Serious about improving your craft? SCBWI's regional events provide opportunities for professional growth and help you connect with a supportive, creative community.
"Stick to one style!" "Only show one style in your portfolio, otherwise art directors and editors won't know what they're going to get." Like many illustrators, you may have heard this advice ad verbatim. But is it really true? In this talk, which will take place in-person and on Zoom, children's book illustrator Charlie Mylie will dive deep into visual "style". Mylie will share a theory of how style is created, what it means, and what we can do with it as artists. Also, he will pop the hood on some of his books to show in practical detail how style is functioning as a tool for meaning making. Mylie believes that we define style; style does not define us. Bio: Charlie Mylie is an author and illustrator of several children's books. He makes his art in many styles from his singular home in Kansas City, KS. Charlie's wife and son are his first critics and biggest advocates. This event will take place on Saturday, February 28, 2026 from 1-2 pm. It will be in-person at Park University in Parkville, MO and also be broadcasted on Zoom. A recording will be made available for viewing for 30 days after the event.
Who’s ready to take a step back from everyday life and focus on their writing for 2 solid days! Who wants to fill their creative soul with nature and children’s book talk? If I’m describing you, take time for yourself to dive into a manuscript or two in the bucolic setting of Conception Abbey (37174 State Hwy VV, Conception, MO 64433). This year we are excited to announce that Ruqayyah Daud of Little Brown Books for Young Readers will be our guest editor. Come get feedback from both a seasoned editor and fellow writers. Join us Friday, April 17 to Sunday, April 19, 2026 for 2 full days of digging deeper into your works in progress! KSMO-SCBWI offers this retreat for all writing levels. About the faculty: Ruqayyah Daud is a senior editor at LBYR. She began her career in 2018 assisting editor-in-chief Alvina Ling and editor-at-large, Susan Rich. She is currently building her own list and is drawn to commercial books with a strong hook, emotional core, and vibrant cast of characters. Her titles include the critically acclaimed As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow by Zoulfa Katouh and the #1 New York Times bestselling Immortal Dark by Tigest Girma, and the New York Times bestselling Bitten by Jordan Stephanie Gray. When she isn’t editing she can be found working as a part-time bookseller at her local independent bookstore, Fonts Books & Gifts, where she also leads the Fantasy Book Club.