SCBWI Midsouth Meetups
Midsouth meetups are a great way to form community in our region. Most are free and open to members and nonmembers alike.
Are you a Midsouth Meetup Director who needs to add your local event to the calendar? If so, CLICK HERE!
MIDSOUTH MINDSET RESET - Feb. 21, 2026
Mark your calendars for Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026, and a special in-person and online region-wide MEETUP designed to help you reset your mindset about creating in the coming year. Join our Meetup Directors in person from:
1-3 p.m. Central in: Bowling Green, Nashville & Memphis
2-4 p.m. Eastern in Chattanooga, Knoxville, Lexington, Louisville and a city TBA in Northeast TN
or join online via Zoom if you can't make it to one of these cities that day for this unique event to meet you where you are, while connecting you with your fellow creatives from all over the Midsouth.
The afternoon includes:
- Videos, live talks and community-building discussions
- Sharing of resources and tips
- Laughter and good times
Meetup locations and more details about the planned events will be shared in the coming weeks, so stay tuned.
Register HERE for the event.
February 2026
2 – Bowling Green Meetup: High Concept
What is high concept? Why is it so hard to define? Why do agents and editors care about it and how can you make sure your new project is seen as high concept in the publishing industry? Join us at our February meetup and we'll talk about all this and more.
Time: 6:00 - 7:15 pm Central
Location: Gerard's Tavern
935 College St, Bowling Green, KY 42101
Cost: Free (food and drink available for purchase)
Contact person: M Hendrix and David Bell
To RSVP or ask questions: [email protected]
3 – Lexington Area - Commit & Create
A biweekly accountability and work session for children’s book writers and illustrators, with a brief goal check-in followed by focused quiet time to write, draw, or revise alongside fellow kidlit creators. Please RSVP to Ashley at least 24 hours in advance to ensure access to the space.
Time: 5 pm - 7:30 pm EST
Location: Lexington’s Writers’ Room
271 W Short St, Suite 202, Lexington, KY 40507 (2nd Floor, above Frank & Dino’s restaurant; there is an elevator.)
Cost: Free
Contact person: Ashley Storm
To RSVP or ask questions: [email protected]
17 – Lexington Area - Commit & Create
A biweekly accountability and work session for children’s book writers and illustrators, with a brief goal check-in followed by focused quiet time to write, draw, or revise alongside fellow kidlit creators. Please RSVP to Ashley at least 24 hours in advance to ensure access to the space.
Time: 5 pm - 7:30 pm EST
Location: Lexington’s Writers’ Room
271 W Short St, Suite 202, Lexington, KY 40507 (2nd Floor, above Frank & Dino’s restaurant; there is an elevator.)
Cost: Free
Contact person: Ashley Storm
To RSVP or ask questions: [email protected]
21 – Lexington Area - Midsouth Mindset Reset
What is high concept? Why is it so hard to define? Why do agents and editors care about it and how can you make sure your new project is seen as high concept in the publishing industry? Join us at our February meetup and we'll talk about all this and more.
Time: 2 pm - 4 pm EST
Location: Lexington’s Writers’ Room
271 W Short St, Suite 202, Lexington, KY 40507 (2nd Floor, above Frank & Dino’s restaurant; there is an elevator.)
Please contact Nell for virtual component information.
Cost: Free
Contact person: Nell Campbell
To RSVP or ask questions: [email protected]
March 2026
2 – Bowling Green Meetup: Synopsis discussion
You've finished a draft of your new book — now what? Now you have to write the dreaded synopsis. That's right, it is time to fit everything that happens in your book into a one-page summary. We'll spend this meetup talking about how to tame the synopsis beast.
Time: 6:00 - 7:15 pm Central
Location: Novo Dolce
651 U.S. 31 W Bypass STE 101, Bowling Green, KY 42101
Cost: Free (food and drink available for purchase)
Contact person: M Hendrix and David Bell
To RSVP or ask questions: [email protected]
3 – Lexington Area - Commit & Create
A biweekly accountability and work session for children’s book writers and illustrators, with a brief goal check-in followed by focused quiet time to write, draw, or revise alongside fellow kidlit creators. Please RSVP to Ashley at least 24 hours in advance to ensure access to the space.
Time: 5 pm - 7:30 pm EST
Location: Lexington’s Writers’ Room
271 W Short St, Suite 202, Lexington, KY 40507 (2nd Floor, above Frank & Dino’s restaurant; there is an elevator.)
Cost: Free
Contact person: Ashley Storm
To RSVP or ask questions: [email protected]
17 – Lexington Area - Commit & Create
A biweekly accountability and work session for children’s book writers and illustrators, with a brief goal check-in followed by focused quiet time to write, draw, or revise alongside fellow kidlit creators. Please RSVP to Ashley at least 24 hours in advance to ensure access to the space.
Time: 5 pm - 7:30 pm EST
Location: Lexington’s Writers’ Room
271 W Short St, Suite 202, Lexington, KY 40507 (2nd Floor, above Frank & Dino’s restaurant; there is an elevator.)
Cost: Free
Contact person: Ashley Storm
To RSVP or ask questions: [email protected]
21 – Lexington Area - First Words, First Looks
Mark your calendars for Saturday, March 21, 2026 and a Library Meetup designed for participants to examine the first lines in children’s literature, to write and sketch openings, and to refine the beginnings of their own manuscripts. Join the in-person meeting in the small conference room of the Tates Creek Public Library at Tates Creek Library, 3628 Walden Drive, Lexington, KY 40517 from 10 am to 12 pm. The morning will include:
• SCBWI announcements
• Discussion and analysis of first lines in children’s books – why they’re important
• Activities using images and writing prompts to develop first lines and inspire first spreads and cover illustrations
• Discussion of attendee’s opening lines and pages of their manuscripts and their opening spread or covers
Time: 10 am - 12 pm EST
Location: Tates Creek Public Library
3628 Walden Drive, Lexington, KY 40517
Cost: Free
Contact person: Randi Lynn Mrvos or Nell Campbell
To RSVP or ask questions: [email protected]; [email protected]
April 2026
6 – Bowling Green Meetup: Synopsis critique
Now that we've discussed all things synopsis, it's time to put what we've discussed into practice. Bring a draft of your one-page synopsis to our April meetup and get helpful feedback on how to revise and make your synopsis catch the attention of agents and editors.
Time: 6:00 - 7:15 pm Central
Location: Thai Express
1511 U.S. 31 W Bypass, Bowling Green, KY 42101
Cost: Free (food and drink available for purchase)
Contact person: M Hendrix and David Bell
To RSVP or ask questions: [email protected]
7 – Lexington Area - Commit & Create
A biweekly accountability and work session for children’s book writers and illustrators, with a brief goal check-in followed by focused quiet time to write, draw, or revise alongside fellow kidlit creators. Please RSVP to Ashley at least 24 hours in advance to ensure access to the space.
Time: 5 pm - 7:30 pm EST
Location: Lexington’s Writers’ Room
271 W Short St, Suite 202, Lexington, KY 40507 (2nd Floor, above Frank & Dino’s restaurant; there is an elevator.)
Cost: Free
Contact person: Ashley Storm
To RSVP or ask questions: [email protected]
21 – Lexington Area - Commit & Create
A biweekly accountability and work session for children’s book writers and illustrators, with a brief goal check-in followed by focused quiet time to write, draw, or revise alongside fellow kidlit creators. Please RSVP to Ashley at least 24 hours in advance to ensure access to the space.
Time: 5 pm - 7:30 pm EST
Location: Lexington’s Writers’ Room
271 W Short St, Suite 202, Lexington, KY 40507 (2nd Floor, above Frank & Dino’s restaurant; there is an elevator.)
Cost: Free
Contact person: Ashley Storm
To RSVP or ask questions: [email protected]
Monthly Online "Let’s Talk About” Discussions
Our Let's Talk About series is a FREE informal roundtable-style discussion for Midsouth members by Midsouth members. The sessions are NOT recorded. A link to join each month's chat is emailed directly to Midsouth members (no registration required) within a week of the start of each event. Be sure you've set the Midsouth as your home region on your SCBWI member home page to receive the link to join each month.
2026 Calendar of Talks
Please note there are no talks during February and September due to SCBWI conferences during those months.
Jan. 3 - Making the Most of SCBWI/Volunteer Opportunities
March 24 - Reaching Readers Part 1: Mailing Lists & Curating Content
April 29 - Reaching Readers Part 2: Pre-publication Tips for Building a Platform
May 28 - Self-Editing Tips
June 25 - Comp Titles
July 11 - The Author-Illustrator Relationship
Aug. 27 - Prepping for the Face-to-Face Critique
Oct. 26 - Reaching Readers Part 3: Street Teams
Nov. 16 - Reaching Readers Part 4: In-person Events
Dec. 15 - Finding Inspiration
Midsouth Regional Meetup Directors
Anti-Harassment Policy
SCBWI has a zero-tolerance policy against harassment of any kind. Any violation of this policy is actionable. The Meetup Director has the right to refuse admittance to anyone whose behavior is disruptive to the event, attendees, or faculty.