Class Description
In this six-week Zoom course, we’ll explore the art of writing for the picture book format. The main goal of this generative course will be to draft three new picture book manuscripts (up to 800 words). We will review essentials of picture book writing—format and storyboarding; language, rhythm and sound; writing for page turns; and 32-page structure. Each week we’ll examine notable picture books and the interplay of text and illustration on their pages. We’ll also respond to prompts, try various writing exercises, and engage in craft discussions. You’ll share 3 picture book manuscripts with the class for feedback, and you’ll read and offer feedback on classmate stories. Students should expect to devote 4-5 hours/week to this class. Note: Prior to the start of the course, students will receive an email with titles of instructor-selected books to be discussed in each lesson. Students are encouraged to access and read those picture books before that lesson. Students should also aim to have many picture books (that were published in the last ten years) on hand during the course.
In this class, we’ll examine a range of picture books authored by Carole Boston Weatherford, Bao Phi, Katie Yamasaki, Traci Sorrells, Andrea Wang, Miranda Paul, Kelly Starling Lyons, Kao Kalia Yang, Julie Flett, Suzanne Slade, Margarita Engle, Ilima Loomis, Dan Santat, Isabel Quintero and many more.
Please note: Class does not meet Monday, February 19th.
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.
This class will take place using Zoom videoconferencing. After registering, a yellow Resources tab will appear in this section containing a link to join class. Please note that you will need to be logged into view the Resources tab.
Zoom Participation:
In our experience, the intimate nature of a writing workshop benefits from on-camera participation. Students are of course welcome to turn their camera off whenever they need to, but it is a community norm for cameras to be on most of the time. You can learn more about using Zoom here.
Zoom Accessibility:
You can enable closed captioning at any time during the meeting by clicking the CC button at the bottom of the screen. If you'd like to access the transcript after class, please make sure to let your instructor ahead of time that you'd like a copy.