Introduction to Writing Young Adult Fiction with Margot McGovern
Learn how to develop narratives from a teenage point of view
To write Young Adult fiction, authors must engage with themes and ideas relevant to teenagers, approach their stories from an appropriate point of view, and ensure that personal nostalgia or stereotypes do not cloud their vision.
This workshop is designed to help writers discover and develop an appropriate mindset for Young Adult fiction by exploring what makes a story ‘YA’, what responsibilities must be considered when writing for teen readers, elements of craft and, importantly, how to connect with the wider YA community.
Through practical exercises and insights into the creative practice of developing a YA narrative, this workshop will equip writers with skills to create compelling narrative voices, dynamic characters and engaging plots, and provide them with resources to assist through all stages of the writing process.
KYD Members receive a 10% discount on this course and all other KYD workshops. Become a member here, or contact [email protected] for more information.
Your Instructor
Margot McGovern is a YA author based in Adelaide, Australia.
Her contemporary YA manuscript, Neverland, was short-listed for the 2015 Text Prize and published by Penguin Random House Australia in April 2018.
Margot holds a creative writing Ph.D. from Flinders University. She blogs at Lectito and her book reviews have appeared in a number of Australia’s leading literary publications. She is represented by Danielle Binks.
Course Curriculum
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StartIntroduction (0:28)
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StartWhat is YA Fiction?
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StartSuggested Exercise: Why Write YA Fiction?
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StartWhy We Read and Write YA Fiction
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StartYour Teacher: Why I Write YA
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StartThe Responsibilities of Writing YA
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StartYour Teacher: Framing Challenging and Confronting Subject Matter
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Start(Re)gaining a YA Perspective
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StartSuggested Exercise: Revisiting Your Teen Experience
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StartYour Teacher: Revisiting My Teen Experience
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StartSuggested exercise: What’s Changed Since You Were a Teen?
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StartYour Teacher: What’s Changed Since I Was a Teen?
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StartPutting Yourself in a Teen Character’s Shoes
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StartIntroduction (0:23)
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StartDeveloping an Authentic Teen Voice
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StartChoosing a Point of View
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StartSuggested Exercise: Writing from a Teen Character’s Point of View (Internal Voice)
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StartSuggested Exercise: Writing from a Teen Character's Point of View (External Voice)
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StartYour Teacher: How I Develop an Authentic Teen Voice
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StartDeveloping a YA Protagonist
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StartSuggested Exercise: Character Questionnaire
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StartYour Teacher: Creating Rounded Characters
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StartYour Protagonist and Their Environment
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StartSuggested Exercise: Character Map
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StartYour Teacher: Character and Environment
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StartSecondary Characters
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StartSuggested Exercise: Adult Character Questionnaire
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StartCharacter Relationships
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StartYour Teacher: Let’s Talk About Sex
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StartSuggested Ecercise: Writing Dialogue
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StartYour Teacher: Developing Character Relationships
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StartPlotting YA Fiction
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StartSuggested Exercise: Map a Plot
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StartYour Teacher: How I Plot a YA Novel
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StartHopefully Ever After