Over two days, you will study the various elements and facets of young adult fiction (YA) writing.

Day one will cover the following: developing ideas into stories; what makes a book a YA story; character construction and development; writing authentic voices in YA; choosing a point of view - the benefits and challenges of writing in third and first person; character interiority and why it matters; crafting story openings and the promises we make to readers.

Day two will explore: plotting and pacing; using act structure to scaffold your story; world-building and setting; dialogue; showing versus telling – writers’ edition; editing techniques – making and breaking connections in your work; crafting satisfying endings.

The course will be a combination of lecture, group-wide discussion, workshop, and in-session writing exercises aimed at helping attendees gain practical experience in writing YA stories and deepen their present understanding of the building blocks of writing YA fiction.

By the end of the course, you should feel confident and able to develop your ideas into storylines; craft engaging, believable and relatable YA protagonists; use your characters to develop plot, conflict and story; create solid worlds and settings for your characters to move through; understand the difference between “showing” and “telling” in stories and when to deploy both; consider the promises you make at the opening of the story and how to use those promises as a compass to direct the story; and how to start editing your own work.

During the sessions we’ll be using Suzanne Collins’ ‘The Hunger Games’ as a universal, demonstrative text. You will need to have read the story closely before attendance in order to fully benefit from the examples that will be used.

What students need to bring

Notepad and pen/laptop – something to take notes with A copy of Suzanne Collins’ ‘The Hunger Games’ (to be purchased and read in advance, as we’ll be using it as an example text and will be examining it in the sessions)

Additional information

Please buy or borrow from a library a copy of Suzanne Collins’ ‘The Hunger Games’ and read it closely and thoroughly, as we will be using it as an example text.

Please wear appropriate clothing/aprons for the workshop or studio, this includes stout covered footwear (no sandals or open toes).

Student registration: 10.30am - 11am
Course teaching: 11am – 5.15pm 
Morning session: 11am - 1pm
Lunch break: 1pm - 2pm (lunch is not included)
Afternoon session: 2pm - 5.15pm (15 minute break, 3.30pm–3.45pm)
Teaching finishes: 5.15pm  
 

Short courses are open to anyone aged 18 and over. The course fee covers tuition and materials where stated. You will need to bring all other items listed under the ‘Materials to bring’ section.

Refreshments

Coffee and tea are included in the course fee, but you will need to bring lunch with you to eat in the refreshments room. There are also plenty of other local venues to purchase food.

Access

If you have any specific access needs, we will need to know about your access requirements in advance. Please tell us about your needs in confidence by emailing: [email protected] This venue has steps to the front reception, with limited access via a side gate to the ground floor. There is a small lift to higher floors or stairs.

Safety

Short course students are required to sign a safety compliance form as part of West Dean Health and Safety regulations.

Refunds and cancellations

Please refer to our terms & conditions below.

Disclaimer

The information given is accurate at the time of publication. However, West Dean College reserves the right to cancel or amend courses if circumstances require.

Terms & Conditions