Intensive 1
Don’t Get Lost! Plan Your Book (and Your Writing Process) Like a Pro with Author Emma Otheguy
If your book is starting to feel like an unwieldy toddler or you find yourself stuck every time you sit down to write, you might be lacking the planning skills to carry you through this multi-year undertaking (yes, it’s true–most books take years!) How do you maintain momentum throughout this journey? Given that books do take time, how can you work as efficiently as possible and avoid slowing yourself down even more? In this workshop, author Emma Otheguy will talk you through her process and show you how to design your personal roadmap, wherever you are in your book journey.
What You'll Learn in Emma's Intensive:
Manage your time and set goals for milestones along the way
Organize your files to keep track of character, plot, and research notes
Plan an effective brainstorming or drafting session–what conditions do you need to be successful, and how to get this done even when life is tough
Make a book map (I usually do this while I am drafting, and again in revision)
Edit your own manuscript using principles of plot and character so you can resolve holes in your book before an editor finds them
Assess editorial feedback from critique partners, agents, or editors and decide how you will approach revision. I’ll show you examples of editorial letters I have received and how I tackled them.
Celebrate along the way!
Who Should Attend Emma's Intensive:
This intensive is great for all kidlit categories (picture book/middle grade/young adult), all genres, and all levels of expertise.
Intensive 2
BLOW IT OUT! Storyboarding Your Picture Book with Author/Illustrator Lindsay Ward
You’ve got your polished manuscript together, now what? Whether you’ve written the text or you're illustrating someone else’s manuscript, how do you begin to storyboard your picture book? What do you need to be conscious of? How can you keep the reader visually invested in the storytelling? What makes a successful composition? Let’s blow it out! We’ll examine each component of what makes a picture book successful and how to bring the components all together to make a cohesive and engaging book.
What You'll Learn in Lindsay's Intensive:
Learn to effectively break your text.
Dive into pacing, structure, and delivery.
Storytime read aloud!
Block out your storyboard.
Create thumbnails, thumbnails, thumbnails!
Plan your dummy.
Who Should Attend Lindsay's Intensive:
This intensive is great for picture book author/illustrators and illustrators...and even authors with no illustration experience who want to learn to think visually to help with pacing and page turns.
Intensive 3
Not Just the Facts: Writing Engaging Nonfiction for Kids with Lisa Amstutz, Author and Associate Agent, Storm Literary Agency
Take your nonfiction to the next level with this informational and interactive workshop. Learn about current trends and tools you can use to make your nonfiction stories stand out in a crowded market.
What You'll Learn in Lisa's Intensive:
Fact or fiction?
Finding your “why”
Research tips and tricks
Mining for heart
Choosing a structure
Spicing up your story
Who Should Attend Lisa's Intensive:
This intensive is great for any level to learn more about researching and writing nonfiction for kids.