As one of the newest, largest, and most diverse genres in the industry, it is often difficult to define Young Adult Lit; through the examination and discussion of craft techniques, this class will explore successful tools used to create the unique tone and momentum found in YA.

This workshop will focus on the analysis of the elements of young adult fiction; structural elements such as character, plot, point of view, and conflict will be discussed in addition to stylistic elements such as voice, pacing, authenticity and writing with a sense of urgency. We’ll discuss essays and novel chapters written by published writers,which you will receive ahead of time; however, our primary focus will be the student workshop.

Writing to Know the World with Adam Soto, Assistant Editor American Short Fiction

One time or another we have all been told: Write What You Know. But what if we feel compelled to tell a story that takes place in a country we’ve only visited once, or from the point of view of a person very different from ourselves? Here are a few questions for those sagely instructors: Why avoid the unknown when the unfamiliar, strange, uncomfortable, and mysterious have always been at the heart of truly great writing? Reading fiction is supposed to make us more compassionate and understanding human beings; shouldn’t writing fiction do the same?

Whether you are interested in experimenting with new genres, subjects and themes, characters, time periods, or settings, Writing to Know the World is designed to lend you the tools and courage to liberate your work from the tried and true and status quo, and create something exciting and new.

 

From the Mediterranean wanderings of Odysseus to the travels of St. Augustine, it seems that Western literature not only incorporates writing about place but, perhaps, is predicated on it. We human beings, after all, have it in our genes; we move, often. We move for practical purposes. We move for pleasure. And, sometimes, we root ourselves in deep.

Exploration and Discovery: Writing About Place is a class about discovering how we as writers—poets, fiction writers, and essayists alike—consider the world around us. By identifying different scenarios in which human beings relate to the world around them, we will try to reach for something higher than the subgenre of “travel writing.” How do we considerately, humbly observe the space around us? How do we respectfully explore new spaces? And how do we thoughtfully write about places we think we know?