Wise Advice
I regularly attend conferences, workshops and literary events. My opinion is that these experiences enrich my development as an author and they provide a space to share and exchange with literary colleagues a variety of aspects of the process of writing.
One of the conferences that has most influenced my writing experience is the one I attended in 2012, the Society of the Children's Book Writers and Illustrators. A large group of writers and illustrators of children's books come together and there is an elaborate program including keynote speakers of different literary platforms who share their knowledge and experience.
The pieces advice from the speakers that resonated with me the most are from Andrea Pinkney, an editor, and Richard Peck, a renowned writer.
"Ask yourself what children want to read. They want us to listen to them. They want you to feel what they feel. Make your list of what children want and think about how to bring it to them."
Andrea Pinkney.
"Write about what the child wants to read, not what you want them to read about."