Unlock your picturebook writing potential
Transform your writing at Picture Book Lab – a unique 90-minute weekly workshop where writers at every stage of their journey come together to explore the magic of picture book creation. From first-time writers to award-winning authors, everyone discovers something new in this creative space.
Why picturebook lab?
Imagine a space where every week, you:
- Uncover stories you never knew you had within you
- Master the craft elements that distinguish memorable picture books
- Join a community of writers dedicated to growth and discovery
- Learn techniques used by award-winning authors
- Transform creative sparks into draft manuscripts
What makes our lab special
In each session, you'll dive into carefully crafted exercises that illuminate different aspects of picture book writing. But this isn't just about writing prompts – it's about discovery. Through thoughtful discussion and collaborative exploration, you'll gain insights from diverse perspectives that will transform your understanding of how picture books work.
Think of it as a creative playground, where:
- Every exercise builds your picture book writing toolkit
- Each discussion reveals new possibilities
- All ideas are welcome and exploration is encouraged
- Creativity flows naturally in a supportive environment
What to expect
Our focus during these calls is to help you
- Develop a deeper understanding of picture book mechanics
- Engage in deliberate practice that builds mastery
- Find inspiration that may spark future stories
- Have fun while growing as a writer
The Lab welcomes writers at all levels. Whether you're just beginning to explore picture books or you're a published author seeking fresh inspiration, you'll find value in our experimental approach to craft.
Here’s how the lab works:
During each session, I will provide you with prompts and exercises which are carefully designed to enhance your understanding of a specific aspect of craft.
After writing, we will come together to engage in thoughtful, insightful discussion about the work. Drawing on the diverse perspectives of fellow attendees, we will explore how our individual ideas and writings work and sometimes how they don’t.
While the goal of the Lab is not the completion of a full manuscript, you might very well identify thoughts and seeds that could grow into picture-book manuscripts.
The Lab is not designed to take a manuscript from inception through to a finished, submittable piece of work. (Although stay tuned, there’s more about that coming soon! 😄)
The Lab is designed to
- Level up your understanding of how picture books work
- Engage in the deliberate practice that leads to mastery
- Inspire and motivate you to write more and better
And . . .
do it all while having fun!
The Lab is open to writers of all levels who have an interest in exploring picture-book writing. Whether you are a seasoned author or just beginning your writing journey, the Lab is designed to foster a deeper understanding of yourself as a writer and ignite a passion for the possibilities of the picture-book genre.
Join us!
If you are ready to step into a world of imagination, connect with fellow authors, and embark on a journey of creative self-discovery. I invite you join us in the Lab.
Bring your curiosity, creativity, and an open mind.
Lab coats are optional!
Start for just $24.50
Use code WELCOME50 to unlock 50% off your first month
Just the facts
What: Picture Book Lab is a 90-minute workshop in which a group of picture-book writers of all levels—ranging from beginner through multi-published, award-winning authors—come together to experiment with the elements that make up a picture book.
When: Every week on a Wednesday from 11:30 am to 1:00 pm (eastern)
Where: Virtual sessions via Zoom
Investment: Start for just $24.50 when you use code WELCOME50 to unlock 50% off your first month, after the first month is $49 per month
Flexibility: Cancel anytime before your next billing cycle
Use code WELCOME50 to unlock 50% off your first month
What is it like to attend the lab?
“Simone Kaplan’s Picture Book Lab is inspiring, thought-provoking, and fun! The time flies between writing exercises, prompts, and critiques, and I hate for it to end. 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 Virgil and Owen and Lulu the Big Little Chick and many others
“Picture Book Lab offers opportunities to explore, develop, and play with thoughtful ideas for potential manuscripts. Providing inspiration from eclectic sources, Simone brilliantly brings out the best in the writers of picture books in a thoughtful, supportive, gentle, and direct manner while encouraging other group members to share and support as well.
Picture Book Lab under Simone’s guidance encourages exploration of your ideas—some which you didn’t know were brewing—into beginning manuscripts.”
—Caren Sacks, Author of the forthcoming titles Draw and Discover: An Art-Making Journal for Kids and Vision and Voice: An Art-Making Journal for Teens
“If you’re a picture-book creator looking for the next step of your development, then a seat at Simone’s Picture Book Lab awaits you. It’s like a present-day portal to the past, to the days of Gertrude Stein’s literary and artistic salons …
After years of scouring the internet for picture book advice, classes, and learnings, I know that Simone’s’ Picture Book Lab offers what no one else is offering … a real- life, in-the- moment safe space to create … where ideas begin and where they begin to grow.
A place to be inspired, to inspire, and to have the conversations and discussions on what matters most in your own picture book journey alongside other creatives, elevating one’s own work in the process.”
—Shell Le Drew
In the Picture Book Lab Simone offers exercises and prompts that excavate memories and tidbits from our subconscious that are pure gold. She guides us through these exercises with expertise and enthusiasm and if we decide to share our work with the group, Simone’s feedback is always razor sharp. In one exercise a vivid memory from my childhood came up. It took hold of me–lighting all my senses–and I had no choice but to turn it into a story, then a book dummy, and hopefully it will be a book soon.
—Lisa Desimini
Award winning author/illustrator of My House, Dot the Fire Dog and many others
Use code WELCOME50 to unlock 50% off your first month
What makes me your ideal guide
After three decades in children's publishing at powerhouses like Harper Collins and Henry Holt + Company, and coaching authors through the process, I've discovered something crucial: writing picture books is both an art and a craft—one that can be learned, developed, and mastered through deliberate practice and playful exploration.
I’ve designed the Lab to be like a creative gym, but instead of weights and treadmills, we work with words and imagination. It’s a place where editorial expertise meets the natural rhythm of artistic growth.
As someone who has guided hundreds of authors—from complete beginners to award-winners—I've developed a unique approach that makes the learning process both effective and enjoyable.
What sets the Lab apart is my belief that mastering picture book writing isn't about following rigid rules or seeking quick fixes. It's about immersing yourself in a creative process where:
- Every exercise illuminates a different aspect of craft
- Community feedback deepens your understanding of how picture books work
- Regular practice develops your creative instincts
- Playful exploration leads to serious growth
Through Picture Book People, my editorial consultancy, I've helped countless authors develop manuscripts that went from rough drafts to published books. Now, in the Lab, I'm creating a space where writers can experiment, discover, and grow—not just in occasional bursts, but through consistent, guided practice.
I would love you to join me in the Lab, where we'll turn your creative curiosity into picture book mastery, one session at a time.