A missed celebration, an unchallenging pizza and a load of great stuff in between...

We've had our 100th W&P day and I didn't spot it! It was Tuesday, 2nd July. For me, Tuesdays are busy work days. I run a club called Learn 2 Love Learning for a lovely group of adults who for whatever reason don't want to do anything too challenging at the moment.  So on the 2nd, I was preoccupied with community centre stuff. I'm irritated that I missed our 100th day but the bicentennial is Thursday October 10th and it's on the calendar!

I was so grateful to the wonderful Words & Pictures Team this week as, after my trip to Norwich, a brain numbing headache took me out of action for a few days and I barely looked in. It was lovely to log into Blogger and Twitter and find that people are tweeting posts, talking about posts, commenting on posts and the excellent team just carrying on doing what they do. W&P now feels like a ship that needs steering from time to time, rather than building.

We get some great comments but this week this, from Dennis Thompson, on John's first excellent Picture Book Basics feature,  was brilliant:

"Wordsandpics has helped me in many ways and this truly is the cherry on the cake.'

It's so good to hear that Words & Pictures is helping - thank you Dennis and of course, thank you John.

Also this week I've been letting the 27 SCBWI entrants to the Chalkface Challenge know how they did. It was hard to tell people they hadn't won or made the top 5 as I know what that feels like, but everyone had helpful and encouraging comments from the year 5 children at St. Edwards Catholic Primary School in Swadlincote, Derbyshire.
Those who've received a small batch of comments so far have been delighted. So if you entered and haven't yet sent me an SAE for yours, do. If you have sent me one, I'm snail mailing some more on Monday.
The winning excerpt will be published next Sunday!

Our next Slushpile Challenge is  now underway. It's especially for picture book creators - you have two weeks folks!

The first Agent Confidential from Julia Churchill of A.M. Heath was so useful - Mel, Katrina and Tania have put together such a good set of headings. Very interesting to find out Julia's favourite books (this week's favourites at least), her latest signing, and who she already represents, brought conveniently together on one page. Agents, please do get in touch if you'd like to feature.

Thank you too, to our guest blogger on Monday, Andrew Weale, who has the enviable 'problem' of working with more than one publisher. It's great to have Andrew on W&P because as this year's Red House winner, the only award judged entirely by children, he is totally in the flow with the Chalkface Challenge the only competition (I think) judged entirely by children.

Everyone in the team works so hard but I particularly want to mention Nick, Gill and Tania who every week do much of the post creation themselves.  Candy Gourlay commented about Nick's Ten Minute Blog Post this week:

"Great roundup as usual! I've become dependent on this weekly fix. No pressure."

Nick, I have too.

Gill is building a brilliant SCBWI Network resource. Take a look back over her last few Network News posts and you'll find loads of ideas for getting together with other SCBWI members. I think the SCBWI membership fee is modest compared to other professional organisations but meeting up with other members in the real world will really make you feel you've had your money's worth.

Tania, and before her Kathy, have brought a SCBWI joy to Saturdays. They are both warm in their congratulations and creative in their celebrations. How wonderful last Saturday to celebrate with Denyse Kirkby as she becomes a Patron of Reading and this Saturday with Cath Howe and Marnie Riches for their new books and a Branford Boase Highly Commended for Lydia Syson and her editor Sarah Odedina.  It's not much of a surprise that Tania has a small business decorating celebration cakes and Kathy has new business venture involving strawberries and lovely bottles of fizz.

Next week... we're delighted to welcome back Sara O'Connor answering some more questions in Ask a Publisher on Monday, there'll be another essential blog selection on Tuesday, Sheila has a new video for us on Wednesday, there's news from the North West on Thursday and a new Featured Illustrator on Friday.

I have some fabulous pictures of our young Chalkface judges but I'll save them all for a bonanza post next Sunday. So instead, I'll leave you with this week's Learn 2 Love Learning activity...

An unchallenging pizza

Have fun in the sun everyone!



Jan Carr


Jan Carr is the editor of Words & Pictures. Her fiction is older middle grade, she blogs occasionally and loves to write in magenta.

8 comments:

  1. Yes, well done to everyone on the team, including you Jan! Loving the blogzine x

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  2. Thanks Jan - we wouldn't have become such a well-oiled machine without you!

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  3. Yes a HUGE thanks to Jan, who is always there for us when we scream for help! We couldn't do it without you! xx

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  4. Thank you from me too. W&P is a 'must read'.

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  5. Congrats on your 100th, despite it passing by. Been fab getting to know you all from the bottom of the pond. Cheers Julie Grasso

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  6. Thank you, you're all very kind

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