Catherine Stine teaches at the Philadelphia Writers’ Conference June 3rd, 4th & 5th. Also, contest and manuscript critique details!

Anyone near the Philadelphia area, who needs an expert critique of his or her manuscript? Want to try your hand at writing for kids or teens? Learn more about plotting and characterization? Smooth out those kinks in your story plot? Find out how to land a great agent? If so, this workshop is perfect for you!

Catherine's Writing Children's Fiction Workshop, 3:00 to 4:15, all three days

Plus an ongoing wealth of other talks, info sessions and panels

Combining discussion of the craft of writing with fun free-writes, Stine helps guide students to evoke vivid stories and the seeds of possible novels for kids and teens. In addition to discussing elements such as character, plotting and popular genres and trends in children’s fiction, students learn ways to seek a great agent and about marketing techniques. Plenty of time for Q & A. We meet every day at 3 pm.

In addition, writers are also invited to send a bonus submission of a one-page synopsis and up to a 2,500 word-count chapter for critique.

Manuscript submissions must be sent (postmarked) by April 8^th!!!

Three contest winners will be chosen from the submissions. First prize is free entry into the Philadelphia Writer’s Conference for spring 2012! Second & third places win small cash prizes. Must enter by April 8^th.

Catherine will read and comment on submissions prior to class and pass them back during the workshop.

***Note: Students can sign up for the workshop after April 8^th, but will not have a manuscript critique.

Conference links: Registration Form

Downloadable Workshop Schedule

More Workshop Details

Manuscript Critique & Contest Submission Details

Room Reservations at the Holiday Inn

STUDENT RECOMMENDATIONS:

"Catherine gives creative exercises, smart critiques, exposure to different genres, and nuts-and-bolts instruction on the mechanics of plotting a novel. I began the class with a three-sentence story idea, and within a few months, I had a book contract. I can't recommend her class highly enough."

-Holly Kowitt, author of the middle grade novel, The Sweetheart Deal (Scholastic)

"Catherine's workshops motivated me to write consistently and provided me with literary tools and techniques that enhanced my work. I especially benefited from her insightful critiques. I highly recommend her class to both aspiring and established writers. She's also resourceful about the business of writing and publishing."

–Renee Watson, author of the picture book A Place Where Hurricanes Happen (Random House) and a novel, What Momma Left Me (Bloomsbury)

"I highly recommend Catherine's course. She provides a useful overview of the various categories of children's books, and the elements of storytelling. She also gives detailed feedback on your writing, and is particularly helpful with plot development. I enjoyed every class we had."

-Julie Sternberg, whose delightful early chapter book, My Bibi, is forthcoming with Amulet Books

Writing Contests & Competitions! Winter to Spring 2011

Last year I participated in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award Competition or simply ABNA. There are two fiction categories: adult fiction and YA, and the prize is a pub contract, including a $15,000 advance from Penguin—not too shabby! The panelists for the young adult fiction contest are Gayle Forman, journalist and author of the New York Times bestseller If I Stay, literary agent Julie Just of Janklow & Nesbit and Jennifer Besser, Vice President and Publisher, G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers.

It’s a great chance to have lots of readers read and review an excerpt of your work. In fact, it’s also super-fun to download your fellow competitors’ excerpts and review them. You’d think it would get very competitive, but not so much. It becomes more of a great big writing community where everyone is egging each other on. And there are constant threads with lively chatter. Think Nano with a prize. The competition launches on January 24th. Here’s the link: http://www.amazon.com/Breakthrough-Novel-Award-Books/b?ie=UTF8&node=332264011

Another contest already ramping up is “Dear Lucky Agent”, sponsored by Writers Digest. The top three winners get the first 10 pages of their mss read by agent Lindsay Clemons of the Larsen-Pomada Literary Agency in San Francisco. This contest is up and running from January 9th through the 23. They are looking for any literary fiction (no genre fiction). Here are the details on the Guide to Literary Agent blog: http://www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog/8th+Dear+Lucky+Agent+Contest+Literary+Fiction.aspx

Have you heard of other good contests for authors of middle-grade and YA fiction? Share them here! What about great winter or spring writing retreats? I’ve attended the SCBWI winter conference in NYC for years. (There’s also a summer one in LA. Lots of fun, with good swimming pools and spas during downtime!) Tell us which retreats take the snowy chill off of you and inspire you to write.