Overview Online Weekend Intensive Gearing up to work on any genre of middle grade or young adult novel in 2024? Then join authors Sona Charaipotra, Dante Medema, and guest Trisha Tobias to set goals and build the roadmap to your finished draft, with an eye toward the business of publishing. This online weekend intensive will […]
Overview A Two-Night Mini Online Course Discovering the inner life of your story's main character can be hard work. Join award-winning authors Kekla Magoon and Laurie Calkhoven for this short course designed to help you get to know the inner secrets of your main characters. This deeper understanding will unlock new aspects of your story, […]
Overview A Two-Night Mini Online Course Picture book writers must make the most out of each and every word. Bringing readers into your story is just as important as the impact you leave them with at the end. Join award-winning picture book author Valerie Bolling to open the book on picture book beginnings and endings. This program […]
Overview A Two-Night Mini Online Course Writing about mental health is about both the impact for our readers, and the experience of our writers. How do we translate our lived experiences while keeping our youth audience centered? Join middle grade novelist Crystal Allen and young adult author and pediatric neuropsychologist Katie Keridan to consider what it […]
Overview A Two-Night Mini Online Course Picture books open the world of information to readers. Join children’s book author Heidi E.Y. Stemple and editor Eileen Robinson to explore the many ways to infuse emotion into your nonfiction picture book, and hook and inspire your readers. This program is a great fit if you’re looking for a short course […]
Overview In-person 4-Day/3-Night Working Retreat Join Kekla Magoon and Laurie Calkhoven for a retreat built to spark inspiration through meditation and creative play, and then give you time to harness that spark in your own projects. A “Working Retreat” is lightly structured with one lecture each day, generative activities, optional consultations with faculty, and plenty […]
Overview In-person 4-Day/3-Night Working Retreat Join celebrated poets Charles Waters, Irene Latham, and their guests for time to create and connect during this Working Retreat. We invite writers with a passion for solo poetry collections, poetry anthologies, stand alone poems, and more for an immersive experience where productivity meets inspiration! A Working Retreat is lightly structured […]
Overview A Two-Night Mini Online Course Join editor Eileen Robinson and author Jennifer Gennari for thoughtful discussions and writing exercises that will help you infuse emotion into your novel, deepen your characters and plot, and build an emotional journey for your readers. This program is a great fit if you’re looking for a short course […]
Overview In-person 5-Day/4-Night Working Retreat This retreat for experienced authors and illustrators has been thoughtfully crafted to share, grow, and cultivate creativity when you've been working in the industry for a long time. Come retreat in-company with your peers about your career, challenges, deadlines, upcoming projects, and new dreams. This Working Retreat is lightly structured […]
Overview A Two-Night Mini Online Course As literary stewards we know that Social and Emotional themes are important in KidLit. As humanitarians, we know that what impacts one human, impacts all. As children's book writers, how do we navigate the space between the human story and emotional themes with care and hope? How do we […]
Overview A Two-Night Mini Online Course Picture books can follow a plot that depends heavily on the emotional shift from the beginning to the end of the story. That leaves writers with a lot of work to do on the middle! Join award-winning author Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow to unpack ways to develop the middle of your […]
Overview A 4-Week Online Course Each novel begins with a new idea, a new page, a new chapter, and countless choices about character, plot, and pacing. This course is designed with those choices in mind. Work with celebrated novelists, Rajani LaRocca, Leah Henderson, and Chris Tebbetts to begin (or begin again) your novel in 2025. […]
Overview A Two-Night Mini Online Course Sometimes feedback whispers, “This book is too quiet.” But what does that really mean? And, is there a place in the market for a “quiet” book? Join award-winning author Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow to learn ways to embrace your “quiet” book, turning up the volume for your audiences. This program is […]
Overview A Two-Part Mini Online Course Today’s readers are desperate to learn the true and complex history of the world that they inhabit, and novels in verse provide a powerful vehicle to explore difficult periods of history. Join verse novelists Nadine Pinede and Kip Wilson to discover strategies for weaving history into the structure of a novel in […]
Overview A 3-Part Online Cooperative This supportive program takes all creatives (nonfiction or fiction, picture books, novels, essays, and more) from goal-stating to finished drafts. Together, we’ll move through live sessions, writing prompts, mindfulness guidance, studio dates, daily inspirations, check-ins, and feedback with Sarah Aronson, Chris Tebbetts, and Daria Peoples, and their special guests! This […]
Overview A Two-Night Mini Online Course Nonfiction picture books offer a unique way to present factual information in engaging and accessible ways for readers. Join celebrated nonfiction authors Mélina Mangal and Rob Sanders for this short course that connects writers to the endless possibilities for topics and forms in nonfiction picture books. This program is a great fit […]
Overview Multi-Week Online Course Join novelists Jennifer Gennari and Lisa Moore Ramée for a six-week online deep dive into revision, where you'll learn to enhance emotion, sharpen action, and refine your novel’s impact. Through live sessions, structured assignments, community support, and personalized feedback, you'll build the skills needed to enrich your novel. Live Lectures (with […]
Overview In-person 4-Day/3-Night Retreat + 3 Live Pre-Workshop Zoom Presentations Join celebrated editors Emma Dryden, Eileen Robinson, and Harold Underdown for a deep dive into strategies for revision and a chance to reimagine, enliven, and rebuild your picture books, novels, or nonfiction at the Highlights Foundation retreat center. This is an in-person retreat for writers […]
Overview In-person 4-Day/3-Night Workshop and Retreat Get away for four days at our Summer Camp in Illustration for inspiration, guidance, support, community, fun, creativity, and growth. At the Highlights Foundation, “summer camp” is different than S’mores by the fire and hiking in the woods. (Though we do that, too.) Our summer camp is a time […]
