Winter and Spring 2024 Events for Writers of Adult and Children's Fiction

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Winter and Spring 2024 Events for Writers of Adult and Children's Fiction

Looking for a way to hone your writing craft in a group setting? See this is list of 18 writing conferences, retreats, workshops, and other events for fiction writers that are taking place January - May 2024. It’s by no means exhaustive (it doesn’t include classes) and is not necessarily limited to fiction writers (some events are for nonfiction writers and poets, too). But since I focus on editing novels for adults and children, both literary and genre, I’ve tailored this list to these writers.

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Magical Allies: How Debbie Black Found the Perfect Small Press for Her Middle Grade Series SARA AND THE GHOST CLOTHES

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Magical Allies: How Debbie Black Found the Perfect Small Press for Her Middle Grade Series SARA AND THE GHOST CLOTHES

For my most recent author Q&A, I interviewed author Debbie Black. Debbie and I worked together on a full manuscript critique last year, and this past January, Coalesce Publishing released her middle grade novel DEETJEN’S CLOSET, the first in the SARA AND THE GHOST CLOTHES series. I’m delighted to be working with Debbie again this fall on McMENAMIN’S CLOSET, the next book in the series, which will also be published by Coalesce. Learn about the magic in Debbie’s novel—and that of her writing community—below.

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Middle Grade, Young Adult, and the Space in Between

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Middle Grade, Young Adult, and the Space in Between

While the MG category has its own gray areas, the YA category is especially tricky to define. It was only a decade ago, following the publication of series such as Twilight and Hunger Games, that YA became a publishing phenomenon and was given a stand-alone bestseller list by the New York Times. It was just two decades ago that the Harry Potter books, widely considered middle grade, began dominating the book market. What makes a book middle grade or young adult today? The answer depends on several factors, as agents and publishers explain.

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At the Heart of It All: How J.C. Cervantes Honored Her Writing Spirit and Became a Bestselling Author

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At the Heart of It All: How J.C. Cervantes Honored Her Writing Spirit and Became a Bestselling Author

J.C. Cervantes and I first crossed paths 10 years ago, when she had already published a middle grade novel but was looking to move her writing career forward. We worked together on a few different partial manuscripts that didn’t quite find a home—but then, in 2017, she landed a book deal with Rick Riordan Presents. Today, Jen is the New York Times bestselling author of several middle grade and YA books. Learn about her amazing journey here.

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