
Emily Franklin 2015:
Tentative Schedule
A detailed schedule will be administered to all participants upon acceptance to the seminar. Note that this schedule is tentative and may be adjusted as needed by Ms. Franklin.
05/17/2015-05/26/2015
Day 1
Arrival, Florence Amerigo Vespucci Airport.
Transfer to Castellina in Chianti.
Lunch in garden
Social – Meet Author Emily Franklin and the staff.
Dinner at Il Fondaccio dei Dottori
Day 2
Breakfast
Lecture and Q &A w/ Emily: Pitch Perfect: Finding Your Voice in Young Adult Fiction.
Can any story be written for a young adult audience? What makes a
YA voice believable? We will explore dialogue, setting, structure
and the key elements of trust in young adult fiction. Is your story for middle grade readers, teens, or adults (or all of the above)? Is your novel set in this world or an imagined one? Present day, past, or future? Does it matter?
With a few writing prompts we examine the best way to tell your story,
openings that appeal to teen and adult readers alike,
and rules (are there rules?) for keeping your adolescent audience captivated.
Emily: Writing assignment 1 description – (Out the Back Window)
Lunch
Writers work on individual assignment
Departure/Walk to Castellina
Wine Tasting in Castellina
Dinner at local restaurant
Day 3
Breakfast
Emily: Workshopping writing assignments.
Emily: Discussion/Writing Assignment 2 (SECRETS & SCARS) explanation
Emily meets individually with writers
Lunch
Emily: “Ten Things I Wish I Knew When I Started Writing.” Emily covers everything from How to Get an Agent, the Highs and Lows of a (sometimes) Heartbreaking Job, Connecting with Readers and More: a frank discussion of the business of writing including crossing into other genres.
Emily meets individually with writers
Writers work on writing assignments
Dinner at Il Fondaccio dei Dottori*
Day 4
Breakfast
Workshopping assignment drafts
Emily: General comments/Discussion
Lunch
Writers work on individual assignment. Emily meets individually with writers.
Day 5
Breakfast
Departure for Siena (3-sentence Notecards for Each Place)*
Visit to Museo del Duomo and Cathedral
Lunch at Orto de’ Pecci (Medieval orchard)
Free time in Siena. Meet at 5 pm to go to buses.
Return to Castellina
Dinner at local restaurant
Day 6
Breakfast
Emily: Setting as a key player. How does setting create tension, hook
the reader, break you free?
Lunch
Emily: Discussion/ Writing assignment explanation – Elements of a Scene
Writers work on writing assignments
Dinner at Il Fondaccio dei Dottori
Walk to Castellina for gelato tasting.*
Day 7
Breakfast
Workshopping assignment
Picnic lunch*
Writers work on writing assignments
Pizza making class* and dinner at Il Fondaccio dei Dottori.
Day 8
Breakfast
Emily: “That’s so lame!” AKA How to Lose a YA Reader in 5 Easy Steps
Out-of-touch slang, unrealistic dialogue, unbelievable characters and
other pitfalls. We discuss what not to do in Young Adult writing.
Dialogue exercise (What Aren’t We Saying?)
Emily: Open Q&A – ask anything (Writing and Family, Money Matters,
Managing Emotions, Getting Unstuck)
Lunch
Writers work on writing assignments
Dinner at Il Fondaccio dei Dottori
Day 9
Breakfast
Wrap-Up of Assignments/Additional Prompts
Emily: Individual conferences 1 – Pitching and Query Letters
Lunch
Emily: Individual conferences 2 – Pitching and Query Letters
Farwell Dinner at La Torre and Certificate of Completion Award Ceremony
Day 10
Breakfast
Departure for Florence Train Station/ Airport Amerigo Vespucci.