Picture Book Biographies II: Creating a Standout with Rob Sanders

Join acclaimed picture book biography author Rob Sanders for this six-session online course where you will explore components of successful picture book biographies and discover how to transform a story into a picture book biography manuscript that stands out for all the right reasons.

PB Bio I is NOT a prerequisite for PB Bio II. Having a work-in-progress draft of a biography will enable you to fully benefit from this class.

Using mentor texts, mini-lectures, and hands-on exercises, you’ll learn to:

• Write with accuracy, authenticity, and authority
• Identify the theme or core takeaway message of your picture book biography
• Determine where to best begin your biography
• How to stay in-scene
• Use rich, evocative vocabulary, figurative language, and literary devices
• Create sentence variety and pacing to enhance the reading experience

Over the six-session course, four weeks will be devoted to the study of picture book biographies and each student will revise a draft of a picture book biography. Because we believe that learning and doing leads to greater understanding, each student will also be asked to research and teach a mini-craft lesson during one class session. During the last two weeks of the course, we will workshop and provide peer review for each student’s work-in-progress.

Who Should Take This Course:

• A writer with a picture book biography drafted and ready to revise
• Writers interested in drafting a picture book biography and/or a book in this market space
• Writers interested in exploring the themes of social justice, kindness, and inclusion
• Writers who previously taken Style & Substance: Picture Book Biographies*
• Writers who have previously taken PB I, II, III, IV or a combination thereof with The Writing Barn
• Writers looking for community and insight into their work
• Agented writers; published writers; those routinely getting personal passes from agents and publishers

*If you have not taken Picture Book Biography I with The Writing Barn, please email info@thewritingbarn.com with your interest and a one-page sample of your work.

Full Series Dates: Mondays, 7:00 – 9:00 pm CT *Check your time zones!

June 9th, June 16th, June 23rd, June 30th, July 7th, July 14th, 2025.

Multi-Week Classes are 2-hour classes offered over consecutive weeks and assist writers in creating new work, or revising existing work with a goal toward exploring craft and potentially pursuing publication. Registrants should plan to not miss more than 1 class for maximum learning and class bonding, with both the published instructor and each other. On-going classes usually have outside reading, homework assignments/analysis, and a workshop component.

REPLAYS for online classes are available to writers who request them from the class TA due to absence, visual and hearing impairment, or to meet the needs of our neurodiverse writers (available for 30 days.) Multi-Week Classes are meant to be an organic experience that must be given full time and attention to help aid in the openness that is created within the LIVE learning environment.

Praise for Rob’s Teaching:

• Rob was an absolute delight…I would take another class from Rob in a heartbeat.  –PB Bio I Attendee
• Rob is a teacher who writes, and one who teaches, and very well, indeed! –PB Bio I Attendee
• I owe a lot to the Writing Barn. If it weren’t for the support and high quality instructors, I don’t think I’d be where I am in my writing process.  –PB Bio I Attendee

Writing Barn classes are nonrefundable. For terms and conditions, specifically for online programming, please see our WB Policy Page.