2026
Afternoon Session Descriptions
Full afternoon schedule coming soon!
Amanda West Lewis
Author
BREAKOUT SESSION #1
The Bodily Art: Written Language as Physical Experience
From earliest childhood, we used our bodies to create sounds, sounds that contained meaning. What a thrill for a child when they make a sound and realize it has been understood by someone! Soon, they learn that these sounds can be represented on a piece of paper. They learn to connect aural sounds with visual language.
As writers for children, it is vital to understand this connection between spoken language and written language. In this session, we’ll dive into the “bodily art” of making sounds to communicate meaning. We’ll explore your vocal apparatus, and how each sound you make conveys thought. We’ll dip into the science of reading and see how words are transformed into sound in your brain, even as you read silently. Finally, we’ll look at examples of how writers reflect sound and speech in their work, and brainstorm some ideas on how to incorporate this knowledge into your own writing.
BREAKOUT SESSION #2
Thrum, Hiss, and Warble: Making Each Word Count
Novelist Ian McEwan considers poetry “the superior and ultimate literary form.” Whatever genre we are writing in, diving into poetry helps us to connect to meaning at the deepest level. As McEwan says, “It derives from … the very pulse of our being.”
This isn’t a session in writing poetry so much as it is a warm bath with words. We’ll play with rhythm and sound and feel how they dance on the page. We’ll explore examples of prose poetry and make creative leaps into our own work. We’ll noodle around with poetry prompts, and tap, shimmy, bop, thrum, hiss, and warble our thoughts onto the page.
Candace Fleming
Author
PLENARY
Eric and Candy: Together and Apart: the Collaborative Process of Creation
Join author-illustrator team Candace Fleming and Eric Rohmann in a sneak peek, behind-the-scenes look at how they work in tandem to create joint projects. How do two experienced artists, who have worked on many projects individually, figure out how to tackle a project together? What do the differing opinions, talents, and tastes of each bring to the project? How does this affect the finished book? And how can you apply what they’ve discovered to your own work? This fast-paced plenary will provide plenty of tips and tricks as Candace and Eric lead you through their journey of discovery with energy, humor, and candor.
BREAKOUT
Make ‘Em Suffer: Adversity in Kids Books
Often, writers go too easy on their characters. They don’t want to see them suffer. But the truth is, a hero is more likeable the more she suffers. In this mini-workshop you will practice being mean (age appropriately, of course) putting your character through just about the worst thing that can happen to them. . . and having fun doing it!
Celesta Rimington
Author
BREAKOUT #1
Getting Your Muse Unstuck Through Deep Dive Research Research is the golden secret for fiction writers—not only for writing a believable story, regardless of genre, but also for getting unstuck! Are you struggling with character motivation, unsure about what makes the story unique, stuck on a plot point, at a loss for how to solve the conflict? I’ll show you real examples of how research has solved these concerns time and time again. We’ll examine how a deep dive into subjects that interest you or interest your characters can open up a wealth of insight and prime your creative brain to solve the pesky challenges that block writers from finishing or revising their books.
BREAKOUT #2
Writing Emotionally Resonant Fiction
At the intersection of character, plot, setting, and theme, we find incredible opportunities to craft fiction with universal emotional resonance. In this session, we’ll evaluate these four elements of story and how they work together to bring authentic emotion to your readers. We’ll discuss tools that help your audience feel deep, relatable, complex emotions, using examples of masterfully-written stories in both literature and film. You’ll leave this session with a wealth of exercises and actionable steps you can take with your own manuscripts to hook your readers and keep them talking about how your story made them feel long afterward.
Colin Murcray
Author / CEO of Libreon
BREAKOUT
Humor in Writing
Literary agent Andrea Brown once said, “Make us laugh or cry, and we’ll get you a deal. Make us do both, and we’ll get you an auction.” When writing for children, humor is a great tool to connect with them, even if your book is serious in nature. Humor is the sugar to help the medicine go down, and many of the best writers use it to their advantage. While it isn’t an easy skill to develop, there are strategic tactics a writer can use to infuse humor into their writing to make a memorable story. This lecture looks closely at examples of humorous writing and unpacks what makes them funny. Participants will learn about the different types of humor and how to write it more effectively. After all, a story that makes us both laugh and cry is one that will have a long life, because children will always need to do both.
Eric Rohmann
Author/Illustrator
PLENARY
Eric and Candy: Together and Apart: the Collaborative Process of Creation
Join author-illustrator team Candace Fleming and Eric Rohmann in a sneak peek, behind-the-scenes look at how they work in tandem to create joint projects. How do two experienced artists, who have worked on many projects individually, figure out how to tackle a project together? What do the differing opinions, talents, and tastes of each bring to the project? How does this affect the finished book? And how can you apply what they’ve discovered to your own work? This fast-paced plenary will provide plenty of tips and tricks as Candace and Eric lead you through their journey of discovery with energy, humor, and candor.
BREAKOUT
How Kids See Pictures
In this informal discussion we will look picture books and picture book illustration from the young reader’s point of view. What do kids see,? How does visual narrative tell stories that makes sense to them? What do they look at first? What compels them to keep looking?
Erin Jones Price
Author / Rights & Licensing Analyst
BREAKOUT
What Every Author Needs to Know About Copyright, Plagiarism, and AI
Have you ever wondered when and how to copyright your work, how much control you have over the rights in your contract, or what you can do to stop a tech company from using your book to train a language learning model? We'll cover the basics authors need to know about copyright, including how registration works for traditional vs. self-published authors, how to use quotes and images in your work without getting into legal trouble, what to do if others plagiarize your work, and yes, even how to deal with that thorny issue of AI plagiarization!
Erin Stewart
Author
BREAKOUT #1
Breaking into KidLit: A Peek into YA and MG markets
What’s going on in YA and MG right now? What are editors looking for? What’s selling? What are the red flags that will land you in the reject pile? Erin will discuss her experience in both young adult and middle grade genres. She will also share insights into both markets from her editors at two big 5 publishers. Come with questions and ready to learn about where you might fit in the current kidlit market.
BREAKOUT #2
Murky, Sagging, Boring Middles—and how to fix them!
Middles are the worst. Come find out how to not just survive writing the middle of your story, but actually enjoy it! We’ll discuss what makes a compelling midpoint, why the middle is so important, and tools you can use to write a middle that compels your plot, character, and your own author excitement forward.
Heather B. Moore
Managing Editor / Author
HANDS-ON WORKSHOP (HOW)
Bringing History to Life through Middle Grade Fiction
Join authors Heather B. Moore and Allison Hong Merrill as they discuss their research and co-writing process in creating the Young Readers Adaptation of The Paper Daughters of Chinatown. Heather and Allison will discuss contracts, collaborating on plot and character development, working on a deadline, marketing to educators and young readers, and why bringing history to life for young readers is a valuable endeavor.
HOWs (Hands-On Workshops) are 1.5-hour, more in-depth classes during the afternoon breakout hours.
Heidi Gordon
Agent
PLENARY
What I Learned Switching Sides: Lessons From an Editor Turned Agent
Moving from editor to literary agent revealed just how much of publishing remains invisible to writers. In this candid and informative session, I reflect on the insights I gained by changing roles—what surprised me, what stayed the same, and what writers most need to know about how their work is read and advocated for. This class will help writers better navigate submissions, manage expectations, and approach their careers with a clearer, more empowered understanding of the industry.
BREAKOUT
How to Become Market-Aware Without Killing Your Creativity
Writers are often told to “write for the market,” but what does that really mean, and how do you do it without sanding down what makes your work unique? Drawing on 20 years in publishing and current experience as a literary agent, this class breaks down how agents and editors think about marketability, trends, and positioning, and where originality actually strengthens a book’s chances. Attendees will learn how to understand market context, avoid the trap of trend-chasing, and make informed creative choices that serve both the story and a long-term writing career.
Joy Peskin
Editor
PLENARY
The More Things Change, the More They Stay the Same
I've worked as an editor in children's books publishing for 30 years (Penguin, Scholastic, Farrar Straus Giroux Books for Young Readers/Macmillan), and authors often ask, "How has publishing changed?" In this talk, I'll answer that, and will also explain what parts of this business have remained the same. For example, the way we do the work is quite different, in terms of technology. However, the heart of what makes a good story hasn't changed at all. The way we get books into readers' hands has changed in some ways, given the rise in online shopping. But children most commonly still hear about books from adults--teachers, librarians, or caregivers--so a bit part of our work remains getting our books in front of those gatekeepers. Listeners will come away from this presentation understanding more about today's publishing climate, and how their work can fit into it.
BREAKOUT #1
Children's Books Publishing: The Intersection of Art and Commerce
Your goal as a writer is to find a story to tell about which you care deeply which will also resonate in the marketplace. The big question is: How? In this talk, I'll give examples from books I've edited across all categories--picture books, middle grade, and YA--that I feel are well-told stories which also have strong sales potential. We'll discuss which sorts of topics tend to resonate with young readers, and which are tricky, to help authors make the best possible choices in their storytelling. I'll also try to demystify the business of publishing by explaining what financial calculations are taken into account when an editorial team is considering acquiring a project. Ideally, attendees will learn how best to position their current and future projects for success.
Kiri Jorgensen
Publisher & Senior Editor
BREAKOUT
Clarity of Character: Weaving Your Strongest Character Using Intentional Threads
In children’s fiction, character is everything. Crafting a strong character is what makes the difference between published or not. How do you build the protagonist kids will love? Intentionally weaving the elements of character in a unique pattern is the key. In this presentation, publisher Kiri Jorgensen will teach you the six elements of character, show you how to weave, and give you the tools to work your craft.
Laura Shovan
Author
PLENARY
The Element of Surprise – Exercising Your Creative Muscle with Writing Prompts
In I Want to be Creative, Harriet Griffey says “Exposure to different stimuli—new sounds, sights and sensations—create connections in the brain via the synapses, the points of connection between the neurons. The more neurons, the more neural pathways and more synapses, and the greater the opportunity to spark ideas and solutions.” In this session, we will look at the science behind how prompts and exercises can help writers break down blocks and discover unexpected pathways in their own stories. It wouldn’t be science if we didn’t test this theory, so come prepared to write.
BREAKOUT
Class description coming soon.
Lindsay Flanagan
Editor / Publisher
BREAKOUT
How to Start Your Story on the Right Page
How to Start Your Story on the Right Page is a craft-focused workshop on writing powerful openings that hook readers from the very first line. We’ll break down what makes effective first pages work, explore character-driven and plot-driven openings, and learn how to use tools like hooks, inciting incidents, and mini-arcs to create momentum fast. Through real examples from contemporary fiction, you’ll leave with practical strategies to revise your opening chapters so readers—and agents, editors, and teachers—want to keep turning the pages.
Morgan E. Iverson
Author
HANDS-ON WORKSHOP (HOW)
Manuscript CPR
Tired of rejection letters that don’t give you anything concrete to work on? Feel like there’s a gap in the level of writing between your manuscript and published books, but don’t know how to cross it? Join the club! I’ve been there, too. In this H.O.W., we’ll talk about the lesser-known tips and tricks that make your writing stand out in the slush pile. I didn’t learn these until my book got accepted and I started working with my editor. Now, you get to try them out for yourself! In this case, it’s the “little” details that make all the difference.
Come prepared with any questions you might have and (optional) a page from your WIP. The second half of this class will be designed live based around what you—yes, you—need to get out of it! (And just like my class last year, there will be homemade toffee and a new baby penguin.)
HOWs (Hands-On Workshops) are 1.5-hour, more in-depth classes during the afternoon breakout hours.
Samantha Millburn
Editor
BREAKOUT
It's Okay to Make Mistakes: Learning and Growing as a Writer
Every writer makes mistakes—published authors included. Embrace imperfections as you hear real stories about missteps, rewrites, and rejections that have helped shape stronger stories. You'll learn how mistakes are a vital part of the creative process, and you’ll discover tools for turning setbacks into growth.
Scott Rhoades
Author & WIFYR Lead Assistant
BREAKOUT
Rejecting Rejection: Persisting Past No
Rejection is an unavoidable obstacle when you write for publication, but you can’t let it block your path. No matter how strong your writing is or how many times you’ve been published, resistance will come from both gatekeepers and your own internal editor. In this session, we’ll rally around tactics to push through rejection, stay motivated, and fight for that “yes” when “no” keeps trying to stop you.
Sherry Meidell
Illustrator
BREAKOUT
Creating with Pencil, Paint, and Word
There’s a benefit that comes from being able to see the pictures in your head and combine that with the words that tell the story. Sherry will talk about her process of combining the words and the illustrations. Which comes first the chicken or the egg. Which comes first the art or the words. What’s the most important thing? How do you make the story the most important thing?
