Make Main Character Magic: A Picture Book Workshop

About the workshop: Dive into the wonderful world of picture books with local children's author, Avani Chhaya! In this workshop, participants will tease out a perfect memory for their picture book manuscript in a supportive environment. We will then do a deep-dive into picture book character development with a focus on crafting a dynamic, multi-dimensional main character. Every participant will receive a new composition notebook full of blank pages eager to accept your genius. No prior experience needed. Bring your enthusiasm, questions, and creativity!

About Avani: Avani is an avid reader, writer, traveler, and dreamer. At a young age, Avani fell in love with the art of storytelling, which led her to pursue a bachelor's degree in English and secondary education at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She spent several years teaching English Language Arts in New Orleans, LA, before diving into nonprofit work in Austin, TX. She taught college freshmen and continued her higher education with a master's degree in Educational Leadership and Policy at the University of Texas at Austin. Avani is the author of the debut picture book, Lakshmi at the Lake. You can find her teaching with ARTSiE, freelancing with the Evanston RoundTable, or stumbling upon a new adventure with her toddler. Read more about Avani's work here.

Doors and minibar open at 5:30PM

Getting here: We are located at 1620 Orrington Avenue, in downtown Evanston, just one block east of the Davis Street Metra and CTA public transit stops. There is metered street parking as well as numerous parking garages nearby.