HOW SOUNDS MAKE SENSE: Some Ways with Words for Children’s Book Writers
Sep 06, 2025
Meeting Room at ʻĀina Haina Public Library, 5246 Kalanianaʻole Hwy, Honolulu, HI 96821 (on Oʻahu)
We writers pay a lot of attention to word choice, but we’re often focused on a word’s definition, looking for the most fitting one. In this workshop, poet Sue Cowing will share something valuable she has learned from the language of poetry: that sounds themselves convey meaning. We’ll explore how different sounds work, and the surprising effect choosing words for their sounds can have on feeling,meaning, and engagement in our writing, whether it’s poetry, picture book text, fiction or nonfiction. Bring something you’re working on to the workshop to do a sound-check, and/or we'll work with some writing we generate on that day.
Meet Sue Cowing
Sue Cowing's publications for children include poems and stories in CRICKET and SPIDER magazines, FIRE IN THE SEA: An Anthology of Poetry and Art (UH Press and the Honolulu Academy of Arts), MY DOG HAS FLIES: Poetry for Hawai’i's Kids (BeachHouse Publishing), and a young adult novel, YOU WILL CALL ME DROG (Carolrhoda and Usborne UK). In 2022-23, Sue had one of the most memorable experiences of her writing life when she served as poetry coach for two anthologies, PEARLS OF SUCCESS and RICE FILES, written by the multilingual students at Highlands Intermediate School and published by Bess Press. She is a former Co-Regional Advisor of SCBWI-Hawaii. A collection of her poems, SHORE LINES, is forthcoming from Bamboo Ridge Press.
Price & Post-Conference Consultation Info
Premium Member Price: $25 / Non-member Price: $30 / Students are eligible for 50%off admission - Contact the Hawaiʻi RA for a discount code / Post-Conference Consultation: $25 • For all those who attend the workshop, Sue is offering the opportunity to those who opt in for it to follow up with her by email any time after the workshop until Sept. 29 with related questions about your particular work in progress. This will not be a standard critique, but rather a friendly one-to-one consultation between writers. This cost is in addition to admission cost. Signup when you register for workshop.
This conference is in-person only. No recordings will be made or provided. By registering for this event you agree that you have read and will abide by the SCBWI Event Policies as explained at scbwi.org/regions/hawaii/regional-event-policies. Email any questions to: [email protected]