Big Sur Children's Writing Workshop

For the past nine years, writers have come to Big Sur for an
intensive and exhilarating weekend of intimate critique groups, panel discussions, and private sessions with industry professionals and much sharing of information. Our workshop is not a conference; it is uniquely designed specifically to help writers polish and fine-tune their manuscripts in progress or those that are finished but need some help. We combine exceptional faculty who enjoy aiding writers with the beauty and magic of Big Sur, wonderful meals and a wine reception to provide an ideal retreat for children's book writers. Our goal at the end of the weekend is to have writers leave knowing exactly what they must do to their works to see them published. Manuscripts must be perfect these days to sell and our mission is to make that happen by recruiting top editors, literary agents and authors to inspire you.

Previous attendees have had enormous success including Jeff Stone's FIVE ANCESTOR SERIES that sold for over half a million dollars to Random House and a two book deal for Cece Meng with Clarion Books. Some quotes from attendees:
"I learned more in one weekend here than in four years of college."
"This is simply the best writer's workshop in the country."
"I would recommend this to anyone writing a book."

For the tenth anniversary we are adding a new feature: Friday morning, 9 AM - 11.30 AM, we will add "Meet the Editors" for those who would like to add on additional time by arriving Thursday evening. (or early Friday). For a small additional charge, writers will be able to talk to the editors, hear what it takes to sell, discuss their own personal works and work closely with the editors to begin the weekend revision process. We will also present an award to an attendee for best work at the end of the conference to celebrate the 10th anniversary. Reduced room rates are also available for those wishing to arrive early and/or stay longer to enjoy the wonders of Big Sur.

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EDITORS
LITERARY AGENTS
AUTHORS

PRICING ALTERNATIVES

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

REGISTRATION FORM

ONLINE REGISTRATION

SCHEDULE

THINGS TO BRING

DIRECTIONS/HOW TO GET HERE

FACULTY:

Editors:

Jim Thomas, Senior Editor, Random House. After thirteen years at Random House Children's Books, Jim Thomas has worked on everything from easy readers to nonfiction for teens. His passion, however, is middle-grade and YA fiction, and he now specializes in this area as well as serving as the middle-grade/YA editorial director for the Random House imprint. Authors he's worked with include Jeff Stone (The Five Ancestors), Jeanne DuPrau (The Books of Ember), and Joaquin Dorman (Playing It Cool).

Nancy Mercado, Senior Editor, Dial Books (Penguin Group)
Nancy has edited 101 Ways to Bug Your Teacher by Lee Wardlaw, Celia Cruz, Queen of Salsa by Veronica Chambers, and Marly’s Ghost by David Levithan and Brian Selznick. She is currently on the look out for middle grade novels on the young side (think Skinnybones by Barbara Park) as well as humorous picture books and novels told from a Latino perspective.

Summer Laurie, Senior Editor for Tricycle Books, a division of Ten Speed Press. Worked at the children’s division of Chronicle Books in both the marketing and editorial departments. In 2000 she joined Tricycle Press , the children’s imprint of Ten Speed Press in Berkeley, California where she works on picture books, board books, and fiction and nonfiction for young people up to age twelve.

Allyn Johnston, Executive Editor, Harcourt Brace.
Allyn started her publishing career as a marketing assistant at Clarion Books in 1985. She later worked as an editorial assistant at Harcourt, an editor at Putnam, and—back at Harcourt in San Diego—an editor, senior editor, executive editor, and now editorial director. Among the authors and illustrators she works with are Debra Frasier, Mem Fox, Cynthia Rylant, Lois Ehlert, Douglas Florian, Avi, Theodore Taylor, Mary Lyn Ray, Jane Dyer, Marla Frazee, and Keith Baker.

Judy Gitenstein, Former Editorial Director, Bantam Books for Young Readers , free lance editor.
Judy is a publishing consultant, writing coach, and editor with more than thirty years’ experience. She has worked at Dell Publishing, Random House, Avon Books, and Bantam Books and now also works privately with clients who want the professional touch when writing speeches and presentations and when creating websites, brochures and other promotional materials.

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: Laura Rennert is a Senior Agent with Andrea Brown Literary Agency. She specializes in all categories of children’s books, from picture books to young adult, fiction and nonfiction. She also specializes in literary fiction, women’s fiction, crossover fiction, mysteries and thrillers, and narrative nonfiction. Some of her deals include a middle-grade/YA series she sold to Random House for over half a million dollars (by a Big Sur attendee), a six-figure YA deal to Knopf, two six-figure deals for works of literary fiction to Doubleday, and a film deal to Nickelodeon/Paramount. Laura has a Ph.D. in English Literature from the University of Virginia, and has taught at the University of Virginia, Osaka University of Foreign Studies in Japan, and Santa Clara University. She is the author of a picture book, BUYING, TRAINING, AND CARING FOR YOUR DINOSAUR, forthcoming with Knopf.

Caryn Wiseman - is an agent with the Andrea Brown Literary Agency, she handles young adult and middle grade fiction and nonfiction, chapter books, and picture books. Recent deals include young adult fiction for Simon & Schuster; a middle grade/young adult three-book series to Parachute Publishing for sale to Penguin; picture books to Holiday House, Clarion and HarperCollins; and nonfiction to Charlesbridge and Houghton Mifflin.

Jennifer 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.

Michelle Andelman, Associate agent Andrea Brown, Michelle earned her BFA in Dramatic Writing and her MA in English from NYU. She previously held positions in New York at a literary agency, a literary scouting firm, and Oxford University Press. She’s also worked at the intersection of the publishing and film industries, evaluating the viability of books for screen adaptation at various film companies. She’s interested in middle-grade/YA fiction and non-fiction featuring contemporary social issues as well as adult projects with an emphasis on literary fiction, narrative non-fiction, personal and family memoir, distinctive chick lit, and experimental narratives.

Authors:

Caroline Arnold is the author of more than 100 books for children. Recent nonfiction titles include A Panda’s World, (Picture Window Books, 2006), one of a series of four books illustrated with her own cut paper art, Australian Animals, and Easter Island. Her recent fiction book, The Terrible Hodag and the Animal Catchers, (Boyds Mills, 2006), a tall tale, won the Parents’ Choice Gold Award. Recently she received the Washington Post/Children’s Book Guild Nonfiction Award for her body of work. Caroline lives in Los Angeles and teaches in the Writer’s Program at UCLA Extension. She can be reached at her website.

Jeff Stone author of The Five Ancestors, Random House.
Jeff Stone attended this workshop in December 2002, bringing with him the first (and only) two chapters in a middle-grade action/adventure series called The Five Ancestors. By September 2003, the first book was complete and Laura Rennert had set up a multi-house auction with the best home ultimately being Random House. Today, more than 300,000 copies of the first three books in Jeff's series have been printed. His books are being published in eight languages, and Nickelodeon has optioned the film rights. www.fiveancestors.com

Elissa Haden Guest is the author of thirteen children’s books, most recently the award-winning beginning readers series, Iris and Walter published by Harcourt. Her books include both YA fiction and non-fiction. A former nursery school teacher, she’s taught creative writing to children ages six to sixteen. A native New Yorker, Elissa lives with her husband and children in San Francisco. Her website here.

Eric Elfman is an American writer interested in UFOs and paranormal events. Among his books for children are Almanac of Alien Encounters (Random House, 2001) and Almanac of the Gross, Disgusting, and Totally Repulsive (Random House, 1994). He is also author of many fictional books on the subject, including some based on The X-Files episodes. His website 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 two novels and 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.

Susan Hart Lindquist; is the author of three middle grade novels (Summer Soldiers, Delacorte, 1999; Wander, Delacorte, 1998; and Walking the Rim, Boyds Mills Press, 1992), and has also been fortunate enough to have had poetry published in anthologies compiled by Lee Bennett Hopkins. She doesn’t believe in luck. Instead, she attributes her success in children’s publishing to patience, perseverance, practice, and SCBWI. She’s been a member since 1987. When new authors and illustrators ask for advice, she says, “Join SCBWI. Go to conferences. Mingle. Listen. Learn. And, when encountering your Regional Advisor, stick out your hand, say hello, and then volunteer!”

Nancy Lamb, is the author of over forty books for children and adults, including The World’s Greatest Toe Show, The Vampires Went Thataway!, The Mosquito, Bull and Coffin Capter, Vampires and Other Creatures of the Night, and One April Morning. She also wrote the book that serves as the basis for the Fundamentals of Writing for Children Workshop, The Writer’s Guide to Crafting Stories for Children. She can be reached at her Web site.

Ann Whitford Paul, is the author of many popular picture books, including Hello Toes! Hello Feet! a Child Magazine Best Book of the Year. Little Monkey Says Good Night. Manana, Iguana , Eight Hands Round: A Patchwork Alphabet, All by Herself: 14 Girls Who Made a Difference are a few more of her many titles. She lives in Los Angeles. Her website here.

Neal Shusterman. Award-winning author Neal Shusterman 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 task-master, always at work creating new stories to tell. His books 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.

Allison Inches is the bestselling author of Go to Bed, Fred: A Good Night Book & Muppet Puppet, Just Like Dora! (Dora the Explorer), The Candy Bar Cookbook, and Jim Henson’s Designs and Doodles: A Muppet Sketchbook. She lives near San Francisco, California.

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

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PRICING :

• The entire weekend package is $ 640.00. This includes a shared room at the Big Sur Lodge, all meals (incl. Tax and grats), the entire workshop, and reception Friday evening.

• Shared accommodations mean two participants per room. If you would like a private room, there is an additional $125.00 cost for the weekend.

• For a guest not participating in the workshop, but sharing a room including all meals and the reception, the cost is $ 340.00

• For locals, not needing a room at the Big Sur Lodge, but attending the workshop including all meals and the reception, the price is $ 380.00.

• "Meet the Editors" @ 9 AM Friday December 1. You will be able to talk to the editors, hear what it takes to sell, discuss your own personal works and work closely with the editors to begin the weekend revision process. If you like to attend this you can either add $ 50.00 and arrive at 9 AM at the Conference center at the Lodge or, if you prefer, add one more night of lodging.

NOTE: If you add Thursday night lodging you are paying for lodging and "Meet The Editors." Breakfast and Lunch on Friday is not included in the price.

• Previous participants receive a 10% discount.

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

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• SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:

Registration form (pdf) (You don't need this if you register online below).

Full payment can be sent by mail to:

"Writing Workshops" Henry Miller Library, Highway One, Big Sur, CA 93920

or by calling 831-667-2574, or, by registering on-line here. We will also e-mail the registration form to you if you like.

Your manuscript submission will not be considered until payment has been received. You will receive immediate confirmation of registration upon receipt of payment.

• The first two chapters, entire picture book or first 20 pages must be submitted by:

• November 16, 2006.

• Send submissions for evaluation before the above date to:

Andrea Brown, 1076 Eagle Drive, Salinas, Ca 93905.
Mark envelope: “Big Sur Submission.”

• Works may not be accepted if the content falls outside the faculty area of expertise, or if the director feels the work and writer would not benefit from attending the workshop. You will be notified as soon as possible, with a full refund of registration fee, should your work not be approved. Notification of acceptance or non-acceptance is via email. The submitted material will be used by faculty for individual meetings during conference and will not be returned nor should it be counted as one of the copies you should bring to workshop.

• Register early. We sell out and keep the workshop small for personal attention.

• Bring 5 copies of what you plan to work on at workshop. There may be time to work on more than one project so feel free to bring a second manuscript. (you can also bring a whole manuscript with two or three areas to work on not forgetting to bring five copies of that extra work as well).

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• THINGS TO BRING:

*Rooms have no TV, radio or alarm clocks. Plan to write. Bring pads, laptops (printers are available). Bring flashlight, comfortable clothes and shoes, rain gear. Bring alarm clock. There is no wake-up service.

• SCHEDULE: Details TBA - Start time for "Meet the Editors" will be 9 AM, Friday, December 1. Start time for the Workshop is 2 PM on Friday, December 1. The workshop ends about 2 PM on Sunday.

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HOW TO GET HERE

From: San Francisco, CA
To: Big Sur Lodge, Big Sur, CA

Take Highway 101 South to Highway 156 West. Connect to Highway 1 South. Continue through Monterey/Carmel. Our lodge is 26 miles south of Carmel in Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park. Turn left into the park and follow the signs to the Lodge. For the most scenic route, take Highway 1 down the coast from San Francisco. Distance: 150 miles

From: Los Angeles, CA
To: Big Sur Lodge, Big Sur, CA

Beginning at Los Angeles, CA, take Highway 101 North to San Luis Obispo. Connect to Highway 1 North all the way to Big Sur. Turn right into Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park. After entering the park, please follow the signs to the Lodge. Distance: 311 miles

To view a comprehensive map of the Central Coast region visit the
Big Sur Chamber of Commerce website.

Closest airport is Monterey Airport

Others that are within 3 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.