Writing the Rainbow: An Online Intensive for Picture Book Storytellers

Faculty: Rob Sanders, Lesléa Newman

Confirmed special guest: Carole Boston Weatherford

NOT CONFIRMED invited editor: Chris Krones

OVERVIEW:

A 4-day Online Intensive with Lectures, Discussion, Discovery, & Read Alouds

This workshop is designed to bring LGBTQIA+ creators and allies together to craft picture books with clear LGBTQIA+ themes. You will learn to create books that celebrate joy, respect, and appreciation for children in today’s world, showing beauty and strength in our rainbow of experiences.

• Live sessions take place via Zoom over 4 days:
  • Friday, June 2 from 7pm – 9pm Eastern
  • Saturday, June 3 from 2pm – 4pm & 7pm – 9pm Eastern
  • Sunday, June 4 from 2pm – 4pm & 7pm – 9pm Eastern
  • Monday, June 5 from 7pm – 9pm Eastern
• All sessions will be recorded and placed in the virtual classroom (recordings available until July 31, 2023)
• Written feedback on a picture book submission (Submission due May 19)
• A 1:1 20-minute consultation with Rob or Lesléa to review written feedback from submission (scheduled at a mutually convenient time on June 5 or June 6)
• Optional post-course critiques are available at an additional cost (details below)
• 20 participants max

FEEDBACK EXPECTED:

• Q & A opportunities throughout the program to discuss questions related to lectures, your stories, and publishing.
• Written feedback on a picture book submission.  You may submit one picture book manuscript (up to 1,000 words) at any stage in the drafting process. Please pair your submission with a cover letter that details a little about yourself, your connection to the story, where you are in the progress of the story (idea, first draft, revision), and any questions that you have for your reader. Based on the theme/style of your submission, you will be paired with a reader (Rob or Lesléa).  Submissions are due May 19.
• A 1:1 20-minute consultation with Rob or Lesléa to review written feedback from your submission (scheduled at a mutually convenient time on June 5 or June 6).
• OPTIONAL written critiques will be available at an additional cost after the course. You may submit the revised manuscript from this workshop, or a new picture book project (up to 1,000 words).  Submissions for the optional critique are due by June 15, and written feedback will be returned within 4 – 6 weeks.

WHY THIS WORKSHOP?

Picture books bring the world into the hands of young readers. They celebrate all of us as individuals, families, and communities. In many ways we are different, and in many ways we are alike.

Join Lesléa Newman, Rob Sanders, and guests for a 4 day intensive filled with craft-focused lectures, mentor text study, manuscript feedback, Q&A, and community. Writing exercises will encourage creatives to dig into their works-in-progress and explore new ideas.

Together we’ll:

• Identify new topics for LGBTQIA+ themed picture books
• Uncover ways to work collaboratively on your picture book projects
• Explore tools of storytelling for both fiction and nonfiction picture books
• Examine how to turn story ideas into books that children will love
• Work to understand the needs of our diverse LGBTQIA+ community
• Analyze current and historical picture books with LGBTQIA+ themes and topics
• Learn tools for revision
• Hear from guest(s) about the submission process and LGBTQIA+ needs in the market
• Consider ways to be an ally, and to amplify the diversity of LGBTQIA+ themes and experiences–especially those from underrepresented voices
• Receive critique on a full picture book manuscript (included), with the option to add on another (paid).

IT’S A GREAT FIT IF:

• You’re a published or aspiring picture book author, and/or author/illustrators creating stories with LGBTQIA+ themes.
• You’re an illustrator looking for support in writing picture book text with LGBTQIA+ themes to pair with your illustrations.
• You are interested in writing picture books in any genre or style. We’ll talk fiction, nonfiction, prose, and poetry.
• You’re a published creative who wants to take your writing back to the bare bones. We all start at the beginning with each new project. This course can help you explore new and different ways of crafting your story.
• You’d like a high level of engagement with fellow writers and faculty so that you can explore new ideas.
• You need a workshop that fits into your schedule. This is an online course. All live lectures will be recorded so that you can watch the recordings at a time that best fits your needs. The virtual classroom is available for questions and interaction with your faculty and fellow writers.
• LGBTQIA+ family members and allies will be joyfully welcomed!

DETAILED AGENDA:

All times are Eastern Time.

Pre-Workshop

Prior to the course, you will receive a link to our virtual classroom where you can introduce yourself to fellow writers, engage in Highlights Foundation related resources (including our Community Standards), and review details about submissions.

There is a full manuscript critique included in this program. You may submit one picture book manuscript (up to 1,000 words) at any stage in the drafting process by May 19. Please pair your submission with a cover letter that details a little about yourself, your connection to the story, where you are in the progress of the story (idea, first draft, revision), and any questions that you have for your reader. Based on the theme/style of your submission you will be paired with a reader (Rob or Lesléa).

Friday, June 2

LIVE Session 1: 7-9pm Eastern

• Welcome and Introductions
• General Session: The Possibilities Are Endless: One Topic, Many Stories
• Writing Exercise: 99 Ways to Tell Your Story

Saturday, June 3

LIVE Session 2: 2-4pm Eastern

• Mentor Text Read-Aloud
• General Session: Finding and Telling Untold Stories
• Interactive Q & A

LIVE Session 3: 7-9pm Eastern

• Mentor Text Read Aloud
• General Session: Dump Trucks, Dresses, and Dolls, Oh, My: Smashing Gender Stereotypes in Children’s Literature
• Writing Exercise: Waterfall Writing

Sunday, June 4

LIVE Session 4: 2-4pm Eastern

• Reading the Rainbow—Sharing Our Favorite LGBTQIA+ Picture Books
• General Session with Carole Boston Weatherford (Working in Collaboration)

LIVE Session 5: 7-9pm Eastern

• Mentor Text Read-Aloud
• Writing Exercise: The Cutting Room Floor, Less Is More, Delete Your Darlings: Revising and Tightening Your Manuscript

Monday, June 5

LIVE Session 6: 7-9pm Eastern

• Special guest editor session
• Break Out Groups: Repetition with Rob and Remembering with Lesléa
• Where to Go from Here: Resources to Guide You on Your Journey, Questions, and Closing Remarks

June 5 & 6: 1:1 Meetings

Prior to the course (by May 19), you will submit one picture book manuscript for review. Based on the theme/style of your submission, you will be paired with a reader (Rob or Lesléa).

You will schedule a 20-minute, 1:1 meeting on June 5 or June 6 to discuss feedback and ask questions of Rob or Lesléa.

(If you have difficulty finding time to meet 1:1, you can receive the written feedback without a 1:1 meeting.)

Throughout the workshop in the Virtual Classroom

• Submission and meeting details
• Opportunities to build community and ask questions
• Details about optional post-course feedback with faculty for continued mentoring

Post-Course

If you would like continued support from Rob or Lesléa, they will be open to additional, OPTIONAL paid written critiques. You may submit the revised manuscript from this workshop, or a new, picture book project (up to 1,000 words).

Submissions will be due by June 15, and written feedback will be returned within 4 – 6 weeks.

A note about workshop agendas and how they change and evolve.

COMMITMENT REQUIRED FOR THE BEST EXPERIENCE:

To get the most out of this 4-day course:

• Attend the LIVE lectures (Or watch the recordings if you cannot attend live; you’ll have access to the course resources and the recordings from the LIVE sessions through July 31, 2023.)
• Bring questions to LIVE sessions (or post questions in the virtual classroom so that the faculty can attend to your needs)
• Participate in the writing exercises.

Another commitment that will help you get the most from this workshop is the submission deadline for the included picture book critique. The deadline is May 19 to allow faculty ample time to familiarize themselves with your work in advance of your 1:1 meeting. If this is an issue (or if you do not have a current work in progress), please let us know.

The Highlights Foundation strives for a safe and inclusive environment. You will have access to our Community Standards prior to the workshop where we ask for your respectful engagement with fellow creatives, including our faculty and staff.

Trying to figure out how this course fits into your schedule? Read some ideas about planning for the right level of commitment.

HOW IT IMPACTS KIDS:

Kids see themselves, their families, and their communities as part of a larger world through the pages of a picture book. These books encourage self-acceptance, empathy, and compassion, and resonate with a variety of family structures and identities.

Why do we mention this? Learn about the Highlights Foundation mission.

RESOURCES:

Writing the Rainbow: Rob Sanders and Lesléa Newman Talk About LGBTQIA+ Picture Books

Inner Truths: Crafting LGBTQ+ Children’s Books – Lesléa Newman and Kyle Lukoff on the Reach Out and Read podcast.

More LGBTQIA+ Picture Books: Why?

Rediscovering Joy with Picture Books

Kids Need Queer Books

Watch a Lee & Low Books webinar: LGBTQ+ Children’s Books: A Conversation with Authors and download their list of books and resources

The Gay History of America’s Classic Children’s Books (just for fun!)

How LGBTQIA+ Book Bans Impact Kids and Teens (We Need Diverse Books Blog; by Karis Rogerson)

Review: Sharice’s Big Voice: A Native Kid Becomes a Congresswoman (Social Justice Books; Reviewed by Debbie Reese)

FROM OUR COMMUNITY:

“Lesléa and Rob were both fantastic! Lesléa is always super professional and very knowledgeable about her craft. Rob was fun and interesting. His energy was contagious! They made an excellent team!”

“Rob and Lesléa are so fantastic. From the moment I sat down to the first session through the very end of the last, I felt the joy, passion, engagement, and care that Rob and Lesléa brought to this retreat. Generous does not quite cover it. They provided us with so many resources to take home, engaged with us during one-on-ones with care, positivity, and a deep sense of appreciation for the stories we each brought to the table. I felt championed, celebrated, and supported throughout this whole experience. Lesléa brought a precision and wealth of knowledge to the table and Rob brought an excitement and openness that was infectious. There was a fantastic balance of craft, questions, and play. Finally, I was so impressed by their level of kind professionalism paired with a willingness to share their personal trajectories. I walked away with a better understanding of how to be a good literary citizen, the fundamentals of my craft, tricks and tips to employ while writing and revising, industry ins and outs, and how to run a successful workshop! I feel so lucky to have been a part of this.”

“Removing rhyme, adding descriptive words, cutting word count, cutting down proposal, overhauling concepts entirely! I’ve reworked [my story] from series to one survey book and I’ve reworked the bio I worked on with Lesléa from one of her ideas too. This course was transformative!