MFA in a Day

Join us for a day of creativity, craft and networking! A full day of presentations to support your writing journey as well professional networking and critique opportunities. 

REGISTRATION WILL OPEN SOON!

We are aiming for the end of the month.

Please scroll ALL the way to the bottom of the page to register - you should see a green button at the bottom right hand side of the page that says "Register" if registration has opened.

Registration fee: 

SCBWI Premium Members - $60.00 

SCBWI Non-Members - $75.00 

MFA in a Day Schedule

9 a.m.- 12:00 p.m.  

FINDING HUMOR & JOY IN YOUR CREATIVE PROCESS

Workshop with Author-Illustrator Eliza Kinkz  

Are you hard on yourself when it comes to creating?  Eliza will go through exercises to get your artist's brain back on track to the playfulness, and excitement you came to creating as a kid! 

This workshop is suitable for creators at all stages of their journey: beginner, intermediate and advanced authors and illustrators.

12:00pm - 1:30pm LUNCH

Order lunch in (more info coming soon), bring your own or eat out nearby! The Arts Center offers several interesting exhibits for inspiration and relaxation as well.   

1:45 p.m. - 2:45 p.m.  

ASK A BOOKSELLER

Q & A session with bookstore owner and young adult author Kalena Miller  

Learn what it takes to make it onto the shelves of your local bookstore. Kalena Miller answers moderated questions from the SCBWI Brazos Valley team about running an independent bookstore. Find out what you should and shouldn’t do when approaching your local bookseller, what is hot in today’s market, and more. Submit questions ahead of time to [email protected] with the subject line “MFA in a Day Q&A session.”  

3:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. 

ALL ABOUT GRAPHIC NOVELS

Informational session with author/illustrator Drew Brockington

Creator of the Catstronaut graphic novel series, Drew will talk us through his process taking a graphic novel from idea to illustrated reality. He will also offer advice on preparing a graphic novel concept to pitch an agent or editor. This session will be full of useful information, whether you are an author, illustrator, both, or simply a fan of graphic novels.  

4:00 p.m. - 4:15 p.m. Break  

4:15 p.m. - 5:15 p.m. 

RESEARCH FOR HISTORICAL NOVELS 

Author Darlene P. Campos 

This session will cover tips and strategies on how to find resources for historical fiction writing. Archival research, interviewing, and library services will also be discussed. This session is useful for those interested in writing historical fiction as well as anyone working on personal and family memoirs and journalism students. 

5:15 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. Closing  

The Brazos Valley SCBWI team will close with information on how to continue improving your craft including upcoming regional conferences and scholarship opportunities. 

In order to register for this event you will need to have a Free Preview Membership or a Premium Membership.

SCBWI offers student memberships and several discounts and benefits in addition to event discounts.

Be sure you are signed in in order for your member discount to be applied during registration.  

Learn more or sign up for a Premium or Free Preview membership here.

Registration fee: 

SCBWI Premium Members - $60.00 

SCBWI Non-Members - $75.00 

Optional add-ons: 

Written Manuscript/Portfolio Critique from Faculty - $60 

Lunch (more info soon!) - $15

ELIZA KINKZ is a Tejana artist who never stopped viewing the world through the bright colors of her crayons, AND she even ate a few, too! She illustrated many hilarious picture books, including Papá’s Magical Water-Jug Clock by Jesús Trejo which won the Pura Belpré Illustration Honor, and she was the 2022 James Marshall Fellow. All her ridiculous scribbles burst straight from her heart, which is overflowing with joy…and probably a few crayon pieces. ¡MISTACO! Is her author-illustrator debut, and you can spill all the frijoles to her anytime.

KALENA MILLER grew up in College Station, TX with her mom, dad, and the most photographed hamster in history. After high school, she moved a thousand miles north to attend Carleton College, where she graduated summa cum laude with a BA in Religious Studies. After a brief stint working as a paraeducator in Seattle, Kalena decided she missed school too much, so she spent the next two years pursuing her MFA in Creative Writing at Hamline University. Kalena currently lives in College Station, Texas where she runs Hyperbole Bookstore with her mom. She writes middle grade and young adult fiction and dabbles with the occasional picture book. She loves books that make her laugh and make her cry, preferably at the same time, and she firmly believes all quality novels should feature a cat.

DREW BROCKINGTON has flown a space shuttle, repaired the International Space Station, and served in Mission Control—all during a week at Space Camp. He works at his drawing table and loves to use pencils until they are only little nubs. He has written and illustrated numerous graphic novels including the CatStronauts series, the Waffles and Pancake series, and Metropolis Grove. His picture books include Hangry and Puppy Bus, and Kitty Camp. He loves bad jokes and lives with his family and bulldog in Minneapolis. Find out more about the CatStronauts at www.catstronauts.space and Drew’s other artwork at www.drewbrockington.com

DARLENE P. CAMPOS earned her MFA in creative writing from the University of Texas at El Paso. When she's not writing, she enjoys reading, exercising, and going to museums. She is Ecuadorian-American and lives in Houston, TX, with her husband and their eight rescue cats. Visit her website at www.darlenepcampos.com