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Who is Kindling Words? |
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| Kindling Words was everything it advertised itself to be: casual and professional, inspiring and hands-on, colloquial in its approach and inclusive in its philosophy. I had as good a time as I've ever had at a professional conference, and that's saying quite a lot. With pleasure. | < Gregory Maguire Author, Wicked; Mirror, Mirror KW Speaker 2006 |
My first year at KW ('93 or '94)...I met, for the first time, other people who did what I did, who sat alone in their offices dreaming up stories for children. On the day I arrived, I didn't know any of them, but after three days of talking, talking, talking, at the dining tables, around the bookshelves, in front of the bonfire, I knew I'd made friends for life. And, maybe more importantly, I knew I had colleagues, people who understood what it meant to write for children. |
< Ellen Wittlinger Author, Hard Love and Blind Faith KW Speaker 2006 |
| I attended KW for the first time in 2006 and loved it. Conversations at KW were deep and collegial; the sessions meaty; the accommodations and meals excellent—and I believe the bonfire really worked magic. It's a rare conference. |
< Nancy Werlin Author, Double Helix and The Rules of Survival |
| There's so much I love about Kindling Words. It's a retreat sure to break up the winter doldrums with its stimulating workshops, fantastic people and WHITE SPACE! Let me tell you about that WHITE SPACE. You can fill it up talking to friends— old and new (you're bound to make new friends at Kindling Words—children's book people are so friendly). You can go for walks. Or take part in group discussions on topics of professional interest. You can take a nap (there's nothing like a good nap). You can finish up a manuscript—which is what I did last year. I'd go off by myself to write and then I'd come out and be welcomed by a warm intelligent and inspiring group of people who understood what I was going through. I'd give this conference a five-star rating and that's as high as my ratings get. | < Sally Keehn Author, I Am Regina and Magpie Gabbard and the Quest for the Buried Moon |
| Some of my favorite memories from Kindling Words are the meals—not because the food was so good (although it was), but because I, the writer-introvert, felt so comfortable to sit myself down at any table, with anyone... something I always craved but rarely got at larger conferences. I felt welcome...connected to a community of other writers, and by extension, more deeply to myself...sounds grandiose, what can I say? It was a grand experience! | < Chris Tebbetts Author, M or F? (co-authored with Lisa Papademetriou), The Viking, Sagas 1-4 |
| In such an intimate, accomplished group, with an agenda that is loose yet structured, you have plenty of time to connect with others, listen, ask questions. Inevitably some smart, fellow writer and/or illustrator will give a nugget of advice, and you will say to yourself, "that's it! I never knew that!" | < Karen Day Author, Tall Tales |
| What I liked the most about Kindling Words was the relaxed atmosphere in which you could speak with a colleague about unspecific things or with an editor on matters that didn't relate directly to any project. Faces were put to names of other creative people I'd long admired. This evidence of the very human element behind the books demonstrated to me that we are all alike in many ways and voyaging in the same unpredictable but exciting boat. | < Pat Collins Author, The Fattening Hut, Come Out Come Out |
| I've attended Kindling Words five or six times--each a unique experience. Some years I concentrated more on writing, and other times I focused on illustration. The beauty of KW is that you can make it work for what you need at the time. I’m lucky to live in an area where we have a big group of published children’s writers, but there aren’t many illustrators. It’s always exhilarating to get together with the artists at KW. My favorite sessions have been the informal ones where we’ve all spread our current projects out on a table and shared techniques or tips about a special paper or new kind of paint. I come home refreshed and inspired every time. |
< MJ Auch Author/Illustrator Chickarella, Peeping Beauty, Wing Nut, One-Handed Catch |
| As an artist, I gained plenty of insight and inspiration from being among the likes of illustrators Kevin Hawkes, Peter Reynolds, and Melissa Sweet, past presenters at Kindling Words, as well as from the many writers and artists who attend kw each year. | < Leo Landry Illustrator/Author, Fat Bat and Swoop, Eat Your Peas, Ivy Lousie |