Middle Grade and Young Adult Blueprint
Your Instructor
Alice Kuipers is the author of the debut novel Life on the Refrigerator Door, an award-winning Young Adult/Adult crossover published to rave reviews in 28 countries and told entirely in post-it notes written by a mother and her daughter. Named a New York Times Book for the Teen Age, Life on the Refrigerator Door has won or been short listed for numerous prizes, including the Redbridge Book Award, the Sheffield Libraries Choice Award, the Grand Prix de Viarmes, the Saskatchewan First Book Award, the Salt Lake City County Library System Reader’s Choice Award, and the Carnegie Medal.
Alice’s second novel, The Worst Thing She Ever Did (published in the US as Lost for Words), won the 2011 Arthur Ellis Award for Best Juvenile / YA Crime Book; was short listed for the White Pine Award; and was a Bank Street College of Education Best Children’s Books of the Year selection for 2011. The Worst Thing She Ever Did has been sold in 9 territories and praised as “gorgeous, heart-ripping, important” (Voices of Young Adults).
40 Things I Want To Tell You was published in Canada by HarperCollins in 2012. The book has been praised as “funny and totally up to date” by the Canadian Review of Materials, and “crisp and effective” by the Winnipeg Free Press. Rights have been sold in Germany, Greece, Denmark and Croatia.
The Death of Us came out in 2014 to great reviews, and was a CLA Listed Book. It’s been described as a quick and turbulent read, The Death of Us is a brilliant coming-of-age novel with a sharpened corkscrew of a twist that will leave readers breathless.
Most recently, Alice’s YA novel, Me and Me, was published in 2017. It was described by Bif Naked as mesmerising.
Alice has a brand new chapter book series with Chronicle Press: Polly Diamond and the Magic Book, which 'Brings the imagination to life' (Booklist) . She is also writing a memoir about teenager Carley Allison with Kids Can Press. She has had stories produced for CBC and essays published in Bristol Review of Books and Easy Living magazine. She has blogged for Today’s Parent, and The Huffington Post.
Alice’s work is published in 34 countries.
Born and raised in London, England, Alice now lives in Saskatoon, Canada, with her partner, the writer Yann Martel, and their four young children.
Here's What's Included:
-
StartStep 1: Welcome from Laura and Alice (and download your optional Master PDF files) (3:31)
-
StartStep 2: How to Use this Blueprint and Your Reading List (2:45)
-
StartStep 3: Defining Middle Grade and Young Adult Novels (4:58)
-
StartStep 3A: Flash Quiz--How do I know if I'm Writing MG or YA?
-
StartStep 3B: Writing for Kids and Teens: Five Rules for Writing for Savvy Readers
-
StartStep 4: It's Time to Gather Your Ideas (3:36)
-
StartStep 4A: An Exclusive Writing Prompt Bundle to Fire Up Your Imagination
-
StartStep 1: Idea Summary and Your One-Sentence Hook Line (2:43)
-
StartStep 2: Create Your Protagonist (2:42)
-
StartStep 3: Discover — What Does Your Protagonist Want? (3:34)
-
StartStep 4: Discover — What Stands in Your Protagonist's Way? (2:19)
-
StartStep 5: Identify Your Supporting Cast (2:41)
-
StartStep 6: Create Your Antagonist (3:19)
-
StartStep 1: Choose Your Point of View—Which is Best for MG or for YA? (6:07)
-
StartStep 2: Choose Your Tense (1:43)
-
StartStep 3: The Dialogue Developer (4:41)
-
StartStep 4: Writing A Great Scene (2:57)
-
StartStep 5: Refine Your Tone and Voice (2:18)
-
StartStep 6: Advanced Techniques: How to Show Not Tell and How to Use Flashback (5:42)