Encounters of the Close Third Kind: Exploring Point of View

With: Karen Boss

Sundays, October 4 & 18, 2026, 1:00 - 3:30 PM ET

Price: $195 workshop
Additional 10-page or picture book read: $50 (Only 15 available)

Whether you’re writing a picture book or a novel, first person point of view is often seen as the best way to ensure readers can get emotionally close to your protagonist.

But is it always the best choice?

Senior Editor Karen Boss invites you to take a fresh look at close third point of view—and how it can deepen perspective, sharpen voice, and strengthen your manuscript.

Join us this fall for a two-part intensive designed for writers ready to geek out on craft and take a focused, practical look at the differences between first person and close third.

What To Expect:

Week One: Craft & Exploration
A live, workshop-style session packed with mentor texts, targeted prompts, and practical techniques you can apply right away.
(Recorded for later viewing.)

Week Two: See It in Action
Watch concepts come to life as Karen uses participant submissions to point out examples and discuss point of view. She’ll break down when close third strengthens a manuscript, when maybe first person is the better choice, and where writers may have missed an opportunity. Discussion-driven, with plenty of time for questions.
(Not recorded.)

Want Personalized Feedback?
Karen is offering feedback for 15 manuscripts (first come, first served). Submit either a complete picture book manuscript or up to 10 pages of a novel including a full summary, and receive personalized feedback within one week.

Karen Boss is a senior editor at Charlesbridge where she works on fiction and nonfiction picture books and MG and YA novels and nonfiction. She holds an MA in Children's Literature from Simmons College. She published Traci Sorell's award-winning debut, We Are Grateful: Otsaliheliga, and has worked with authors such as Jane Yolen, Sarah Albee, Tami Charles, and Valerie Bolling.

This Workshop Is For You If

  • You are drafting or revising a novel OR working on a series of picture books

  • You need or want dedicated time to work on a project

  • You feel like you’ve been writing in a vacuum, and you seek community

  • You are on a deadline and need to make progress on your project quickly

  • You’ve lost momentum on a manuscript

  • You would benefit from expert insight into your project or process

  • You’ve only met Whale Rock friends and faculty online, and you’d love the opportunity to connect in person

*NOTE: There is no submission required for this event.

Register Now

Important Details
Karen will be traveling in early fall 2026. To make this workshop possible, we need a minimum of 13 registered participants by September 14.