Workshops for Writers
Award-winning author Laura Shovan teaches in-person and virtual workshops for writers.
She teaches through the Vermont College of Fine Arts, the Highlights Foundation, Whale Rock Writing Workshops, and Writing & Illustrating for Young Readers (WIFYR) as well as her private class, Poetry Techniques for the Verse Novelist.
Upcoming Workshops:
September 18-20
Writing & Illustrating for Young Readers Virtual Writing Intensive
WIFYR's second Virtual Writing Intensive is coming up! Mark your calendar for Sept 18-20, 2025. Join us for three days and learn from the best in the industry.
What Happens Next?: A Workshop on Story Questions with Laura Shovan
Novelist E. M. Forster said that the root of story is “making the audience want to know what happens next.” To do that, authors must raise a series of questions, dangling the promise of eventual answers. In this workshop, we will practice identifying and creating the questions and answers that form the backbone of a narrative and that keep readers turning pages. Come with an idea for a project or the opening of your work in progress.
More info and registration can be found here.
October 2025
Do You Like My Hat?: A Webinar on Character Tags
Online at Whale Rock Writing Workshops
Character tags are an essential part of a writer’s toolbox. This versatile craft element works as a shorthand to help readers remember a character’s main traits from one scene to the next. In this webinar, we will look at examples of character tags from children’s literature and discuss tips for using this craft element effectively.
Workshops Through:
Past Workshop Topics Include:
Introduction to Novels in Verse: Drafting & Deepening Your Story
Virtual Highlights Foundation Course with Meg Eden Kuyatt, Hannah Sawyerr, and Laura ShovanBreaks, Blank Space, and Gaps: Poetic Gutters in Novels in Verse and Poetry
2-part Webinar with The Highlights FoundationThe Character Compass: Letting Characters Lead the Way
Workshop led by Laura Shovan and Bridget Hodder at Bay to Ocean Writers ConferenceEscape Room Plotting
Vermont College of Fine ArtsFeeling It: Creating Emotional Depth in Your Novel
Online workshop led by Laura Shovan and Karen Krossing through Whale Rock Writing WorkshopsMonster Poems: A Multi-Modal Social Emotional Learning Workshop
Educators’ Workshop with State of Maryland Literacy AssociationPlot Meets Poetry: Verse Novel Workshop
Vermont College of Fine ArtsSpin the Genre Wheel Generative Workshop
Vermont College of Fine Arts
Upcoming & Recent Events and Appearances
Follow the links below for event details and registration information.
September 27, 2025
Chappaqua Children’s Book Festival
Chappaqua, NY
November 20-22, 2025
National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) Conference
Denver, CO
"Poetry Clubs: Reading and Writing Poetry to Promote Inclusion and Improve Writing Skills” panel with authors and educators Carolee Dean, Jo Hackl, LandrA Jennings, Lesley Roessing, and Laura Shovan.
March 4-7, 2026
AWP (Association of Writers & Writing Programs) Conference
Baltimore, MD
“Getting Real in MG and YA Fiction: Writing with Honesty, Nuance, and Heart” panel with authors Ona Gritz, Kimberly Kenna, Gume Laurel, Laura Shovan, and Kalela Williams.
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May 10, 2025
Books in Bloom Festival, Columbia, MD
“Spilled Milk” Storytelling Event
April 25, 2025
Reimagine the Rainbow, Ellicott City, MD
November, 2024
Navigating the Margins: Writing Our Own Stories
Panel with National Council of Teachers of English
March, 2024
The Disappearing Bookshelf: Why You Should Write Kidlit in the Era of Book Challenges
Panel at Bay to Ocean Writers Conference
November, 2023
Unlocking Emotions: Poetry as a Social Emotional Learning Practice
Panel - National Council of Teachers of English
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Private Class from Laura
Poetry Techniques for the Verse Novelist
Laura is excited to offer a private class for people who would like to write a verse novel, or are drafting one, and want to learn the best tools for working on an extended narrative in verse.
“Laura’s wonderful class is practical and helpful to verse novelists needing a primer on fundamental poetry techniques and how to use them effectively in novels in verse.”
Come study with me at VCFA!
Laura Shovan is a faculty member at Vermont College of Fine Arts (VCFA), advising MFA candidates in the Writing for Children and Young Adults program.
Schedule a Workshop With Laura
Laura is available for virtual and in-person workshops.
Send Laura a message to get started.