Martha Engber

Gritty YA: Don't Dumb It Down!

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SavvyAuthorCon 2021

5 p.m. EST (3 CST/2PST)

Sun., Sept. 12

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When Martha Engber wrote Winter Light, she didn’t set out to write a YA novel, and she’s sure that’s the reason the book won the 2021 IPPY Gold Medal in Young Adult Fiction.

 

In this workshop, Ms. Engber, author of Growing Great Characters From the Ground Up, will explain why authors often self-censor when writing realistic fiction for teens and why it’s imperative they avoid the trap; and she’ll give three techniques to help authors stay true to their characters. She invites participants to bring their current works in progress and will include short writing exercises to demonstrate the power of putting characters first.

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(This workshop will also be taught at the San Francisco Writers Conference in February 2022)