- Online
- $695
Are there stories and characters from your early days as a reader that come back to you at surprising moments and inspire you to build your own new worlds for young readers? Whether you want to tackle a richly imagined fantasy world or a gritty realistic story, in this course you’ll find the writing know-how you need and a community to support you along the way.
Explore plot structure, pacing and chapter design for middle grade novels, with a focus on tween character development and emotional arcs.
You’ll develop an authentic kid or tween character with a compelling problem and a unique voice. By the end of the six-week course, you’ll have a first chapter and a roadmap for writing a middle grade novel with tight pacing, sharp dialogue and real stakes that resonate with young readers.
This course is for writers interested in writing for kids and tweens, whether you’ve got a draft in progress or have yet to begin.
By the end of this course, you will be able to:
- Identify the characteristics of middle grade fiction
- Find a middle grade story you want to tell
- Create realistic characters with unique voices
- Write strong scenes and authentic dialogue
- Work forward from a plan for a strong, well-paced middle grade novel
You can expect weekly writing activities and personalized feedback from the instructor. There is no required reading for this course, but examples and short readings will be included in the weekly sessions.
Course outline
Week 1: Find and hone your unique story idea
Week 2: Establish your distinct voice
Week 3: Raise the stakes
Week 4: Tackle the messy middle
Week 5: Revision tips and techniques
Week 6: Pitches and queries to take your story to the next level
Instructor
Stacey Matson is a children’s and young adult author, creative writing instructor and manuscript consultant based in Vancouver, BC. She has served as Writer in Residence for the Saskatoon Public Library (2025–2026) and as the Writer’s Trust Berton House writer-in-residence in Dawson City, Yukon (2016). Stacey supports writers of all ages in developing their craft through her teaching with the Creative Writing for Children Society and her work as a manuscript consultant for Simon Fraser University. She is also a member of the Moon Jelly Arts Collective, a multidisciplinary group of artists delivering immersive arts programming in schools across BC. Stacey has published five novels with Scholastic Canada, including Eleven Out of Ten and Finding Cooper. Her first book, A Year in the Life of a Total and Complete Genius, was a Junior Library Guild Selection and won the Chocolate Lily award.
How am I assessed?
This course is marked complete/incomplete, and the assessment is based on your attendance and participation. Your instructor provides you personalized feedback on the assignments you submit.
Record of completion
Students who have successfully completed a course can access completion documents two weeks after the course ends. Course completion means 80% attendance and/or 80% completion of mandatory assignments.
Expected effort
Expect to spend two to three hours per week completing coursework, participating in the online forum, and attending the optional group video chat.
Technology requirements
To take this course, you'll need access to:
- an email account
- a computer or laptop using Windows or macOS or a tablet
- the latest version of a web browser (or previous major version release)
- a reliable internet connection.
For the optional weekly drop-in session, you'll also need:
- a video camera and microphone.
One day before the start of your course, we'll email you step-by-step instructions for accessing your course.
Course format
This course is 100% online and instructor supported with weekly optional Zoom sessions on Wednesdays from 6-6:45pm Pacific Time. Course work is done independently and at your own pace within deadlines set by your instructor. Log in anytime to your course to access the lessons as they become available.
