YA Fiction Workshop with Sarah LaPolla, Fall/Winter 2018

October 24th, 2018 - March 20th, 2019

with Sarah LaPolla

Group started
Hone your craft and support fellow writers with guided facilitation from literary agent Sarah LaPolla of Bradford Literary. Here's how it works: Every few weeks, you will submit 5,000 words of your manuscript, beginning with the first 5,000 words. You will then receive critiques from both your peers and me. We'll hold two group phone meetings so you can ask questions in real time. A private discussion board will also be open throughout the workshop to share ideas and resources or just chat. This is your opportunity to receive a critique on the first 20,000 words of your complete manuscript or work-in-progress by the end of the workshop! My critiques will be given in two formats: 1) General comments in a brief editorial letter focusing on overall pros, cons, market potential, and writing quality, and 2) Comments/light line-editing pointing out specific examples directly on the pages. You will come away with a stronger understanding of your characters, plot, sub-plots, themes, and more.

This group will be capped at 6 writers plus Sarah to keep the workload manageable and encourage deep participation.

Notes

Who this workshop is for: Young Adult fiction writers committed to furthering their craft and excited to contribute and learn through the workshop process.

Focus:

Group size: 8 writers

Submissions: There will be four submissions, each with a maximum of 5,000 words, for a total of up to 20,000 words.

Fee

Members: $350; Non-members: $410

About Sarah LaPolla

Sarah LaPolla joined Bradford Literary Agency as an agent in 2013. She had previously worked in the foreign rights department at Curtis Brown, Ltd., and became an associate agent there in 2010. Sarah received her MFA in Creative Writing (Nonfiction) from The New School in 2008, and has a B.A. in Creative Writing from Ithaca College.

Representing MG, YA, and Adult fiction, Sarah is especially drawn to the following genres: literary fiction, science fiction, magical realism, paranormal/contemporary fantasy, rom-com, psychological mystery, literary horror, and contemporary/realistic fiction. No matter the genre, Sarah is drawn to layered/strong characters with engaging voices. She seeks stories that evoke strong connections and novels that offer a wide range of emotions. Whether they write dark, gritty YA, light coming-of-age narratives, or edgy urban fantasy, Sarah’s authors tend to reflect larger themes within a character-focused story, such as feminism, tolerance, and challenging the status quo.

Sarah is not looking for: nonfiction, picture books, inspirational/spiritual novels, romance, or erotica.

Schedule:

Oct 24th: First submission due
Nov 7th: Critiques due
TBD following week: Group conference call
November 21st: Second submission due
December 12th: Critiques due (extra week to critique)
Dec 20th-31st: Holiday break
January 9: Third submission
January 23: Critiques due
TBD following week: Group conference call
February 20: Fourth submission
March 6: Critiques due