Tell Your Story: Novels

Novels are an exciting genre in children’s literature, whether they are middle grade (ages 8-13) or  young adult (ages 13 and up.) There are seemingly endless novel categories, too: novels in verse, contemporary, horror, fantasy, historical fiction, mystery and narrative nonfiction.

Whatever your novel interest, we’ve got resources and workshops to help you begin, revise, plot, outline, receive feedback, develop characters and more.

No matter where you are on your journey, we’re glad you’re here.  We can give you the skills you need to create the very best novel for kids and teens.

Novel Workshops

No results found.
Explore Our Novel Workshops

Inspiring Children Through Story

“My picture book ... deals with parents separating. One little boy, who parents recently divorced, went to bed with [it] many nights. This deeply moved me to know this picture book helped this little boy.”

"I tutor 2nd grade reluctant readers. My understanding of picture book structure and prose allows me to help them learn more than words. Rather than just read the story, we talk about it."

"You mean I get to keep this book forever?"

…Spoken by a child in tears who was gifted with one of my books at a school visit and had never owned a book before.

"When I hear kids giggle while I’m reading [my book] I feel like I’ve done the job I intended to do."

Novel Resources

Diana Murry
Visual Outlining

by Chris Tebbetts

Alisa Alering
5 Common World Building Mistakes

by Alisa Alering

Donna Janell Bowman
Perfectly Plotted

by Padma Venkatraman

Jennifer Gennari
Learning to Love Line Editing

By Jennifer Gennari

Don Tate
Imagining an Image System for Your novel in verse

by Cordelia Jensen

Miranda Paul
Lights, Camera, ACTION: The Importance of Starting in a Scene

by Kat Brzozowski

Podcast: Cordelia Jensen

Podcast: Cordelia Jensen

Novels in Verse Are My Native Language: 3 Verse Novelists Share Their Passion for the Form

Novels in Verse Are My Native Language: 3 Verse Novelists Share Their Passion for the Form

Creating Memorable Characters Means Being Patient and Asking a Lot of Questions

Creating Memorable Characters Means Being Patient and Asking a Lot of Questions

Your Book’s First Editor Is You: Is It Too Soon for Line Editing?

Your Book’s First Editor Is You: Is It Too Soon for Line Editing?

See All Novel Blogs from Our Faculty

Get Involved at the Highlights Foundation

Free Resources & Webinars
Equity & Inclusion Resources
Scholarships

Stories from Our Highlights Foundation Alumni

Sara Gómez Woolley, 2022 Resident Artist: #WhatIFound @HighlightsFound

Sara Gómez Woolley, 2022 Resident Artist: #WhatIFound @HighlightsFound

Uplifting Indigenous Storytellers on #GivingTuesday

Uplifting Indigenous Storytellers on #GivingTuesday

Khadijah VanBrakle Announces Book Deal

Khadijah VanBrakle Announces Book Deal

From Workshop to Publication to Acquiring Editor

From Workshop to Publication to Acquiring Editor

See All Stories from Highlights Foundation Alumni

Workshops for Writers & Illustrators

> Online
> In-Person
> On-Demand (Self-Paced Online)

New to the Highlights Foundation? Try these:

About Children's Publishing | The Whole Novel Workshop | Summer Camp

Upcoming Workshops

Questions?

Need help deciding on a workshop?  Ask an ambassador!

Visiting Our Campus

Our campus (The Barn at Boyds Mills) is tucked away in the foothills of the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania.  It's a few hours from both New York City and Philadelphia, but worlds away from everyday life.

Learn More About Visiting Our Campus

Personal Retreats
Custom Retreats
In-Person Workshops

Line drawing of the Barn at Boyds Mills

Our Mission in Action

Scholarships
Equity & Inclusion in Kidlit
Sustainability

The Highlights Foundation positively impacts children by amplifying the voices of storytellers who inform, educate, and inspire children to become their best selves.  Learn more about our impact.

Donate Online

Get Involved

Options for Individuals

Donate
Support Our Scholarship Program
Become an Anti-Bias Book Bearer
Honor a Loved One
Help Us Fundraise
Planned Giving

For Businesses & Organizations

Fund a Scholarship
Partner with Us