Department of English

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This is an advanced workshop-focused course for students who would like to spend the semester writing a YA novel. Through constructive critique and a workshop style that gives each writer agency and a voice in discussion of their own work, we will engage with ongoing chapters of students’ novels throughout the semester. Students will be workshopped more than once, and though the aim won’t be completing a whole manuscript, significant and exciting progress will be made. Required reading will consist mainly of classmates’ manuscripts, and the only assignments will be maintaining a regular writing practice to make progress on your own novel, brief weekly written critiques for your peers, and a final project consisting of revised opening pages and a future query letter. A guest author visit may also be arranged. Active class participation and regular attendance is essential to make this class work. All YA genres are welcome and celebrated, from realism to speculative fiction, and those writing YA-crossover (sometimes called New Adult) are also welcome in this class. Permission to enroll is required. Please send an email describing your interest in this class and your experience writing YA fiction to Nova Ren Suma at nrsuma@sas.upenn.edu.