Get ready to write for kids and/or teens, some of our most demanding yet voracious readers. Learn how publishers divide Children's and YA books according to the age of the protagonist and the book's content, and how to create characters and plotlines that will resonate with readers at each of those different ages. We will consider the psychology of child development, especially as relates to creating believable dialogue and actions. The class will consider industry standards for word counts and will discuss ways in which vocabulary leads to a book's suggested reading level. Students will also learn about awards for children's and young adult literature, and will read at least one recent award winner. Students will also consider where their work fits with and builds on the tradition of literature for youth. Students will practice writing scenes appropriate to young audiences.

Material covered relates to modern writing theory, and discusses the structure of recently published works. The teaching method accommodates the needs of students who want to shape their work for publication, as well as those who are writing to create an heirloom, or for personal fulfilment. The instructor has published in multiple genres, and critiques manuscript partials in a number of genres for major writing conferences. She has a Masters in Library Science with an emphasis in youth services and spent 5 years as a children's/youth librarian.