SCBWI Mid-Atlantic

Welcome to Beltways and Bridges, SCBWI Mid-Atlantic’s year-long program to help creators build confidence in their work and make stronger connections to our regional community. Each season will introduce a new stop on our road trip and allow members to strengthen craft, connect with fellow creatives, and learn from experts in our field.

With schools in full swing and winter holidays around the corner, the Fall 2023 issue of Highlighter on the theme "Emotions" guides us on how to channel our characters' (and our own) emotions into our kidlit work. Dagmar Smith's cover illustration of friends running down a blustery autumn hillside ushers us to articles on evoking authentic emotions in our writing, leveraging emotional arcs to heighten the reading experience, and using composition, shape design, and color to capture emotion in illustrations. With plenty of craft resources and information on upcoming events, there is much to explore!

Do you want your book to captivate and create tension that makes your readers feel as if they're walking on a tightrope suspended 50 feet above ground? Join award-winning author Valerie Bolling and learn tips, and see examples from picture books, that will show you how to heighten the tension in your story.