WEEKLY CLASSES
Master Skills Intensive: From Mentor Texts to Manuscript
A Focus on the elements
A three-month workshop with two-time Newbery Honor author Gary D. Schmidt and National Book Award winner Kathryn Erskine, for intermediate middle grade and young adult writers who want to see how acclaimed novelists handle craft and bring those techniques to their own pages.
DATE
Wednesdays, Jan 13th – April 28th
TIME
7pm EST
FORMAT
Online/Live on Zoom
PRICE
Sliding scale from $1250
Applications begin Dec 1, 2026
SEMINAR OVERVIEW
A focus on the elements
Join two-time Newbery Honor author Gary D. Schmidt and National Book Award winner Kathryn Erskine for this three-month workshop designed for novelists who wish to delve into craft through the use of mentor texts.
Gary and Kathryn built this 14-week (semester-long) intensive around the idea that reading is a critical part of writing. The workshop will follow a pattern of reading one novel a week for two weeks, and then writing and sharing for week three. Craft elements covered include plot, character, point of view, narrator, and setting. You do not need to have a work in progress to participate in this workshop.
Every third week entails submitting two to three pages, either new or from your work in progress, and discussing your writing that week in a small group with Gary or Kathy.
Over the course of the workshop, you’ll get the chance to experiment with your writing -- to explore new ideas and techniques, to draft or revise. After the workshop ends, you’ll have a chance to submit up to twelve pages to Gary and Kathy. You’ll receive extensive notes from one mentor and a short response from the other.
This intensive is for intermediate writers working on middle grade or young adult novels or for educators or industry professionals who wish to expand their understanding of craft through reading and discussion. *Please note: the reading is substantial, so plan to begin before the first session.
FOR YOU IF
You are a middle grade or young adult writer.
You want to closely examine how acclaimed novelists tackle craft, and apply those skills and concepts to your own work.
You've read a number of craft books, but want to learn from primary sources instead.
You want feedback on pages and a close read at the end.
You want a winter of steady reading, writing, and discussion in the company of other serious writers.
YOU’LL LEAVE WITH
A working understanding of plot, character, point of view, narrator, and setting, drawn from recent novels.
Ongoing feedback on new and/or revised pages of your work in progress.
Extensive notes from one mentor and a short response from the other on 12 pages of your work.
A list of mentor texts you can return to.
WHAT’S INCLUDED
Twelve live sessions
Eight craft discussions and four writing weeks, on Zoom with Gary and Kathy.
Reading as a writer
Each craft session studies one recent novel and how its author handles a single element of craft.
Your pages, in small groups
Every third week you’ll read two to three pages from your project in a small breakout session and receive feedback from faculty and the group.
Pages read at the end
One week after the final class, you may submit twelve pages to faculty. One mentor will provide extensive notes and the other will send along a short response. The mentors will split the manuscripts.
Reading weeks built in
The schedule includes two reading weeks to give you time to read each novel closely and come to each discussion ready to dig in.
MEET YOUR TEACHERS
GARY D. SCHMIDT
Author of the National Book Award winner Mockingbird, the Jane Addams Peace Award honor book Seeing Red, and the novels The Incredible Magic of Being and Lily's Promise. Her picture books include Mama Africa! and All of Us. Whale Rock faculty.
KATHRYN ERSKINE
Two-time Newbery Honor recipient and National Book Award finalist. Author of The Wednesday Wars, Okay for Now, and many others. Longtime professor at Calvin University. Faculty emerita of Hamline MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults. Whale Rock founding faculty.
THE SCHEDULE
The reading list
A reading list of recent middle grade and young adult novels, confirmed before the workshop begins. Books aren't included in tuition. Most titles are available in paperback if buying new, and should also be available at the library. Plan to begin reading before the first session.
All sessions are Wednesdays, Eastern time
January 13 7-8:15 PM — craft Wolf Hollow
January 20 7-8:15 PM — craft Firekeeper’s Daughter
January 27 7-9 PM — participants share own work
February 3 No class (time for reading)
February 10 7-8:15 PM — craft Long Way Down, Bird Nerd
February 17 7-8:15 PM — craft Gather
February 24 7-9 PM participants share own work
March 3 7-8:15 PM — craft A Bird Will Soar
March 10 7-8:15 PM — craft The Teacher of Nomadland
March 17 7-9 PM participants share own work
March 24 No class (time for reading)
March 31 7-8:15 PM — craft Raven Boys
April 7 7-8:15 PM — craft
April 14 7-9 PM participants share own work
Final packets due: May 5
REGISTRATION
We will accept no more than 16 students for this workshop with pages and up to 4 audit students. Audit students will only attend novel discussion weeks.
We're offering this class on a sliding scale so you can choose the tuition level that works best for you. Full tuition covers the actual cost of running the workshop, including compensation for two faculty members and all of their reading. Supported tuition offers a reduced rate for students who would benefit from some financial support.
Full tuition, $1,700. 2-3 pages read and discussed every third week. 12-page packet submitted post workshop.
Supported tuition, $1,400. 2-3 pages read every third week. 12-page packet submitted post workshop. (Eight spots)
Audit, $799. Join for the readings and the discussion without submitting pages – a good fit for librarians, teachers, publishing professionals, and fellow writers who want the craft without the writing workload. (Four audit spots.)
Sliding scale, klarna payment plan available, scholarships available, and new for 2027 15% off for librarians and educators. Click here to read how our scholarships and financial aid works.
To claim your educator or librarian discount, email us at [email address] before you register and include something with your name that shows your role, a link to your school or library page that lists you, or a photo of a paystub (we don’t need to see the amount, just proof of employment).