SCBWI FACES Terri Trimble

 




Words & Pictures goes behind the scenes at SCBWI-BI to meet the volunteers who keep our Society ticking. This month, Fran Price chats to Terri Trimble, co-organiser of the annual Agent’s Party. 





Terri introducing the 2018 Agents' Party.


Welcome to Words & Pictures. Please tell us what you write.

Fantasy and science fiction, mainly for young adults.

Describe your writing space.

I have a small studio at the bottom of the garden to write in. It’s got enough space for my desk, writing books and the lawnmower, and the windows look out over my veg patch.

How long have you been a SCBWI volunteer?

Since 2017.

Please describe your main tasks.

As one of the co-ordinators for the annual Agents’ Party (along with Gail Doggett and Sara Grant), I handle communications with members about the party, design and schedule emails, and moderate a Facebook group to answer questions and share information. My role is to make sure that everyone coming to the party knows what to expect so they can get the most out of the evening, and that they have information and support to help them put their best foot forward when they pitch or submit to agents.



Terri's writing studio. (Picture credit: Terri Trimble.)


Do you do any other volunteering?

I also manage social media and write press releases for my local Extinction Rebellion group. 


Has volunteering influenced your writing in any way?

My involvement with Extinction Rebellion directly inspired my current novel-in-progress, which is set 20 years in the future and is about the daughter of two climate activists who met at a protest in London.

What do you think are the advantages of being a volunteer?

I’ve gained valuable industry knowledge and met lots of terrific literary agents. I've learned first-hand that agents are approachable and friendly people who love books, just like those of us who write and illustrate them. 

How many hours per week do you spend volunteering?

Work on the Agents’ Party is definitely cyclical, so for about six months of the year there’s not much to do. We start planning in the spring and the work increases as the party date approaches. This year, we took the decision in March to go virtual with a series of Zoom events every Monday for four weeks. These are underway at the moment and I am spending about 3-4 hours a week working on them. 



Terri (far right) at the 2018 Agents' Party panel.


Do the boundaries between volunteering get blurred or do you have clearly demarcated writing/volunteering times/space?


I write best in the morning, when my mind is fresh — I sometimes wake up with a really clear idea for where my plot needs to go. So I tend to do my volunteering work late in the afternoon or the evening.

What’s your favourite children’s book?


The Daughter of Smoke and Bone trilogy by Laini Taylor.



*Header image by Irene Silvino; pics of 2018 agents’ party by Kate Rosevear.


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Terri Trimble was born in California, grew up in Kansas and moved to the Pacific Northwest as a teenager. She now lives in London with her family and is writing a climate fiction novel for young adults. She can be found on Twitter @territrimble

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Irene Silvino is an illustrator based in London and founder of Editartz. She loves to illustrate people (especially focusing on their feelings and emotions), nature and animals. www.irenesilvino.com


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Fran Price is an editor for Words & Pictures, the online magazine for SCBWI-BI. Contact her at events@britishscbwi.org.



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