Tag Archives: Kelsey Horton

Treasure Chest: April 2026

01 Wednesday Apr 2026

Posted by in Central Coast, Contests & Grants, Illustrators Day, Los Angeles, PAL, SoCal, Treasure Chest, Tri-Regional News, Writers Days

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Events, Opportunities, and Resources happening now and coming soon for the Tri-Regions and beyond

Check out more resources at the end of the post!

OPEN NOW
The SCBWI-LA Writers and Illustrators Day: The Pen and the Palette is now open for registration! “Join us for Writers and Illustrators Day as we celebrate the art of storytelling to children through both word and image. We’re offering a day of marvelous industry speakers, networking with friends (old and new), and playful opportunities to build community. We hope you’ll leave inspired and empowered to craft stories that reflect the beauty, complexity, and wonder of childhood.” Speakers will include Andrea Brown Literary Agency senior agent Jamie Weiss Chilton, Delacorte Press/Penguin Random House executive editor Kelsey Horton, Donald Maass Literary Agency literary agent Kiana (Kiki) Nguyen, and painter, designer, writer, and illustrator Eugene Yelchin. For more information on registration, dates, times, and location, click the link here.

Artwork by Eori Tokunaga

OPEN NOW
Submit your manuscript for the SCBWI-LA 2026 Writers & Illustrators Day Contest today! The Writing Contest will be accepting manuscript submissions until April 12, 2026. “The first-place winner in each category will receive a certificate, recognition at Writers & Illustrators Day and in Kite Tales, and a free written critique from one of our faculty members.” Click the link here for more information about submission guidelines.

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Working Writer’s Retreat 2018: Revisions, Connections, and Karaoke

24 Wednesday Oct 2018

Posted by in Author's Perspective, Illustrator's Perspective, Tips and Tools, Writers' Retreat

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By JESSICA CHRYSLER and KATYA DOVE

WWR_EditingSeshThis year’s Working Writer’s Retreat brought together writers of all skill levels and backgrounds to the Holy Spirit Retreat Center in Encino, Sept. 28-30. From actors to teachers, newbie writers to seasoned veterans, participants had something to gain from the faculty and each other. In workshops, writers were grouped by category and genre and had ample opportunity to mix and mingle throughout the weekend, including a karaoke party.

Faculty included agent Nephele Tempest, agent Victoria Wells Arms, Delacorte Press associate editor Kelsey Horton, Harper Collins assistant editor Stephanie Guerdan, and author E. Katherine Kottaras.

In this post, writer and illustrator Jessica Chrysler and writer Katya Dove share a conversation about their experiences at the retreat.

Jessica Chrysler: It was so great to see you again at the retreat this year, Katya. As much as I love getting to know new people, it’s always nice to find friendly faces. Every year the organizers try to change up the panels and workshops, so I’d like to know, what was the highlight of your weekend?

Katya Dove: I thought the critique sessions were amazing. Listening to other writers read their work, sharing my own, and bonding over words was by far one of the most powerful experiences. There’s so much talent among the attendees. I was blown away by how focused and committed everyone was. Though I must say, the karaoke party brought out a whole new side to fellow writers and faculty—a wild and vivacious side!

WWR_KaraokePartyJC: I have to agree on the karaoke! It’s always my favorite part of the retreat since it gets everyone out of their quiet, writerly shell. I also really enjoyed the presentation by Katherine Kottaras on “The Joy of Revising.” It’s important to love revision as part of the writing craft and it felt like everyone had similar challenges when facing editing demons. It was great to share and learn different strategies to tackle those obstacles. Continue reading →