March 10 2026 WI Panel by Panel with Marcie Colleen

Panel by Panel: How to Write Comics and Graphic Novels (Even if You Can't Draw) with Marcie Colleen Get ready to bring your stories to life—panel by panel! In this presentation, Marcie Colleen breaks down the building blocks of comics and graphic novels—from panels and gutters to bubbles and sound effects—all through the lens of a writer. Perfect for storytellers of all kinds, this session proves you don’t need to draw to create compelling stories in a comics format. Packed with fun examples and behind-the-scenes insights, participants will leave eager to turn their ideas into panel-based stories that leap off the page. In previous chapters Marcie Colleen has been a teacher, an actress, and a nanny, but now she spends her days writing children’s books! She is the acclaimed author of THE SUPER HAPPY PARTY BEARS chapter book series, as well as picture books, LOVE, TRIANGLE, illustrated by Bob Shea, PENGUINAUT!, illustrated by Emma Yarlett, and THE BEAR'S GARDEN, illustrated by Alison Oliver. Her picture book, SURVIVOR TREE, illustrated by Caldecott Honor Winner Aaron Becker, celebrates the real-life story of a pear tree who survived the September 11th attacks and was named a 2022 ALA Notable Book. Marcie’s latest release, HAPPY FRIENDSGIVING: A Thanksgiving Celebration of Found Families has been called “a delightful, inclusive, modern-day depiction of holiday celebrations with a family of choice” (Kirkus) and “a heartfelt ode to the celebration of chosen family” (School Library Journal). Up next, she teams up with illustrator Chad Thomas for TOUGH FLUFF, a graphic novel chapter book series with Random House Graphic (debuting summer 2027). The series follows Ewenice, an ex-acrobat sheep with a mysterious past and superhero alter ego, Steel Wool, as she and her wannabe squirrel sidekick face off against a villainous, sleep-deprived duck. A former Epic! Originals Senior Writer/Editor, Marcie created comics and prose for their digital platform, including KITTEN NINJA, which has over 6 million reads! She lives with her husband and a beloved herd of stuffed animals in San Diego, California.