Past Events

Children's book author Jessica Stremer and Holiday House Executive Editor Sally Morgridge joined us on a dive into the world of long-form nonfiction books for kids, and discussed their most recent title FIRE ESCAPE: How Animals and Plants Survive Wildfires. This session included an outline of what to include in a nonfiction proposal and practical tips for staying organized as we research.

Are you interested in visiting schools and presenting your books to students and teachers? Are you not sure what you should charge or how to get school visit gigs? Do you want to improve your presentation skills and need ideas to make your presentations more interactive? This group is for you! At this meeting, we shared what has worked and what hasn't in our presentations and learned how to manage the business side of things.

During this free, in-person event, we came prepared to search the library for great picture books to share with others as mentor texts!

The Spring 2025 creative retreat was at a new location, Mandala Springs Retreat Center in bucolic Cobb, near Kelseyville, Lake County and newly open to SCBWI members AND non-members!

Play Your Way Into Story! Story Charades is a fun, lively mash-up of your favorite, interactive summer camp games. This was an opportunity to connect with fellow creatives, explore components of story (such as character, setting, etc.) and create a story, together.

This workshop was for anyone ready to explore the power of storytelling—experienced writer and those of us just starting the journey. Together, we uncovered the authentic stories within us through reflective exercises and creative prompts.

Olivia Berriz and Sarah Cronin led us in a community-based, in-person writing workshop on early-stage concept generation and revision. We experimented with expansion and reduction as editing techniques combined with exercises that encouraged us to tap into the minds of our young readership.

A panel of three award-winning authors who write in multiple categories--Martha Brockenbrough, Ally Braithwaite Condie, and Yamile Saied Méndez--joined us for a frank and encouraging conversation about writing process, what they’ve learned, and what they try when they run into roadblocks.

Whether starting from scratch or looking to revamp an existing online presence, this talk was our roadmap to an effective author website.

Free and in-person, this event let us meet other writers and illustrators and share critiques on works-in-progress!

We learned how to adapt existing picture books or middle grade with sensory items by creating inclusive reading and literacy experiences for readers with severe medical and/or cognitive disabilities.

We joined illustrator Sandhya Prabhat for this special session on creating impactful pages! Participants learned to manipulate imagery on a page to draw the reader's eyes where required, to exploit the power of composition in order to tell a compelling story in the best possible way, and to use light, shadow, color, page layout, text placement, size, shape, and other such tools to get the most out of a page.

Led by booking agent, Rebecca Miller with Authors Unbound, this workshop focused on the pros and cons of signing with a booking agent and creating a signature presentation that makes you stand-out!

This weekend provided *time* to focus on art in the company of like-minded picture book illustrators, surrounded by the lush forest and scenic beaches of West Marin County. As a special treat, Bay Area artist Shirley Ng-Benitez guided some sketchbook fun on an outing to Muir Beach. Shirley is an established illustrator who was the perfect guide for this creative exercise as she shared her experience with us.

Award-winning children's book author, educator, TEDx speaker, and frequent keynote presenter Shannon Anderson walked participants through the ins and outs of setting up school visits: how to book visits, how much to charge, keeping kids engaged, and ideas for what you can talk about during your presentation.

Participants dove into an exclusive workshop where Lian Cho unveiled the secrets behind her picture book Pig Town Party! This illustrator intensive was designed for new and seasoned Illustrators, as well as authors/illustrators, to explore and refine their illustration process.

Members who joined SCBWI in the last year or so were invited to this online Q&A, where we did our best to to help them find answers!

Select webinar recordings were available for replay during the month of June 2024! Participants could purchase access to some or all of these popular online webinars and watch them anytime in June!

Participants spent a morning in the park for this Critque-PAL-ooza! Everyone recieved a critique from one of our award-winning PAL members plus feedback from an intimate group of matched-genre participants.

No speakers, no programs, just time to write, draw and create surrounded by the beautiful valleys and vineyards of Healdsburg, plus an informal critique group on Saturday night.

Informative editor panel that focused on the various aspects of writing for the Work-for-Hire market. Whether you're a seasoned writer looking to expand your portfolio or a newcomer interested in exploring freelance opportunities, this session was designed to provide you with valuable insights and practical advice from editors Jenna Gleisner, Erinn Pascal and Alice Hobbs.

Learned where to find publishers and work-for-hire assignments, how to perfect queries, research strategies and tips, and reviewed the business side of things—contracts, fees, and building a resume/portfolio.

Participants immersed themselves in the world of graphic novels with Kayden Phoenix, a renowned graphic novelist known for her unique blend of captivating storytelling and artistic brilliance.

A free, in-person event brought to you by the Tapestry of Voices team! Open to members and non-members.

We were back in-person for the Oktoberfest Conference! We immersed ourselves in a vibrant atmosphere of creativity and learning, with a lineup featuring renowned authors, illustrators, and publishing professionals who inspired and guided us on our artistic journies. Engaged in riveting talks and panels, fine-tuned manuscripts and portfolios through insightful critiques, and unleashed our pitch prowess in the Agent Pitch Speed Dating.

Presentation by early childhood educator Gennie Gorback focusing on the aspects of child development most important to kidlit writers. Gennie discussed typical developmental milestones for children ages 0-12, the development of language and humor, and how to use/cite the Common Core State Standards in your manuscript's back matter.

Sep 6-8. No speakers, no programs, just time to write or draw surrounded by the beautiful scenery of West Marin, plus informal evening readings and critiques.