How to Write a Teen/Young Adult (YA) Novel

Featuring Kris Dinnison, Trace Kerr, & Stephanie Oakes

Three YA novelists will discuss their published books and what inspires them to write about and for youth.

Three lauded novelists who write about and for young adults will gather at the Shadle Park Library to discuss their craft. Participants will be invited to ask the writers questions about writing, publishing, and teen/ya literature. 

About the presenters:

Kris Dinnison spent nearly two decades as a teacher and librarian while dreaming of becoming a writer. Her work has appeared in One Teen Story, The London Journal of Fiction, HelloGiggles, YARN, The Inlander and The Spokesman Review, among others. She lives and writes in Spokane, Washington. Her first novel, You and Me and Him, came out in 2015 from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

Trace Kerr adores writing action-packed, magical stories that celebrate queer characters. Her first YA novel, The Names We Take, came out in 2020 with Ooligan Press. When she’s not writing, Trace produces and co-hosts a hilariously informative science and history podcast called Brain Junk. 

Stephanie Oakes is the author of The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly, which was a Morris Award finalist, The Arsonist, which won the Washington State Book Award and was an ALA/YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults pick, and her newest novel, The Meadows. Stephanie lives in Spokane, Washington with her wife and family.

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