Decoding the Craft and Business of Writing a Novel
Whether you鈥檙e attempting your first novel or plotting your fifth, traditionally published authors Wendelin Van Draanen and Mark Parsons will dive into the craft and business of writing a novel. For craft this will cover voice, setting, plot, genre, etc. For business, they will discuss agents, editors, and publishers, and how to acquire and interface with each鈥� both before and after the book deal. This class is suitable for novels of all age ranges and genres.
There will be a Q&A after each segment鈥攃ome with questions!
DATES: Friday, September 26, 2025
TIME: 9:00am-12:00pm
FEE: $150
LOCATION: San Luis Obispo Campus Room TBD
| Meet the Presenter | |
|---|---|
|
Mark Parsons |
Mark Parsons has written primarily non-fiction for several years, penning over two hundred articles for national publications as well as a pair of non-fiction books before turning to book-length fiction. His first YA novel ROAD RASH (Knopf/Random House) was named to the ALA鈥檚 Best Fiction for Young Adults list, as well as Bank Street College鈥檚 Best Children鈥檚 Books of the Year list. His newest novel, THE 9:09 PROJECT (Delacorte/Random House) explores the healing power of art. It was a Kirkus Reviews Best of The Year selection, and a Bank Street Best Children鈥檚 Books of the Year 2023 selection. It has received critical acclaim (Kirkus calls it 鈥淎 brilliant literary portrait鈥ryly funny, extremely intelligent, and sweetly romantic鈥� in a starred review) and is being translated into Russian, Polish, and Chinese. Find more info at @MarkHParsons (X), Mark.Parsons.733 (Facebook) and on YouTube. |
|
Wendelin Van Draanen |
Wendelin Van Draanen is an international award-winning, bestselling author of more than thirty traditionally-published titles that range from picture books to YA novels and are enjoyed by readers around the world. Two of her books have been produced as movies, including Flipped which became a Rob Reiner directed Warner Brothers feature film. Additionally, Wendelin鈥檚 non-fiction book on writing, Hope in the Mail, is an informational and inspirational guide for emerging adult writers, and her most recent novel, The Steps (Holiday House, Sept 2, 2025), is a YA thriller described as 鈥淩iverdale meets The Queen鈥檚 Gambit.鈥� To learn more about Wendelin鈥檚 work, visit , find her on social platforms at @WendelinVanD, or visit Coffee With The Authors on YouTube. |