Pennsylvania: West Regional events
Serious about improving your craft? SCBWI's regional events provide opportunities for professional growth and help you connect with a supportive, creative community.
SCBWI PA West Presents: Behind the Scenes of an Author/Illustrator Picturebook with Anoosha Syed
May 01, 2025
1 event
Online event
Unlimited seats
Join award-winning author and illustrator Anoosha Syed as she does a deep dive into the journey behind her picture books from development to pitching to the final art. Since every book project is different, she will compare the processes between three of her author/illustrator titles (That's Not My Name!, Lost Stick, and the upcoming The Salt Princess).
SCBWI PA West Presents: Mix & Mingle - May 9
May 09, 2025
1 event
Unlimited seats
Margaux in East Liberty, 5947 Penn Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15206
May 9, 7 PM - Attention all members! Come mix and mingle with us at Margaux in East Liberty, 5947 Penn Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15206. Cocktails, food, chatter and cheer will be in abundance! All members are welcome. Bring cash for the bar and for food! See you there!
SCBWI PA West Presents: Applying Trauma-Informed Care to Writing Children's Books with Joy Givens
Jun 12, 2025
1 event
Online event
Unlimited seats
Trauma-informed care (TIC) is an approach to working with others that validates their experiences, builds feelings of safety and trust, and provides space for shared growth and empowerment. Commonly implemented in social work, counseling, and human services fields, TIC provides guiding principles for interacting with anyone who might have experienced trauma, but it's not "special treatment"; it's a form of universal design that can make any environment more welcoming and respectful. This workshop will first provide a background on the fundamentals of trauma-informed care. Then, we'll discuss ways to incorporate those principles into storytelling, as well as into author/illustrator school visits and events. Zoom Webinar / June 12, 7PM EST 45 Min Presentation / 15 Min Q&A $15 for Members / $20 for Non-Members
SCBWI PA West Presents: Mix & Mingle - July 11
Jul 11, 2025
1 event
Unlimited seats
Margaux in East Liberty, 5947 Penn Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15206
July 11, 7 PM - Attention all members! Come mix and mingle with us at Margaux in East Liberty, 5947 Penn Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15206. Cocktails, food, chatter and cheer will be in abundance! All members are welcome. Bring cash for the bar and for food! See you there!
SCBWI PA West Presents Devil's Advocate: How to Write a "Good" Villain with JD Donnelly
Jul 14, 2025
1 event
Online event
Unlimited seats
A hero is only as good as their villain, and the best villains are the ones we love to hate. But how do you avoid the pitfalls of making your villain too flat, or too lame, or “evil for the sake of being evil,” and therefore making your hero lame by association? How do you make someone unlikable to full-on-diabolical understandable, even sympathetic to your other characters and your audience? Why should you give your villains the chance to be redeemed—or what can they do to make themselves utterly irredeemable and have us cheering when the heroes kick their butt? In this lecture we’ll discuss the morals, motives, and modus opperandi of some famous villains, the nuances of antiheros, antagonists, and villains, and how to cut Satan a break—there are much more interesting and sinister figures for inspiration for your big baddies. Zoom Webinar / July 14, 7PM EST 45 Min Presentation / 15 Min Q&A $15 for Members / $20 for Non-Members
SCBWI PA West Presents: Mix & Mingle - Sept 19
Sep 19, 2025
1 event
Unlimited seats
Margaux in East Liberty, 5947 Penn Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15206
Sept 19, 7 PM - Attention all members! Come mix and mingle with us at Margaux in East Liberty, 5947 Penn Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15206. Cocktails, food, chatter and cheer will be in abundance! All members are welcome. Bring cash for the bar and for food! See you there!