The Gathering on the Grand: the SCBWI-MI Fall Conference

Below are three different takes from three different organizers of the Gathering on the Grand conference held September 15 and 16 in Grand Rapids:

From Co-Chair Jay Whistler:

Conferences are complicated. I’m sure that’s not a surprise to most of you. It’s all about details, both enormous and minute. But who wants to read about how we choose a venue, the dozens of conversations we hold about potential speakers, or the logistics of creating a schedule? Instead, here is a peek at phone transcripts and in-person exchanges between and among our conference co-chairs, Jay Whistler and David Stricklen, and some of the rest of the team, including Co-Regional Advisors Leslie Helakoski and Carrie Pearson, Illustrator Coordinator Ruth McNally Barshaw, Nick Adkins, Deb Gonzales, and Lisa Healy. Our thanks to every behind-the-scenes member of the team.

FIFTEEN MONTHS BEFORE CONFERENCE

Leslie: Hey Jay, would you like to organize our Fall 2017 conference?

Me: Umm…

Carrie: It will be fun, I promise.

Me: Umm…

Leslie: [waves expensive chocolate under Jay’s nose]

Me: I'm at your command.

A FEW WEEKS LATER

C&L: We got you another co-chair for the conference. And he’s already found the venue for us and a commitment from the keynote speaker!

Me: That’s great. Thank you!

C&L: Want to know who it is?

Me: Does he have a pulse?

C&L: It’s Dave Stricklen.

Me: Wahoo! [does small dance of joy while on the phone with L]

C&L: He has experience organizing security for presidential visits. You’ve organized SCBWI conferences before, so you should be a good team.

A COUPLE MONTHS LATER

Dave: Jay, can you contact [potential speaker for conference] please?

Me: Consider it done.

THREE WEEKS, TWELVE EMAILS, AND ONE REJECTION LATER

Me: No luck. But I have another idea. [Mentions new potential speaker]

Dave: Let’s do it!

FOUR WEEKS, TWENTY-ONE EMAILS, AND ONE REJECTION LATER

Me: So that was a bust. How about [super cool speaker idea]?

Dave: I’m working on [project that takes crazy amount of time even though it should be a simple one, through no fault of his own], so take it away.

The same week…

Dave: We lost the venue.

Me: I hate my life

Dave: Never fear. I got this. [Secures new venue within a couple days]

nine-and-a-half years AND 742,963,508 emails later…

Me: We did it! [Now-confirmed speaker] is on board!

Dave: Huzzah! Have I mentioned we need someone to do book sales?

Me: On it.

Dave: Have I mentioned we need another speaker?

Me: On it. [Above process repeated]

[Meanwhile, behind the scenes, C&L continue to wrangle budgetary issues, conference registration, hotel negotiations, and more; Deb Gonzales handles website, Facebook page, and Twitter. Nick Adkins changes “Gathering on the Grand” conference banner four hundred and thirteen times; Ruth continues to wrangle illustrator track and speaker; Lisa handles all travel arrangements.]

A COUPLE MONTHS BEFORE THE CONFERENCE

Dave: Jay, time to figure out the schedule.

Me: Well, we have an illustrator track, a novel track, and a picture book track. Piece of cake. [Twenty minutes later…] But we can’t have Speaker A present this session at the same time Speaker B is presenting this topic because…

Dave: [Thirty minutes later]…and that means that we can’t have an illustration session in this room because…

Me: [Fifteen minutes later]…Wait! We haven’t built in a time for the bookstore yet!

Dave: [Twelve hours later]…Remember that we need half an hour to break down the rooms and set them up again, so that won’t work.

Me: [Cobwebs growing over my hand, phone, and ear]…Is this?…I mean, did we just?...Dave, I think we did it! It’s a schedule!

Dave: Huzzah!

Me: Don’t get too excited. It’s going to change again the day before the conference. Guaranteed.

A couple weeks before the conferencE

Dave: Jay, I’m dying here.

Me: I told you to leave that pork on the grill a little longer.

Dave: No, not that. Although it does have to do with food.

Me: The menus?

Dave: Where’s the highest bridge in Grand Rapids? I’m going to jump off it now.

Me: No can do, pal. Because then I would have to do the menus.

Dave: Do you know how many vegetarians we have? How many vegans? How many gluten free? How many gluten-free vegetarians? Kosher? Allergic to soy or peanuts or dairy or eggs or seafood or even pineapple? I had to create a spreadsheet. Can we just serve gruel?

Me: Not gluten free.

Dave: [Whimpers softly into phone]

DAY BEFORE THE CONFERENCE

[Schedule changes—guaranteed]

Day One of conference

Dave: I’ve figured out where the snipers need to be positioned. I’ve got a few frogmen in the river, SWAT on point at all entrances and exits, and schematics of the sewers, just in case. And there’s a helipad on the roof.

Me: Dave, it’s a kidlit conference. Stand down.

Dave: Right, right. Old habits die hard. Sorry. 

Ten minutes later…

Me: Bookstore tables need to be moved because…[explanation of problem with current location]

Dave: Consider it done.

Twenty minutes later…

Me: I forgot my lanyard.

Carrie: I forgot my belt.

Leslie: I forgot folders. [Flurry of problem-solving mode ensues. Trip to local office supply store is undertaken]

An hour later…

Me: We’re out of nametag holders. [Flurry of problem-solving mode version 2 ensues. Trip to local office supply store version 2 is undertaken]

Just before dinner…

Me, Carrie, Leslie, Dave, Ruth: How do you work this stupid mic? [All fiddling with back of speaker unit. Frantic search for Charlie ensues]

Charlie: [Flips super-secret hidden switch. Shakes head. Whispers under breath] Amateurs.

Day Two of Conference

Dave: We need to change these two sessions because it doesn’t make sense that they are in these rooms. It’s a math thing.

Me: Okay, change away.

Twenty minutes later…

Dave: We can’t change these two sessions because it makes perfect sense that they are in these rooms. It’s a math thing.

Me: Okay, leave as is.

Later that day…

Me: People can pick up written critiques at the registration table later this afternoon. Also, we’re going to have the book signings over here at the tables where we’ll be having lunch.

Later that day…

[Event staff takes down tables after lunch without telling us]

Me: We’ll be having book signings at the registration table instead. And pick up your written critiques at this other place instead of the registration table.

[Conference is finally over, where a good time was had by all]

Leslie: I can’t find my keys. [Long search ensues, including retracing of steps over the river and through the woods, into the parking garage, through multiple event spaces, hotel rooms, suitcases, cars, curbs, and gutters. A locksmith is called to open Leslie’s car on Sunday morning. No keys. After being missing for almost 24 hours, the rascally missing keys are finally located. We won’t tell you where—you wouldn’t believe us even if we did.]

Entire Conference Crew: Job well done, everyone!

From Co-Chair Dave Stricklen:

At our SCBWI fall conference dinner, I mentioned that I have pondered why members of the  SCBWI seem to be so nice. I experienced this first hand working with our leaders and volunteers in planning this event. I have often tried to figure out what makes our large group so consistently considerate. 

My perception is that it is not true with any other division of the writing world. I mentioned that to write, and write well you must be introspective. If you are introspective, you are able to put yourself in other people’s shoes. If you are able to put yourself in other people’s shoes and see things through their eyes, you become empathetic. Empathy is the first step toward kindness.

 Gary Schmidt

gave his point of view on the subject during his amazing keynote and took it one step further. He said in so many words that this is a special group because we all write for children. In order to have a desire to write for children, you must have a kind heart. We are not the norm. We are not in it for ourselves. Basically, we must be unselfish and kind or we wouldn’t write for kids.

Are we both right? I wonder what other people in the SCBWI think. Are we really that nice? Yes, I’m sure there are a few exceptions, even in our group, but I do believe we are kinder than most. Why do you think that is? I'd love to hear your opinion on this. Feel free to leave any thoughts in the comments.

                                                            Photo of Gary Schmidt by Ed Spicer

From Illustrator Coordinator Ruth McNally Barshaw:

The Illustrator Track of our fall conference starred brilliant author-illustrator and Caldecott Honor Award recipient Denise Fleming, who helped us explore spontaneity with our art without sacrificing excellence in design and narrative.

  

                                            Contour drawing brought out some surprises. Jenni is a good sport

                                            (All sketches by Ruth McNally Barshaw)

We drew contour portraits – fascinating.

We discussed gutters and composition, color, and technique.

Denise assigned us a ripped-paper collage project to be done during the Illustrators Intensive. It was tricky for me. She gave us a list of objects and characters to include which I found limiting. 
I struggled to find a narrative worth exploring, and I struggled to find a compelling way to present it, and I struggled with the time allowed. 
When it was time to show our work, my piece was coherent and glued, which means the time limit forced me to think and work quickly. What a sense of accomplishment at the end!

I was particularly in awe of Kara Marsee’s art, a baby fox filling one side of the spread.

                         Denise wore a crown of LED lights on Saturday. She has lots of bright ideas. ;)                                             

On Saturday morning Denise was busy with portfolio reviews for many members. I heard from a few that her critiques were useful and thoughtful.

Denise spoke about illustration in the afternoon, reminding us that we MUST remember the child point of view.

She said she doesn’t put vignettes in her art because the kids in the back of the room can’t see them when the book’s being read to a class.

She talked about her art, why she tackles it the way she does, and she described her process.

We conference planners kept Denise very busy; she also talked about writing.

In that session Denise read to us excerpts of beautiful and evocative poetry for inspiration. She gave examples of different structures for stories and why she used them for certain books. 
She told us that sometimes we have to be hard on ourselves and cut the excuses and just WRITE.

Jay Whistler has been a member of SCBWI-MI since 2004. 
She was regional advisor for Switzerland briefly before returning to Michigan a few years ago. 
She has a BA in Written Communications, an MA in Technical Writing, and an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults. 
After Gathering on the Grand, she is convinced that writing a novel is easier than organizing a conference.

In a former life, David Stricklen was an airport police chief with 30 years experience in law enforcement. Now retired, David has written three YA fantasy adventure books in the Blackwater Series: Beneath and Beyond, Through The Eyes of The Beast and The Heart of The Swarm. 
His books are sought after for their fast moving and unpredictable style. David’s many school visits are filled with magic and creativity. David is the Grand Rapids area Shop Talk coordinator and an SCBWI-MI Adcom member. www.Blackwaterpond.com

Illustrator Coordinator Ruth McNally Barshaw wrote and illustrated the six books in the "Ellie McDoodle Diaries" series. She illustrated "Leopold the Lion", and is currently illustrating a mid-grade novel due out June 2018. She and her writer husband Charlie travel all over visitng schools and libraries.