This will be an ongoing list, which I’ll update periodically
Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) www.scbwi.org
The main organization for writers for children; has chapters which host regional conferences as well as two national conferences each year, held in NYC and LA; has a nationally distributed monthly magazine and an on-line forum for members.
The Young Adult chapter of Romance Writers of America (YARWA) www.yarwa.com The Romance Writers of America is a large organization with lots of special interest areas within in—including this very active YA chapter that operates mostly on-line, but usually holds an annual meeting and mini-conference during the national organization’s big annual conference.
Websites and Fora:
Children’s Writers and Illustrators Message Board www.verlakay.com/boards/index.php Also known as the “Blueboards” – a large, supportive, and free on-line community for writers of children’s books, including a large population of YA authors
The Purple Crayon http://www.underdown.org/ Website of children’s book editor Harold Underdown, author of the Complete Idiot’s Guide to Publishing Children’s Books. Includes frequent updates of industry news, including personnel changes at publishers and agencies.
Cynsations www.cynthialeitichsmith.com/lit_resources/cyalr_index.html Author Cynthia Leitich Smth’s website has a great resource section for children’s and young adult writers
Children’s Book Council www.cbcbooks.org
Books (by no means exhaustive, but more a list I’ve found most useful over the years)
General Books on Writing:
Scene & Structure by Jack Bickham
Self-Editing for Fiction Writers by Renni Brown and Dave King
GMC: Goal, Motivation, and Conflict by Deb Dixon
On Writing by Stephen King
The Forest for the Trees by Betsy Lerner
Writing the Breakout Novel and Writing the Breakout Novel Workbook by Donald Maass
Take Joy: A Writer’s Guide to Loving the Craft by Jane Yolen
Writing for Children:
The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Publishing Children’s Books by Harold Underdown
Children’s Writers and Illustrators Market, published yearly in August by Writers Digest Books
Writing Great Books for Young Adults by Regina Brooks
Second Sight: An Editor’s Talks on Writing, Revising, and Publishing Books for Children and Young Adults by Cheryl Klein (editor at Scholastic Books)
Writing and Selling the Young Adult Novel by K.L. Going