Students will acquire the concrete tools of writing fiction, learn to manage time and maintain motivation, and gain an understanding of publishing. Just as importantly, they'll learn they can do this! So much of writing a novel depends on courage, grit, and the belief that it can be done. Interacting with an instructor who knows they can do it and like-minded students will embolden them.

As the author of four young adult novels, I have firsthand experience in both the nuts and bolts of creative writing and the challenges of getting a novel published. Empowering teenagers is my goal, and I've spent much of my career doing just that.