Coming Events - 2023

Mark your calendar.

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

• JUNE
  
• Beginning next month I will teach a series of 3 writing seminars on Saturday mornings from 11:00-1:00 PST via ZOOM. 
  

• JULY 23rd

        THE NAME GAME Children’s literature from Picture Book to YA – How Genre and

        Category labels can make or break a book’s success.

​        Learn to use category and genre to your advantage in writing and marketing your story.
        Genre and category labels are key factors in potential readers locating books, so it is vital that                   you understand the attributes these labels represent when applied to your work.
        More importantly, genre and category designations establish a contract between the author and                 the audience that you must fulfill with regard to content, book length, vocabulary, and age                   appropriateness, to name a few.
        A comprehensive analysis of fiction genres plus the characteristics of categories will empower                   you to correctly assess your work and apply these labels appropriately.

• AUGUST 12th
  

        ​PICTURE BOOKS – CREATING FOR CHILDREN

        Picture books are more than illustrated stories for children in the 4–8-year-old range. The

              term encompasses Board Books through Early Readers. Each form has specific

              requirements which will be explored in detail.
        Picture books are one of the most difficult writing forms to master because plot and

              character must be established with a minimal amount of language and every word has

              to be carefully chosen.
        This seminar will examine the essential elements of a picture book by deconstructing an

              award-winning work with its author from conception through the step-by-step writing

              process.
        The discussion will include expressing theme, the use of repetition and rhyme, and how

              to create a text that will inspire illustrators.

​​​

• SEPTEMBER 9th

       MIDDLGRADE and YOUNG ADULT FICTION: An Exploration of Substance and Method

      This seminar will examine the essential elements of MG & YA literature – content, point-of-view,

            characterization, and more with the goal of enabling you to develop a novel that will engage                audiences of varied ages.
      The broad range of genres and subgenres will be explored with particular attention given the

            inherent styles, forms, and subject matters of each to help you successfully shape your

            creative work.
      Multiple examples of successful titles in both categories will be discussed.

​