Overview A One-Night Mini Online Course Writers fill their wells with stories: stories from the everyday happenings around them, and stories from fellow writers. Middle grade author Eric Bell asks, "Do you read like a writer?" We invite beginning writers to join Eric for a fun, webinar-style class on ways to improve your writing through […]
Overview A Two-Week Online Course Quite often, issues with a story in progress can be traced back to its beginning. In this course, Alicia D. Williams, Erin Dionne, and Chris Tebbetts will explore how your first pages and early choices can kickstart your chapter book, middle grade novel, or young adult novel, and help you navigate […]
Overview Multi-Week Online Course Characters are the foundation for every aspect of your story. They’re also the vehicle through which readers will connect with your story. Use this course to deepen your understanding of your characters in picture books through novels to unlock secrets and make decisions about point of view, plot, pacing and more. […]
Overview A Two-Part Intensive Online Course Whether you’re writing fiction or nonfiction, focus your research with this two-weekend online intensive. Join Stephanie Gibeault, Jolene Gutiérrez, Anita Yasuda and special guests agent/author Jacqui Lipton and editor/author Feather Flores for interactive lectures, discussions, Q&A with an editor and agent, a 1:1 consultation, and resources for all writers. Live Presentations via Zoom (with […]
Overview A Two-Part Mini Online Course Join author Aminah Mae Safi and editor Kat Brzozowski to explore a Voice that is uniquely your own. A Voice that comes from within— inner conflicts, outside pressures, personal values, experiences, identity, and so much more. This program is a great fit if you’re looking for a short course of […]
Overview A 3-Week Online Course + Individual Consultation Chapter book series engage kids with relatable characters, engaging plots, and age-appropriate stories. Join Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen to build your knowledge about the beloved genre of chapter books with presentations, pre-recorded and written resources to prepare for live sessions, generative peer-to-peer discussions, and a post-course 1:1 consultation. Live Lectures […]
Overview A Two-Night Mini Online Course First pages offer a promise to our readers. No matter the genre, no matter the form—a first page is an invitation to your entire book. Join young adult author Laura Sibson and agent Leslie Zampetti for this short course to understand the promise in a powerful first page. Tuesday, […]
Overview In-person 4-Day/3-Night Workshop and Retreat Do you want to bring joy and confidence to kids who are picking up a book on their own for the very first time? Whether fiction or nonfiction, learn how to bring your stories to life for these beginning readers. This is an in-person workshop at our Retreat Center with presentations, […]
Overview Application-Based Online Program for Muslim Storytellers This application-based, in-community program has been created to invite new Muslim voices into the children’s book industry through a multi-week, online course. This program is funded by a grant from the Doris Duke Foundation through its Building Bridges Program. The Building Bridges Program supports national efforts, working with […]
Overview A 3-Week Online Course + Individual Consultation Stories for chapter books, middle grade, and teen novels can be told in so many ways: laugh-out-loud contemporaries, action-packed graphic memoirs, emotionally-charged novels-in-verse, and more. No matter which way you decide to tell your story, you can infuse levity and humor onto the page to hook, connect, […]
Overview A Two-Night Mini Online Course Join author and writing motivator Sarah Aronson for a short course to spark the start of your 2024 novel. Sarah will bring her wealth of care and knowledge to help you discover how YOU are the heart of the next novel you tell. This program is a great fit if you’re […]
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, […]
Join us for a Q&A webinar about attending in-person programs at the Highlights Foundation in 2024. It's a great session to attend if you've never been to a program on our campus before and would like to learn more about what to expect, or if you have questions about which options might be right for […]
Join this 3-night/4-day writing retreat designed for authors who are crafting books for kids and teens that center their lived experiences in areas of trauma, mental health, grief, and beyond. About the Program We believe there is hope in harnessing the transformative power of storytelling. Explore therapeutic writing techniques that enable you to create narratives […]
Overview A Two-Night Mini Online Course Getting ready to write a novel doesn’t just mean finding a computer or the right pen—you also need to spend time considering the elements that bring emotion and structure to your story. Join author Jennifer Gennari for this short course to learn tangible techniques for getting organized, and getting […]
Overview A Two-Night Mini Online Course Secondary characters play a vital role in storytelling, enriching the narrative in ways that are often overlooked. While protagonists drive the plot forward and capture our attention, secondary characters provide depth, complexity, and nuance to the fictional world. Join author Sarah Aronson to explore one of her favorite topics: The […]
Overview A Two-Night Mini Online Course Chapter books and chapter book series engage kids with relatable characters, engaging plots, and age-appropriate stories. Join Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen to build your knowledge about the beloved genre of chapter books to write a story that resonates. 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 A Two-Night Mini Online Course Have you ever been given the writing advice, "show, don't tell"? Join author, agent, and freelance editor Linda Epstein to find ways to do just that in your novel. You'll learn how rich sensory details and well-placed small actions can create vivid settings, grounded dialogue between characters, and an authentic […]
Overview A Two-Night Mini Online Course Join editor Emma D. Dryden for an intensive look at world-building from the inside, out. This program is a great fit if you’re looking for a short course of two, 75-minute sessions offering limited interaction with the community, and loads of information. Tuesday, August 20 (7pm – 8:15pm Eastern) […]
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 Multi-Week Online Course Join novelist Jennifer Gennari for this six-week online course to build the skills needed to revise and enrich your novel. The course features live sessions with faculty, structured assignments, community interaction, goal-setting, and a special guest visit with Aida Salazar to discuss line editing in action. Live Lectures (with closed captioning) […]
Overview In-person 4-Day/3-Night Working Retreat Join Debbi Michiko Florence, Kashmira Sheth, and guests for time to create and connect during this "Working Retreat." A “Working Retreat” is lightly structured with one lecture each day, informal conversations, optional consultations with faculty, and plenty of time to create in the comfort and care of the Highlights Foundation retreat […]
Overview A 4-Week Online Course for Chapter Book Writers Chapter books engage young minds like no other stories can. Readers start a journey with your character in Chapter One, and then yearn for more with each page turn until they finish your entire book! (And maybe even your entire series!) Join Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen to build […]
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 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 A Two-Night Mini Online Course Reconnecting with inspiration and creativity can be a challenge for all storytellers, especially in difficult times. Join author and teacher Laurie Calkhoven for this short course with the goal of using meditation to recommit and reconnect with your muse. There will be mini-presentations on character and plot, along with strategies […]
