Writing Young Adult Fiction
Wednesdays: February 11 - March 4
7 - 9:30 p.m. EST
Led by DHONIELLE CLAYTON
with guest authors Lamar Giles, Natalie C. Parker, Mark Oshiro, & Ashley Woodfolk
$420 ($370 until Jan 1)
Please register with the email to which you’d like to receive class correspondence and readings.
Young adult fiction (YA) is thriving. Teens are reading it in higher numbers than ever, but so are older readers who crave the engrossing, transporting tales that this genre delivers. But whether a YA novel features a dystopian world, monsters that rise from the sea, romance, mystery, or everyday characters and plots, the great commonality among all YA is this: Teens are the heroes and driving force of the adventure.
In this four-week course, award-winning YA author Dhonielle Clayton will guide you through what makes a YA novel resonate with young readers and adults alike—and how the genre continues to evolve alongside shifts in social and cultural norms. Each session zeroes in on a cornerstone of YA storytelling, from building unforgettable protagonists to plotting page-turning scenes and story arcs. Along the way, four guest authors will join us to share how they broke into YA publishing and answer your burning questions about craft and career.
In this course, students can expect to:
Learn directly from some of today’s most exciting YA authors
Understand what sets YA apart from other kinds of fiction
Generate new writing while advancing your work-in-progress
Gain insider perspectives on navigating the YA world—from first drafts to publication
This is not a workshop course—there’s no direct peer or teacher feedback—but you’ll generate plenty of new material through customized prompts and weekly assignments. The aim is to spark fresh ideas, push forward your work-in-progress, and give you insider insights into the YA landscape.
Schedule
Feb 11: What Makes YA, YA? (Lamar Giles): The truths—and myths—about writing for teens.
Feb 18: Main Character Syndrome (Natalie C. Parker): What makes for a compelling YA progatonist?
Feb 25: The Scooby Gang (Mark Oshiro): Populating your story with allies, foils, and sidekicks.
Mar 4: The Plot Thickens (Ashley Woodfolk): Plotting scenes that drive the story forward for a memorable finale.
About the Instructors
Dhonielle Clayton
Ashley Woodfolk
Mark Oshiro
Lamar Giles
Natalie C. Parker
Details
This course will take place on Zoom on Wednesdays from February 11 to March 4 from 7 - 9: 30 p.m. EST. Participants will receive a Zoom link prior to the course as well as a recording of the course afterward.
After you take a course with Off Assignment, you’ll be invited into our private writing community for alumni on Slack. It includes channels for publication opportunities, reading recommendations, meet-ups, and more—not to mention literary companionship that outlasts the course itself.
There is a 10% cancellation fee if you cancel your enrollment more than 1 week before the start of the course. No refund will be given if cancelling within less than a week of the course start date (or after the course has begun).
Please email courses@offassignment.com with any questions.
FAQs →
Financial Aid
The full price for this course is $420, with early bird pricing at $370 available until January 1.
A limited number of scholarships for this course are available. Please fill out this form by January 5, and we’ll get back to you within a week after the deadline. (Please hold off on registering until you have received a scholarship update.)
Off Assignment’s Masters’ Series courses are unique four-session courses that delve deep into a specific writing topic by harnessing the expertise and craft tactics of a renowned writer in a particular niche, plus four celebrated authors. Participating writers gain a wealth of advanced techniques while benefiting from a cohesive community of disciplined writers.