Roundup: 8 Great Places To Look for YA Writing Courses That Can Elevate Your Craft
Any good writer knows they always have room to grow. Here are 8 places to look for online YA writing courses that can elevate your craft.
Any good writer knows they always have room to grow. There are simple, accessible ways to do that, like writing for practice or reading books and the works of fellow authors in writing groups. But there is a wealth of courses out there, too, both online and in person, that an aspiring author can pursue, covering a variety of angles on the craft.
However, finding the an online YA writing course that works for you and is worth your time and money can be tricky. I wanted to gather some places and courses you may want to check out, though keep in mind many of these rotate while others are always available.
Why Train?
Creativity can stagnate, becoming one-note and losing its thrill if not practiced. Enrolling in a course or workshop grants you insights into the current zeitgeist, lets you learn different approaches and perspectives, and receive fresh feedback on your work.
A small investment can have huge returns on your talent, helping you become an even better writer, either by reinforcing what you already know or showing you some new tricks you hadn’t thought of before.
Here are some great online YA writing courses:
The site has a pretty consistent rotating selection of courses, covering various types of writing. For YA fiction courses, though, they currently aren’t offering anything specifically targeted to writers of that nature. But something like Jessie Roy’s “The Elements of Fiction” can provide a solid look at balancing the various aspects of writing for fiction.
Checking back on the site often for new courses and workshops would be a good routine, as something new is bound to pop up. Also, while many of the prices are on the higher side, Writers.com courses tend to be pretty involved and lengthy, so the price ends up worthwhile.
You’ll find a great collection of new and recurring courses from various instructors here. However, they are often expensive (though thankfully go on sale from time to time.)
Thankfully, many workshops on WDU are thorough and well-reviewed. For YA authors, “Writing the Young Adult Novel” by Holly Alder is a decent enough course, but her resume doesn’t give me a lot of confidence (she has lots of experience with the field but hasn’t published anything).
What drew me more is “The Art of Storytelling 101: Story Mapping and Pacing” by established romance novelist Terri Valentine, which provides a great, in-depth understanding of what makes your scenes engaging and story structure sound. I believe it’s based on the groundwork of Gloria Kempton, a great instructor of the craft in her own right (who also teaches at Writers.com).
Plenty of great courses can be found on their site, covering subjects that apply to all writers. The site has an ongoing membership service that provides plenty of little perks and discounts on their courses. These courses are pretty pricey, but you do have lifelong access to the materials.
The one course I recommend for any new author is the “Self-Editing Course For Writers,” led by seasoned editor and published author Debi Alper. It’s not cheap, but the skills it teaches are invaluable, and you could put them to use and become a professional editor as well, which is an excellent job for any YA fiction writer.
Streamline Your Process
The Tool Every Writer Needs
There are a few courses to choose from on this site, but “Write YA Fiction” is a straightforward, thorough, and focused course. It’s well-reviewed and provides a broad look at writing a YA fiction story from start to finish. While I can’t speak to who wrote the materials or instructed it, the price is right and comes with a money-back guarantee, making it worth a look.
The site and its courses are well-liked, and they have an extensive catalog from seasoned instructors based out of New York City (though you can take courses online!) Their “Middle Grade/Young Adult Books” course is a basic look into writing YA fiction.
Still, it comes from the well-established Erin Entrada Kelly and is very well-priced, especially considering you get to work with such a quality instructor. As of this writing, there’s a session coming up that you may want to consider.
You can find almost anyone teaching anything on Udemy, but your mileage may vary. Steve and Dani Alcorn are a pair of fairly established instructors who haven’t published YA directly but do seem to know what they’re talking about.
They run a well-reviewed course, “Young Adult Fiction Writing Workshop,” that’s very affordable. You get broad strokes of writing over the many hours of content, and while I think there are better courses out there, the price (and the frequency of sales on Udemy) make this one very accessible for any writer.
For the price of their monthly membership, you could get a lot of bang for your buck. It’s your chance to learn from incredibly famous, established authors like Judy Blume or R.L. Stine (among others). If you have the time to commit, I highly recommend looking into the site’s membership and jumping on their courses.
In case you didn’t know, I have a few course options of my own to offer! My “How To Guide: Self-Publishing Your Young Adult Novel” is an excellent source for the fundamentals of YA writing and a focused look at publishing independently, if I do say so myself.
I spent a lot of time, effort, and money to make Getting By reality and thought I could help other aspiring authors avoid those struggles by creating this course with all the info they need. People have responded well to the program, and they think it’s fairly priced and easy to work through, so please check it out!
Alternative Options to Online YA Writing Courses:
University/College Courses
Many institutions offer courses, online and in person, that you can take without enrolling in an entire program.
Local Libraries/Bookstores/Writing Retreats
There are several local opportunities to get a focused YA fiction learning experience, so check the bulletin boards or writing groups to find out what’s going on.
Writing Conferences
Lots of conferences happen worldwide, becoming an epicenter of creativity. You just need to get to them, which can sometimes be a barrier to entry. You can do a quick search and find lists like this one on The Write Life that can help you plan out which ones you want to look into and attend.
If you want to become a better writer, then find places to hone your skills such as online YA writing courses. The internet makes accessing courses and workshops that speak to you at any price point so easy, so there’s really no excuse not to enroll in one. They’re also great for networking and developing your writing community. If you’re curious about my course or have any other questions, I always welcome emails at jsims@jairesims.com or on my social media.
About Jaire Sims
Award-Winning YA Author, Course Creator, Blogger, and Self-Publishing Consultant. At twenty-one and as a junior in college, Jaire was diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome. Fast forward one year, Jaire proved that he had overcome all of the challenges he had faced up until this point by graduating from Monmouth College with a Bachelor’s Degree in Communication Studies.
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