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.