2025 November Conference
Alan is also a six-time Emmy-nominated writer for TV series including The Rosie O’Donnell Show, The Tony Danza Show and Double Dare, animated shows including Taz-Mania, Pinkalicious and Goof Troop, and network specials including the Grammy Awards and the Tony Awards.
He and his journalist wife (and co-author of an upcoming book!) Rose Horowitz live in Milford, CT.
Suzy Capozzi, editor at Union Square Books. Bio will be posted shortly.
Erika DiPasquale has worked at HarperCollins since 2017, first as a member of the adult foreign rights team and now as an Editor at Harper Children’s. She works on predominantly picture books and I Can Reads along with the select middle grade and YA. She’s excited about stories that tackle difficult topics in digestible ways as well as anything described as humorous, silly, quirky, clever, or unconventional. Erika manages the I can Read program as well as works on the Pete the Cat, Frog and Toad, and Girl Scout programs among others. She moonlights as a yoga teacher, forest bathing guide, and reiki practitioner.
https://www.manuscriptwishlist.com/mswl-post/erika-dipasquale/
Workshop Title & Description
"Creating Extraordinary Anthropomorphized Characters"
In this interactive workshop, you will explore what makes an anthropomorphized animal or object a strong children’s book character through guided discussions, nature connection activities, and play.
Catherine Laudone is a senior editor at Beach Lane Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster. She primarily acquires and edits picture books and middle grade titles (both fiction and nonfiction) with a special interest in underrepresented voices and stories featuring neurodivergent and disabled main characters. She’s also open to select young adult novels and MG/YA graphic novels with a strong hook and narrative voice. Catherine has her MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts and is a published children’s book author. Her co-authored pictured book debut She Kept Dancing: The True Story of a Professional Dancer with a Limb Difference is an NCSS Notable Social Studies Trade Book Award winner, a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard selection, and a WLA Towner Award nominee.
Catherine currently serves as an editor advisor for The Writing Barn’s The Verge program and an advance PB workshop leader for Inked Voices. When not editing or writing she enjoys baking, traveling, and playing with her cat Biscotti. Learn more at catherinelaudone.com
Workshop Title & Description
"5 Tools for Crafting Strong Character Arcs"
Every story needs a strong protagonist. But how do you make your main character’s journey or arc satisfying for the reader? In this workshop, we’re going to explore the following 5 tools for crafting strong character arcs:
Unique character motivation
Overcoming obstacles
Emotional highs and lows
Positive and negative relationships with secondary characters
Evidence of change in the resolution
We’ll look at some mentor texts to see how these tools can be successfully applied in picture books and middle grade and young adult novels. Then it’ll be your turn to put these tips into practice during interactive writing exercises.
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| Erika DiPasquale |
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| Catherine Laudone |
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| ALAN KATZ |
