Traveling Sketchbook

While many people are getting ready for Halloween at this time of year, writers are getting ready for National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). Starting November 1, writers put their noses to the grindstone–or fingers to the keyboard–and try to churn out a 50,000-word novel by 11:59 PM on November 30. Many have already prepared by creating outlines or formulating plots.

Sadly, I will not be participating in this year’s event. I considered the idea after hearing so many writers ooh and ahh last year. (Ok, maybe there was more gnashing of teeth than oohs and ahhs.) I cheered them on and hoped that I would be able to join them in 2017. Unfortunately, time changes things, and other opportunities came my way.

This year, I will be participating in the Western Central NY SCBWI Traveling Sketchbook. Erin McKenna Nowak, our Regional Illustrator Coordinator, set up this fun event for illustrators (and writers) to share their creativity. Each participant gets the book for 10 days to fill a spread (two adjacent pages) with art, words, and inspiration and pass it on to the next person. The finished book will be displayed at our 2018 regional conference, so it’s an excellent opportunity to get eyes on our work.

Illustrators Kristin Dudish, Julie McGann, and Erin McKenna Nowak have already had their time with the sketchbook, and their work is wonderful. I won’t receive the sketchbook until after Christmas, but I have already started planning out my spread. I will keep you up to date and post a pic on social media. You can see what others have done by searching the hashtag #WestCenNYSketches.

Until then, I will continue to cheer on my fellow writes for NaNoWriMo and illustrators for the Traveling Sketchbook.

Oh, and Happy Halloween.