This class is held at a variety of times-- I'm sure there's one that will fit your schedule! Send us a message to get more info, and a discount exclusive to IndyEd users.

In this class, each student will conceive, develop, and write their own novel, book, or short story! This class-- like all our organization's classes-- is taught exclusively by award-winning published authors.

Using the myriad of tips and tricks I've learned from over a decade of writing professionally, speaking in schools, and teaching camps/classes, I encourage students to treat writing as play-- but to also hold themselves accountable and respect their talent!

Students are encouraged to explore and develop their own voices and can write in any genre or style they choose. They will be asked to set a goal for themselves based on their writing experience, the time they can devote to their writing, and their writing ambitions. Holding students accountable for their writing work keeps them from starting then abandoning stories-- which I think can be detrimental to creative development (think of it like training to run a marathon by only running a mile each day!).

That said, this is still an encouraging, supportive class, and is built such that it's the class I wish I'd had as a teenage writer.

**Weekly Breakdown:**

⭐Week One: We'll discuss the structure of a story, the value of outlining (even if you hate it), and how to pace your writing.

⭐Week Two: We'll discuss how to create an interesting, "real" character.

⭐Week Three: We'll discuss "showing vs. telling", and how to fill in a scene wisely.

⭐Week Four: We'll discuss dialogue, and how to use it to both advance the plot and characters.

⭐Week Five: The "hack your writing process" class! We'll discuss writer's block and how to manage it from both a craft perspective (you're stuck because you don't know what comes next) as well as a process perspective (you're stuck because you can't find the time or aren't motivated).

⭐Week Six: This is an open week, where individual student questions and concerns about their writing can be addressed.

⭐Week Seven: We'll discuss revising and editing your story beyond spell check, focusing on how to identify problems and address them without becoming discouraged.

⭐Week Eight: Our final week! We'll go through each individual writer's work and discuss their strengths, as well as the areas where they could continue to grow.

**Class Breakdown:**

⭐5 minutes: Introductions, hellos

⭐20 minutes: I'll go to each student whose story was updated and ask them what was easy for them as a writer, and what they had a hard time with. I'll then give short, quick feedback. I only provide verbal feedback for this class, as I think it's important that students think of feedback as a conversation rather than a teacher marking errors! Students may not remember everything I say, and that's fine-- the goal isn't for them to modify their story to exactly fit what I suggest, but rather to consider it as they continue writing.

⭐25 minutes: Weekly lesson. I'll go over the specific lesson of the week in an engaging, interactive way, asking for student input and suggestions as we go.

Students are asked to turn in their writing progress each week, at least twenty-four hours before the following class. If work isn't turned in by the deadline, I won't be able to provide feedback! Students, please keep this in mind and set as many alarms/reminders as necessary so that you can get the most out of our class together.

For more information on the authors who teach this class, please check out their bios below! If you're unsure who would be the best fit for your learner, please reach out and we'll help you make the perfect choice.

⭐ Jackson Pearce is the author of sixteen books for tweens and teens, including the *Pip Bartlett's Guide to Magical Creatures* series (Scholastic), the *Ellie, Engineer* series (Bloomsbury), and the *Doublecross* series (Bloomsbury). Her books are published in twenty-three languages around the world, and have won multiple state and national awards.

⭐ Tracy Banghart is the author of several young adult books, including the *Grace and Fury* series (Little, Brown), and the forthcoming *Perfect Girl* (Feiwel & Friends). She has a BA in English from Davidson College and an MA in Publishing from Oxford Brookes University.

⭐ Saundra Mitchell is the author of nearly twenty books for tweens and teens, including the Edgar Award nominee *Shadowed Summer* and Indiana Author Award Winner and Lambda Nominee *All the Things We Do in the Dark*. She is the editor of four anthologies for teens, *Defy the Dark*, *All Out*, *Out Now*, and *Out There*.