Stop circling your idea.
Start seeing what's there.
Sign up for Idea to Draft, a two-day, live online retreat for picture book writers who want to understand—and begin shaping—their ideas into manuscripts.
Join us on April 25-26 and move your idea forward with clarity and confidence
*The Idea to Draft retreat is held quarterly on the last weekend of January, April, July, and October.
Life is busy, and you have a lot on your plate, but your picture book matters just as much as everything else you have going on.
It’s a project close to your heart, and you want to give it the attention it deserves.
Sometimes, you only carve out a few minutes to focus on writing, and you find yourself rushing through the process, not giving your idea room to breathe.
Or worse, when you finally, finally make time to work on your idea…
- You circle the idea without quite entering it
- You start… then stall because you don’t know what comes next
- You lose confidence halfway through
- You wonder if it’s even worth continuing
Or quietly, without quite meaning to, you set it aside.
Not because it doesn’t matter, but because you don’t yet have a way to see what’s there or how to shape it.
That’s where many writers get stuck.
Not because they lack ideas.
Not because they lack talent.
But because they don’t yet have a process they can trust.
This retreat changes that.
The Idea to Draft Online Picture Book Writing Retreat was designed to give you the guided, supportive space you need to dive into picture books and work on your own ideas.
We get down to the basics and…something shifts.
You begin to see how picture books actually work from the inside.
Not as theory.
Not as rules.
But as something you can feel, test, and use.
Over two days, you’ll:
- Study published books like a writer, seeing the hidden architecture beneath them
- Try things immediately, while the insight is still fresh
- Build a working structure for your own manuscript
Each session is lively, fun, collaborative, and interactive.
You get to work with other picture book writers to discuss process, get feedback on your ideas, and provide feedback of your own.
Simple but not easy...
Picture books are deceptively simple.
On the surface, they look effortless. But underneath, they are precise, deliberate, and carefully built.
And that’s where many writers get stuck. Not in having ideas, but in knowing what to do with them.
It’s not just about how much time you have or how many ideas are buzzing around in your head.
You can have all of those and still find it challenging to make progress.
But there is a defined structure and process you can use to make your work easier to approach.
And that’s what the Idea to Draft retreat gives you—the structure and process to turn fleeting ideas into drafts.
During the two days, you’ll learn how picture books really work by looking closely at structure, pacing, language, and emotion. This will help you see what makes a story effective.
Then you’ll put these insights to use right away with simple, low-pressure exercises, developing your own idea in real time with support as you go.
By the end of the weekend, something important will have shifted.
You’ll no longer be circling your idea. You’ll begin to understand what’s there and how to move it forward.
You may leave with:
- New pages
- A fuller draft
- Or a completely reimagined idea
But more importantly, you’ll leave with momentum and a way of working you can return to long after the retreat is over.
The Retreat at a Glance:
Saturday, April 25, 2026 – Sunday, April 26, 2026
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM EST (7:00 AM - 3:00 PM PST)
Live, online (join from anywhere)
Price: $297
Optional Add-On: Private Critique with Simone $250 (retreat-only rate)
Save your spot in the April 25–26 retreat
“It’s a rare, real-time creative space where ideas spark, grow, and often become manuscripts.”
— Shelley LeDrew
Meet Your Retreat Host
Hi, I’m Simone Kaplan.
I’ve spent over 30 years working at the heart of the picture book world as an editor, coach, and teacher.
I began my career in publishing, working at houses like HarperCollins and Henry Holt, where I helped develop and refine manuscripts that went on to reach young readers worldwide, win awards, and become best sellers.
Over the years, I’ve worked with writers at every stage, from those just beginning to explore publishing to published and award-winning authors.
And no matter where someone is starting, the work is the same:
Figuring out what they have… and how to shape it.
Today, through Picture Book People and The Picture Book Lab, I continue that work. I spend my days helping writers understand how picture books actually function structurally and emotionally.
My approach is grounded in craft and goes beyond the surface.
I don’t rely on shortcuts or rigid formulas, and I don’t make empty promises. Instead, I help authors:
- See the structure beneath their manuscript
- Understand pacing, rhythm, and emotional movement
- Develop their ideas with clarity and direction
So they can create work that feels cohesive, intentional, and truly their own.
And just as importantly, I aim to create a space where authors can show up as they are, share their work honestly, and explore it without pressure.
Because that’s where the real progress tends to happen.
If that sounds like your kind of space, join us for this quarter’s retreat!
A peek behind the scenes
This retreat will be highly interactive, engaging, collaborative, and fun. It will also be structured to allow you to spend enough time with your idea to really shape it.
Day 1: Foundations + First development
- Clarify your idea and core theme
- Learn key picture book structures
- Break your manuscript into a clear working framework
- Study published books to understand how they function
- Begin developing your idea with guidance
Day 2: Deepening + Direction
- Strengthen emotional arc, pacing, and detail
- Continue developing and refining your manuscript
- Learn a practical approach to revision
- Receive optional live coaching and feedback
- Leave with a clear next step for your work
I’ll also introduce you to my “Magic Beans” exercises, small but powerful creative practices that are simple and easy to use but have a way of:
- Opening doors you didn’t know were there
- Loosening stuck places
- Building clarity and momentum without force
And I’ll share my 14-spread framework to show you how each spread contributes to pacing and structure so you can shape your manuscript with intention.
Optional Add-On: Private Critique*
If you’d like personalized feedback and the perspective of an experienced editor, you can add a private critique session with me.
You’ll receive:
- Clear insight into what’s working
- Specific guidance on what to strengthen
- Practical next steps to continue developing your manuscript
*Available at a special retreat-only rate.
Save your spot in the April 25–26 retreat
What Picture Book Writers Say About the Retreat
What Picture Book Writers Say About the Retreat“Before the Idea to Draft retreat, I rarely wrote at all. Spending two full days focused on writing was incredibly rewarding.
Simone and the group offered thoughtful feedback, and I wrote more that weekend than I had in total for the previous six months combined.
I was inspired and entertained by the other writers’ work, and I even felt excited to offer suggestions of my own. I would take this class again and look forward to another workshop collaboration.”
— Suzanne L.
“It felt like I walked through a significant door during the Idea to Draft Online Picture Book Writing Retreat.
Simone guided us through clarifying our ideas and using her 14-spread framework to shape, pace, and bring our stories to life—without forcing them into a formula. Every manuscript felt genuinely unique.
We wrote, shared, listened, and had a good time together. I left with insights and skills that are already enhancing how I approach my writing.”
— Kirsta Thornburg
“Simone excels at creating an environment where the mind can enter a state of deep productivity and creativity simultaneously for extended periods.
The way the weekend flew by was truly remarkable to me. Each session was exceptionally productive, and I could not be more pleased with the results.
I left with a draft I’m excited to refine further and a clear sense of how to develop it.”
— Abigail Jones
Ready to change how you approach picture book writing?
Idea to Draft is for YOU if…
- You have a picture book idea you want to develop further
- You want to write with more clarity and structure
- You value craft and want to understand how picture books actually work
- You’re ready to focus for two days and make meaningful progress
- You want guidance without pressure or overwhelm
Save your spot in the April 25–26 retreat
This retreat might not be the right fit if…
- You’re looking for a fast “write a book” shortcut
- You prefer fully self-paced, pre-recorded learning
- You’re not ready to engage with your work in a focused way
If you aren’t ready to join us, that’s ok. The retreat is held quarterly, in the third week of January, April, July, and October, so you can join when you’re ready to.
And if you want to make this part of your writing routine, you can join us each quarter and continue developing your ideas.
Give your idea the room it needs to grow.
Your idea doesn’t need more pressure.
It needs space.
Structure.
And your full attention.
This retreat gives you exactly that.
Two days to step in, focus, and begin shaping something that matters to you.
Not someday.
Now.
Save your spot in the April 25–26 retreat
“If you ever have (and who doesn’t?) the ‘blank page scaries’, this is the perfect way to get your mind and your pen moving.”
— Paulette Bogan, award-winning author/illustrator of The LOTS-OF-TIME Machine, Virgil and Owen, and many others.
The Lab is a weekly, ongoing space where you build your craft over time through consistent practice.
The retreat is a focused, two-day experience where you step in, immerse yourself, and move a single idea forward with structure and support.
Many writers use the retreat to make meaningful progress on a manuscript, then continue developing their understanding of craft inside the Lab.