Report from the NRW Scrawl Crawl

First Stop on the NorthRhine Westfalia (NRW) Scrawl Crawl: Düsseldorf

Laurel Decher and Jane Joo Park report from the NorthRhine Westfalia Scrawl Crawl. The first stop in our state-wide meet-up was Düsseldorf. Five writers and illustrators sipped ginger-peppermint-orange tea next to an indoor waterfall and talked shop. The café of the Stern Verlag bookstore was a great setting for sharing work and discussing how we might work together. 

Some themes: 

•   Building a local community of artists/writers, 

•   Operating a small business in Germany, 

•   Finding  guidelines for working as a professional illustrator, 

•   Finding agents for writers and illustrators,

•   Writing more, better, faster.

We haven’t yet picked the next stop on the NRW Scrawl Crawl. We’re all interested in a sketching and scribbling visit to Bonn’s natural history museum, Museum Koenig, and the Bilderbuchmuseum [Picture Book Museum] in nearby Troisdorf.

Get inspired:

https://kathytemean.wordpress.com/

Writing & Illustrating blog. Both Laurel and I subscribe to this blog. There are many great blogs relevant to our industry out there, but since I only have time to really follow one, I've chosen this one. 

Picture book round up

http://storysnug.com/ 

Catherine Friess' is an SCBWI member. On her blog she reviews and recommends picture books.

Write more, write faster, write better:

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1268722.The_Playful_Way_to_Serious_Writing

This is the book that Laurel brought along for writing prompts. It is also a good source for inspiration.

Connect: find an agent

http://www.scbwi.org/online-resources/the-book/

More about THE BOOK, an SCBWI member benefit. THE BOOK includes info on contracts and how to submit work for publication for writers or illustrators.

http://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/guide-to-literary-agents/picture-book-agents

Another great resource is Writer's Digest if want to learn about getting published, are actively submitting, and want to publicize your work.

Start a business in Germany

http://www.startplatz.de/en

Organisation which promotes startups. They offer workshops on taxes and insurance in Germany for the freelancer.

Explore: Upcoming destinations for the NRW Scrawl Crawl

https://www.zfmk.de/en

The natural history museum in Bonn has an African savannah exhibit.  A rainforest exhibit is planned for 2016.

http://www.troisdorf.de/bilderbuchmuseum/

The picture book museum in Troisdorf. There are only 2 or 3 picture book museums in the world.

Sound interesting?

Want the NRW Scrawl Crawl to come to a city near you?

Let us know and we’ll keep in touch!

Happy writing and illustrating!

Laurel and Jane