PYI 2020 Sessions: Saturday, October 24, 2020

She knows exactly what she wants. But guess who has the key in “Driving Miss Daisy.”

Speaker

ADWOA BADOE

Congratulations! Your picture book is being published…If only you knew what it was going to look like. A delicate balance exists between an author’s words and an illustrator’s images. Both artful and inspired, the relationship between author and illustrator can make or break your story. So how does an author manage expectations and “let go” of what they think the text should look like? How does an illustrator interpret the author’s words and sentiment, pleasing both author and audience?  How does the editor maintain that delicate balance? The author, illustrator, and editor will share their experiences of working on the award-winning Malaika series — Malaika’s Costume (2016), Malaika’s Winter Carnival (2017), and upcoming Malaika’s Surprise (2021).

Speakers

NADIA HOHN, IRENE LUXBACHER, NAN FROMAN

Do you want to share a fascinating real person’s life with young readers? If so, how do you draw out the story from the facts? How do you keep the narrative fast-paced and engaging for kids (and adults)? How do you focus on the essence of the person, their time, their experiences, their impact on the world without going in too many directions?

Speaker

FRIEDA WISHINSKY

Is working with fewer colours easier or more difficult? Do limited colour palettes restrict your imagination from creating illustrations? How do you pick the right colours for a story? In early October, Carmen will invite you to submit a pre-conference assignment -- optional but encouraged -- for review. We will share our arts, and learn the magic of working with colours!

Speaker

CARMEN MOK

Authors of hi-lo—short books with high interest and lower readability, for teens who read below their grade level—discuss their stories, writing processes, and the challenges of writing for striving readers. 

Speakers

STEVE BARWIN, PAUL COCCIA, DEB LOUGHEAD

Moderator

NATASHA DEEN

Fiction writers need to do research! Whether we’re writing historical fiction, fantasy or contemporary stories, we need to know our stuff. Long-time journalist turned children’s writer Monique Polak shares tips she’s learned from the world of journalism that have helped to feed her fiction. Participants will learn how to sniff out a story, find inspiration in facts, round up sources, get interview subjects to open up, hone observation skills, and most importantly, how to transform a pile of notes into incredible (and credible) fiction for kids. 

Speaker

MONIQUE POLAK

Every picture book is a 32-page universe inspired (usually) by a written narrative and given visual form and shape by an illustrator. Creating that universe is like solving a puzzle that could have an infinite number of solutions. The ultimate goal is to create an immersive world on paper that welcomes readers in and invites them to wander around. This session will focus on how to create illustrated worlds that are plausible, consistent and original. Why? Because kids notice EVERYTHING!

Speaker

GARY CLEMENT

If you’re trying to get your first book published, this is the session for you! Our panel of newly-published authors will tell you how they got started, how they got there, and share their specific, practical advice.

Speakers

LORETTA GARBUTT, JUNE HUR, ANDREW KATZ

Moderator

HEATHER CAMLOT

You know how to put beautiful, evocative words on the page. You have vivid characters and a great premise. But what is your story’s theme? What questions is it asking? We’ll look at your story’s big picture and find ways to identify what makes it urgent and important for young readers.

Speaker

SHELLEY TANAKA

Today’s non-fiction for kids can be thought-provoking or funny — or both. From abortion and axolotls through killer fashion (literally) to wartime and weather, great non-fiction provides information and context kids can’t find online. This session examines inventive approaches to delivering non-fiction to young readers, how to come up with great topics, a look at some award-winning titles and more.

Speakers

LIZ MACLEOD, GILLIAN O'REILLY

Our publisher panel is always the most popular session at PYI.  This year's panelists Karen Li (Groundwood Books), Terrilee Bulger (Nimbus Publishing), and Jackie Farquhar (Chirp Magazine) discuss the range of books, magazines, and writers they publish, with an overview of current and future publishing trends.

Speakers

KAREN LI ,  TERRILEE BULGER, JACKIE FARQUHAR

If a novel creates the illusion of a fictional world, dialogue invites a reader to enter that world and listen in. Examine and discuss the elements of great dialogue in books for young readers. Then play with those elements in your own writing. Bring a scene you’re working on or use one that you’ll generate from a prompt.

Speaker

UMA KRISHNASWAMI

How do you take advantage of the sequential picture potential of comics? Learn some concrete techniques to help up your visual game, whether you are an illustrator, writer, or both.

Speaker

BRIAN MCLACHLAN

Some of us are “pre-published” and may have been digging in those trenches for years. Some of us have been launched from unpublished writer to unknown author. Some of us have hit mid-career slumps that have left us walking into walls. And, some of us are tripping and falling down in these bewildering times. Let’s look back together so that we can keep getting up together.

Speaker

TERESA TOTEN