Big Sur Children's Writing Workshop

Big Sur Writing Workshops
For Children’s Books from
Picture books to Young Adult fiction.

December 3 - 5, 2010 in Big Sur.

March 4 - 6, 2011 in Seaside/Monterey.
Click here for March.

REGISTRATION NOW OPEN FOR THE
DECEMBER WORKSHOP.

Sign-Up to our E-mail List.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS (click on links below)

DESCRIPTION

EDITORS

LITERARY AGENTS

AUTHORS

PRICING ALTERNATIVES

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

REGISTRATION FORM: Download here, PDF or RTF

SCHEDULE

THINGS TO BRING

DIRECTIONS/HOW TO GET HERE

SUCCESS STORIES

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Why this workshop?

For fourteen years writers have come to the Big Sur Writing Workshops for a hands-on intensive weekend designed to ready their manuscripts for publication. The workshops are designed for writers with finished or partially finished manuscripts that need critiquing, revising, and general editorial guidance. Our workshops provide participants with the tools needed to prepare their manuscripts for submission to agents and editors. In today’s competitive marketplace a tightly-written, polished manuscript is essential.

The format of the weekend program is unlike that of other conferences and workshops. Writers meet and work closely with at least three faculty members (who can be agents, editors and authors) throughout the weekend. The ratio of faculty to writers is five to one or better, and no two writers have the same experience. Faculty are established book professionals who are dedicated to helping new writers. The unique nature of our workshops has made them so popular that many attendees return year after year.

We are proud of more than 20 success stories arising from the Big Sur Writing Workshops including Jeff Stone’s half-million dollar deal with Random House for the Five Ancestors series, and Christina Meldrum’s two book, six-figure deal with Alfred A. Knopf. More success stories here.

What makes the Big Sur Children's Writing Workshop unique?

First, the format of the weekend is different from other conferences and workshops. Writers will meet and work with three faculty members throughout the workshop. Ratio of faculty to writers is five to one.

Second, the weekend admits a limited amount of writers--just enough people to share valuable information and not too many so each writer feels special.

Third, the weekend is packed with critique groups, lectures, rewriting time and meals. Writers devote the entire time to focusing on their writing.

Fourth, the faculty are all children's book professionals, and wonderful people, who know how to target the weak spots and help writers polish their manuscripts.

Some quotes from attendees:

"I learned more in one weekend here than in four years of college."

"I would recommend this to anyone writing a book."

“This is simply the best writer’s workshop in the country.”

More testimonials here.

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FACULTY:

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EDITORS:

Lisa Sandell is an Executive Editor at Scholastic Press and has been with Scholastic for the past ten years. She focuses primarily on literary middle grade and young adult novels. She also publishes works of nonfiction, and manages several historical fiction series, as well. Additionally she is the author of: A Map Of The Known World, Song Of The Sparrow, The Weight of the Sky and 21 Proms
(Lisa's own website here)

Allyn Johnston is VP & Publisher of Beach Lane Books, a small imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing that is located on a flower-filled lane in San Diego, CA. Beach Lane publishes for all ages and across all genres, with a primary focus on lyrical, emotionally engaging, highly visual picture books for young children. Among the authors and illustrators with whom Allyn works are Mem Fox, Lois Ehlert, Marla Frazee, Cynthia Rylant, Debra Frasier, Arthur Howard, Jan Thomas, Avi, and M. T. Anderson. Recent titles she’s edited are New York Times bestseller Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes by Mem Fox, illustrated by Helen Oxenbury; and Couple of Boys Have the Best Week Ever Hardcover Book & Audio CD Bundle by Marla Frazee and All the World by Liz Garton Scanlon, illustrated by Marla Frazee, both of which received a Caldecott Honor.

Melissa Manlove, Editor, Chronicle Books.

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LITERARY AGENTS:

Andrea Brown: President of Andrea Brown Literary Agency, Inc. since 1981, author of Writers' and Artists' Hideouts: Great Getaways for Seducing the Muse published numerous articles for Writer’s Digest and other publications. She is the executive director of the Big Sur Writing Workshops.

Laura Rennert is a Senior Agent with Andrea Brown Literary Agency. She's been with the agency for ten years, and specializes in all categories of children's books, from picture books to young adult. Some of her noteworthy deals include deals for over half a million dollars to both Random House and Simon & Schuster; six-figure YA deals to Razorbill/Penguin, Knopf, Feiwel & Friends, Margaret McElderry/S&S, Scholastic, and Harper; and a film deal to Nickelodeon/Paramount. Laura is the author of a picture book, Buying, Training, and Caring for Your Dinosaur (Fall 2009, Knopf) and of two highly illustrated books for young readers, The Extra-Ordinary Princess , forthcoming with Dutton. She has a Ph.D. in English literature from the University of Virginia and has nine years of experience teaching as a faculty member in the English Departments of the University of Virginia, Osaka University of Foreign Studies, and Santa Clara University.

Jennifer Rofe (Jaeger), Associate agent Andrea Brown. A graduate of UC Davis with a degree in English and Social and Ethnic Relations, Jennifer also attended Dominican University for Education and taught middle school. Jen is interested in all areas of children’s books and especially looks for writers with a quirky sensibility, sense of humor, rebellious characters and a unique storytelling voice.

Jennifer Laughran, Andrea Brown Literary Agency, is looking for YA and middle grade realistic fiction, science fiction, mystery, adventure and humor. She adores simplicity, but she is not interested in the conventional, predictable, mechanical, gimmicky or ordinary. She seeks books that have not only voice, but blood, temperature and a pulse--they can be messy and idiosyncratic, but never weak. If you need to be reassured that your writing is vital, you are probably not an author to interest her.

Jamie Weiss Chilton, associate with Andrea Brown Literary Agency, represents children's books exclusively: teen novels, middle grade fiction, chapter books, picture books, and narrative nonfiction. Her specific interests include literary fiction with intense emotional content (character-driven, not issue-driven plots); smart thrillers and mysteries; science fiction; surreal stories and magical realism; sweet, funny, quirky chapter books and picture books.

Kelly Sonnack comes to the Andrea Brown Literary Agency after nearly three years with the Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency where she agented children's and adult work. Prior to that, Kelly worked for the publishing giant Reed Elsevier, where she served as an Acquisitions Editor under the Academic Press imprint. As an agent, Kelly specializes in all types of children's literature (picture books, middle grade, young adult, and graphic novels). In picture books and middle grade fiction, Kelly looks for a good sense of humor, stories that stretch a young reader's imagination, and an authentic voice. In young adult, she appreciates literary voices and character-driven stories with heart. In non-fiction for children, she enjoys projects that inspire and stimulate the minds of our younger generations.

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AUTHORS:

Marla Frazee is the author-illustrator of Couple of Boys Have the Best Week Ever, which received a Caldecott Honor Award and a Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor, Roller Coaster , Walk On!: A Guide for Babies of All Ages , Santa Claus the World's Number One Toy Expert , and, mpost recently, The Boss Baby . She is the illustrator of the NYT bestselling All the World , which also received a Caldecott Honor Award and was a New York Times Best Illustrated book, The Seven Silly Eaters , and the NYT bestselling Clementine series. She teaches children's book illustration at Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, CA, and works in a small studio cabin in the backyard under an avocado tree.

Sara Zarr is the acclaimed author of three novels for young adults: Story of a Girl (National Book Award Finalist), Sweethearts (Cybil Award Finalist), andOnce Was Lost (a Kirkus Best Book of 2009). Her short fiction and essays have also appeared in Image, Hunger Mountain, and several anthologies. She lives in Salt Lake City, Utah, with her husband, and online here.

Kristen Tracy wrote Lost It which is her first novel for young adults. She's also written a lot of poetry. Some of it's on the web. (If you find any of it, keep in mind that she invents about 50% of the material in her poems.) Her second teen novel, Crimes of the Sarahs, was released in Spring 2008 from Simon Pulse. Her first middle-grade novel, Camille McPhee Fell Under the Bus, was released in Summer 2009 from Delacorte Books for Young Readers. Her third young adult novel, A Field Guide for Heartbreakers, was published by Hyperion-Disney on June 1st, 2010. and her second middle-grade novel, The Reinvention of Bessica Lefter, will be out in 2011. Kristen is online here.

Ellen Hopkins, Publisher, Juniper Creek Publishing, Inc. and Three Leaping Frogs, Northern Nevada’s Fun Newspaper for Kids; freelance writer (regular contributor, Reno Gazette Journal); author; scriptwriter; Nevada Artist in Residence (literature); Tumblewords artist. Ellen is the author of the novels Tricks,(debuted #1 on New York Times Bestseller List!) Crank, Identical, Glass, Impulse and Burned plus twenty nonfiction titles and has published over 450 articles on subjects ranging from aviation to child abuse to winegrowing. Publications include Reno Magazine, Tahoe Quarterly, Sierra Heritage, Nevada Magazine, Carson Magazine, Nevada Living, Ski Tahoe and Newsweek. She writes video production scripts for CAV Media, teaches through the Nevada Artist in Residence and Tumblewords programs and is a regular speaker at schools and writing conferences. Her website here.

Neal Shusterman, award-winning author who began his professional writing career shortly after graduation from college, when his humor column was picked up by Syndicated Writer's Group; a national feature syndicate, making Neal, at 22, the youngest syndicated columnist in the nation. As a full-time writer, he claims to be his own hardest taskmaster, always at work creating new stories to tell. His books, Unwind , The Schwa was Here, Downsiders, to name a few, have received many awards from the International Reading Association, and the American Library Association, as well as garnering a myriad of state and local awards across the country. Currently Neal is adapting his newest novel Downsiders as a TV movie for The Disney Channel. His website here.

Other faculty may be added accordingly to keep small ratio of writers to faculty.

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PRICING :

• The entire weekend package is $ 720.00. This includes a shared room at the Big Sur Lodge, all meals (incl. Tax and grats), the entire workshop, and cocktail receptions between 5 and 7 Friday night.

• 'Shared' means that you will be with one other writer in one unit. You will have separate bedrooms and share the bath. Rooms are large and comfortable. Unless you have a special reason to be private we suggest this as your best alternative. There is an additional $150.00 cost for the weekend should you need a private room.

• For a guest not participating in the workshop, but sharing a room including all meals and the reception, the cost is $ 390.00

• For locals, not needing a room at the Lodge, but attending the workshop including all meals and the reception, the price is $ 600.00.

• If you like to stay extra nights you need to make reservations directly with the hotel’s reservations in order to receive the extended discount. Please call 1-800-424-4787 or 831-667-3100.

• Previous participants receive a 5 % discount.

• Cancellation policy: 75% REFUND IF CANCELLED THREE WEEKS PRIOR TO STARTING DATE.
AFTER THAT NO REFUND.

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• SUBMISSION and REGISTRATION GUIDELINES:

To register and submit your manuscript please follow the instructions below.

1. Download our registration form PDF or RTF - fill it in and send, or call 831-667-2574 with card, Visa/MC/Discover, to: "Children's Writing Workshop" Henry Miller Library, Highway One, Big Sur, CA 93920. Your submission will not be considered until payment has been received. You will receive immediate confirmation of registration upon receipt of payment.

2. Submit the first two pages of text, or up to the first 500 words or the entire picture book text, via email (pdf). Also send a query letter as these will be dealt with during the course of the workshop to help writers make them as strong as possible, and if you like, a synopsis of your work(s).
Please email your submission to: writing@henrymiller.org

Deadline for submission is November 5, 2010.

Note: In the past these workshops have sold out early, so we recommend that you register soon. Our policy is first come, first served. Works and writers may not be accepted if the content falls outside the faculty’s areas of expertise, or if the director feels the work and writer would not benefit from attending the workshops. You will be notified as soon as possible, with a full refund of registration fee, should your work not be approved. We suggest you hold off on making airline reservations until you receive notification of acceptance. Such notification is via email.

Plan to bring six copies of the chapters or parts of the manuscript you wish to focus on at the workshop. There may be opportunities to work on more than one project, especially with picture books so do bring a second manuscript, if you like, but then do remember to bring six copies of that as well. Do bring one full copy of each manuscript. Some writers work on one or two chapters in depth, some on many pages as each writer has a unique experience, so it is good to have extra copies just in case.

If you have any questions please e-mail us.

We will also e-mail the registration form to you if you like.

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• THINGS TO BRING:
Plan to write. Bring pads, laptops (printers are available).
There's a spa in the hotel and a gorgeous beach not far.
Bring swimwear, comfortable clothes and shoes!

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• WEEKEND SCHEDULE TBA

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HOW TO GET TO THE BIG SUR LODGE: Click Here

Closest airport is Monterey Airport

Other airport that are within 2 1/2 hours driving time are San Jose, Oakland and San Francisco airports.

We will send out e-mail to all participants to facilitate carpooling/car rental sharing as we get closer to the start date. In the past many have taken advantage of this.

SUCCESS STORIES

We are proud of our over 20 success stories including Jeff Stone’s half-million dollar deal with Random House for the The Five Ancestors series:

Congratuations to Kim Culbertson, Big Sur Writing Workshop alumni, her YA novel Songs for a Teenage Nomad was recently picked up by Daniel Ehrenhaft, the senior editor at Sourcebooks, to be reissued in hardback under their new young adult imprint FIRE for fall of 2010. The imprint will also publish her second YA novel Traveling Instructions for the spring of 2011.

The adult fiction workshop in March: Congratulations to Rebecca Wolf, attendee from 2005 on her sale of Rockabye to editor Brooke Warner at Avalon Books, sold by agent, Laura Rennert.

Congratulations to Christina Meldrum! After attending the Big Sur Writing Workshop a couple of years ago, Laura Rennert of the Andrea Brown Literary Agency, Inc. sold a two book, six-figure deal with Alfred A. Knopf for Christina! We can't wait to see the books and have Christina attend as faculty.

Also congrats to Harry Haines for signing a two novel deal with Mayhaven Publishing.

The children's book workshop from this past December, congratulates Elizabeth Shreeve who has now sold two picture book manuscripts to Front Street/Boyd's Mills Press.

We also congratulate Crystal Allen, from the December 2008 workshop, who just sold a two-book, six-figure deal to HarperCollins with agent, Jennifer Rofe, from Andrea Brown Literary Agency, Inc.

Who is the next success story?

If any other former attendees have sales as a result of attending the workshops, please let Magnus at the Henry Miller Library know as soon as possible so we can post it. Keep writing!

Thank you,

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Testimonials from participants in previous Writing Workshops:

"Andrea Brown literary agency is my favorite agency. I love the authors, titles, publishers, and after having met the agents, I was impressed by your passion for the craft, and the "no, we're not some snooty NY agency, but we're big players" kind of approach."

"The critique groups were amazing. The editors, agents, and authors were very approachable, and their comments/edits were invaluable. The writers in both critique groups shared fresh/unique perspectives, with an uninhibited ear/eye for what was and was not working. I stayed up nearly all night on both nights to create a revised first chapter that's both immediate and evocative...... kick your butt in a good way workshop. It was was inspiring."

"This is the first conference I have walked away thinking this was worth every penny. I actually feel like I have something of value, and I am a better writer for going."

"I loved the workshop and came home inspired. I hope I can go next year!
Thanks for everything!"

"I really appreciated the low-pressure environment, because it was a workshop rather than a conference. I enjoyed just talking to people, faculty and conferees, without having to be “on.” The faculty were all so willing to share their knowledge and offer their help. It was really a unique experience."

"I was truly grateful for the time and thought they put into their feedback, which resulted in a stronger start to my book."

"Thank you so much for offering this workshop. It reinvigorated me and my book and allowed me to connect with other people, make new friends, and reconnect with old friends, all who love writing for children."

"I love the sense of community here. It reminds me of the level of professionalism that is needed, i.e. time to work: time to network, talk and enjoy the process of writing. Great! Great! Great!"

"The best part was the intensity! The editors/agents are so down to earth & accessible! I like that serious writers were here to discuss work. It raised the standards for people.”

“Diverse and insightful critique from colleagues and opportunity to meet and gather insights from people in the industry.”

“The best part is that you make us work!”

"Multiple critique sessions worked perfectly!”

"Having a professional in the field to ask questions of - very specifically - regarding how work fits in publishing world was the best part."

"I had an amazing weekend! I learned so much about writing and developing my work."

"Gee, do you think I will be back next year? You might as well sign me up now!"

"Loved every minute of it."

"Thanks. Great workshop."

"Great workshop as usual."

"Thanks for helping put on a wonderful weekend."

"All of us experienced the pleasure of praise for work well done and the pain of constructive criticism.

"Thank you for an encouraging and wonderful event."

"No wonder people are coming all the way from Brazil!"

"I was actually surprised that the rooms where so comfortable and the food was marvellous, The Best!"

"Superb - The absence of distractions make this conference so much more productive."

"This conference felt like family."

"I achieved what I came for - to solve story problems."

"Excellent."

"Thank You! Thank You! Thank You!"

"I'll be back!"

"Exceptional!"

"Awesome."

"Great."

"Lodging excellent, location spectacular."

“The food was great! I was completely, and pleasantly surprised.”

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