Carmela A. Martino

January 1, 1970

Welcome to the latest edition of my e-mail newsletter! In this issue: • Adult Writing Classes • New After-School Class for Students in Grades 3-5 • Teachers and Homeschoolers: Happy New (School) Year from the Teaching Authors • My latest article is out in the brand new CWIM • Next Not for Kids Only Book Club Meeting • Please help “spread the word” Adult Writing Classes I am offering the following classes for adults at the Mayslake Peabody Estate in Oak Brook: From Goodnight Moon to Harry Potter Saturday, August 29, 2009 9 a.m.—3 p.m An introduction to the children’s/young adult writing market for those new to the field. Learn about the genres of children's literature, the current marketplace and how to submit a manuscript. Please bring a sack lunch. Cost for the day is $60, which includes coffee/tea/water service. Children's Writing Critique Workshop Tuesdays, 7:00 - 9:00 PM Sept. 15-Oct. 17, 2009 (no class on Sept. 29) In this workshop, children’s and young adult writers receive a critique of their own work while learning how to critically study the work of other writers in a friendly, supportive environment. You must bring copies of your manuscript—a picture book, short story, or novel excerpt—to the first class. Also, before enrolling you must email Carmela at carmela@carmelamartino.com for word count limits and manuscript guidelines. Attending the Goodnight Moon to Harry Potter workshop on August 29 is strongly recommended. Note: class is limited to 10 students, so register early. Cost: $110 for the 6 weeks. For more information, see http://www.carmelamartino.com/events.htm . New After-School Class for Students in Grades 3-5 We had lots of fun this summer in the girls writing camps I taught at the Hinsdale Center for the Arts. As a follow-up, we will offer a new after-school class for boys and girls: Transforming Life into Fiction Thursdays 4:00 - 5:00 p.m. September 10 - October 8 (5 weeks) Learn the secrets of how writing wizards turn people, places and events into fascinating fiction. Then use your own magic wand (or trusty pencil) to transform true-life experiences into spell binding stories. You will choose your own genre: realistic fiction, adventure, mystery or fantasy. Then with guidance from your instructor, you will complete one story based on an event that happened to you or someone you know! If time permits, you may also create illustrations to go with your story. Please bring a pencil and paper or notebook to class. $100 HCA members/$125 non-members For details, see http://www.hinsdalearts.org/HCA%20Catalog%20Autumn%202009.pdf Teachers and Homeschoolers: Happy New (School) Year from the Teaching Authors Beginning today and for the next two weeks, we are posting a series of “back-to-school” Writing Workouts/Lesson Plans at www.TeachingAuthors.com . While we hope these workouts will be of value to writers, we’ve written them especially with teachers and homeschoolers in mind. (I’ll be posting on Wednesday, Aug. 12.) Please feel free to pass the link along to any teachers you know who may be interested. And happy new school year to all! My latest article is out in the brand new CWIM I just received my copy of the 2010 Children’s Writer’s and Illustrator’s Market Guide, edited by Alice Pope, which contains my article, “What’s in a Name? Maybe More than You Think.” In case you’re not familiar with it, the CWIM is the “bible” for those who write for children and teens. The book comes out annually, and includes listings of children’s book and magazine publishers along with feature articles. To read more about the new CWIM, see Alice Pope’s July 16th blog post: http://cwim.blogspot.com/search/label/2010%20Children%27s%20Writer%27s%20and%20Illustrator%27s%20Market Not for Kids Only Book Club Meeting If you enjoy reading books for children and young adults, consider joining us for the next Not for Kids Only Book Club meeting at 2 pm on Sunday, August 16, at the Anderson’s Bookshop in Naperville. This month’s book is Little Brother by Cory Doctorow. I just finished reading this futuristic thriller and plan to be there! For details, see http://www.andersonsbookshop.com/events.php Please help “spread the word” I hope you will forward this email to anyone you know who may be interested in information about my classes, publications, blog, etc. Also, please encourage them to subscribe at http://www.carmelamartino.com/newsletter.htm . I promise not to clutter your inbox—I don’t foresee sending this out more than once or twice a month. Of course, if you don’t find this newsletter helpful, or are feeling overwhelmed with email, you can always unsubscribe on the same webpage. If you have any questions, for the quickest response, don’t reply to this email. Instead, email me directly. Hope you’re having a wonderful summer. And happy reading!