Space City Scribes

By  Margaret Lea    Adam Blackman, like many children's writers, began by making up stories for and with his young son. A specific incident about ten years ago further propelled Adam into the KidLit space. His Kindergartener son picked out pink, light-up, sparkly rhinestone shoes, but when he wore them to school, even in his progressive Brooklyn, NY neighborhood, several kids asked him why he was wearing “girly” shoes. Adam realized that KidLit was the perfect place to let kids know that everyone should have the freedom to express themselves and not be judged for it.        Adam has an MFA in Fiction from Sarah Lawrence College and worked as a non-profit bookstore manager for seven years. He began engaging with the KidLit community on Twitter after his son’s shoe incident, and he made connections there that led him to writers, agents, editors, mentors and critique groups. Adam stresses that community and networking, especially through SCBWI, can ...

  By  Margaret Lea   Cate Berry, picture book author, will be the speaker at our October 6, 2025 Zoom chapter meeting . She will be speaking on "Secrets to a Long, Unshakeable Career in Publishing." Below is my interview with Cate. For more info on Cate and her work, check out her website at cateberry.com .  When did you decide you wanted to be a writer? What most helped you get there?  It sounds cliché, but reading is what MOST helped me become a published author. Want to write picture books? Read at least 300 before you even begin drafting. I'm serious. There is a rhythm to picture books, a cadence and a "puzzle element" that's absorbed into your subconscious by reading in bulk. This is also true for middle grade and YA. Try and feel your way into the game. You'll also discover which authors, subjects and subgenres speak to you. It's fun to draft. I get it. But while you're building up your chops, keep reading the form. I have taken classes, t...