Brigham Young University will host the fifth Writing for Young Readers Workshop June 28 through July 2 at the BYU Conference Center.
During the five-day workshop, participants will work with successful editors and authors on writing books and stories for readers ranging from pre-school through high school.
For registration information, call BYU Conferences and Workshops at (801) 422-2568 or check out the Workshop Web site at http://wfyr.byu.edu. Participants can earn BYU credit by enrolling in this workshop. Enrollment is limited to the first 130 applicants, so those interested are encouraged to register early.
The conference includes morning workshop classes and afternoon lectures on the craft of writing and illustration. Those who want to focus on the business of writing can choose an afternoon-only option.
New features at the workshop will include:
A workshop session focusing on fantasy/science fiction, led by Tracy Hickman and Laura Curtis, has been added. Their Dragonlance Saga has sold 12 million copies worldwide and their novels have appeared on the bestseller lists of the New York Times and Publishers Weekly. If you are interested in this genre, be sure to register early, as space is limited.
A workshop session geared toward participants just beginning to write for young readers will be led by Chris Crowe and Carol Lynch Williams. If you have a desire to be a writer but no developed manuscript, this is the session for you.
The morning session led by Virginia Euwer Wolff will be geared toward past participants who have attended at least two previous BYU Writing for Young Readers Workshops. Emphasis will be placed on topics of interest to experienced writers for young readers.
An extended workshop session for experienced writers will be held on Saturday, July 3 (for a $60 additional fee). Workshop veterans who have attended at least two prior BYU Writing for Young Readers Workshops can spend a day with Rebecca Waugh, editor at Dial Books for Young Readers. She will discuss the business of writing for publication. Enrollment in this Saturday session will be limited to 20 participants. The workshop teachers have published a total of more than 150 books. They have won multiple awards, including the National Book Award and the Caldecott Medal, the American Library Association's list of Best 100 Books published in the last 20 years, the Children's Book Award from the International Reading Association, the PEN Center USA West Literary Award and many others.
The authors are Candace Fleming, Lisa Wheeler, Jim Aylesworth, A. E. Cannon, Sally Warner, Randy Powell, Tracy and Laura Hickman and Virginia Wolff. Eric Rohmann—who has taught printmaking, painting, drawing and fine bookmaking on the college level—will conduct the workshop for illustrators.
In addition, the conference faculty includes two editors—Lisa Banim, editor for Peach Tree Press, and Rebecca Waugh, editor with Dial Books for Young Readers. Participants will also be instructed by a literary agent, Tracey Adams of the McIntosh & Otis Literary Agency.
For more information, contact John Bennion at (801) 422-3419.
Writer: Cecelia Fielding
