Write. Submit. Support. with Marcie Colleen (Picture Book and Chapter Book)

Draft! Revise! Polish!
Expand Your Body of Work.
If it is DEPTH into your craft you WANT then
Write. Submit. Support (WSS) is your next right step.

You are dedicated to your writing craft. You have taken webinars, classes, read the craft books, and may even have an MFA, but still may wonder:

Is my work good enough? Really good enough? How will I know I am ready to submit? And to whom?

You know accountability and deadlines serve you. You know you need a balance of deep one-on-one feedback and that you thrive in the company of other talented writers, who are also out to finish drafts, deeply revise, or expand their voice and body of work.

You know you are willing to do the deep work, you just aren’t 100% sure of what that deep work is. Or you long to do the deep work, but life and its chaos keeps getting in the way and you seek accountability and guidance to meet your goals.

Enter: Write. Submit. Support, a 6 month writing program that develops writers, their projects, and their self-confidence in what work there is left to do as they jump into the query trenches, build a lifelong writing practice, no matter what challenges come their way.

Join author Marcie Colleen for a six-month exploration of your literary life!

Write. Submit. Support. Mission: To empower writers, pre-published or published, as well as the instructor, to embrace the many joys and challenges of leading a literary life and to help you complete and/or revise a full or partial working manuscript while dipping their toes into the querying trenches.

What we promise:

One-on-one feedback from talented published authors who are at the top of the game. (Line edits AND actionable feedback letters!)
Major movement on your draft or deep revision for novelists, memoir and NF writers. Or for picture book writers the opportunity to expand and polish a body of submittable work.
Contemplating and creating a query plan, with exposure to agents and editors, with submission possibilities.
Community of writers and monthly sessions to keep you goal orientated and focused on finishing those drafts!

Dates & Times for 2025 Spring Semester:

Spring/Summer 2025

Sundays 2-5pm Central

3/30

4/27

5/18

6/22

7/20

8/24

The typical monthly class entails:

A writing exercise to ground participants in the work and to create an atmosphere of creative play.
During the first class, a 45-minute lecture on a craft topic by the instructor.
During classes we add in 2-6, presentations by participants on craft topics that they are investigating on their own.
Conversations on the writing process where we share insights about drafting, revision, areas of frustration, joy, progress, etc.
Conversation on the process of submitting. This is where you share insights from your own career, and the class takes on a particular shape inspired by your personal experience. This conversation keeps in mind that submitting is part of the process, but not the whole of the literary life.
Deadlines created for creative and analysis work.

Monthly deadlines:

For WSS Picture Book/Chapter Book:
- Submit a Process Letter to let your Advisor know where you are with the work and your desired goals.
- Submit two picture book manuscripts under 700 words (ideally 500 unless picture book nonfiction); OR Two chapters of a chapter book manuscript.
- Turn in your monthly goal sheet for your advisor to review.
- Analysis of a literary text or craft book to help build out your cannon.

Once over the six-month session:

You will present on a craft topic of their choosing once during the six months in a 20- minute lecture.
- This is designed for the WSS writer to practice public speaking, and begin to build a teaching profile. Many WSS writers have gone on to lead these lectures for paying stipends at writing organizations.

One-on-One with your Write. Submit. Support. Instructors:

A detailed feedback letter with comments on submitted pieces. These outline a manuscript’s strengths and where there are opportunities for growth. Feedback letters range in length but are often 3-5+ pages.
You will have a 30 minute 1:1 session with your advisor once throughout the 6 month session. This call will be a “strategy session” and writers will provide brief insight into whether they want to discuss querying, craft, etc.
ahead of time.
Creative work returned with line edits/margin comments. (There are 5 turn ins per WSS semester.)
A brief response to literary analysis work, craft book write-up, and literary experience essay/paragraph.
In-class support on what it means to lead a literary life, sharing of struggles and obstacles, achievements, and triumphs.

WSS programs will include 6 months of FREE

Courage to Create: 6 month membership with author, Writing Barn Founder/Creative Director, and WSS Founder Bethany Hegedus (a $525 value!)

About Online Classes

We teach our ONLINE classes in real-time through our virtual Zoom classrooms. This keeps the instruction intimate yet accessible to writers across the country. These classes are not webinars, so we encourage students to take notes and participate in real-time.

Class recordings are available only to those who cannot make the class. This includes those with last-minute technical issues (wi-fi access, etc.) which prevent participation. In addition, recordings are available for two weeks following the class date. Then, we delete these recordings.

We send out class details and logistics a week before classes begin.

Find online learning instructions here: http://www.thewritingbarn.com/zoomonlinemanual

Fees and Payment

Write. Submit. Support. is a 6 month-program and attendees must commit to the full six months. If students miss an online or in-person class session they may view a recording of the class. If a monthly class is missed, attendees are still expected to keep submission deadlines with their WSS instructor.

The total cost for the 6-Month program and CTC Membership is $3,200.
Early Bird Pricing Available ($2800) for anyone who applies, is accepted and registered before December 5th.
**Inquire/Apply to see full pricing structure and available payment plans.**

Note: Once you are accepted to WSS and make your first payment, there are no refunds.

Who Should Apply

Genres: Picture Book and Chapter Books (all PB/CB Genres except NF)

Writers in need of community, structure, and support to reach the next level in their writing life.
Active members of the SCBWI or other writing organizations looking for deep craft instruction.
Writers looking for one-on-one editorial feedback from a published mentor.
Writers who are refining a body of work for submission to agents and editors and wish to start querying.
Writers who are eager to make a commitment to their writing and to living a fully rounded literary life.
Authors who are between agents and are looking to take their work in new directions.
Authors who may be contemplating an MFA program but aren’t sure of the cost or the time away from family and other obligations.
Agented writers looking for more in-depth editorial feedback while working on new projects.

Desired Outcomes of WSS with Marcie Colleen

A renewed sense of purpose for each individual writer and the class community.
A deeper understanding of the work and each writers’ specific process in creating that work.
A completed project or body of work that feels more realized and polished.
A broader knowledge base of the industry and what it requires, as well as specific tools for each writer’s toolbox, furthering goals toward completion of novels.
The six months commitment allows for high points and low points—writers can take what they’ve learned from the ebbs and flows and apply it to their own evolving literary lives.

Hear more about why WSS might be the right fit for your by scheduling an curiosity call
with our Program Director, Jessica Hincapie

Praise for Write. Submit. Support

“The Advisors have a fantastic gift as mentors to give you honest feedback on what needs work in your manuscript without making you question your ability as a writer. They go through the strengths and weaknesses of your submissions with thought, care, and encouragement.”

“The program’s feedback is specific, insightful, and extremely helpful. The advisors are truly invested in helping each of us move forward to make our manuscripts the best they can be.”

“WSS has a holistic emphasis on creativity and the creative life and how to sustain that. “

“I really enjoy the camaraderie of this program. The video conferences bring us together, and we get to know the other participants better than we would with just a phone conference or an online “group” or email swap. I feel the support! It’s very motivating and just what I needed.”

Marcie Colleen is a multi-published author of children’s picture books, chapter books, and comics. Her work often brings humor, heart, and playfulness to the page, delighting young readers with memorable characters and engaging stories. Notable works include picture books Survivor Tree, The Bear’s Garden, and Penguinaut! along with The Super Happy Party Bears chapter book series. In addition to writing books of her own, Marcie served as the Senior Writer for Epic!–the world’s leading digital platform for kids–for close to three years where she wrote in many formats including comics within the highly popular Cat Ninja Universe, including Kitten Ninja which saw over six million reads in its first few months of publication. While with Epic, Marcie was the Head Writer in the Epic Originals Writer’s Room, collaborating with others to create various series for the Epic platform. Learn all about Marcie and her upcoming work at www.thisismarciecolleen.com.

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