Welcome Scribblers, Writers, Dreamers!

featured event:

Story-Telling for Social Justice and Advancement
with Kathie Fong Yoneda and Pamela Jaye Smith

People are seeking solutions to the world’s challenges. One way for creatives to help is to write stories that raise awareness about the challenges as well as suggest solutions – all while being engaging and entertaining.

We’ll explore how you can use Mythic Themes, Archetypes, and Symbols in your stories to inform and inspire young people about ecology, equality, education, science and technology, and more.

Today there are so many ways to distribute your stories to even wider audiences.

It's no secret that from pre-school to teens, young people do spend time on the internet, but here are some web usages which can greatly benefit children as well as those of you who are writing for the children's and YA marketplace!

* How to help children with school anxieties and social challenges

* How to encourage your child's creativity and global awareness

* How to promote your children's or YA stories, including internationally

* How web series and audiobooks can help authors and their readers

Kathie Fong Yoneda and Pamela Jaye Smith have decades of experience in all types of media from major studios to wildly independent web series, and look forward to discussing the important challenges and opportunities open to writers today.

**Handouts and autographed copies of the speakers' books included.

ABOUT THE SPEAKERS

KATHIE FONG YONEDA has worked for Paramount, Universal, Fox, and Disney, focusing on development of live action and animated film, television, novels, adaptations, and web series projects.

Kathie has given workshops in North America, Europe, Australia and Asia. Clients include RAI-TV Roma, National Film School of Denmark, Bournemouth University, ScreenTraining Ireland, South Carolina Writers, Singapore Media Academy, Romance Writers of America, ScriptFest, Roma Webfest, Writers Institute, Hawaii International Film Festival, and Melbourne Webfest. Kathie is a mentor for the Rocaberti Writers Retreat in France.

Her clientele includes several award-winning writers and her book,The Script Selling Game (2nd edition), is used in screenwriting curricula in universities worldwide. She is on the Advisory Board for IMAGO (French Production Company) and LAWEBFEST.

PAMELA JAYE SMITH is a mythologist, author, international consultant-speaker, and award-winning writer-producer-director. She’s the author of 5 books for writers and a guide to Romantic Comedies, and co-author of two children’s books. Pamela appears as a myth expert for Fox’s “Ice Age: Continental Drift”, Microsoft’s “Age of Mythology” and the “American Jedi” documentary.

Credits include Fox, Disney, Paramount, Microsoft, Universal, RAI-TV Rome, UCLA, USC Film School, American Film Institute, Women in Film, Natl. Film Institute of Denmark, LA and Marseille WebFests, Romance Writers of America, Children’s Book Writers LA, and more. One of her scripts was a winner at the 2015 Bahamas International Film Festival.

MYTHWORKS helps media-makers improve their stories, find and live their personal myths, and better present their projects to producers and the public.

ABOUT THE BOOKS

BEYOND THE HERO'S JOURNEY - Other Powerful Mythic Themes

Having trouble making your story fit the pattern of The Hero’s Journey?

Can’t quite make those paradigms match your own characters and plot?

Maybe that’s because your story is actually based on a different pattern.

Contrary to popular opinion, The Hero’s Journey is not the only mythic Theme. It’s certainly a good one but it is only one of many.

This book introduces you to many other powerful Mythic Themes ranging from “About Face” to “Damsel in Distress”, from “Stealing Fire From Heaven” to “The Wakeup Call” and more.

THE SCRIPT-SELLING GAME

The Script-Selling Game is like having a mentor in the business who answers your questions and provides you with not only valuable information, but real-life examples on how to maneuver your way through the Hollywood labyrinth. While the first edition focused mostly on film and television movies, the second edition includes a new chapter on animation and another on utilizing the Internet to market yourself and find new opportunities, plus an expansive section on submitting for television and cable.

Register here: www.cbw-la.org

Whether you seek a community of like-minded authors, dream of becoming a published author, or simply want to pursue and explore your writing hobby, joining a writing group like the Children's Book Writers of Los Angeles will help you.

CBW–LA offers critique groups and sessions, writing workshops, guest lectures, write-ins at local coffee shops, networking, writing support, and even publishing opportunities for our members and guests. Every month, there's something interesting on our calendar!

Once you've had a look around, be sure to check out OUR NEWSLETTER at medium.com for thoughts on writing.

Upcoming events

No upcoming events

HISTORY

Although the group's main focus is on writing for children, we welcome writers of all kinds, as well as those who love to read children's books.

Founded in 2010, we branched out to start publishing our members in 2013 through our annual Story Sprouts Writing Day Workshop. We have two Writing Resources and Anthologies under our belt: Story Sprouts and Story Sprouts: Voice as well as a collaborative Middle Grade novel called Kayla Wayman, Teen Time Traveler: Lost in the Stream.

Story Sprouts: Setting and Story Sprouts: Conflict are currently in development, as well as a yet-unnamed Middle Grade collaborative novel about a boy who gets sucked into his video game. Look for those soon.

We encourage you to attend the annual workshop and buy a copy of the previous Story Sprouts; they make an excellent writing resource, brimming with high quality poetry, short fiction and nonfiction by our Story Sprouts authors.

MISSION AND PURPOSE

Our workshops provide tips and lessons on the craft and business of writing. You'll learn how to create characters so real, they practically jump off the page, weave storylines to make an interesting plot, revise and edit your manuscript, write and submit query letters to agents and editors, and how the publishing industry works.

You can get helpful feedback on your manuscript through our critique sessions, and our creative writing sessions help in sparking the next great idea, or simply help you improve your writing skills so you can find your voice and style.

MEMBERSHIP AND EVENTS

Events are open to members and non-members alike. Members get great discounts on our workshops and free access to our critique sessions. Be sure to RSVP to reserve your space at any event. We offer many takeaways and have limited space, so we want to make sure you get the most out of your experience.