Class Description
Have you ever considered writing a picture book, or a novel for readers anywhere from ages 8-18? In this four week course, we’ll talk about what it means to write for young readers. You’ll be introduced to various formats of writing for young people, including picture books, middle grade, and young adult. We’ll talk about what stories work for each format and explore what’s popular (verse novels, graphic novels, YA fantasy). We’ll cover current trends in the world of Kid Lit, how the industry is handling book bans and other issues around diversity and representation.
Each week you’ll be assigned 10-20 pages of reading before class from authors like Sabaa Tahir, Ruta Sepetys, Rajani LaRocca, Jessixa Bagley, Erin Entrada Kelly, Dashka Slater, Kwame Alexander, and more!. Then we’ll discuss the styles and techniques used by each writer and what engages the young reader. After that, we will spend time generating ideas and writing in response to prompts. Along the way, we’ll explore how to take an idea from inspiration to execution, and what to consider as you develop your draft. At the conclusion of class, you will be invited to submit up to ten pages for critique and an editorial letter from the instructor.
Writing Roadmap: We've created a simple, goal-based writing roadmap to help you find the perfect GrubStreet course for your writing needs
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.