Whether your passion is writing poems for little ones or a more mature audience, our goal is to bring together poets to play with words and sounds. Polish your poetry skills by discussing, writing, revising, and working on the craft …
Workshop Faculty: Eileen SpinelliRebecca Kai DotlichDavid L. Harrison
Special Guests: Melanie HallMarjorie MaddoxRebecca Davis
Founded in 2006, the Whole Novel Workshop is specifically designed for writers of fiction for children and young adults. This year, the Workshop is adding a special section for nonfiction writers. This unique program offers the one-on-one attention found in …
Workshop Faculty: Carolyn P. YoderElizabeth PartridgeSusan Campbell BartolettiPeggy Thomas
Special Guests: Nancy Bo FloodBarbara Krasner
Retreat Focus In this working retreat, Harold Underdown, longtime editor and author of The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Publishing Children’s Books, and editor Eileen Robinson of f1rstpages.com and the recently launched Move Books, who jointly run kidsbookrevisions.com, will work with …
Workshop Faculty: Harold UnderdownEileen Robinson
Special Guests: Sandy AsherCheryl Klein
Writing characters, drama, and humor that resonate with teenagers can be extremely rewarding—if you know what subjects and writing styles appeal to this specialized audience. Learn the ins and outs of writing for young adults through lectures, hands-on writing sessions, …
Workshop Faculty: Rich WallaceKathryn Erskine
Special Guests: Meg Medina
“Writing does take a lot of discipline if it’s to go anywhere, but none of it is arduous. It is all personally enriching and deeply satisfying. I find writing hard work but at the same time consider myself blessed in …
Workshop Faculty: Joy CowleyJillian SullivanChristine French CullyLori Ries
Special Guests: Kathleen HayesAlyssa CapucilliPatricia Lee GauchSuzanne BloomTim GillnerBernette Ford
Short stories, picture books, poetry, and novels form fantastic and imaginative worlds. Prepare yourself for the world of writing fiction for children by attending this intensive, one-week workshop. You will learn what all fiction writers must know about the creative …
Workshop Faculty: Patricia Lee GauchJillian SullivanDavid RichardsonRobert J. Blake
Special Guests: Joy CowleyPeter P. JacobiAbby McAdenNancy MercadoHolly McGhee
Founded in 2006, the Whole Novel Workshop is specifically designed for writers of middle-grade novels. This unique program offers the one-on-one attention found in degree programs, but without additional academic requirements, lengthy time commitments, or prohibitive financial investments. Our aim …
Workshop Faculty: Tami Lewis BrownSarah AronsonHelen HemphillMelanie Kroupa
Special Guests: Alma FullertonJoni SenselRebecca Stead
Nonfiction Matters. Publishers crave new and different nonfiction. Teachers and librarians desire stories about real people, real places, and really interesting world events. Kids yearn to fill their minds with facts. Everyone wants and needs nonfiction. Nonfiction Writing for Children …
Workshop Faculty: Peter P. JacobiCandace FlemingLarry Dane BrimnerLionel BenderStephen R. Swinburne
Special Guests: Carolyn P. YoderLaurence PringleCyndi Giorgis
While your artwork is accomplished alone, it is only with guidance that an illustrator can begin to understand how to make it in today’s picture-book world. Let one of today’s top children’s book illustrators be your guide. Explore the children’s …
Workshop Faculty: Floyd CooperEric RohmannKelly Ann MurphyRuth Sanderson
Special Guests: Donna Jo NapoliDavid Wiesner
Whether a picture book be rhyming or traditional prose, one of the key components to success is weaving in lyrical, expressive language. Join workshop leaders Candace Flemming (Muncha-Muncha-Muncha!) and Rebecca Kai Dotlich (Over in the Pink House) as they guide you …
Workshop Faculty: Candace FlemingRebecca Kai Dotlich
Special Guests: Eric RohmannMelanie Hall
Picture books may be written for the small, but their power is mighty. Sweet and simple as these books may be, the formula for writing a picture book is quite complex. Award-winning picture-book author and Chautauqua Writers Workshop alum Deborah …
Workshop Faculty: Deborah Underwood
Special Guests: Kate O’SullivanSteve Metzger
Picture books for early learners bear many similarities to poetry. Both depend on imagery, rhythm, and musical devices for their overall effect. Both are succinct and employ words to serve multiple purposes. Most of all, both are meant to be …
Workshop Faculty: Barbara Jean Hicks
Special Guests: Suzanne BloomSteve Metzger
Tens of thousands of manuscripts cross the desks of children’s book editors every year. Only a few thousand rise above the rest to make their way to library and bookstore shelves. Fewer still end up on awards lists or become …
Workshop Faculty: Patricia Lee GauchLinda Sue ParkLeonard MarcusDeborah HeiligmanElizabeth Bird
Out of the Dust, True Believer, The First Part Last—Newbery, National Book Award, and Printz. Each is bound by the emotional rhythm and cadence found only in a verse novel. The verse novel phenomenon is a wildly popular choice for …
Workshop Faculty: Linda Oatman HighSonya SonesVirginia Euwer Wolff
High fantasy is one of the all-time favorite forms of children’s books. From the witty and imaginative journey of Harry Potter to T.H. White’s Once and Future King to Brian Jacques’ Redwall books, out of the ancient Arthurian tradition, writers …
Workshop Faculty: Patricia Lee Gauch
Founded in 2006, the Whole Novel Workshop is specifically designed for writers of young-adult novels. This unique program offers the one-on-one attention found in degree programs, but without additional academic requirements, lengthy time commitments, or prohibitive financial investments. Our aim …
Workshop Faculty: Coe BoothRita Williams GarciaSara CroweVarian Johnson
Special Guests: Deborah GonzalesMarilyn Salerno
This intensive weekend is designed to give you a comprehensive look at how the children’s book publishing industry works. You will gain understanding of all processes associated with submitting, producing, and selling a trade book or magazine article. You will …
Workshop Faculty: Clay Winters
Special Guests: Bobbie CombsKatie DavisHarold UnderdownNeil WaldmanMichael EisenbergJudy BurkeRobbin GourleyBruce CovilleNancy GalltBrian Enslow
Illustrators write with pictures as much as authors do with words. To create an impeccably drawn and brilliantly written picture book, the author-illustrator—the one who wears both hats—must find the right balance of art and words. Judy Byron Schachner, #1 …
Workshop Faculty: Lindsay Barrett GeorgeJudy Schachner
Special Guests: Robbin GourleyElena Mechlin
Remember the children’s song, “Old McDonald Had a Farm, E-I-E-I-O?” Children’s author and dairy farmer Cris Peterson feels like screaming that refrain instead of singing it when modern farmers are characterized as hayseeds caught in a 70-year-old time warp. They …
Workshop Faculty: Cris PetersonKevin Daugherty
Special Guests: Peggy Thomas
We’ll be adding more information about this workshop soon – please check back!
Workshop Faculty: Carolyn P. Yoder
Rich Wallace, Lenore Look, and Bruce Coville will help you delve deeply into your characters’ psyches, exploring their motivations, frustrations, and personalities to truly bring them to life on the page. Weaving action and humor into your stories will be …
Workshop Faculty: Rich WallaceLenore LookBruce Coville
Founded in 2006, this session of the Whole Novel Workshop is specifically designed for writers of middle grade novels. This unique program offers the one-on-one attention found in degree programs, but without additional academic requirements, lengthy time commitments, or prohibitive …
Workshop Faculty: Alexandria LaFayeTami Lewis BrownAlan GratzHelen Hemphill
Special Guests: Sue FordMolly O’NeillElizabeth Van Doren
It’s for the published author to determine how much time and energy should be invested in selling self and product, but if the most is to be made of a book and author in the marketplace, then personal efforts must …
Workshop Faculty: Peter P. Jacobi
Special Guests: Kate MessnerSuzanne Bloom
Totally original character is at the heart of most great young people’s novels, whether it is the unforgettable Holling Hoodhood of Gary Schmidt’s humorous The Wednesday Wars, the far-seeing Jonas in Lois Lowry’s dystopian The Giver, or the courageous Hazel …
Workshop Faculty: Patricia Lee Gauch
All writers and artists need to give themselves time. Time to think. Time to imagine. Time to create. All writers and artists need room. Room in their lives in which to create. We have comfortable cabins. Nice walking and jogging …
Workshop Faculty:
Dust or Magic is hosting a workshop here at Highlights – a special event bringing together 40 individuals with a strong interest in trying to understand children’s lit in the age of the touch screen. We’ll critique best practice, as …
Workshop Faculty: Warren Buckleitner
What makes a poetry novel work? It needs both poetic structure and an engaging narrative that pulls the reader along. It’s a balance of poetry that strikes emotional chords with readers and good storytelling that keeps them turning the page. …
Workshop Faculty: Helen FrostKelly Bingham
Special Guests: Susan Dobinick
All writers and artists need to give themselves time. Time to think. Time to imagine. Time to create. All writers and artists need room. Room in their lives in which to create. We have comfortable cabins. Nice walking and jogging …
Workshop Faculty:
Will your writing ignite a love of nature in young readers? Before children grow up and help solve the problems of the world, they need to have a deep connection with nature. They need to understand how humans and the …
Workshop Faculty: Dianna Hutts AstonMark BaldwinAndy BoylesPamela TurnerEileen RobinsonLaurence Pringle
Powerful science writing can bring vital subjects into the light for young readers. Once children have that “Aha!” feeling and glimpse the creativity and insight that go into science, they are hooked. But first, dedicated writers must create books, articles, …
Workshop Faculty: Melissa StewartGerry BishopAndy BoylesJude IsabellaEileen RobinsonLaurence Pringle
Founded in 2006, this session of the Whole Novel Workshop is specifically designed for those working in the fantasy genre. This unique program offers the one-on-one attention found in degree programs, but without additional academic requirements, lengthy time commitments, or …
Workshop Faculty: Franny BillingsleyLaura RubyAnne Ursu
Special Guests: Christine HeppermannCheryl PientkaDeborah Kovacs
Whether your passion is writing poems for young ones or a more mature audience, our goal is to bring poets together to delve into all elements of poetry, to play with words, images and sounds, and to polish your poetry …
Workshop Faculty: Rebecca Kai Dotlich
Special Guests: Rebecca DavisLee Bennett Hopkins
Especially beneficial for educators! Special Guests – more to be announced! Preregister Now and Save Deep Discounts Option to Earn 3 Graduate Credits Support the development of young readers and build positive connections with books while engaging them in careful …
Workshop Faculty: Rosemary Agoglia
Special Guests: Floyd Cooper