Young Adult Fiction, Summer/Fall 2019

July 17th, 2019 - November 27th, 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: Each month, 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 Sarah. 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 group intimate and critique load manageable.

Notes

Who this workshop is for: Young Adult fiction writers with a completed draft 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 5,000-word submissions, 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:

July 17: First Submission
July 31: Critiques Due
August 21: Second Submission
September 4: Critiques Due
Sept. 9-13 TBD: Conference Call
September 25: Third Submission
October 9: Critiques Due
October 30: Fourth (Final) Submission
November 13: Final Critiques Due
November 18-22 (TBD): Final Conference Call/End of Class