Join editor Carter Hasegawa, formerly with Candlewick, for an honest conversation about writing “heavy” topics for kids.
There’s an instinct as writers, parents, and/or adults to shield kids from the hard stuff. If something sad or tragic happens in a story, we want there to be a happy ending. Or a good lesson. Something that promises the reader that yes, it does get better. But let’s face it: real life is hard. Terrible things can happen for absolutely no reason at all and not everything has a deeper meaning or an opportunity for growth.
How can we as writers reach readers whose lives and experiences don’t have a silver lining? How can we call upon what we care about the most without being didactic or saccharine sweet? Add to this conundrum the worries over increased book-bans, writers are worried about what they can and can’t write about! Freezing instead of creating leads to self-censoring, which is NOT what any writer wants and definitely not what the world needs.
While the focus of this webinar will be on picture books, we’ll also look at examples in middle-grade and young adult fiction. You’ll come away with great examples of published books that address the hard stuff, a better understanding of audience and the marketplace, and what topics – if any – should be avoided. This webinar will be 60 minutes followed by a Q&A.
Who Should Take This Class:
- For writers of PB, MG, and YA.
- Writers who’s work involves sensitive situations for readers
- Writers looking for industry insight on how to tackle said sensitive topics
- Writers looking for more insights on the current market
- Writers who’s book topics agents say may be “hard to sell” based on their themes
About Writing Barn Craft Webinars:
Industry professionals: authors, agents, editors, etc. facilitate these events. Price points are low and attendance is high, anywhere from 50-200+ attendees. Writing craft and industry engagement are explored. *REPLAYS are made available for all registrants 2 business days after the event and are available for a limited time.*
About the Instructor:
Carter Hasegawa is a children’s book editor who worked at Candlewick Press for nearly fifteen years. He’s worked on everything from picture books, to graphic novels, to MG and YA fiction, narrative nonfiction, poetry collections, verse novels, and more. Some of his favorite books include Watercress, My Papi Has a Motorcycle, Last Stop on Market Street, Tar Beach, Wednesday Wars, Maniac Magee, and many, MANY others. Originally from Seattle, he now lives in Boston with his wife and two young sons.