Serious about improving your craft? SCBWI's regional events provide opportunities for professional growth and help you connect with a supportive, creative community.
Sat Nov 2 10am-noon. Join us as we recap our favorite tips from the recent Letters and Lines conference. If you attended, come prepared to share for just a few minutes something you learned. If you didn’t attend, come glean tips from those who did. Remaining Time: Critiques- Please submit up to 650 words of a ms, query, pitch, etc. to wendisilvano@gmail.com if you are interested. First submitted will be first critiqued until time is up! Any questions and to RSVP, contact Wendi at the email above.
Penrose Carriage House, Colorado Springs Saturday, Nov 9, 9am-1pm How do you make your character appear the right age? How can I utilize costume design to aid my story? This intensive session led by author, illustrator, and former character/costume designer for animated films, Lily Williams, is a comprehensive overview of character and costume design from the ground up. Including information on cartooning anatomy, and a history of character design in picture books. Event is free, but lunch is not. Space is limited and advanced registration is required. Register or learn more here (may need to cut and paste) https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfGafiBLS7TsB43ai6QGzkYWLRWW_SfZyN3RjJZ2fd6TNX1Hw/viewform
Meadows Branch Library, 4800 Baseline Road, Boulder Sunday Nov 10, 1-3pm Join us for the last Boulder Connect of the year to discuss craft resources for both writing and illustrating. Please bring resources you use (print or online) about any aspect of craft as well as inspirational resources. We will share and discuss these resources and create a database for everyone to use. Please RSVP here (may need to cut and paste): https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdYZ0s18Vi5lyUDc9CD0ixDm2eFwac_Aty7siad9kRN-eu_6g/viewform If you have any questions, contact Laura Perdew at LMPerdew@gmail.com.
Sunday, November 10, 1:30-4:30pm at Fire Station 19 (on Research, between Lexington and Chapel Hills) Build your writing endurance and shake up your writing routine with quick writing. YA author, Kim Gerstenschlager, will share what she's learned practicing writing sprints and share a variety of online resources we can use to stretch our writing muscles--no running shoes required. (But it would be a good idea to bring a laptop/device for this hands-on writing session.) Remaining Time: Critiques, if interested--bring 5-8 copies of your work in progress (up to 5 pages or 1500 words) to share.
Tuesday, November 12, 6:00-7:30pm, Zoom. Our next Self-publishing Connect Event will focus on information we learned at SCBWI RMC Conference. I am sure there will be lots to share and expand upon ideas we heard. To register for this event please contact Ann Cunningham at ann@acunningham.com.
Wednesday, November 13, 5:30–7:00pm, Zoom Join us to discuss and then critique each other’s pitches and queries. Come prepared with a query and/or pitch for one of your manuscripts or illustrations. Not ready to submit yet? No worries! This is a great opportunity to start learning about this important part of our creative journey and to help others by sharing your feedback on their work. Contact karenlee at rmcwyconnect@gmail.com for more information.
Saturday, November 16, 10:00am-2:00pm Where: Bookies Bookstore, 2085 S. Holly Street, Denver Get a jump start on your holiday gift list, while celebrating local authors, illustrators, and books! Join 25+ RMC SCBWI PAL members of picture books, middle grade, and young adult books for a festive day of cookies, activities, book signings, and, of course, books. No registration required. Please share with friends and family!
Monday, Nov 18, 6:00-8:00pm, Zoom Looking forward to end the year on a better foot? Let’s come together to share from our experiences as writers and illustrators - the good, the bad and the ugly! How do you schedule and keep track of email correspondence, set up reminders for promotional materials, organize visits/events, keep your research notes in order, maintain your contacts? Please bring personal tips that have helped you be successful as well as questions on areas you struggle with--one of us is bound to have an idea! Let’s tap into our collective hive minds and end the Connect-year on a highly organized note! Contact: Julie Rowan-Zoch, jrzoch@gmail.com--no RSVP necessary, but please email if you are not already on the NoCO list.
Tues Dec 3, 6-8pm, in person at Arvada Library 7525 W. 57th Ave Denver with Zoom option Revising your work (or critiquing others’) can be overwhelming. Without specific elements to look for, it’s easy to rely on “gut feel,” which is hard to articulate and harder to trust. Kelley J. P. Lindberg, award-winning author of YA and adult fiction, will teach participants to evaluate 17 aspects of storytelling to edit and strengthen any manuscript! Please bring a few pages of your WIP to exchange in groups and apply what you've learned. Questions: Contact the YA team at kdmwriter@gmail.com.
We are so lucky to have author/illustrator and Co-leader of our Rocky Mountain SCBWI region, Stan Yan, to teach us about the illustration program Procreate (as requested by some of our members). Even authors can benefit from knowing some of what goes into crafting illustrations using this popular tool. Bring your questions! During the second half of our Connect, bring a work-in-progress to critique. For critiques, bring six-eight copies of a PB manuscript; the first five pages of a longer work, a query letter, illustrations, or similar. If you'd like, bring a festive snack to contribute to our holiday lunch, but come either way. RSVP: Contact Stacey Simmons or Jenny Crooks-Johnson at rmcdsouthconnect@gmail.com with any questions or concerns.
Sat Dec 7, 11:00am-1:00pm at Sheridan Library, Thersa Dando Meeting Room, 3425 W. Oxford Ave, Denver We are so lucky to have author/illustrator and Co-leader of our Rocky Mountain SCBWI region, Stan Yan, to teach us about the illustration program Procreate (as requested by some of our members). Even authors can benefit from knowing some of what goes into crafting illustrations using this popular tool. Bring your questions! During the second half of our Connect, bring a work-in-progress to critique. For critiques, bring six-eight copies of a PB manuscript; the first five pages of a longer work, a query letter, illustrations, or similar. If you'd like, bring a festive snack to contribute to our holiday lunch, but come either way. RSVP: Please use this form to RSVP (may need to cut and paste link): https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdYaxtsT2XGxh4E2iErDe3m2vY-uUWBplD4CqgaujFQmZ06vw/viewform Contact Stacey Simmons or Jenny Crooks-Johnson at rmcdsouthconnect@gmail.com with any questions or concerns.
Join us for an informal get together celebrating the holidays and all we've accomplished this year. We'll play games, eat food, and have a book exchange. Bring an appetizer, drink, or goodie to share and an in-good-condition book for the exchange. (Book does not have to be new.)
Sun Dec 8, 1:30-4:30pm at Fire Station 19 (on Research, between Lexington and Chapel Hills) Join us for an informal get together celebrating the holidays and all we've accomplished this year. We'll play games, eat food, and have a book exchange. Bring an appetizer, drink, or goodie to share and an in-good-condition book for the exchange. (Book does not have to be new.)
Wed Jan 8, 6:30-8pm, location TBD with Zoom option Writing an effective synopsis is an essential skill for writers who submit their work to publishers. Join Lisa Kaniut Cobb, author of The Netahs YA fantasy series, to learn to craft synopses from elevator pitches to 500-word descriptions. We’ll also review submission guidelines and work together to make your synopsis fit the guidelines and get your writing noticed. Please bring a summary of your WIP. Questions: Contact the YA team at kdmwriter@gmail.com.