Writing Middle Grade and Young Adult Novels

“It's like a mini-MFA! There's so much craft content and an opportunity to put it into practice and receive feedback. It gives you the tools and confidence that you need to move from PB to longer work. 

The course decreased my fears about taking on such a big project. It helped me break things down into manageable chunks that feel doable

Anne-Marie is a gifted teacher who presents complex concepts in an accessible way. I've taken other writing classes and learned bits and pieces of craft content, but this course puts those concepts together in a way that really makes sense. For the first time I feel like writing a novel is within reach.”

--Ann Bonwill, picture book author

“This class is perfect for anyone who has an idea for a novel in mind, but isn’t sure how to execute it. It’s also great for anyone who has never written a middle grade novel and needs help creating a frame or structure for their story.

Anne-Marie’s class helped me define and refine my story and  characters, and  helped me create a structure for my story.

I wasn’t even halfway through the class, when I no longer felt intimidated or overwhelmed with the idea of writing my novel. The lessons, tips, and strategies I learned were practical useful guides in turning my lofty ideas into a cohesive and tangible idea. 

—Laura Obuobi, author of Black Gold and Becoming a Ballerina: The Story of Michaela Mabinty DePrince

“This class is the class I’ve been looking for! I’m an experienced picture book writer who has been trying to dive into the genre of middle grade novel writing for several years, but always found myself hitting roadblocks with authentic MG character voice, novel scene creation & structure, and how to organize my writing & research. This class was pivotal in helping me put all these pieces together in a structure that made so much sense and was do-able. I highly recommend it to any experienced writer of picture books who wants to move into writing middle grade. Anne-Marie is a phenomenal teacher and guide!”

--Laura Murray, author of The Gingerbread Man Loose in the School series

“This was one of the best craft classes I've ever taken. The content, the pacing, the thoughtful use of mentor texts and suggested homework – I now have everything I need to dig in to writing my middle grade novel, including the confidence to do so!

This class leverages what you know about writing picture books to help you understand how to write a longer narrative. And you learn about craft in a way that helps you better understand your own process.”

—Casey W. Robinson

“Anne-Marie is both a master at craft and an excellent teacher. She explained concepts in a way that was easy to understand and put so much time into finding examples to demonstrate the concepts. She broke the complex process of writing a middle grade novel into digestible classes. She also continuously amazed me by the breadth of her knowledge and recall of so many different concepts and stories in which they could be found to help clarify and deepen our understanding of the concepts we learned.”

“Anne-Marie is a very generous and articulate teacher. Even though I've taken other MG courses and workshops before, I feel that I've learned so much more from Anne-Marie's specific and detailed lessons. After taking her course, I felt a sense of confidence and ease that I didn't have before.”