FINDING AND REVISING YOUR PROTAGONIST’S VOICE IN A YOUNG ADULT NOVEL |  Krista Marino

Requirements: Finished or near finished manuscript.
Description: This class will work on defining who your protagonist is and the best way for them to tell their story.  Must read three pre-selected novels before class time, and watch two pre-selected movies. Voice is about listening, so a free-write exploring the speech and behaviors of real, live teenagers done at a public space will also be required. All of these combined will be used to revise the YA voice the participant is having trouble defining.

AN EDITOR OVER YOUR SHOULDER: POLISHING YOUR PICTURE BOOK  |  Diane Muldrow

Requirements: Bring in-progress picture book.
Description: Students will workshop their in-progress picture books and polish them during the week by using tools and tips that will help their manuscripts achieve their full potential. The following will be explored: the right format for your manuscript; thinking cinematically; the importance of storyboarding; creating mood and building suspense; pacing and flow; knowing when to stop writing. In a fun, supportive environment, work will be read aloud and feedback given by editor/author Muldrow and fellow students.

WRITING AND ILLUSTRATING CHILDREN’S GRAPHIC NOVELS  |  Mac McCool

Requirements: Prerequisite assignments must be completed prior to attendance. Once you register for this workshop, please click the links below for specific assignments:

Pre-Conference Assignment for Writers                          Pre Conference Assignment for Illustrators

Description: Crafting a graphic novel is no picnic!  Get ready to adjust and expand your skills.  Sharpen your dialogues, write with images in mind, sketch out iconic characters to draw hundreds of times, pick smart shots and angles for each panel, design pages where your reader's gaze flows smoothly. This workshop is for writers and illustrators.  To gain a fuller understanding of the collaborative process, participants will write and draw, even if they have less expertise in one of these two skills.  Through assignments, group exercises, and presentations, Mac McCool will help you raise your graphic novel storytelling skills to gain a professional edge.

PUSHING PIXELS: PICTURE BOOK ILLUSTRATION IN THE DIGITAL AGE  |  William Low

Requirements:
1. Laptop and a Wacom tablet.
2. Adobe Photoshop (CS3 or higher).
3. Intermediate knowledge of Adobe Photoshop, including:

Description:
Creating picture book illustrations using a computer does not have to look digital. For many, the phrase “digital art” carries a negative connotation, since much of what we see feels cold and flat when compared with art created using traditional media. The aim of this class is to close that digital/traditional gap. We will approach Adobe Photoshop as a painting and sketching tool by using a combination of traditional painting and digital techniques. Picture making problems such as color, light and composition will also be addressed in this digital medium.

 STRONG EMOTIONS ON THE PAGE: A MASTER CLASS  |  Arthur Levine

Description:
In this workshop, renowned children’s book editor Arthur Levine helps you explore and discover what moves you, and teaches you how to get those experiences and feelings down on the page.  A unique opportunity to deepen your writing skills and find your true voice.

THE MIDDLE GRADE NOVEL: GROWING YOUR STORY  |  Linda Sue Park

Description:
A good novel is an organic whole: plot grows out of character choices, characters are rooted in setting.  In this class, you’ll practice treating story as a cohesive whole rather than as separate units of technique. Participants will need to bring a printout of the first fifty pages of a middle-grade novel.  No one teaches the often troublesome issues of plotting better than Newbery Medal winner, Linda Sue Park.

PRO TRACK SERIES LUNCHEON & BOOK SALE
Requirements: Must be a P.A.L. SCBWI member, meaning that you must have a book under contract with, or published by a publisher listed on one of the the SCBWI Market Surveys.

Description: Eight targeted courses are offered, plus Friday’s lunch for PROtrack attendees, a conversation on “Staying Afloat Financially.” PROtrack attendees may also bring 20 copies of a single title to the conference to sell in the PROtrack Bookstore at Friday night’s wine & cheese reception honoring published attendees.  In addition, when registering you may choose to participate in any or all of the following PROtrack premiums: Website Consultation, Author Photo, or SCBWI.org “Find A Speaker” Video Shoot. You will receive a schedule at registration with the time and location for each of the premiums you select.

JURIED PORTFOLIO SHOWCASE  |  $50
Illustrators attending the conference full-time are eligible to enter the Juried Portfolio Showcase on July 31. The Winner will receive an all expenses-paid trip to New York to meet with art directors. Second and Third place winners receive a cash prize and have their work featured on the SCBWI website. Instructions and guidelines are posted on our website at scbwi.org. There is a $50 fee to enter.