons i.e. Flintstones, Scooby - Doo and many others. She now lives and works in Antigua as a freelance artist painting murals, illustrating children’s books and drawing original works of art with Prismacolor Pencils. It is often helpful for authors to attend illustrators' seminars since much of our work must be translated into visuals. Understanding the process of illustration, will enhance the work of children's writer as well.

Volunteers

fliers/ emails/ letters spread the word. Joining the SCBWI is to benefit your own career. You are not obliged to attend meetings nor to volunteer. Having said that, (smiles) there is much to be gained by establishing a vibrant community within which you can develop your craft. I would like to invite you to volunteer this year by spreading the word about SCBWI not only locally but regionallyand to Caribbean nationals living abroad as well. I am amazed at the number of people in Trinidad alone who want to write children's books. This is wonderful since we have relatively so little quality Caribbean literature for our young ones - and so little opportunity to get them reading for pleasure not only exam style pressure!!

HELP LIST

i) To compile a contact list of writers and artists who are SCBWI Caribbean South members/ those who attend meetings but are not members/ those who receive related news and info on our email list

ii) PR - writing letter's to editors / mailing and delivering fliers to suitable venues/ groups/ association etc

iii) Phone Tree - to establish a phone system so that each person can call three others so that one person does not have to make all the calls

iv) Specific help with establishing and promoting SCBWI presence and membership in other islands/ countries in our Caribbean South jurisdiction

v) Setting up of manuscript exchange/ critique groups

vi) Special events planning and organization NOTE: SCBWI is a non-profit organization. Our efforts are on a volunteer basis.

Writer's Union of T&TWUTT meets from 3PM to 6 PM the third Saturday of every month at the National Museum and the first Saturday at Chaguanas Senior Comprehensive Marina Ama Maxwell 667-6534 Van Stewart 637-9003

SCBWI members are reminded to join SCBWI's Yahoo forum Expression OnLine? Contact Beaulah at bpteditor@yahoo.com

COOL LINKS

Check out these sites

www.yellowmoon.com

www.patchword.com

Joanne Gail Johnson

The first local literary award for children's literature

2006-01-06T12:20:00.000-04:00

. .

I was honored last year to judge the first local literary award for children's literature. With the prestigious name of Derek Walcott and Trinidad Theatre Workshop attached, who could refuse? I am constantly amazed that in such a small country so many of us are interested in such a specialized field and was thrilled to learn that there were over thirty submissions in this category alone. While there was a good show of talent overall I could see that a vibrant chapter of the SCBWI would serve to improve the understanding and quality of our craft and so the authors of the top five entries were awarded a gift membership:Joanne Allong Haynes and Neil Mohammed who tied for first and shared the First Citizen Bank's $10,000 prize! With Annisha Marajh, Sherry Ragoonanan and Marsha Gomes following.

With the prestigious Walcott / TTW name, and with such a handsome purse, this is a literary competition worth entering! (See EXPRESS Wed 21st Dec '05 article attached)

Judging this competition was a first for me. One of my recommendations was that a picture book/ illustrator's categories be established, I learned a lot from the process and have listed some general observations here from which we may all benefit:

AND Most importantly keep in mind the adage - "You need to read a thousand books before you can write one."

1. Read children’s books especially those that target the age group and are in the genre for which you want to write. This helps you tune in to your audience and will develop a sense of appropriate style and interest level. It will also serve to educate you about publishing and publishers: Who’s publishing what; which topics are currently popular; what’s already been done. You want to be au courant yet unique. Reading widely will help you cultivate an honest sense of how your work will fit in - or not; and offer ideas for revising works in progress.

2. Writing for children does not necessarily mean keep it short and simplistic. If you want to be a writer but don’t have confidence yet in your skills, entering the children’s category won’t make it easier. A good children’s writer is working all the time at becoming a better writer and a good writer- period. He or she learns how to share big ideas with even the youngest readers. A child’s profound intelligence and understanding usually far outstrips his capacity to read or decipher words.

3. Read the original version of a classic and then read a condensed version for young readers. This may help you understand what it means to write for middle grade children. Everything from Shakespeare, to contemporary classics like Jack London’s Call of the Wild has been rewritten and in some instances illustrated, with children in mind. Strong concepts and intensity are key elements regardless of the age group.

4. Rewriting is evidence of a good writer. Writers often expect that talent will deliver first time out and that rewriting means merely proof reading.

5. Reading your work aloud is invaluable when writing for young children. This is how they will be experienced since most children’s books are read by an adult to a child.

6. Writers for children, often choose cutesy, sentimental names and themes. Writing for children does not mean an absence of conflict. The conflict may be baby flicking food on everyone, but there is still a need to understand the basics of good literature.

7. Personifying animals or rhyming end words is not a short cut to a good children’s story. Some publishers don’t accept animal stories or poetry.

8. Picture books for children are submitted manuscript style too. If the writer is also an artist she may create a ‘dummy’ or mock too. A good picture book manuscript is picturesque, with text alone.

9. Finding universality for a Caribbean writer does not mean you write exclusively for an international/ N/America/ European audience. Delving deeply in to our specific Caribbean point of view and our unique sensory experiences can craft work that proves widely accessible. Why deny yourself the opportunity to create something original?

10. A child's ability and interest level varies widely between 4 and 6 or 8 and 10 or 12 and 15. A good children's writer must be in touch with her audience.Some books have good cross over appeal and are suitable for children or young readers e.g. V. S. Naipaul's Miguel Street, but it was not written for children.

Joanne Gail Johnson

A CHRISTMAS WISH!!

2005-12-28T09:45:00.000-04:00

Vanessa Soodeen

TERRY GETS A GIG! A Trinidadian artist gets published.

2005-12-15T05:58:00.000-04:00

In September, at our first official SCBWI event held at the National Library, I met Terry Wolflarson, portfolio in hand. He was very keen to illustrate children's books, has been sharing his work with me and attended our monthly meetings in October and November. SO - when Monika Jain (www.kahani.com) emailed me her request, Terry was the first person that came to mind.

Monika Jain, the publisher of a children's magazine approached me as the Regional Advisor of the Caribbean South chapter .

She was looking for a Trinidadian artist of East Indian descent.

Based in Boston, Massachusetts, her magazine, Kahani is a "South Asian" children's magazine. Their upcoming issue is called the South Asian diaspora and will explore the history of South Asian migration to other parts of the world. Trinidadian Vashanti Rahaman, a published writer, mainly thru Boyds Mills Press, (who now lives in America!), contributed a beautiful story about a Trinidadian boy who travels to Canada and experiences snow for the very first time. The story needed illustrating and although the gig was a volunteer one, (Kahani is published by volunteers as a service to South Asian children), it was/ is a great start for a first time, would be children's book illustrator - Terry stepped up to bat and did a great job!

Here is a sneak peek of Terry's interpretation of Ravi.

Do check out and support www.kahani.com and.... SEE what the SCBWI can do for your career!

Stay tuned for news of meetings and upcoming events in 2006 and log on to wwwscbwi.org and join up or email me at joanne@caribbeanchildren.com for further information.

Blessings

Joanne

Regional Advisor

SCBWI- Caribbean South

Regional Advisor - J.G. Johnson

2005-12-07T06:16:00.001-04:00

"SCBWI Goes blog!"
I was delighted to receive this message in my in box.
When I asked SCBWI Caribbean South member, Vanessa Soodeen (Trini-Irish artist who now lives in Spain!!) to help me with a regional newsletter, it hadn't occurred to me to set up a blog.

In typical Vee fashion she has been a real joy to work with on this - easy, efficient, and creative! We have enjoyed years of friendship and partnering creatively and so this really feels like "HOME".

I trust that as my activity in the regional increases over the coming years of my first term as RA, the blog will be exercised vigorously by all our members.
WELCOME everyone!
and Blog On...

www.caribbeanchildren.com NEWS

2005-12-06T08:16:00.000-04:00

At Last!!!....At the display of books in September (at the National Library in Port of Spain ) and in October (as Free Carnegie Library in San Fernando) visitors submitted their contact information to join my www.caribbeanchildren.com mailing list... AND a chance to receive a gift of one of my books with read along CD. I received almost three hundred entries and we drew four winners from each venue (8 in all). On Saturday 3rd December we were able to get almost everyone together at NALIS for a presentation.

Just the day before my new and fifth title, 'Ibis Stew? Oh No!' (Macmillan) arrived, hot off the press. I couldn't resist including it! So lucky winners went away with two books not one! All the books that were on display were donated, courtesy Macmillan to the National Library. Some were even signed by their authors, including mine.

I love my new title 'Ibis Stew? Oh No!' and feel very proud of all the work that has gone in to it. AND Good sales news so far too -I delivered 10 copies of Ibis Stew to my favorite outlet "Rainy Days" a tourist/ art/ gift shop on Saturday (Ellerslie Plaza, Boissiere Village, Maraval. T: 622-5597; F: 622-5597; E: rara_29@hotmail.com ). Today, Monday, Rhonda called to say she had ONE left and needed 10 more! Literally an overnight success big smiles ha ha. Great timing with the Christmas season! I also delivered a copy to Molly Gaskin ( http://www.petrotrin.com/wildfowltrustweb/ )who called to say she was smiling from ear to ear. I will donate four books to the Wild Fowl Trust boutique. Stay tuned for official launch information!

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Joanne Gail Johnson

Left to Right at back:

Gisselle Ramsaran, Nikoli Edwards, Debbie Goodman of NALIS, Khalisa Emery, Joanne Gail Johnson (author/ editor Macmillan)

Portia Coward

Left to right front:

Vachel Sookram, Justin Gregor, Vonn Sookram, Khalil Rudder, Judy Kowlessar (not in picture), Kallis Khan

NOVEMBER 2005 - Second Monthly meeting

2005-11-28T03:25:00.000-04:00

NOTICE:THERE WILL BE NO DECEMBER MEETING OF SCBWI. IT WAS AGREED THAT WE WILL CONSIDER TWO MEETINGS IN JANUARY - If NALIS can accommodate us! SINCE MOST PEOPLE WILL HAVE HOLIDAY / FAMILY COMMITMENTS.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!

Continue to check for postings on our work on this Blog

On Saturday 26th November SCBWI - Caribbean South hosted its second monthly meeting in the auditorium at NALIS in Port-of-Spain. We had sixteen people turn out. A half and half mixture of repeaters and new guests. There were a number of phone calls / emails offering regrets for some who were unable to attend this meeting and wanted to express an intention to join SCBWI and / or attend upcoming meetings. Since our meetings are open to non-members these are separate agendas at this time.

Lawyer, Karen Waldron and now SCBWI member, facilitated an overview/ quickie workshop inintellectual properties and copyright law. (THANK YOU KAREN!)

(Karen Waldron speaks about Intellectual Property)

Jeanne Mason, a writer/editor who also attended our first meeting, emailed me afterwards. "While I already knew most of the information she shared, your friend the attorney/ mother/ author was simply delightful and a pleasure to listen to. Where do you find these people?!"

The truth is we find each other, no? And I agree, Karen easily qualifies as an unforgettable woman!

Dr. Kumar Mahabir, writer/ publisher ("Caribbean Indian Folktales") who was present also commented on Karen's unique beauty and intelligence. Kumar indicated that he is looking for writers/ editors/ proofreaders. Chakra Publishing House, 10 Swami Avenue, Don Miguel Road, San Juan, Trinidad and Tobago.

Tel: (868)674-6008Tel/fax: (868) 675-7707Cellular (868) 756-4961

Email: mahab@tstt.net.tt , dmahabir@gmail.com

This inspires me to move forward an SCBWI meeting in the works which will highlight local and regional publishers. A definite for 2006!

Marsha Gomes who attended for the first time and is a student of Professor Mahabir, volunteered to help senior members of the group with computer literacy; teaching them how to get online and surf the world wide web etc. This is also on our SCBWI 2006 agenda.

I feel satisfied that my own efforts are being fairly rewarded and appreciate the enthusiasm and helpfulness I meet in Karen, Marsha and others, which easily matches my own. At this time I feel both patient and pleased, trusting that the work will evolve according to genuine need.

Sincerity is of greater interest to me than quantity.

Thanks to all of you who participated this year. I look forward to the work we may inspire in each other in the coming months and years of my term as your Regional Advisor.

May you and yours be abundantly blessed with the true light of each new day!

Joanne Gail Johnson

Interested in starting or developing a career in children's literature?

2005-11-22T14:46:00.000-04:00

Then come down to NALIS for The Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators monthly meeting - IT'S FREE!

All WRITERS & ARTISTS are welcome! NON-MEMBERS ARE WELCOME TOO - This month's agenda: Q& A session of Copyrights and Intellectual properties SCBWI Member / speaker: lawyer, Karen Waldron.

Participants who choose to, will have an opportunity to introduce themselves, their work, dreams and goals.

NOVEMBER'S SCBWI Meeting: Saturday 26th November,2005 NALIS seminar room (as at security desk) 10 a.m. to 12 a.m.

PLEASE SHARE WITH LIKE-HEARTED OTHERS.

Thanks so much to Sarah Maharaj for supporting my vision for a vibrant SCBWI region by making the meetings accessible to the general public. Thank you to NALIS for facilitating our first SCBWI meetings. Without your support getting started would prove much more difficult.

Over twenty people both illustrators and writers of all ages, ethnicities and walks of life attended our first monthly meeting.

There was Rosemarie Stone, a popular columnist with The Express for many years and Pat Reyes a Belmont grandmother and mother of six grown children, who is doing a correspondence course in children's writing. When we first met at the atrium display at NALIS in September Pat said, looking around with amazement, "I feel as though I have been in a desert and this is an oasis!"

Since SCBWI's first meeting last month, I have been able to connect a young tattoo / comic book artist - Suresh Terry Motilal with Monika Jain, SCBWI member and the editor of Kahani magazine, based in Boston, Massachusetts. Kahani is a children's magazine targeting the East Indian community. Their upcoming issue is called the South Asian diaspora and will explore the history of South Asian migration to other parts of the world. Vashanti Rahaman, a writer of South Asian descent from Trinidad (now living in America!), has written a short story for them and they were looking for an illustrator from Trinidad or Tobago who is also of SA descent. See their Web site www.kahani.com

After our first meeting, Karen Waldron became a member of the SCBWI by registering online www.scbwi.org She has volunteered her services to our local and regional community. This is a real blessing since Karen recently returned to Trinidad having practiced copyrights and intellectual property law in the US. I have asked her to give a mini-workshop with a Q&A session at our next meeting. This type of information is an absolute necessity in any creative field. And all our sessions at NALIS, including this one, will be open to both members and non-members - so tell / bring a friend!

As SCBWI RA and editor for Macmillan I am also on the panel of judges for Derek Walcott's TTW prize for children's literature- this too, on a volunteer basis. From a field of over 30 manuscripts, 10 that have been short listed. I am honored to serve with two published authors of tremendous stature, Paloma Martin (Guyana), Rita Williams Garcia (US). The top five will receive Gift memberships to the SCBWI at an award ceremony in December.

As I shared with you, my position as Regional Advisor is a volunteer one. Prior to my volunteering there was no SCBWI presence in the Caribbean. I join forces with Bahamian Rosemarie Johnson Clarke (no relation that we know of smile). In order to facilitate the entire region which geographically presents obvious challenges, we have divided our Caribbean chapter in to North and South.

More than ever the technology of the internet and email affords us to build this type of information system and connect local and regional writers and artists with their peers internationally. I believe sincere, mature professionals committed to their field of work volunteer at some stage to build up others. The SCBWI is the largest society of children's book writers and illustrators in the world and is made up of people at the top of their game as well as those who are just starting out. It is a privilege to belong to such a society and I want to encourage those who 'wanna be' to have the courage to step up, support themselves in their growth and to participate in a wider circle.

During my three year term as Regional Advisor I am also required to attend, (expenses paid), at least one of the three annual conferences (L.A/ N.Y. or Bologna). I have chosen to dedicate 2005 and 2006 to building an active and vital chapter before I attend such a conference and SCBWI accepts my approach as one of service. In 2007 my ambition is to attend and to take with me the most promising writer and illustrator members from our region. These conferences include seminars and opportunities to qualify for one-on-one meetings with editors/publishers. The conference in NY also offers university credits for those to whom this applies. Members are entitled to apply to the society through me to win financial assistance to attend. Perhaps one of our members will get there before I do as RA- smile - and as a Mom of a toddler that would be fine with me! In such an instance that member will have something of value to share with us all. There are also a number of annual grants and awards for which members may also compete.

The SCBWI is a non-profit organization and has its home base in L.A. We are a society of over 2,000 children's book writers and illustrators, and over 200 regional chapters the world over. Any published author or illustrator or anyone aspiring to be published who has done the research will easily see for themselves the genuine quality of the SCBWI membership materials and benefits. The annual fee for full members is US$75. for the first year only and US$65 for following years. A look at the package of print materials shows that this will barely cover photo copying costs (of course there are copyrights - this is simply to attest to the sincerity and value of the society) Subsequent years the materials are revised, and edited, so you are always receiving new information and education about your field.

Using the volunteer services of one of our Trini artist members, Vanessa Soodeen we have created our own logo which incorporates the SCBWI logo of a kite. She will also facilitate two online newsletters for our regional membership over this first year of Caribbean start up. As RA I am free to use within the society's guidelines, the SCBWI to build up the field of children's literature and its professionals in our region.

Caribbean South - will be responsible for helping its SCBWI members in their careers and will include Anguilla, Antigua, Barbados, Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Montserrat, Nevis, St. Barts, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, St. Martin, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad &amp;Tobago; Guyana and Venezuela too.

Caribbean North - , Nassau, Bahamas will be responsible for Caribbean North including: The Bahamas, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Turks & Caicos, U.S. British Virgin Islands

Rosemarie Johnson Clarke is a former Features Editor for The Nassau (Bahamas) Tribune. In her newspaper days she co-founded a magazine for high school students which won Pan American Health Organisation & Planned Parenthood international awards. She is the Children’s Book-Buyer for an independent book store in Nassau, and also co-ordinates children’s programmes for the store. She is the founder of a School Librarians’ Network which meets monthly and encourages the exchange of ideas and information about kids and books. She is a freelance editor/writer and her work has appeared in U.S. and Bahamian publications. She has studied writing for children through Vermont College.
contact: rosemariejc@coralwave.com

http://scbwicaribbean-north.blogspot.com/

I sincerely recommend SCBWI as a great next step towards moving careers, at any level in this field forward; for becoming a professional in the field of children's literature.

Look forward to seeing you all again soon!

Joanne Gail Johnson

T&T or T&T based writers and artists

2005-11-17T18:56:00.000-04:00

You're invited...
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The Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators Caribbean-South will be hosting its second group meeting at the National Library In POS.
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Over twenty people, men and women, of all ages and walks of life atteneded our first SCBWI Caribbean - South meeting at the end of October. I shared materials and spoke at length about the benefits of joining the SCBWI. There was much interest and enthusiasm and almost everyone signed our mailing list for updates on events and meetings.
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Our November session will dedicate time to meeting you the participants - non-members included- and to hearing about your work, dreams and goals in the field of children's literature.
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SCBWI member Karen Waldron has promised to facilitate a mini-workshop Q&A style about copyrights and intellectual properties.

Please join me, your Regional Advisor, at 10 am in the Media Room at NALIS on the last Saturday of each month, continuing Novemeber 26th....

Meetings are OPEN TO NON-MEMBERS. ALL writers and Illustrators, both aspiring and published are welcome.

Membership forms and SCBWI information will be available.

Please share with like hearted others!

Sincerely,
Joanne Gail Johnson

Debating the dark forces...

2005-11-05T19:28:00.000-04:00

I have been asked by so many people "WHY A HARRY POTTER series?" and "Don't you think it promotes witchcraft and evil?" etc

Here is my response....

Earlier this year I was approached by Macmillan Caribbean to edit a new series for boys and girls aged 12 to 15. The genre is futuristic/ legend/ sci-fi / fantasy or any combination of! The work must have strong Caribbean themes as well as broad universal appeal. The only reason I am touting it as a Caribbean "Harry Potter" is because this is what J.K. Rowling has been able to do using her British FOLKLORE of witches and goblins.

I have heard some debate about the the promoting of 'dark forces' by such works. I find such discussion unnecessary but since so many have asked, decided to express my point of view:

The concepts of light emerging out of darkness, of good conquering evil of what is 'magic', supernatural and divine within us all, of eternal life and resurrection are archetypal. Such stories can be told and retold using different characters, locations, plots and so on. It is sad when adults so bigoted by false religion seek to separate themseleves and children from a valid, creative, literary exploration of the human psyche and IMAGINATION.

Above all else, the new series aims to get children of an 'at risk' and 'lost' age group READING. Pre - and young teens are in a quick-fix, electronic media trance. Bombarded unquestioningly by predominantly US movies, music and Play Station games all laced with gratuitous violence. We don’t want to emulate such forms of entertainment, but to responsibly compete for the attention of our young people. To do that we must be willing to take risks, and even be edgy at times. We need to address the realities of human experiences and emotions - which include the shadow side as well.

There is still little indigenous media harnessing a unique-as-we-are popular culture to excite and stimulate a growing self-esteem among our Caribbean youth. Besides, the Caribbean has much to reciprocate and offer the world as well!

J.K. Rowling's series may not be 'the best' of its genre, but she did it in such a way that its broad appeal has non-readers of ALL ages reading. I know when I say "a Caribbean Harry Potter", just about everyone, everywhere knows what I'm talking about. Since I am accepting submissions from authors and aspiring authors anywhere in the world, it is a useful association.

Joanne Gail Johnson

More of Display

2005-10-29T09:30:00.000-04:00

. bill board with flier sized copies to take away of writer's guidelines for new series

. Our 'security' system allows visitors to handlle the books without taking them!

. Featured writers' books also

. Writers autographed books to NALIS on opening night

. Lynette's three

. The display is in a high traffic area. Up and down the stairs, visitors have a great view inviting them in

. Audio books display - press play and read along

. A listener tunes in

. Turn the page when panman rolls his tenor

. In preparation for an IBIS Stew book launch! features Katie's bio

. Story boards shows some of the process of developing a work

. Digger develops

. From inception of an idea to first publication Go Barefoot. This story board even has a copy of my first letter to Nick!

. Justin takes a look

. Featured Macmillan writers and Vanessa

. Children's books from the catalog with a blurp from BarabaraApplin about the upcoming anthologies

. website offline surfing

. 6 hour DVD show reel runs through out the day from 8 am to 6 pm features segments of each writer and Vanessa and includes television interview with Joanne last week (NCC Channel 4 permission) as well as segments with the deputy Director of NALIS.

Joanne Gail Johnson

National Library week

2005-10-28T19:46:00.000-04:00

During the past week, (Oct. 24-28, 2005) National Library Week, here in Trinidad, I was privileged to tour four community libraries - Chaguanas, Diego Martin, St. James and St. Helena pictured here.

As I look back at the photos I took, the light from their faces seem to jump right through the monitor at me. "What life! What light!

At this time in our country and our world in fact when so many things feel insecure and uncertain I wish that I could somehow communicate to others the feeling of joy, privilege, confidence and safety I experienced as I toured our island with my own two year old and Nanny in tow. We were welcome, respected and safe wherever we went. I felt truly valued and appreciated by the friendly people we met. I pray that the willingness and cooperation of the young people will be recognized by the interested adults in their lives and that in some way my own presence may have lit up their lives as well.

Thank you to NALIS and Sarah Maharaj who made this tour possible, and to the librarians, teachers and students who participated.

"Write on!"

Joanne Gail Johnson

St. James library

2005-10-26T19:40:00.000-04:00

Students from three schools attended a workshop at the St. James library. Although not a published illustrator, I love drawing and in my experience as a primary school teacher, most kids do too.

I chatted a bit about my experience of working with an illustrator and showed a bit of the process - the typeset page, the artist's proofs...final publication. I handed out type set pages of Digger's Diner - kids got to render the illustration for their page and to keep it as a souvenir as well. We spent some time exploring the children's library and appreciating the different styles of illustration and media used. I also passed on some basic drawing tools from "Drawing with the Right Side of the the Brain" which I found helpful. Within minutes kids saw their drawings begin to take a more realistic shape.

Each library I visited for National Library week received copies of my books published by Macmillan with read along CDs and SCBWI print matter/ display materials and membership forms.

Joanne Gail Johnson

Students pictured above at the St. James Library workshop:
Mucurapo Girls R.C. (white & blue checkered overall)
Mucurapo Boys R.C. (blue & khaki pants)
Woodbrook Presbyterian (boys - blue & white / girls- blue shirt & khaki pants)

Free Carnegie Library, San Fernando

2005-10-24T19:32:00.000-04:00

National Library Week in T&T

Aspiring children’s authors and illustrators in San Fernando will enjoy a condensed version of the recent multimedia display which was hosted at the National Library in Port-of-Spain. In celebration of National Library Week, Macmillan published children’s author and editor, Joanne Johnson says the display gives her an opportunity to revisit her roots since she was born in San Fernando. Visitors to the display will browse Caribbean children’s books published by Macmillan and those interested in the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators will find information about the benefits of becoming a member. During National Library week Joanne will also visit other library communities. Her work will continue through the school term with read aloud story time at select libraries and some Teen Time too at the Young Adult Library, NALIS, Port-of Spain. ´Joanne’s schedule - October 2005

Monday 24th - 10:30am - Chaguanas"Aspiring Authors" children and youth. Joanne talks about the process of getting published; from idea to publication.
Tues. 25th -10:30 am - Diego Martin“Get Writing!” for teens “If You Can Talk, You Can Write!”
Wed 26th -10:30 am - St James "See the pages come to life!" children & youth. Published author Joanne Gail Johnson speaks about working with an illustrator to create a picture book.
Friday 28th -10:30 am - St. Helena"Creative Writing" for primary school ages. Applying the skills you practice in the classroom (spelling, grammar) to serve your creative expression.
Saturday 29th 10:30 am National Library - Media Room First SCBWI meeting for adult writers and illustrators - aspiring or published / open to non-members. To be held on the last Saturday of every month.

At the Diego Martin Library - Tuesday 25th October, 2005 Joanne facilitated a session about Creative Writing - "If you can talk, you can write!" with class groups from two schools from the area, Crystal Stream Government Primary and Diego Martin Girls R.C.:

Above: Girls from Crystal Stream Government Primary

Above: Girls from Diego Martin Girls R.C.

Girls from both schools with Joanne at centre

Joanne Gail Johnson

NALIS & SUN TV display

2005-09-17T18:38:00.000-04:00

NALIS - SUN TV Display Closes with warm hugs and fond memories

You are welcome to view more photos

here!

All through the display from Sept 5 to 16th we were visited by enthusiastic members of the public, of all ages, AND by the media! Everyone has been very responsive and I trust that this will benefit all the participants in the long run. An editor from the Trinidad Guardian who frequents the library remarked to me about the audio stations for my read along books, "I've never seen such a popular display here! Every time I have come, there are loads of kids gathered around..."

One grandmother who shared six of her children's stories said she felt she was in an oasis! She has long wanted to write children's books and didn't know if to believe it could be possible for her. She represents the growing mailing list of interested writers and illustrators looking forward to SCBWI related creative circles/seminars. NALIS has offered our regional chapter a home at the national library and use of their conference room facilities etc.

The colourful, multi-media display (thanks to Suzy and her creative team, Tara, Lisa, Jade) has been featured in all of the local dailies and twice in both The Guardian and The Express! I know the media response is in part due to the great relationship NALIS has with the local media and I continue to express my appreciation for their enthusiastic and professional support throughout.

Also representing my company SUN TV, my television interviews each included video excerpts featuring the other participants - as a result, our participating illustrator, Vanessa Soodeen was also featured in the Express Woman's magazine and author Lynette Commissiong called to say she has been asked for interviews by the press. We will see those in the coming weeks......the cup overflows....

We had also been featured on all BUT one station locally, TV 6 - On our last day, Friday, The Ministry of Information Division, which produces a weekly half-hour special, interviewed me for a feature on the display. We were told it will be seen on all stations, including....TV6 right after the news this weekend (prime time!) and enjoys a rerun as well .

Added to my earlier efforts: The Allyson Show NCC Channel 4 and Gayelle The Channel -Channel 7, and Trinity Update with Betty de Souza on TCN Channel 11; I will also be featured on "Trini Style"this week, a privately produced print and television magazine which is broadcast twice on Gayelle The Channel. I have also been invited to be their cover story for their November or December issue..

A local news channel CNC Channel 3, (affiliated with The Guardian newspapers), which is due to launch in the coming weeks, also took footage of the display in preparation for an interview / feature on JQ Baptiste's show. (She writes a popular daily column JQ's Brew).

During the final days of the display we were visited by Jenny's Pre-School from Woodbrook. Thirty-something toddlers came to the children's library at Nalis and took home membership forms. During their visit, we tip toed through the giant tree and along the winding path into the storytelling room. There I read my own Macmillan Ready Go title geared for their age group, "Go Barefoot", and then Clare Kemp's "Mango Tango" both of which they delighted in. Aunty Jenny also took back gift copies of both titles for their school library courtesy Macmillan Caribbean.

La Romaine Government Primary School attended our display at NALIS and launched their new school project for this new term Sept-Dec 2005: STORYTELLING! The children came by bus to POS with their teachers and took a 20 minute walk from City Gate to NALIS! They toured the display and then met with me in the storytelling room. Each child had a note book with questions prepared and they spent twenty minutes interviewing me about my work as writer of children's books. On leaving, I was presented with a Thank You speech given by one of the pupils. My toddler son Justin was also given the star treatment which he seemed to enjoy and I basked in the warm embrace of appreciation as both boys and girls came for a hug on their way out!

....We have been truly blessed these past two weeks to be touching and touched by so many of our nation's people.

Thanks to all those who helped make this a reality.

Joanne Gail Johnson

SCBWI Caribbean South Official Opening

2005-09-06T17:12:00.000-04:00

Held at The Atrium of the National Library of Trinidad

Our official opening was a sparkling event with everyone raving about the displays, and excited to send friends, family, and to tell other teachers and students...

you are welcome to view more of the opening

here!

Joanne Gail Johnson