Perfecting the Picture Book II: A 6 Week Class
with Author & Writing Barn Founder, Bethany Hegedus
Tuesday nights: January 7, 14, 21, 28 and February 4, and 11 from 7:00 to 9:00 pm
Perfecting the picture book is not an easy task . In 500 words or less, an author must convey character, setting, emotional drive, and provide a surprise but satisfying conclusion with enough wit or spark that the child reader begs for it to be read again. Throw in some word play, read-a-loud ability, and the relationship between text and art, and one may have the makings of a masterpiece.
Join us for Perfecting the Picture Book II with novelist and picture book author, Bethany Hegedus, for an in-depth look at what makes a picture book work.
These topics will be covered:
- picture book settings: the familiar, exotic or a combination
- character drive and intention
- rule of three
- page turns/storyboarding
- components of humor
- picture book structure
Along with lessons and exercises, the focus of this 6 week workshop will be on drafting new material. Over the course of the class, students will draft 5 picture books: a rhyming text, picture book pairs, a bedtime book or alphabet book, a humorous story, and a serious/lyrical text. Each of the drafts will receive 1 read and written critique with Bethany via email between classes and the writer will choose 2 texts to be read and workshopped by the entire class.
Who should take this class?
- those who have taken Perfecting the Picture Book I (if you haven’t taken this course but would like to join Perfecting the Picture Book II, please email Bethany to discuss work level and ability level at info@writingbarn.com
- those who are avid readers of the picture books
- those who feel they have more than one story in them
- those looking to attend conferences and have their picture book drafts critiqued by editors and agents
- those wishing to take their level of picture book craft to the next level
To register for this workshop: The cost for this workshop is $375/student.
To register, mail info@writingbarn.com and an invoice for the cost of the class will be sent. Payment is due upon acceptance to the class. There will be no refunds but class registration may be transferred to another student if needed. Or checks may be made payable to The Writing Barn and mailed to: The Writing Barn, 10202 Wommack Road, Austin, TX 78748. Class size is limited so REGISTER NOW!
Author Bethany Hegedus, is founder of The Writing Barn, a retreat and workshop space in Austin, Texas. Bethany holds an MFA from Vermont College of the Fine Arts and serves as Editor for the Children’s & YA section of the literary journal Hunger Mountain. Her novels include Between Us Baxters (WestSide Books) and Truth with a Capital T (Delacorte/Random House.) Her next title,Grandfather Gandhi, co-authored with Arun Gandhi, grandson to the Mahatma, and illustrated by Evan Turk is due out from Antheneum/Simon & Schuster in March, 2014.
Under her private instruction and editing services, Bethany’s mentees have gone on to sign with top literary agents. She previously worked at the Writers’ League of Texas as office manager and lives and writes in Austin, Texas.