Local authors lined up booth by booth on the first and second floor of the College of the Canyons Dr. Dianne G. Van Hook University Center on Saturday for the inaugural Santa Clarita Valley Book Festival.
The free one-day event was a “beacon of inclusivity with its unique theme and purpose: Bringing the family and community back to reading,” according to the event program.
Local seasoned and new authors gathered to demonstrate their traditional and self-published books for the community to learn about and even purchase.
According to the program, authors Paula Golden, Laura Holton and Willa Robinson believed that Santa Clarita provided a great literary space to foster “a stronger sense of community … [where] The SCV Book Festival strives to give authors and creative individuals a platform to share literary and artistic works that inspire society.”
COC Dean of Humanities Andy McCutcheon was among the speakers, and reflected on his experiences as a kid who wasn’t an avid reader.
“I always liked the idea of reading more than I actually liked doing it … I remember reading as a kid with note cards, you know, trying to stay on each line so that my eyes wouldn’t drift all over the page,” McCutcheon said. “A friendly high school counselor or community member or artist who takes time to connect with somebody has an impact. Having this [event] is a testament to the creative community we have in Santa Clarita.”
Keynote speaker Tracy Taris gave her presentation, “From Doubt-To-First Draft: Overcoming Anxiety in Your Writing Journey,” about the process of overcoming writer’s block.
“Writing is very important because it takes perseverance: Instead of having a fixed mindset, you have to have a growth mindset. We have to believe in ourselves and know that whatever we are and whatever we want to do, we can always grow with it,” Taris said. “We don’t have to be static. Setting realistic expectations helps you persevere.”
According to Taris, the goal a writer sets isn’t necessarily unrealistic, but the process of achieving it can be.
“Engaging in behaviors that build resilience will help you to persevere … with regards to setting up schedules and structure and learning to celebrate your progress, instead of getting stuck in your setbacks,” Taris said. “Look at your setbacks and ask, ‘What can I do differently?’ With passion, there must be preparation, and that’s where things like journaling, meditation, having a ritual and eliminating distractions [come to play].”
One of the authors present, Harley Scroggins, discussed the process of writing her first children’s book for her nephews titled, “Little Monster Needs a Nap.”
“I went to CalArts for my BFA in animation. I’ve always wanted to tell stories. I write novels and short stories with our local indie bookstore, The Open Book. This was written for my nephews, my favorite little monsters who need to take their naps. They’re a bit older now, but I wrote it with them in mind,” Scroggins said.
According to Scroggins, self-publishing wasn’t quite as hard as the illustration, which took over a year. While this is Scroggins’ first children’s book, there are no signs of her stopping anytime soon.
“I have a couple of more children’s books on the way. I just have to finish drawing them. I also have an animated series with these ghosts [in the book] called ‘Spirited Spectres’ … My next book is more Halloween in general,” Scroggins said. “I’ve been trying to do more community events. I hadn’t done big events yet, so I was nervous, but I’m having a great time. Everything looks beautiful and I love meeting all the authors.”
