April 9 - April 30
Online
$449Overview
Four Week Online Course
Join verse novelist Cordelia Jensen for a four-week online course to explore the fundamentals, celebrations, and challenges of writing novels in verse. You’ll be introduced to using this form to its utmost advantage, while taking into consideration the general foundations of storytelling.
- Live Lectures (with closed captioning) Wednesdays at 1 – 2:30pm Eastern (April 9, 16, 23, and 30)
- Weekly Writing assignments April 9 – April 30
- Access to recordings of each lecture through May 31, 2025
- Connection with peers in the virtual classroom
- Weekly informal feedback from your instructor on assignments and open Q & A
- A 15-minute 1:1 consultation with Cordelia after the course (no written feedback provided)
- 24 participants max
Why This Workshop?
Are you just beginning your journey into writing novels in verse? Or, could you use a foundational course as you continue in this form? Then join verse novelist Cordelia Jensen to learn more about what considerations you can make as a storyteller in this form, and celebrate its unique power for connecting with readers.
You will:
- Engage in lecutres, explore resources, and complete structured assignments.
- Review the advantages and disadvantages of working with these forms.
- Explore issues of pacing, plotting, secondary character development, and imagery.
There is writing time built into this course so that you can stretch and work on your own projects. It is meant to be the perfect pairing of exploration and instruction. You can also explore your own project in more depth with an included 1:1 consultation with faculty after the course concludes.
Feedback Expected
- Informal feedback in the Virtual Classroom from peers and faculty.
- Optional 15-minute 1:1 consultation with faculty following the course.
It’s a Great Fit If…
- You have an idea for a novel in verse and wish to understand more about the form. (Please note that you’ll be asked to write throughout the course, so having an idea about your premise is needed to get the most from this online workshop.)
- You have an in-progress or completed draft of a middle grade or young adult novel in verse. In this course, you’ll explore working with this form.
- You are looking for writing exercises to extend your understanding of the form and grow your plot. Each week you will be asked to complete a series of writing exercises. You can receive feedback in the virtual classroom from your instructor and peers.
- Those who like the structure of weekly lectures and writing exercises. All sessions take place weekly with connections to writing exercises to keep you in your project, plus plenty of opportunity to share questions and ideas.
- You need a workshop that fits into your schedule. This is an online course. You may attend the live sessions or watch the recordings at your convenience.
Detailed Agenda
All Times are Eastern Time. Click on the headings below to explore the agenda in more detail.
Pre-Workshop
At least one week prior to the course, you will receive a link to our virtual classroom where you can introduce yourself to fellow writers and engage in Highlights Foundation related resources (including our Community Standards).
Course Assigned Reading:
Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo
Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds
DiVERSE: Conversations with YA and Children’s Verse Novelists by Linda Weste
Course Suggested Reading:
Skyscraping by Cordelia Jensen
The Way the Light Bends by Cordelia Jensen
Every Shiny Thing by Cordelia Jensen
Week 1: Wednesday, April 9
1pm – 2:30pm Eastern: Course Overview and Introductions (Live Session)
- Welcome with introductions
- Definitions: What is a novel in verse?
- Overview of first writing assignment and how to share in the virtual classroom, including best practices for collaborative feedback.
Week 2: Wednesday, April 16
1pm – 2:30pm Eastern: Let’s Talk Limitations (Live Session)
- Secondary character development
- Dialogue
- Reader confusion
- Issues with plotting, pacing, and action
- Overview of second writing assignment
Week 3: Wednesday, April 23
1pm – 2:30pm Eastern: Let’s Talk Liberations! (Live Session)
- Solutions for circumventing the limitations
- A closer look into Long Way Down, Clap When You Land, and many other successful verse novels
- Imagery, line breaks, white space, and other poetry devices
- A brief look at hybrid novels
- Working to generate story tension, character development, and emotion
- Overview of third writing assignment
Week 4: Wednesday, April 30
1pm – 2:30pm Eastern The Hybrid Novel as Inspiration (Live Session)
- A closer look at DiVERSE: Conversations with YA and Children’s Verse Novelists
- In-class and launching writing exercises
- Q&A
Submissions Due for 1:1 consultations with Cordelia
Included Post-Course Consultations
As part of your experience, you will meet with Cordelia for a 15 minute, 1:1 consultation. Consultations are scheduled at a mutually convenient time after the last session of the course.
By April 30th (the date of the last session) you will submit 5-7 poems (12 pt) and a brief outline of your story (up to 1 page).
Cordelia will give you feedback on your submission and talk through your goals and questions. Written feedback is not included.
If you do not have poems drafted or do not wish to submit, the consultation is optional. Alternately, you can submit a brief list of questions and use your consultation time with Cordelia to talk about your general goals.
Commitment Required for the Best Experience
This multi-week online program is best if you attend and engage in all the sessions live. If your schedule does not allow you to attend all the live sessions and you would still like to register, that’s OK! You’ll have access to the recordings with closed captioning. They’re posted the day after the session, and they’ll be available through May 31, 2025.
The Highlights Foundation strives for a safe and inclusive environment. You will have access to our Community Standards prior to the workshop where we ask for your respectful engagement with fellow creatives, including our faculty and staff.
respectful engagement with fellow creatives, including our faculty and staff.
How It Impacts Kids
Novels in verse impact readers in powerful ways. Learn approaches to making your verse novel as engaging for readers as possible.
Testimonials from Our Community
“Cordelia’s course was fabulous. She is a generous, kind teacher. Her knowledge about the subject matter is deep. Cordelia took every person’s work seriously and read every submission carefully and thoughtfully. I cannot imagine a better teacher!”
Resources
- Auditioning Poetry Devices for Your Verse Novel’s Voice, by Cordelia Jensen
- Writing a Verse Novel: If I Can Do It, So Can You, by Kathryn Erskine
- Imagining an Image System for Your Novel in Verse
- YA Wednesday: Better and Verse, by Padma Venkatraman
