Diane Mittler is a kidlit writer who draws inspiration for her work from her experiences, including dealing with a mobility impairment, her career in education, and a lifetime of family fun and cherished memories. As a recipient of a General Scholarship, she participated in Shape Your Story, an online course with agent Linda Epstein.

Here, she shares outcomes of the course and her plans for the future:

Biggest Takeaway: Character Development for a Middle Grade Novel

“Overall, I received a great overview to the parts and pieces of crafting a middle grade novel. The most beneficial for me was the section on character development. I feel armed with new strategies to help me get to know my characters: specific questions to ask, a guided meditation “walk with my character” idea, and thoughts on side writing to develop and clarify backstory.”

Impact on Kids Through Writing and Literacy Education

“I believe that this class improved my ability to create a captivating story, which I hope will inspire kids as readers and writers. Since I also work with local students during the school year in the area of literacy, this class will help me add meaningful content and exemplar texts to my work with them in the areas of writing and reading comprehension.”

Diane also shared how the scholarship continues to help her build her craft and community:

“My Highlights Foundation scholarship continues to be meaningful to me. I find myself frequently referring back to materials and ideas introduced in the class. As I begin my next middle grade novel, I am able to start with a much more comprehensive approach. This current work is moving more quickly and more completely from the beginning. I also feel lucky to have made the acquaintance of several other writers. We have formed an online support/ critique/ idea group to meet monthly.”