Picture Book Authors and Illustrators Group!
The Very Hungry Caterpillar. Where the Wild Things Are. Goodnight Moon. Chances are picture books have touched your life. Have you ever dreamed of creating them? Now is your chance! Cuddle up with your notebook and/or art supplies this winter and join a group of kindred spirits creating stories and pictures for children.
In this experience offered exclusively for the Boreal Bliss community, writing coach Kate Vacek will lead a group of up to five participants to share writing or artwork in progress and provide positive feedback. Participating in the group will give you accountability to your goals and a behind-the-scenes view of the picture book creation process.
All experience levels are welcome. You may focus on writing, illustrating, or both. Whether your ultimate goal is publication or simply to enjoy the benefits of the creative process, you will make a great start in this three-month practice.
Nervous about sharing your work? That’s totally normal! Rest assured that this will be a welcoming, encouraging group. Because our goal is to help each other establish a consistent writing/art practice, we will share only positive feedback and helpful information about the creative process and picture book publishing. This is not a critique group, but we can talk about when and why authors/illustrators seek out critique groups.
Our first session will be spent getting to know each other and our goals, gaining an overview of the picture book genre, learning some basic publishing industry information, and sparking some ideas for drafts. For the remaining five sessions, participants will bring a work-in-progress to share with the group, receive positive feedback, and set a goal for the next two weeks.
About Kate:
Kate Vacek is an experienced writer and writing coach with a PhD in teaching writing. She owns Compass Academic Coaching, which serves graduate students, professors, and other researchers as they pursue their degrees, tenure, and research agendas. Kate is also a creative writer who has been selected for the 2023-2024 Little Mo Writers Workshop, supported by Humanities North Dakota, to work on a memoir. Her recent work in the picture book genre was sparked when two people in her life shared their dreams of publishing for children. Seeing a chance to use her expertise as a writing coach to support them, Kate formed a writing group, which launched with group members taking a picture book course through the UCLA Extension Writers’ Program. The group has continued meeting regularly, and participants have submitted work to publishers and workshops. Kate has attended Boreal Bliss retreats and is excited to share her skills with the Boreal Bliss community. She lives in Grand Forks, North Dakota.
The Details:
This three-month group will meet biweekly on Zoom for one hour. Sessions will be held Sundays at 5:30 pm.
Dates are
January 14 & 28
February 11 & 25
March 10 & 24
Please plan to attend all six sessions. Your consistent presence is an important part of the group experience.
The participation fee is $195. Sign up here through Kate’s business, Compass Academic Coaching. A portion of your fee will be donated to the Boreal Bliss scholarship fund. Thank you for helping expand access to Boreal Bliss retreats!
Refunds: Please reach out as soon as possible if you are unable to participate. Your fee is refundable up to one week before the first group meeting. After that, the fee is non-refundable.
Questions? Contact Kate at kate@yourphdcompass.com
