SCBWI-MO 2012 Fall Conference

Joyce speaking as SCBWI-MO Regional Advisor:

 After an agonizing week where Frankenstorm Sandy made it look like none of the speakers from NY City would make it, all but one, our agent, made it to St. Louis.  

We had a great conference November 3 with keynoters Ellen Hopkns (YA author), Emma Dryden (Editor), David Harrison (PG, MG, YA author) and Will Terry (Illustrator).  The breakout session by a trio of SCBWI-MO authors - Nancy Polette, Cheryl Harness, and Ann Ingalls - as well as all other sessions - received excellent evaluations as did our new location at Lindenwood University in St. Charles.  Well worth all the time and efforts to create the conference.  Next year, we hope that literary agent Regina Brooks joins us.

Special thanks to Assistant Regional Advisor Kim Piddington, webmaster Janet Lloyd Weber, and RA Emeritus Sue Bradford Edwards. 

Photos from top right: 

Joyce Ragland, Joyce with Emma Dryden (center) and Kim Pidington, David Harrison delivering keynote address, Emma Dryden (left) and Ellen Hopkins (right) talking at break with author Shannon Moore, conference large group snapshot

Catching Up!

Sometimes I find that I am juggling too many projects/ideas/deadlines and have to stand back, take time to think and prioritize.  I have writing projects that are a must - I have to tell this story - and others that are good ideas, but not in the forefront but maybe should be.  For my nonprofit venture, the Ella Ragland Art 501 (c ) (3) company, I've had a web site and blog/journal built in and haven't done much with either, thus I decided to condense that activity with this one.  For one thing, it is much easier to revise/add/delete this blog than the web site, which required a web master with more expertise than mine.  This blog, I can do solo and there's great advantages there. So this is now a blended site.  I'll post activities about the NFP, and about my SCBWI-MO Regional Advisor activities.  Feels right.  Seems logical, and necessary.

The photo shows Vicki Bennett on left, who does a music project for my Alzheimer's NFP, and who is also a writer.  I'm on the right, smiling after a great night's sleep in St. Charles following our fab fall conference.