Craft of Writing for Children & Young Adults
This class returns in Summer 2011. Email us to be notified when registration opens.
You have to write the book that wants to be written. And if the book will be too difficult for grown-ups, then you write it for children. – Madeline L’Engle
Many people think that writing for children is easier than writing for adults. Give it a good moral, throw in some talking bears (and maybe a boy wizard!), and you’ve got an instant hit.
As adults, we sometimes forget how sharp, imaginative, and slyly witty children can be, and what rich inner worlds they have. In order to write for children, not only must we not underestimate them, but we must also be able to travel back in time and put ourselves once again in the shoes of a five year old, a fourth grader, or a teen.
Like any great fiction, successful children’s stories must have all the elements of craft: plot, subplot, conflict, structure, voice, characterization, dialogue, and point-of-view. In this class, we’ll discuss the necessary ingredients for great children’s and young adult literature, read examples of some of the finest literature for different age groups, and workshop our own drafts.
In the workshop component of the class, you’ll share your work and receive critical feedback to help you move forward. You will also receive extensive instructor comments.
**Returning Children & YA students are welcome to retake this Craft class!
Writer’s Roadmap
This course is open to anyone who wants to write for children or teens, newcomers as well as those who have taken StoryStudio Writing for Children & Young Adult classes.
Students interesting in continuing their work from this class may then take Craft of Novel Writing, Novel Workshop. You may even be interested in generating material in the Story Workout class.
Molly is the Assistant Director at StoryStudio, where she’ll be happy to answer all your questions about life, the universe, and all our classes.