Class

Kid Lit 101

Writing for children is a place with a wide spectrum, from board books to young adult. This class will explore it all! We’ll read excerpts of model texts: the sparsely written but powerful picture book, the middle grade with the big words and big ideas, the young adult with characters who are finding their place in the world, and the creative books that fill the rest of the categories.

We’ll dabble in different genres to see what you like to write and practice workshopping all while providing feedback on each other’s written work. We’ll also dig into the publishing world to chat about work-for-hire, royalties, literary agents, self-publishing, and AI.

This class is best suited for anyone interested in writing children’s literature.
Students will be able to:
-Understand the difference between realistic fiction and “out-of-this-world” fiction
-Engage with published children’s lit from a variety of authors and categories
-Analyze what makes this work well written
-Explore the essential parts of fiction (e.g. character, conflict, etc.)
-Participate in various writing activities
-Start writing children’s literature
-workshop their and their classmates’ work
-Revise their own work based on feedback
-Understand the difference between work-for-hire and royalty books
-Understand the depth and breadth of an agent search
-Dialogue about the reality of AI

No class July 1.

Instructions for Accessing This Online Class

In order to access live class meetings, you must have the Zoom application downloaded to your computer. You will also need a WiFi/Internet connection throughout the duration of your scheduled meeting and a computer with audio and video capability. The information to join your Zoom classroom will be provided in your confirmation email upon registration. Please check spam folders if you do not see this email upon registration. For more information on how to use Zoom, please see our training manual here.

Some classes use a supplemental Google Classroom page. Should your teaching artist use Google Classroom, you will be invited to join the classroom via email at least 24 hours in advance of your class (check spam folders if you are not seeing this invitation). Please note that Google Classroom requires a Gmail address to access the Classroom. If you do not have a Gmail account, the email invitation will be sent to the email address we have on file and will prompt you to create a free account or enter an existing account to join the classroom. If we are unable to send an email invitation to your non-gmail account, you will be contacted by a staff member to provide a Gmail address. If you do not have a Gmail account, you can create a free account here. Should you have concerns about this, please contact a Loft staff member at [email protected] or 612-379-8999. For more information on how to use Google Classroom, please see our training manual here.