SCBWI Arkansas Conference

The Arkansas Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators (SCBWI) Conference is June 16-17 in Central Arkansas.
Conference faculty includes Kait Feldmann, associate editor at Arthur A. Levine Books (Scholastic); Molly O'Neill, literary agent at Waxman Leavell Literary Agency; and Nick Thomas, editor at Arthur A. Levine Books (Scholastic).
The conference will offer a dinner, publishing panel and pitch sessions on June 16 (North Little Rock Community Center, North Little Rock). Conference sessions, lunch and critiques are on June 17 (Butler Center, Little Rock).
Opportunities are available for writers and artists to receive feedback on their manuscripts and portfolios. Remember that spaces for consultations are limited, so sign up early if you want to secure a spot.

Registration opens March 25: https://arkansas.scbwi.org/events/arkansas-scbwi-conference-2017/

Arkansas Writers' Conference

http://www.arkansaswritersconference.org/3.html

KidLit College

http://kidlitcollege.org/

Missouri Writers Guild Conference

http://missouriwritersguild.org/ Conference May 5-7.
I was a member for a couple of years and have attended their conferences. I have enjoyed making new writer friends, learning from other authors and illustrators, and they always have informative speakers. Well worth attending each year.

BOOKS IN BLOOM FESTIVAL

The 12th Annual Books in Bloom Literary Festival: a Celebration for Writers and Readers will be held on Sunday, May 21, 2017, from 12 Noon to 5 pm, at The 1886 Crescent Hotel and Spa in Eureka Springs, Arkansas.

We look forward to seeing you there, rain or shine!

WRITING PROGRAMS FOR VETERANS.

https://www.facebook.com/VeteransWritingProject/

My book review with Deborah Kalb

http://deborahkalbbooks.blogspot.com/2016/03/q-with-mary-nida-smith_87.html

BOOKS IN BLOOM FESTIVAL

http://booksinbloom.org/authors/

49th Annual Children's Literature Festival in 2017

http://clf.ucmo.edu/index.html

Pee-Yew Poem

Pee-yew

Opening my eyes one morning,

Before my feet hit the floor

What is, this offensive smell

 Filling my nose… pee yew!

 Racing through my mind

The fear of a skunk

Could be under the house

The fumes, worse than cow pies…

I went from room to room

Stumping my feet to add

Fear to the critter below.

I could not smell the skunk

Scent in any other room

I travel back to my bedroom

Where, I was first overwhelmed

With this rotten odor to discover

This skunk was me.

©by Mary Nida Smith

WHY I WRITE

WHY I WRITE Mary Nida Smith      Why do I write? I write because this is who I am. Words on paper are food that provides strength for me to continue my journey of creative writing. I believe I was born to write, for God knew I needed to fill a void through painful and lonely times.       I didn’t write thinking I would be rejected from so many places and advised to give it up, for I wrote because this is who I am. Rejections would slow me down or question why I write, but the words that formed stories kept trying to open the door to my mind. Many stories formed a mind of their own. I couldn’t deny them their time to walk across the pages and make someone smile or allow a tear to flow.     When I spied a call for submissions from a newspaper, magazine or other areas, if I thought I could, like the little red engine, I submitted.  It was always a wonderful surprise when I was accepted – paid or not, I was getting my name out there. It was cheap advertisement, a chance to learn from an editor, and to spread my wings in many different fields of creative writing.      Today I am an author of two books: Heroes Beneath the Waves: Submarine Stories of the Twentieth Century and Submarine Stories of World War II. I have written for newspapers and magazines. I have been published as a poet and as a writer for the children’s market.

ReFoReMo Children's Writers Information

http://www.reforemo.com/2017/03/reforemo-day-7-meredith-mundy-values.html

Arkansas SCBWI Conference

June 16-17, Arkansas SCBWI Conference 2017, Central Arkansas
https://arkansas.scbwi.org/events/arkansas-scbwi-conference-2017/
Sept. 16, Arkansas SCBWI Writing Intensive 2017 on character with author Kristin L. Gray, Central Arkansas
https://arkansas.scbwi.org/events/arkansas-scbwi-writing-intensive-2017/
Oct. 13-15, Arkansas SCBWI Retreat 2017, Fort Smith
https://arkansas.scbwi.org/events/arkansas-scbwi-retreat-2016/
Other events on the horizon: Small & Indie Publishing Workshop, KidLit Roundtables in Central and Northwest Arkansas - and more.

2017 Conference
The Arkansas SCBWI 2017 Conference is June 16-17 in Central Arkansas. I’ve been busy behind the scenes working to move the conference to a new location in Little Rock. Stay tuned to the conference web page at https://arkansas.scbwi.org/events/arkansas-scbwi-conference-2017/. You can check it now for important deadlines and basic conference information. More information will be added later this week and next. I’ll send out a separate note as a reminder when registration is about to open. You can also check our Twitter and Facebook page for public updates.

Village Lake Writers & Poets

Village Lake Writers & Poets

We Invite you to come and visit with local writers & authors!

Saturday, March 11 from 6 to 8:00 p.m.
Held in the historic Artist Retreat Center, 13467 Lookout Drive
in Old Bella Vista, AR.
Free and Open to the Public with an Open-Mic starting at 6:00 p.m.

The Village Lake Writers & Poets, a local writers group in Bella Vista announces our featured author this month! We are hosting a remarkable Children's Author, Brenda Turner! Brenda's new book Diamond Girl is a big hit especially with 4th graders who are starting in a new school! Diamond Girl is about Jenny, a 4th grade girl, who is on a diamond dig - a journey for understanding and treasure!