We're Goin' Back to Cali!

Traveling Song of the Day: "Going Back to Cali" by Sevendust

By the time you read this, we'll be on a plane heading to LA for the SCBWI 2011 Summer Conference. We got to attend this conference last summer, and it was one of the BEST times we've ever had. Everyone was so friendly and inviting, and we learned so much. When we found out that this year was the 40th anniversary, we had to hop on the chance to attend again (our wallets still haven't forgiven us for that). We can't wait to give you all a recap next week, but until then we give you...

The Top 5 Reasons We're Stoked for the SCBWI Summer Conference!!!

5. That West Coast Weather! Here in VA, we've had a MISERABLE summer. Heat indexes have reached over 100 degrees. Humidity like that does not do great things for African-American hair. I checked weather.com for the temperatures in LA and saw nothing above the lower 80s. Woo to the hoo!!

4. The 40 Winks Anniversary Poolside Gala! That's right--we'll be attending a pool party with some of the publishing elite...in our pajamas! At last year's extravaganza, we saw an accountant-type man rocking the mic to old school hip-hop--not to mention seeing Jay Asher prance around in a cupid costume. What will be in store this year?

3. Manuscript Consultation! This year, Quita signed up to have the first 10 pages of her manuscript critiqued. By whom, you ask (or is that "who"? I could use a critique myself). Who knows? It could be an agent; it could be an editor...it could even be an award-winning author. Either way, we're sure the feedback and the one-on-one time will be valuable.

2. Networking, Baby! Last year, we collected so many business cards from fellow writers. I even rode an elevator with Ellen Hopkins (of course, I was too paranoid to say anything to her). I can't wait to rub elbows with more authors--both aspiring and established. It's so refreshing to be surrounded by others who know both the pains and joys of writing.

1. Um, Can You Say John Green and Laurie Halse Anderson?! That's right. Two of our absolute, favorite authors will be attending the conference--and we think they're signing books! Words can't even express how much they've influenced our writing--and to think we'll soon see them in person just boggles our mind. But there are a TON more awesome folks that'll be attending this year as well. Just check out this list of the faculty.

It was hard narrowing it down to just 5 reasons, but we did the best we could. Can't make it to the summer conference this year? Never fear! You can catch the action on the SCBWI Conference Blog! Also, if you're on Twitter, just follow the #LA11SCBWI hash tag (Quita and I will also be tweeting live--just click on our tweets on the sidebar).

Any of you able to attend? Drop us a line--maybe we could meet up! :)