Breakout Session #4

Making It Work as an Illustrator: Real Strategies for Freelance Success with R. Gregory Christie

Feeling uncertain about how to establish yourself in the art world? Join Caldecott Honor winner and three-time Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award nominee R. Gregory Christie as he shares the real-world strategies that have sustained his three-decade freelance career. Explore how to identify market needs, present your strengths with purpose, and approach your art with a business mindset. This session offers grounded insights to help you reflect, adapt, and shape a creative path that works for you.

The Power of Procreate: From Author to Illustrator with Tim McCanna

In the summer of 2020, “words-only” picture book author, Tim McCanna, (Jack B. Ninja, Watersong) grabbed an iPad and began to dabble with Procreate. Within months, he sold Peach and Plum, a 3-book early graphic novel series to Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, which he wrote and illustrated. In this lively discussion and demonstration, learn how an untrained artist harnessed a digital medium and found his voice as an illustrator.

Analyzing and Writing Picture Books with Kaitlyn Sanchez

Agent Kaitlyn Sanchez has sold over 50 picture books in her 4 years of agenting. In this workshop, she’ll review picture books and how they work, review picture book writing basics and how to apply them to your own writing, and discuss other tips and tricks to creating stories in this format. If there's time, participants will share some of their work and get feedback on it.

Tension and Conflict in the Novel with Krista Marino 

Why do some novels keep readers turning pages late into the night? The answer is often tension and conflict—the driving forces that give stories urgency, emotion, and momentum. This session explores why tension and conflict are essential in storytelling, the many forms they can take, and how you can weave them into your work.  

The Stuff Nobody Tells You When You Sell Your Book to Hollywood with Sarah Maizes

This workshop will include a detailed map of the process of selling your book to Hollywood, and what to expect when you GET the deal. What is the end-to-end process? Do I have approvals? What will I wear to the Emmys?! I will answer all of your questions, and arm you with what you need to know to have a successful creative collaboration!

To Versify or Not to Versify? Writing Novels in Verse with Ellen Hopkins

It's an age-old question for picture book writers, and now for novel authors as well. Would writing in verse suit your current or future projects? In this workshop, quintessential verse novelist, Ellen Hopkins, will help you decide. Bring works-in-progress, or ideas you're excited about.

Getting Your Independently Published Book into Bookstores and Libraries with Mark Leslie Lefebvre

While it might be a bit easier to get your traditionally published books into bookstores and libraries, it still takes a lot of effort and a DIY ethic.  Independently published books can also be made available to purchase through local bookstores and they can even be made available to local and global library systems for patrons. In this workshop, you’ll learn the techniques, strategies, and options available for your independently published books from Mark Leslie Lefebvre, a former bookseller who brings more than four decades of experience as both a writer and a book industry representative.

Unclench: The Practice and Process of Emotionally Transforming Your Character with Elana K. Arnold

In earlier years, when other writers told Elana K. Arnold that their characters “came to life” or “spoke to them,” she thought they were lying. Her experience of writing felt more like banging Barbie dolls against one another. Over time, this changed for her, transforming her characters, her writing, and her very self. Join Elana in exploring tools and techniques for unclenching, allowing your characters to transform and communicate with you.

Create Dynamic, Innovative STEAM books that will Capture an Editor's Attention with Jennifer Swanson

 STEAM books are more important now than ever. But getting the attention of agents and editors is not easy. This workshop is designed to think outside of the box and approach your topic in a new and unique way.  We'll discuss how to use POV, structure, voice, and multiple types of media to intrigue readers and tell the best nonfiction story. For picture book, middle grade, and YA nonfiction writers.