Encounters of the Close Third Kind
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.
Bringing Minor Characters to Life
Minor characters are not just props for your main character's story.
Every character in your book deserves a life of their own. Minor characters aren't just there to serve the protagonist. When they're fully realized, minor characters’ storylines add depth to your protagonist’s drama and to the manuscript as a whole.
In this seminar, Erin Dionne looks at how to breathe life into minor characters: what makes them well-rounded, how their storylines can strengthen your protagonist's, and how to build the kind of secondary character readers remember. You'll leave with concrete tips and tools for assessing and building your supporting cast.
You Should Take It Personally: Creating and raising internal stakes
The most important stakes are the personal ones.
Stakes keep readers turning the pages. But stakes are as varied as the stories that carry them. Maybe the entire galaxy is at risk of imploding. Maybe the farmer's market will be out of pears if your hero arrives late. Whether you're writing something plotty and exciting, quiet and tender, or narrative nonfiction, the most important stakes are the personal ones. External action creates plot, but emotional stakes are what connect readers to a story and keep them reading.
Evan Griffith is the author of award-winning middle-grade novels and picture book biographies, and a faculty member at the Vermont College of Fine Arts MFA. In this seminar, he'll show you how to identify your character's internal stakes, and how to raise them so your reader fundamentally cares and wants to read more.
Scene Structure: Key elements in the building blocks of your story
The scene is the basic building block of any story.
The scene is the basic building block of any story. But what makes a great one? Laurie Calkhoven will use mentor texts to walk through the key elements that go into writing great scenes: stage setup, characters and their motives, large and small actions, dialogue, and point of view, all working together toward a scene climax.
Laurie spent twenty years in children's publishing, including time as an executive editor at Scholastic, before writing more than fifty books of her own. Examples are drawn from popular works of middle grade and YA fiction, and you'll leave the workshop with a new scene.