WHEN 12 weeks, Wednesdays, September 10 - December 10, 6:45-9:45 pm WHERE New York (Soho) LEVEL Intermediate/Advanced PRICE $610 ($575 for ) more info

Course Details

Did Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret change your life? Have you come to blows at parties over who's better, Phillip Pullman or J.K. Rowling? Can you relate to preadolescents and teens on their own levels, without being patronizing? You might be the next Judy Blume, if only you knew how to get started. We live in the golden age of YA literature, with young people buying books at the fastest rate in decades. YA novels are now respected as important money-makers at publishing houses, and they win honors such as the Printz, Newbery, and National Book Awards. Why not try your hand at this exciting field? All you need is some coaching and a rigorous environment to make that YA or middle grade novel happen. The goal of this class is to finish your YA or middle grade novel in 12 weeks. With serious work and attention to the class, you can finish it. This class also features guest speakers (editors from YA publishing houses).

In this class, you will learn:

• How to write a teen novel proposal that doesn't end up in the slush pile
• What topics are teen cliches, and how to stay away from them!
• Whether or not you need an agent, and, if so, how to get one
• How to get the clips (yes, you need clips!) to prove your skill to editors
• How to write for teens without condescending (they can smell patronizing a mile away!)

By the end of class, you will have:
A complete first draft of your YA or middle grade novel.

Students who have taken this class have published:
Total Knockout: Tale of an Ex-Class President (Simon & Schuster), Emily Goldberg Learns to Salsa (Razarbill), Vidalia in Paris (Viking), and sold 4-book deals to Penguin

Admission requirements:
Please submit a letter of interest (including a brief work history) and a writing sample (less than 2,000 words).

Related Courses

Instructor Bio

Micol Ostow's Courses

Micol Ostow has written books for children, tweens, and teens. She has written and/or ghostwritten dozens of titles, and her first original novel, Emily Goldberg Learns to Salsa, was named a NYPL Book for the Teen Age. After spending eight years as an editor of children's books, she is currently pursuing her MFA in writing for children and young adults from Vermont College. Her hybrid graphic novel, I'm With the Tribe: A Guy, A Guitar, and A Date with (Non-Denominational) Destiny, will be released in July 2009, and the first title in an upcoming Simon Pulse series, detailing the lives of privileged Philadelphia private school students in blog format, will launch in Spring 2009.

Testimonials

Micol was a thorough, well-prepared and joyful instructor. She openly shared her own experiences as a writer, as well as invited knowledgeable guests to help us understand the process and business of writing from a number of different perspectives. -- Joanne Donovan

"Micol's class has been an inspiration. I've been trying finish my book for years, and this class has helped me really focus on completing it. I've met several editors and agents through the class that I plan on reaching out to. None of this would have happened without Micol. Micol = Awesome" -- Darci Manley

"Micol is one of those teachers you're lucky to find. She brings in top-notch guests, and genuinely cares about the success of her students. With Micol's guidance, I landed a four book deal while taking her class." -- Shani Petroff