Join us a day early for a chance to spend an entire afternoon focused on honing your craft.
Each intensive will be led by an expert in their field, and we are thrilled with this stellar line-up of faculty.
We hope to see you there.
Picture Book Intensive with agent Rachel Orr from Prospect Literary
Voices Carry: How to Develop Your Authorial Voice
Is your voice flat? Not unique enough? Are you struggling to find your niche in the market? We
will purposefully rewrite great passages in published picture books poorly to better understand the distinction between a solid voice and a flat one that doesn’t grab the reader’s attention.
Live Edits: Rachel will use work submitted by attendees in advance and do live edits exactly as she would on her client’s manuscripts.
How to Hook an Agent/Editor: Rachel will show examples of how she’s been hooked, so to speak. Participants should bring a mentor text to work with as Rachel guides them through some writing exercises using the mentor text. This session is focused on writing craft, but will also touch on the marketing aspect of having your book stand out in the marketplace.
Novel Intensive with editor Matt Phipps from G. P. Putnam’s Sons, an imprint of Penguin Young Readers
This workshop will take a holistic and highly collaborative approach to the process of finding inspiration for your novel, going from dreaming to drafting, crafting characters and story arcs that surprise you, and finding the right mentor texts to help guide you along the way. Come expecting writing prompts, conversation, and peer workshops--let's have some fun!
Illustrator Intensive with associate creative director Sasha Illingworth at Little Brown Books for Young Readers
Cover Stories: Behind the Scenes of Captivating Design
A behind-the-scenes look at the cover design process from the perspective of an Associate Creative Director. With a focus on collaboration, creative strategy, and visual storytelling. We will explore how typography, color palettes, and composition come together to craft compelling covers that not only stand out on shelves but also serve the narrative. Each participant is welcome to bring in a cover they have created for a dummy or create a cover for a picture book based on the following prompt: The Days The Colors Mixed” For ages 3-7. Plot: It’s the first day of school, and hijinks happen during art class.