WORKSHOPS @ THE LOFT
The Loft is like a year long conference!
(Check back often for new programming)Â
All the workshops are virtual, and you'll have the replays at least two weeks, if you can't watch live!Â
Want to throw your hat in the ring for presenting a workshop?Â
 Summer Replay is LIVE at the virtual Writers' Loft:Â
 Grab instant replays of any workshops you missed or want to see again!
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 Look toward the Fall: New Member Perks:
Get ready for the MG Query Fest where you get your query critiqued in our private virtual community AND one person will win a request from Karen Boss!Â
Plus connect with an industry professional (agent, editor, published author or illustrator) for a paid critique throughout the year!Â
 Summer Virtual Replay at the Loft:
TWO WEEKS ONLY
Grab these replays between Monday, August 17th and Monday August 31st.Â
No matter when you purchase your replays, you'll have access to them in your dashboard for two full weeks.Â
(Don't forget to use your member code to get 10% off!)
Summer 2026 Replay: My Pencils Outlast Their Erasers Revision Toolbox with editor Alison Weiss
Two-week replay. The Act and Art of Self-Revising You have a draft of your book. Congratulations! Now comes the most important and sometimes most dreaded part: revising. Does the plot make sense? Are the stakes clear? Are your characters interesting? Where do you even start? This session will cover a range of tips, tricks, and techniques you can take back to your creative spaces to get you excited and ready to dig into your pages and make them shine. Time will be reserved at the end to share your own favorite revision tricks with fellow attendees and to answer questions.
$35.00 USD
Summer Replay: The Importance of Hooks in Nonfiction with Anna Luketic & Stephanie Gibeault
Two-week replay. Kids today have endless information at their fingertips, so how do you convince them to choose your nonfiction book? You grab them with a hook! A strong hook doesn’t just catch young readers’ attention—it also makes editors sit up and take notice. In this workshop, we’ll explore how to uncover the heart of your topic and frame it in a way that makes readers eager to turn the page. Join editor Anna Luketic & author Stephanie Gibeault for this virtual workshop and leave with the perfect hook for your book!
$45.00 USD
Summer Replay: Republishing Your Out Of Print Backlist with Nancy Werlin and Erin Dionne
Two-Week Replay Have your books gone out of print? Feeling sad that the book of your heart isn't finding readers? It still can! NYT Bestseller Nancy Werlin and Edgar finalist Erin Dionne will teach you how to get your rights back, regain control of your books, and reissue them to be available for new readers. This two-hour intensive will take you step-by-step through the process of reclaiming your rights and republishing your paperbacks and ebooks for school visits, author events, and individual sale!
$68.00 USD
Summer Replay: How to Create Tension in Picture Books with Anna Luketic
2-week replay. Turn your sluggish story into a high-stakes read. As an author of picture books, you have to fit an entire story in 28 pages. How is that possible? Whether writing fiction or nonfiction, loud or quiet, high-concept or contemplative manuscripts, TENSION is what keeps the reader going. Join editor Anna Luketic for some tips and tricks on how to create tension through theme, character, and structure – no matter what story you're writing.
$45.00 USD
Summer Replay: Secret Tips and Tricks Once You've Published Your Book with author Josh Funk
Two-Week Replay Josh Funk, a veteran newbie picture book author, has published 20 books over the last decade and he’s here to share the knowledge he’s learned along the way, such as: Things that slip through the cracks at publishers that we authors and illustrators now need to handle How do you get to present at education conferences like ALA and NCTE? What’s the deal with state book lists? What about book festivals? What’s a “Press Kit”? Best practices for connecting with bookstores And several more tips and tricks… Plus Q&A on all of the above (including the stuff they do tell you). This workshop is geared toward both published creators as well as people who planned to be published in the future.
$35.00 USD
Summer Replay: Master Your Research Skills to Create Amazing Nonfiction with Stephanie Gibeault
2-week replay! Accurate research is key to writing nonfiction, but it can be overwhelming. Not knowing where to find facts, assess your sources, or organize your information can stop you in your tracks or even negatively impact your manuscripts. Join award-winning children’s nonfiction author Stephanie Gibeault for tips and tricks to show you how to master your research skills.
$35.00 USD
Summer Replay: Five Pearls of Wisdom with Karen Boss
Two-Week Replay: Sometimes you just want to sit back and hear some publishing-biz person’s deepest tips and hints or words of wisdom. And sometime you want to ask all the questions! This session lets you do both! Join Karen boss to talk all things wise and ask her anything in this workshop! Great for fiction and nonfiction picture book writers!
$50.00 USD
Summer Replay: Verbalicious with Karen Boss
Two-Week Replay. What’s going on with your verbs in your manuscript? Are they strong and hardy or are they maybe a little weak and weary? Won’t trying to vary them make everything feel stilted? Not necessarily so! Join editor Karen Boss and talk everything verbs and their actions (ha!) in this workshop! Great for fiction and nonfiction picture book writers!
$50.00 USD
Summer Replay: Fiction v. Nonfiction with Karen Boss
Virtually, Thursday, Jan 29, 6:30 PM ETPlus replay until Feb 20. Optional Add-On Conceptual Edit (Only 20 available!) What are you writing? Is it fiction, nonfiction, or something in-between? How much research do you have to do? Who do you have to talk to? Does the book need back matter? It might be a Venn diagram! Join editor Karen boss and talk all things category in this workshop!
$50.00 USD
Summer Replay: Characters Up the Wazoo with Karen Boss
Two-Week Replay Character development is incredibly important for any book. how many characters to include, where to introduce them, and how to use them best are all complex questions for a picture book. Join Karen Boss and talk all things character in this workshop! great for fiction and nonfiction picture book writers!
$50.00 USD
Summer Replay: Hurry Up and Wait with Karen Boss
Two-Week Replay Optional Add-On Conceptual Edit with Karen Boss! (Only 20 available) So much of publishing is being patient. First be patient with yourself to find the right ending for your story for reader satisfaction. Then you have to be patient during submission. And then during revisions, too. OMG—how? Join Karen boss and talk all things endings, submitting, and revising. Great for fiction and nonfiction picture book writers!
$50.00 USD
Summer Replay: 10 Ways to Make Your Work Stand Out From the Slush with Editor Anna Luketic
Two-Week Replay. Do you want your picture book manuscript to rise above the rest? Let’s talk about 10 smart, actionable ways to make your book stronger as a story and more appealing in the marketplace.
$45.00 USD
Summer Replay: Anatomy of an Irresistible Opening with Victoria J. Coe
Two-Week Replay. Your opening scene doesn’t just introduce a story—it earns the reader’s trust. In Anatomy of an Irresistible Opening, a deep-dive workshop for MG/YA writers, you’ll learn exactly what the first pages of a novel must do. Award-winning author Victoria J. Coe Will break down the anatomy of opening lines that demand attention, characters that readers bond with immediately, and scenes that shoulder the hardest work of the book: establishing voice, tone, stakes, and momentum. Learn how to start your story with an opening that pulls readers in, makes them care, and propels them forward without hesitation.
$35.00 USD
Summer Replay: Structural Engineering with Karen Boss
Two-Week Replay What does anyone mean by structure in a manuscript/story? How can you look for ways to use unique and strong structure to strengthen your picture book? How much of this happens prior to submission versus after acquisition? Join Karen boss to talk all things structure in this workshop! Great for fiction and nonfiction picture book writers!
$50.00 USD
Summer Replay Character Development with Erin Dionne, Novels A La Carte
Character Development Two-Week Replay. Your characters drive your story. In this workshop, we’ll explore how to make robust, active characters who undertake rich emotional journeys–all through bad choices.
$35.00 USD
Summer Replay Plan your Novel by Brainstorming Novels A La Carte with Erin Dionne
Two-Week Replay Get prepped to write that novel. Pre-work is critical in preventing writers' block and setting your story up for success. We'll work through a range of pre-draft options, from webs to lists to synopses, outlines, and loglines, to get you ready to write. Take all six Novels A La Carte classes or just a few.
$35.00 USD
Summer Replay Creating Structure for your Novel with Anna Staniszewski, Novels A La Carte
Creating Structure for your Novel Two-Week Replay How do you create a well-paced story that keeps readers eagerly turning the pages? By giving it a solid structure from start to finish. In this hands-on workshop, we’ll break down different forms of story structure and how to use them to bring your story to the next level.
$35.00 USD
June 24: Creating a Compelling Setting with Anna Staniszewski, Novels A La Carte
Creating a Compelling Setting June 24, 7pm ET virtually with Anna Staniszewski plus two-week replay. Setting is often seen as the backdrop of a story, but it can be so much more. We’ll look at how to utilize setting to create tension and obstacles in your story and to add depth and resonance to your character’s journey.
$35.00 USD
Summer Replay Publishing Options with Erin Dionne, Novels A La Carte
Publishing Options with Erin Dionne Two-Week Replay What do you do with this once you’re finished? Let’s walk through the options and processes for publication: finding an agent and going the traditional route, indie publishing, submitting to contests, etc. How do we evaluate the best path for our story?
$35.00 USD
Summer Replay: Finding Your Voice with Anna Staniszewski, Novels A La Cart
Finding Your Voice Two-Week Replay Is voice the same as the narrator’s personality? Does the author’s voice have something to do with it? How do individual characters’ voices fit in? We’ll tackle all these questions and more as we break the nitty gritty of voice and how to make it work for you.
$35.00 USD
 More Instant Recordings at the Writers' Loft:
Strengthen Your Picture Book Structure with Karen Boss!
$30
Instant two-week replay
The structure of a picture book is paramount to its success. What does structure mean? What do different structures look like?Â
See examples, do personal exercises, and investigate how structure works in your own work!Â
Instantly watch this info-packed workshop with Charlesbridge Editor, Karen Boss
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How to Write a Chapter Book (and how not to) with Janet Costa Bates
$30
Instant two-week replay
You're thinking of writing a Chapter Book and want to know more about them.
Or you've written a book and don't know if it's truly a Chapter Book, an Early Reader, or a Middle Grade.
In this workshop, Janet shares everything you need to know to start writing Chapter Books today!
