A Behind-the-Scenes Look at the 50th Annual New England SCBWI Conference with Co-Director Jim Hill

The 2023 New England SCBWI Conference will be held Friday, April 28^th – Sunday, April 30^th.

This is my go-to writing conference because it’s always got great depth in everything kidlit, from writing picture books to middle grade and young adult novels, plus graphic novels and illustration. I was looking for the inside scoop to share with readers and got it and thanks to Co-Director Jim Hill.

This year’s conference will be extra special because:

It’s the conference’s 50^th anniversary!
It’s IN PERSON. While Zoom conferences are great, I think we’re all ready to meet up live with writing and illustrating peeps who we haven’t seen for a bit.

Here’s the run-down of what the conference includes:

69 workshops to choose from
Intensives for writers, including how to fix your picture book manuscript, revise your novel, and craft a successful query letter
Intensives for illustrators on using Procreate and resetting your illustration style
Panels on poetry and on writing YA when you’re no longer a young adult
A Talk by Jane Yolen and Heidi Stemple
Unique topics like meditation, yoga, and tarot card reading for writers
Peer critiques
An illustrator showcase
Ask-a-mentor sessions with industry professionals

So let’s get into it!

RJA: I’ll tell you why I’m excited about this year’s conference. We’ll be in person! I loved the online conferences because it was great to keep going even in the middle of COVID, but I missed being able to meet in person. So many writer friends don’t live nearby and I just don’t run into them anywhere but the conference. Everyone’s there!

JH: Yes, for me, the conference is that meeting of like-minded people. Making friends who when you say, “I write children’s books,” don’t tell you their idea for a picture book and say they’ll give the idea if you write it and split the profits 50-50.

RJA: [Laughs.] Right. Because kidlit writing is so easy.

JH: The magic in the conference is in the mingling in the halls; it’s in the after-hours events. At my first NESCBWI conference in New Hampshire 11 years ago, I met Christy Yaros, now one of NESCBWI’s Assistant Regional Advisors. She recognized me from Twitter and introduced herself, and we’re still friends today.

I also appreciate how welcoming everyone is if you show up and don’t know anybody. That morning after I met Christy, I went to find a place to eat breakfast and was called over by a group of illustrators from Rhode Island who asked me to join them. People are just excited to talk about children’s books.

RJA: What are you excited about for this year’s conference?

JH: I’m excited for our keynotes. Christopher Denise has been one of my favorite illustrators for a long time, since I originally started writing children’s books. I initially thought I’d be a writer-illustrator as I spent my career as a graphic designer. His books were some of the ones I was picking up and learning from way back then. It was especially great to get him as a keynote in a year when he received a Caldecott Honor.

RJA: Both of this year’s keynote speakers won major awards. Did you know before you chose them?

JH: No! I can’t say whether that was good luck or great instinct on my part. Corey McCarthy, who is a friend of mine, I knew was probably going to get something from ALA for Man O’ War because it’s such an outstanding book and such an important subject at this time. [It was named a Stonewall Honor Book.] In fact, Corey was someone who I’d wanted to ask to present back when I started planning this conference because he’s an awesome writer and a fantastic person.

RJA: Something different about this year’s conference is it’s easier to register. In the past, you had to have your whole schedule planned out before registering.

JH: We’re using a different registration program this year, but the fundamental difference is that we’re using a method where you vote with your feet for the workshop options you want to go to. It means you can decide on the workshops you’re interested in day-of. You can also leave a workshop if you’re not enjoying it and go try another.

It’s not different from how other regional SCBWI conferences run or other larger conferences like Comic-Con, Boskone, or Nerd Camps.

RJA: But in the past, people have said there were limits on participants in a particular workshop because there were limits on the number of people in a room for fire safety.

If people are really excited about a workshop, they should get there early and claim their space.

JH: Yes, so if people are really excited about a workshop, they should get there early and claim their space. I’m sure we’re going to have some people who are disappointed to be left out of something that was more popular. But we have so many workshops available, and they all look fantastic to me. That was my criteria for picking workshops. “Would I go to it?”

And, as in year’s past, we’ll hold an Encore day for the most popular session later in the year.

RJA: The workshops look great! I printed out the list and went through it with a highlighter. I think I picked out about 4 times as many as I’ll actually be able to attend.

JH: Yes, we have 69 workshops, up from 34 last year. I think it’s even more than our last in-person conference.

My criteria for picking out workshops for this conference was, ‘Would I go to it?’

RJA: I know you’ve got workshops that cover topics for writers and illustrators. For picture book through young adult. Are there any you particularly want to call out?

JH: Lisa Papademetriou is doing a workshop on Tarot Cards for writers. Lisa Stringfellow’s doing one on the engines of conflict: crafting compelling antagonists in middle grade fiction.

RJA: Both of those are on my list!

JH: There’s one on work-for-hire, which is yours.

RJA: Yes, I learned about the work-for-hire market through this conference, so I hope I can pass that discovery on. Thanks for inviting me!

JH: Hidden jewels people should look out for include:

Think like an author! Think like an illustrator! Pat Zietlow Miller and Lita
Judge will talk about creating picture books that perfectly blend text and art.
Before the sensitivity reader: creating a culture of accountability.
Sylvia Liu’s doing one on creating vibrant secondary characters. We get so caught up in our main characters that we sometimes forget that secondary characters need to stand out too. Sylvia also has a great workshop on social media.
Marcy Kate Connolly has one called the Method in the Magic, which is about fantasy magic systems.
Anika Denise will be our query doctor. Everyone sweats their query letter. Anika’s going to help and will be soliciting some queries to critique in her session.

JH: On top of all that, Jane Yolen will be in conversation with Heidi Stemple, providing her wisdom on creating kidlit. We wouldn’t be celebrating the 50^th anniversary of the conference if it weren’t for Jane. She brought SCBWI over from California, where SCBWI was founded.

RJA: How many books has she published? Over 400 now? She always has sage advice.

JH: And she’s such an inspiration. She still writes every day.

RJA: I know this conference is a ton of work. What are you most looking forward to after the conference is over and you get to pass the baton on to Elaine Gencarelli for next year?

JH: I’m looking forward to some quality time with my family. My wife is the musical director of a production, with evening rehearsals right now, so it will be great to have some time to reconnect.

RJA: Thanks to Jim and the whole volunteer team for putting together this great weekend on children’s book writing and illustration. And thanks, Jim, for taking the time to share the details with the Winged Pen!

You can register for the conference here, and find the full schedule.

Want to know more about attending writing conferences? Check out:

Insider Tips to Get the Most Out of Your Next Conference

Tales from an Introvert: My Experience at the New York SCBWI Conference