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 Board books, novelty books, and concept books bring the world to the youngest minds. ABCs, counting, shapes, sizes, opposites, and so much more, these important books weave together language and visuals to engage caregivers and children in the book, the world, and one another. Join author/illustrators Merrill Rainey and […]
Overview A Two-Night Mini Online Course New readers love to laugh! When we consider crafting humor for picture books, early readers, and chapter books, it's important to learn the "why," to help your story connect and resonate with this age group. But then how do you find the right level of funny? How do you […]
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 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 A Two-Night Mini Online Course Whether you're a seasoned professional or just starting in the industry, understanding the opportunities available for sharing the joy (and income benefits of) your art is part of a successful illustration career. Join illustrators Leeza Hernandez and Courtney Pippin-Mathur to gain valuable insights into the world of school visits, teaching, licensing, and tips […]
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 A 4-Week Online Course Join editor Kat Brzozowski to develop the essential elements of character, voice, and plot that will help you craft a deeply meaningful contemporary novel for today's readers. The course features weekly live discussions and writing exercises, Q&A sessions, 1:1 feedback, and more. Live sessions at 12:00 - 2pm EST on […]
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 Two-Night Mini Online Course Join editor Harold Underdown to uncover strategies for successfully submitting your manuscript to agents and editors. 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, but loads of information. Monday, December 16, 2024 (7pm – 8:15pm […]
Overview A Two-Night Mini Online Course Getting your book to readers is a goal for most writers, and agents can play an important role in this process. But how do you find an agent? Often, the query letter is what connects writers to agents. Unfortunately, navigating the querying trenches can seem like rough waters. Need […]
Overview A Two-Night Mini Online Course Plot is the engine that drives your story. A well-crafted plot keeps readers hooked, propels your characters forward, and brings your world to life. However, starting to plot a new novel or fixing holes in an existing outline can be a difficult process, especially if you're new to plotting […]
Overview A Two-Night Mini Online Course Join prolific picture book author Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen for this short course to advance your picture book manuscript. Learn how you can increase emotional resonance and foster connection with your readers by revising elements like plot, pacing, character, and more. This program is a great fit if you’re looking for a short […]
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 Two-Night Mini Online Course Getting started in the children’s book industry can be confusing. Beyond the skills needed to craft a great story, there is much to learn as you aspire to write and/or illustrate professionally and publish for kids and teens. After nearly three decades in children’s books, editor Harold Underdown has much […]
Overview A Two-Night Mini Online Course Picture book journeys aren’t one size fits all, and that’s a good thing! Join children’s book author Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen and literary agent Rachel Orr to celebrate alternative approaches to picture book structures. This program is a great fit if you’re looking for a short course of two, 75-minute sessions […]
Overview A Two-Night Mini Online Course Join author and anthologist Katherine Locke and author and agent Eric Smith to learn about the form, opportunity, and style of writing short fiction for kids and teens. This program is a great fit if you’re looking for a short course of two, 75-minute sessions offering limited interaction with […]
Overview Four Week Online Course Join verse novelist Cordelia Jensen for a four-week online course to explore the fundamentals, celebrations, and challenges of writing novels in verse. You’ll be introduced to using this form to its utmost advantage, while taking into consideration the general foundations of storytelling. Live Lectures (with closed captioning) Wednesdays at 1 – 2:30pm Eastern […]
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 An Online Course with Pre-recorded & Written Lectures, Writing Exercises, and Live Discussions with Q&A Are you ready to do a deep, deep dive into picture book structure? This online course with Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen features pre-recorded and/or written lectures, along with assignments for each letter of the "Picture Book Alphabet," plus weekly LIVE Zoom […]
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 A Two-Night Mini Online Course Beginning illustrators can join children’s book author/illustrator Courtney Pippin-Mathur to talk about approaches to using different media (traditional and/or digital) in your illustrations with examples from classic and contemporary illustrators. Special guest Aram Kim will join us the second day for ten tips about submitting work to an art director (traditional and/or digital) and […]
Overview A Two-Night Mini Online Course For most nonfiction books (except picture books), the first step in pitching your project to an agent or editor isn’t a full manuscript—it’s a compelling book proposal. This crucial document does it all: it hooks readers, outlines your vision, sells your idea, and proves why you’re the right person […]
Overview A Two-Night Mini Online Course To rhyme or not to rhyme… a question that fills the picture book writer’s mind! Join Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen and Anne Marie Pace for this two-night mini to gain beginning knowledge about rhyming picture books in today's market. This program is a great fit if you’re looking for a short course of two, […]
Overview A Two-Night Mini Online Course Writing about mental health not only impacts readers—offering them hope and honesty—but also deeply affects the personal experiences of writers. The writing process, for example, creates space for healing and sharing lived truths. But how, then, do we authentically reflect mental health stories, while keeping young audiences in mind? […]
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 […]
Overview A Two-Night Mini Online Course Children's books have the opportunity to portray and celebrate the diversity of bodies, and the multitude of ways that people process and proceed throughout the world. Authentic disability representation in children's books breaks stereotypes, makes connections, and centers the disability experience. Join authors Lyn Miller-Lachmann, and Halli Gomez to learn […]
Overview A Two-Night Mini Online Course Picture books are easy to love, but challenging to write. Learn the essential elements of craft that can help you turn your ideas into stories with award-winning picture book author Darcy Pattison and author/illustrator Leslie Helakoski. This program is a great fit if you’re looking for a short course […]
Overview A Two-Night Mini Online Course This short, generative course has been thoughtfully constructed to engender creative connections, inspiration and abundance. Verse has a unique power to give voice to our inner stories—our memories, joys, challenges, and more—and poetry can unblock this expression to create flow as we access pieces of ourselves and bring them […]
Overview A Two-Night Mini Online Course Whether you want to set up school visits, participate in literary festivals, and/or pitch your ideas to storyteller organizations, Alyssa Reynoso-Morris wants to help you “get the gig and get your bag.” Alyssa booked 67 events in 2023, making an extra $19,000 in income. In 2024, she booked 48 […]
Overview A Two-Night Mini Online Course Gathering tools and strategies for revision are an integral part of writing stories. Join editor Harold Underdown to explore revision strategies that will pinpoint problems and opportunities in your picture book, chapter book, novel, or narrative nonfiction manuscript. "Big picture" revision techniques are meant to support you when you […]
Overview A Two-Part Mini Online Course Join editor Kat Brzozowski and author Anna-Marie McLemore to explore creating distinct and engaging voice and authentic dialogue on the page. While a strong voice in MG & YA novels is a must, getting it right is often elusive. Kat and Anna-Marie will explore where voice comes from—inner conflicts, outside pressures, personal values, experiences, identity—and how […]
