Boot Camp was Amazing!

I just returned from Lisa Wheeler's Picture Book Boot Camp and it was fantastic!  I'm so glad I could be there.  Lisa has so many terrific picture books that it's impossible to pick one favorite.  I'm a huge fan of hers!  I love One Dark Night, Turk and Runt and Porcupining, A Prickly Love Story - just to name a few.  Lisa is also an amazing presenter.  She supplied us with terrific examples of each topic covered which helped so much with soaking it all in.  The weekend was over way too quickly.  I can't wait to apply everything to all of the manuscripts I wrote for the marathon this past month.  Many thanks to Lisa - and the fabulous SCBWI planning committee - for a job well done!  If you've considered attending one of her workshops - do it!  You'll be so glad you did.

The weekend began at the children's museum with a presentation by illustrator Robin Luebs.  Robin spoke about the journey she and her sister Deborah Ruddell took with the publication of their book Who Said Coo? published by Beach Lane Books.  This is such a darling book.  My youngest son and I read it before bed the night I got home.  He loved the illustrations so much that he kept turning pages back to see them again.  I'm so glad that he loved the facial expressions on these darling characters as much as I did.  She also led us in an illustration exercise that was so fun.  We were given a first line of a picture book and told to make the illustration with tissue paper.  Of course it was timed.   Here's how mine turned out.  It really made me think about illustrations in a whole new way.  Thanks Robin!  

Another boot camp highlight were the critiques.  We were all assigned to a small critique group prior to the conference.  Everyone did written critiques for each other and then we had a breakout session together.  The brainstorming as a group was fantastic!   This happened after learning all day Saturday from Lisa.  It was so interesting to see how that changed things for everyone.  Very valuable.  Lisa also provided everyone with a fantastic written critique as well as meetings with each small group. 

Amazing conference!   Can't wait to tackle my manuscripts.