Part of Your World: Character-Focused Worldbuilding in YA

Young adult novels require world-building finesse — you want a world that’s rich and developed, without bogging down your readers with an epic history lesson. The key to building a wide world with a narrow word count is identifying ways to connect your characters’ exterior worlds to their inner ones (and vice versa).

We will explore how tight world-building can help shape character arcs and introduce natural points of plot and friction, plus dive into simple ways to apply this to your work in progress. We’ll use exercises to focus your world-building through character point-of-view, motivation, and conflict. By focusing on the details most relevant to your characters, you can make your world pop off the page.

Class Format

This class will take place using Zoom videoconferencing. About 15 minutes before your class is scheduled to begin, you'll receive an email from your instructor with a link to join the class meeting!

Scholarship Information

Thanks to the excellent literary citizenship of our donors, scholarships are available for all GrubStreet classes. To apply, click the gray "APPLY FOR SCHOLARSHIP" button. In order to be considered for a scholarship, you must complete your application at least one week before the start date of a class. Please await our scholarship committee's decision before registering for the class. We cannot hold spots in classes, so the sooner you apply, the better. Scholarships cannot be applied retroactively.

For more detailed information about GrubStreet scholarships, including how to contribute to scholarship funds for other students, click here.