Department of English

This course is for those who want to begin writing a novel aimed at an audience of young readers. During the online semester, we will meet in Zoom for reading discussions of novels and workshops of student writing, and will also make use of small group work and asynchronous creative tasks such as writing prompts. Writing assignments will lead students to explore ways of creating fully dimensional young protagonists, crafting authentic young voices, and generating ideas that will speak to young readers. Our spotlight will mainly shine on the promising world of YA, but we will also discuss middle-grade (MG) writing for younger readers and the hallmarks and differences between the categories. Reading will consist of novels as well as excerpts and craft articles. Student writing will be workshopped and shared in peer critique throughout the course. The ultimate goal will be to write the opening chapters of a unique and engaging YA or MG novel and complete a polished revision for the final project.