WHEN: November 7th, 2020 – 10 am (PST) to 4 pm
WHERE: Zoom
COST: $135
CASCADE WRITERS PRESENTS:
Writing And Publishing For Young Audiences!
Join children’s authors Maya Pasad, Christine Taylor Butler and Dustin Hansen for a one-day Zoom conference on writing both fiction and nonfiction aimed at young audiences, from small children through middle grade and young adult! Christine is the author of the A True Book series of historical and scientific books for middle readers and the Lost Tribes novels for young adult readers. Dustin is the author and artist of My Video Game Ate My Homework, a graphic novel from DC Comics, and Game On!, a history of video games in prose.
Scholarships are available for this workshop.
Scholarship details can be found here.
Deadline extended!! REGISTER HERE by October 31!
Christine Taylor-Butler grew up in Ohio, near one of the best libraries in the world. Her passion for writing developed early but her writing career took a circuitous route that included a New England boarding school, two MIT degrees and a series of jobs that included working for a start-up software company followed by several years at Harvard University and more than a decade as a Graphic Arts Manager at Hallmark Cards. She recognized the lack of diversity in publishing and the resultant representation, so lent her voice to help bring changes that would benefit all children. She has since written sixty-five commercial publications, learning a great deal about writing, publishing, and children along the way.
Maya Prasad is a South Asian American author, a Caltech graduate, and a former software engineer. She now resides in the Pacific Northwest, where she enjoys hiking, canoeing, and raising her budding bookworm daughter.
Her YA debut Fall Winter Spring Summer will be published by Disney-Hyperion in fall 2022. She’s also a contributor to the anthology Foreshadow: Stories to Celebrate the Magic of Reading and Writing YA (Algonquin Young Readers, October 2020). She has had short fiction published on the Foreshadow digital platform and at Cast of Wonders. A
recipient of the We Need Diverse Books mentorship program, Maya is passionate about creating brown girl leads in children’s literature.
Visit her website www.mayaprasad.com or find her on Instagram and Twitter
@msmayaprasad.
Dustin Hansen, author of Game On! and the Microsaurs series, was raised in rural Utah, where he spent many days hiking red rock canyons that once belonged to the dinosaurs. But even the beautiful mountains couldn’t keep him away from his love of pixels and controllers. He has been writing and creating art for the video game industry for more than two decades. Dustin and his family live in rural Utah once again, where he is the current king of the family Mario Kart circuit.
Schedule
10 to 11:30 ~ Dustin Hansen ~ Writing For Art: What to expect when working with an artist on your Graphic Novel.
30 minute break
12 to 1:30 ~ Christine Taylor Butler ~ Riding The Middle Grade Roller Coaster: Writing Middle Grade is trickier than most people think. The target readers and main characters are transitioning both in school and their lives. They’re no longer children but not quite young adults. Let’s explore the classic framework involved in crafting a middle grade novel. Know what the rules are before you break them (and you CAN break them if you’re clear on what you’re doing). We’ll talk plot development, rising tension and that all important last hurdle that keeps readers emotionally invested. And have you ever gone to a workshop and thought “Yes, but how do I do that?” or “I have more questions now?” This hands on workshop will leave thirty minutes or more for questions and discussion. So bring them. Where are you stuck? What help do you need to keep going? How can we help you get back on/ or stay on track?
30 minute break
2 to 3:30 ~ Maya Prasad ~ Breaking Into KidLit With Short Stories: Short stories allow you to take risks and experiment with voice, structure, and style. They’re also a fantastic way to get your work noticed! In this workshop, we’ll discuss the kidlit short story market, analyze the standout elements of a few favorites, and tackle writing prompts to get started on your next short fic masterpiece.
