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!

A guided journey through the six key steps every author needs to take to prepare their writing for submission to agents, editors and contests. The webinar will cover the best ways to present yourself and your story, and who best to present it to. It'll include tips to include and pitfalls to avoid, and will help you approach your own submission process with all the professionalism you'll need to grab the attention of the right people.

Does your picture book story feel "slight"? Does it feel like it just isn't going anywhere? What you need is layers. Adding them to your manuscript will give it richness and depth- and most importantly "re-readability". The marketability of your story increases with every layer, and it becomes all the more enticing to your readers, agents and editors. In this webinar, award-winning author Wendi Silvano will discuss 4 must-have layers and 15 additional types of layers that might fit your story-giving it extra depth and delight.

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!

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!

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

In this craft-focused presentation, I'll share the big things or "musts" that I've learned about a variety of elements, including writing strong beginnings that hook readers, creating characters that readers will root for, putting in pacing and plot that will keep readers turning pages, and doing this all in an authentic, compelling voice. Whew! This is a lot, but I'm reflecting on what information has helped me the most in my journey and want to share it with you!

Ever wondered what can you expect when working with an editor? This presentation will walk you through the ins and outs of an editor's role from acquisitions to publication of your book.

Voice is a tricky thing, perhaps one of the slipperiest elements to develop in our writing—easy for readers to identify, but tough for writers to develop. Any editor will tell you that she knows a distinct writer’s voice when she hears it, especially when it draws her into a story and keeps her there. In this webinar, you will read, study, discuss, and practice technique as you find your writer’s voice and learn how to hone it.

Spring Retreat at Camp Allen is almost here—and spots are going fast! This long-awaited retreat is one of our most requested events, but this year we’re keeping the group intentionally small to create a more focused, supportive experience. If you’ve been thinking about joining us, now is the time to reserve your bed before spaces are gone. Writers will have the freedom to work in the way that suits them best: settle into a shared quiet room for deep focus, join the roundtable room for discussion and peer critiques, spread out in the cozy common areas of the retreat center, or find inspiration in solitude—whether in your room or somewhere peaceful on the beautiful grounds of Camp Allen. Come ready to create, connect, and recharge.