Young Adult Fiction Writing Workshop

Turn your idea into a published novel in today's hottest genre.

Created bySteve Alcorn, Dani Alcorn

Last updated 12/2017

English

What you'll learn

Turn Your Idea Into a Young Adult Novel
Explore What Makes Bestselling Young Adult Fiction
Create a Premise That Sells
Develop Real, Engaging Young Adult Characters
Construct Your Novel Using Easy-to-follow Checkpoints
Learn to Structure Powerful Scenes
Explore Viewpoint and Tenses Choice That Pack a Punch
Learn Techniques That Create Bestsellers
Polish Your Manuscript
Create Cover Art That Sells
Discover Marketing Techniques That Work
Get Published!

Course content

6 sections • 40 lectures • 8h 38m total length

Welcome to Young Adult Fiction Writing!6:18
Meet Steve and Dani Alcorn, and enjoy this preview of all the material covered in the course!
Young Adult Fiction Origins10:05
Where did Young Adult literature come from, and where is it going? This lecture shows you.
What is Young Adult Fiction?17:47
Explore the themes of modern Young Adult Fiction.
Young Adult Genres14:36
The range of genres for Young Adult fiction is as broad as fiction itself. In this lecture we take a look at some of the bestselling genres and what makes them so popular.
Why Write Young Adult Fiction?4:08
There are a lot of great reasons to write Young Adult fiction. Can you guess which one is most important?
What Makes Young Adult Fiction So Good?3:31
Why is Young Adult writing better than most mainstream fiction? This lecture suggests a number of reasons.
How to Write Great Young Adult Fiction7:37
These simple techniques will start you on the path to writing your own great Young Adult novel.

Plot vs. Story12:16
Plot and Story are two very different things. This lesson explains why. It's perhaps the most important topic of the entire course.
The Dramatic Elements19:45
Meet the four dramatic elements on which all fiction is based.
The Protagonist35:05
Your Protagonist is your main character, and the most important person in your manuscript. Learn how to create a compelling protagonist in this lesson. The supplemental materials are also great for brainstorming vibrant characters.
The Antagonist11:00
Your antagonist has a special relationship to your protagonist. This lesson shows you how to create an antagonist who can act as the perfect dramatic foil for your protagonist.
Other Characters4:18
Your manuscript is populated by many characters. Here's how to create them using a "character pyramid."

Young Adult Fiction Story Patterns13:24
Following a tried and true story pattern makes it easy to create fiction that works, yet won't make it formulaic. Here's how to make story patterns work for you.
Three Act Story Structure24:30
Three Act Structure is the key to almost all successful fiction. We make it easy to create your novel or screenplay, by breaking the three acts up into nine checkpoints.
Act 112:20
Let's look at the Act 1 checkpoints in detail: Hook, Backstory and Trigger.
Act 28:41
Act 2 features the plot-oriented Struggle, bookended by two emotional moments, the Crisis and Epiphany.
Act 317:45
In Act 3 your protagonist makes a Plan that gets you to the Climax, and then you wrap things up in the Ending. In this lecture's test drives you'll also begin work on your detailed scene list.
Scene and Sequel27:04
Scene and Sequel makes your writing flow logically and strike with maximum impact.

Viewpoint16:10
Experiment with Omniscient, Third Person Limited and First Person viewpoints, and decide which one works best for you.
Voice8:23
This lecture helps you get a handle on the slippery topic of Voice.
Tense12:38
This lecture shows you the difference between past and present tense, and explores the benefits and pitfalls of switching between them.
Setting9:03
Setting is important for establishing the mood of your story. This step by step process makes it easy to create vivid settings.
Beginnings and Endings18:08
Make your story's beginning and ending work together, and resonate with your readers using these powerful techniques.
Dialogue27:03
Great dialogue makes your work more interesting and more readable. This lesson shows you how, and includes test drives to help you write better dialogue.
Conflict11:05
Conflict is what drives fiction. This lecture introduces three different forms of conflict, and shows you how to use them in your own fiction.
Suspense6:29
Suspense is a great way to keep readers turning pages. This lesson shows you how.
Mystery12:25
An element of mystery keeps readers interested in all genres of Young Adult fiction.

Writing Big12:50
Writing Big means giving your work maximum impact. We'll share a variety of techniques that enable you to amplify your fiction.
Writing Well16:37
Polished prose is the difference between amateur and professional writing. This lesson shows you how to polish yours.
Looking at Great Young Adult Fiction 1 - John Green9:27
John Green is perhaps todays greatest young adult author. These five books show you why.
Looking at Great Young Adult Fiction 2 - Scott Westerfeld7:55
Scott Westerfeld writes some of the best Young Adult science fiction and fantasy series. This lecture looks at seven of his greatest novels.
Looking at Great Young Adult Fiction 3 - Romance9:53
Romance is a very popular Young Adult sub genre. We look at some of our favorites, and why we like them.
Looking at Young Adult Fiction 4 - Drama17:02
We take a look at the broad range of dramas and writing styles in Young Adult fiction.
Looking at Great Young Adult Fiction 5 - Bestsellers14:44
We look at two of the bestselling Young Adult series of all time.
Looking at Great Young Adult Fiction 6 - Behind the Scenes17:12
This lecture takes a revealing look at two of Steve Alcorn's Young Adult novels, and how they were written.

Cover Art15:01
They say not to judge a book by its cover, but books are sold by their covers. The lesson looks at how different covers appeal to different markets, and will give you some ideas for your own work's cover.
Manuscript Evaluation Checklist2:00
This handy checklist helps you make sure your manuscript is ready for publication.
Getting Into Print14:15
Now that your manuscript is complete, this lecture gives you everything you need to get it published.
Marketing11:53
Now that your book is published, here's how to market it to maximize sales.
Next Steps0:33
Here are some great resources for continuing your exploration of Young Adult Fiction!

Requirements

Open to all aspiring writers, young or old, experienced or just getting started

Description

Young Adult Fiction is today's top-selling category. This class shows you how to turn you ideas into a bestselling novel or screenplay that will rival Harry Potter, Hunger Games, or Twilight.

Do you have a Young Adult novel idea, but aren't sure where to begin? Have you started a novel, only to get stuck? Or perhaps you've completed a first draft, but want to add the luster of professional writing?

This course is for you! Featuring lively discussions between Young Adult Fiction authors Steve and Dani Alcorn, this engaging class gives you all the tools you need to create a bestseller.

We'll reveal what makes Young Adult novels today's most exciting genre, and show you how to use the techniques of top-selling authors to create your own finished novel. Step by step, you'll learn and practice:

What Makes Great Young Adult Fiction
Planning Your Project
Story Structure
Character Building
Viewpoints that work best for Young Adults
Experiment with Tense
Create a Vibrant Narrative Voice
Build Vivid Settings
Dialogue for Young Adults
Beginnings and Endings
Polishing Your Manuscript
Cover Art that Sells Young Adult Novels
Getting Published
Marketing Your Work

In addition to the video lectures and panel discussions, the course includes extensive supplemental materials, featuring reference lists, exercises, checklists, and handy reference sheets.

Whether this is your first Young Adult novel or you're an experienced author looking for new techniques, Young Adult Fiction Writing Workshop has what you need to get your young adult idea published. Enroll now!

Who this course is for:

First Time Authors of Any Age
Published Authors Looking For Fresh Ideas
Authors With Unfinished or Unpolished Manuscripts

Young Adult Fiction Writing Workshop

What you'll learn

Explore related topics

Course content

Exploring Young Adult Fiction7 lectures • 1hr 4min

Planning Your Young Adult Project5 lectures • 1hr 22min

Structuring Your Young Adult Project6 lectures • 1hr 44min

Writing Your Manuscript9 lectures • 2hr 1min

Polishing Your Manuscript8 lectures • 1hr 46min

Getting Published5 lectures • 44min

Requirements

Description

Who this course is for: