WEEKLY CLASSES

EARLY BIRD OPEN

Encounters of the Close Third Kind

Exploring point of view

A two-part intensive with Karen Boss, senior editor at Charlesbridge, on what close third person can do for your manuscript.

DATE

Sundays, October 4 & 18, 2026

TIME

1 - 3:30pm EST

FORMAT

Online + Recorded

PRICE

$195*

*Additional 10-page or picture book read: $50 (Only 15 available)

Register now

First person isn’t always the answer.

When writing a picture book or a novel, many writers choose first person as the surest way to bring readers close to the protagonist. But is it always the best choice? Most of us settle into one point of view early and then spend the rest of the draft managing its limitations instead of asking whether it was the right call. Close third can do things first person and regular third can't: deepen perspective, sharpen voice, and strengthen a manuscript.

Karen Boss is an acquiring editor at Charlesbridge and an enthusiast about close third person, and she teaches it in a way that's practical rather than theoretical. Session one is a craft lecture. Session two is a group conversation, designed for writers ready to geek out. If you want feedback on your own work, you can add a ten-page read with Karen.

SEMINAR OVERVIEW

FOR YOU IF

  • You regularly default to first person and want to understand your other options.

  • You're writing in close third and want to make it sharper.

  • You're going into revisions and want to reconsider your point of view.

  • You want to nerd out on craft with an editor.

YOU’LL LEAVE WITH

  • A working understanding of what close third can do that first person can't.

  • A clearer sense of which point of view your project needs.

  • Tools for deepening perspective and voice in revision.

  • An editor's framework for thinking about point of view.

WHAT’S INCLUDED

Two live sessions

Two and a half hours each, on two Sunday afternoons.

Craft lecture

Session one is teaching. Session two’s group conversation is not recorded.

Optional ten-page read

Add feedback on your own pages from Karen for $50. Limited to 15 participants.

An editor’s perspective

Point of view questions answered by someone who reads manuscripts for a living.

MEET THE FACULTY

KAREN BOSS

Senior editor at Charlesbridge, where she works on fiction and nonfiction picture books, middle grade, and young adult. MA in Children's Literature from Simmons University. Past mentor for the Simmons Writing for Children MFA program. She joins Whale Rock as guest faculty.

Save your spot. Register today.

Save your spot. Register today.
Registration includes both live sessions and a recording of session one. Educators and librarians receive a 10% discount. Scholarships are offered for this workshop, too. Contact us before booking if you qualify for a discount or require a scholarship.