1. What is Young Adult Fiction?
- Introduction to the course and each other
- Changing styles
- A typical teenager?
- Excitement, experience and knowledge
2. Reading and Writing Young Adult Fiction
- The dos and don'ts: generally accepted guidelines for writing young adult fiction
- Applying the 'rules'
- Genres and sub-genres
- On writing a series
- Multiculturalism
3. Ideas and Inspiration
- Where do ideas come from?
- Different strokes
- Plot structure
- From 'spiders' to a detailed synopsis
- What if....?
4. What's it All About?
- Plots, sub-plots and underlying themes
- Gently does it
- What is it about vampires?
- Stating your theme
- Genre-bending
- Holes
5. Characters: Their creation and development
- Popular protagonists
- Getting to know them
- The best friend
- The bad guys (or girls...)
6. Point of View
- First- and third-person narrative: their advantages and disadvantages in young adult fiction
- Who's telling the story?
- Perspective
- Know-it-alls and other narrators
- Teen-speak: Getting it right
- He said/She said
7. Dialogue
- The purpose and mechanics of dialogue
- Speaking volumes
- Talking heads
- Adding 'filler'
- Your dialogue checklist
8. Descriptive Writing
- Giving them goosebumps and touching their hearts
- Less is more
- Dramatic tension
- Giggles...
- ...And goosebumps
- Writing for laughs - or for shivers
9. Conflict
- Resolving plot or character-driven conflict in a believable and satisfying way
- Sticking points and stumbling blocks
- Creating and developing conflict
- Internal and external conflict
- Tackling taboos
10. Good and bad endings
- What to avoid at all costs
- Getting it right
- Different endings
- What next?
We strongly recommend that you try to find a little time each week to engage in the online conversations (at times that are convenient to you) as the forums are an integral, and very rewarding, part of the course and the online learning experience.