SCBWI Houston

We are the Houston Region of SCBWI which covers the greater Houston metro area and surrounding counties. As a professional organization, our chapter prides itself on being warm, welcoming, and fun! If you are passionate about writing, illustrating, or translating books for children and young adults, you've come to the right place!

Gain skills and insights to create incredible book covers to successfully sell your children's books to prospective publishers and book buyers. A great cover is the most critical piece of artwork you'll create for your book, and the most scrutinized part of any book project. In this workshop, you'll learn the process, nuts and bolts, pitfalls to avoid, and how to stand out, and enjoy the process, all from award-winning illustrator Kaz Windness! Whether you're a published or pre-published illustrator, and interested in picture books, early readers, or even middle grade covers, this class is for you. Gain skills and tips you'll be using for many successful publishing years to come.

Join your fellow creatives to work together in a motivating ONLINE setting with optional challenge prompts and music or you can mute us while you work in solitude knowing your people are working too! This is a great opportunity to build your accountability group, make friends and get projects accomplished!

Do you sometimes struggle to come up with story ideas? Valerie Bolling will take you through a brainstorming process in this session where you’ll generate oodles of ideas to jumpstart your stories. You may even be inspired enough to start a draft.

Wendelin Van Draanen explains how she uses 'Hope in the Mail' in her writing and shares what she's learned--often the hard way--about the craft and business of writing. Recording available until September 8th, 2025

We have an unique selection of 4 or more writing/drawing prompts that are meant to make your creativity lift-off! Come in for 30 minutes of quiet writing/drawing time and 30 minutes of sharing. You will be surprised where these prompts take you! We meet the second Tuesday of every month at 6pm CST! Save the zoom link because it won't change!

Arrive at the meeting an hour early and bring your first five pages

Cate Berry is an award-winning performer, educator and author of multiple books (Harper Collins, MacMillan, Page Kids). She holds an MFA in Writing from Vermont College of Fine Arts, with an emphasis in humor, and has been a featured presenter at the Texas Book Festival, The Writing Barn, Association of Writers and Writing Programs, and many SCBWI conferences. Ms. Berry is the former humor columnist for Austin Family Magazine and currently enjoys inspiring artists to live and work authentically, so outside influences don't knock them around.