Overview

Judy Blume broke the rules. Her refreshingly honest children’s books were banned by hundreds of libraries and loved by generations of readers, who bought 85 million copies of classics like Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret and Superfudge. In her first online writing class, the award-winning author teaches you how to invent vivid characters, write realistic dialogue, and turn your experiences into stories people will treasure.

Syllabus

Introduction

The honest, everyday struggles of Judy Blume’s characters resonate with millions of readers. Now, she’s your instructor. Judy invites you to discover your own process by hearing what worked for her.

Judy’s Childhood

Judy was an anxious kid and used stories she invented as companions and a creative outlet. Hear her talk about the early beginnings of her rich imagination.

Finding Ideas - Part 1

Judy believes the most powerful stories come from within, yet writers need to be highly attuned to the world around them. She shares her process for identifying and developing strong ideas.

Finding Ideas - Part 2

Judy discusses the highly personal calculation every writer will make about whether to raid their own lives for material. She also talks about the importance of letting ideas percolate before committing them to paper.

Idea Case Studies

Judy shares the inspiration behind some of her most iconic and enduring books and characters: Margaret, Fudge, and Blubber.

Writing for Younger Readers - Part 1

Learn how to tap into the childhood version of yourself to authentically relate to younger readers. Kids have big questions and want their lives reflected in the books they read.

Writing for Younger Readers - Part 2

Give kids credit—they understand more than you think. Judy explains that authors should never write as adults talking to children.

In the Unlikely Event Case Study - Part 1

Judy deconstructs how she researched her sprawling novel, which she based on series of unbelievable-yet-true events that happened in her hometown when she was a teenager.

In the Unlikely Event Case Study - Part 2

Judy calls her notebooks her security blankets. Take a peek inside them to see how she bridged information with imagination to fictionalize a story she personally experienced.

Creating Memorable Characters - Part 1

Compelling and layered characters drive stories forward and keep readers wanting to turn the page. But before that happens, writers need to get to know their characters as if they were real people.

Creating Memorable Characters - Part 2

Judy encourages you to explore voice and point of view until you land on a storytelling style that fits your characters. That style should reflect all the details that contribute to a character’s experience and journey.

Writing Dialogue

Realistic dialogue elevates and sharpens your characters. Judy shares her love of writing dialogue and her ideas for troubleshooting if you don’t love it as much as she does.

Dialogue Case Studies

What characters say to each other has the power to reveal. And sometimes, what they don’t say reveals even more.

Creating Plot Structure - Part 1

Don’t be intimidated by the thought of writing an entire book. Judy wants to help you tackle a book scene by scene, beginning with how to find your starting point.

Creating Plot Structure - Part 2

Judy discusses how settings can act as secondary characters and how to give your book the ending it deserves.

Judy’s Writing Process - Part 1

For Judy, early drafts require leaning on her notebooks as well as “letting the mess come out” and looking at potential problems later.

Judy’s Writing Process - Part 2

In later drafts, Judy goes deeper into character to propel a story forward. She also shares her feelings about what to do if writer’s block appears.

Getting Ready to Submit

Judy shares what she always does before submitting a manuscript. She also teaches you how to write a killer query letter to find an agent.

Working with Editors

A young editor discovered Judy in the slush pile and changed her work—and life—forever. Judy shares how she approached working with editors to arrive at the best possible version of her work.

Rejection

Rejection is a fact of life if you want to be a writer. Learn how Judy overcame her doubts when the letters piled up—and how she used rejection to fuel her determination.

Marketplace

Writers should understand the power that cover art and titles can have on perception and sales. Judy shares lessons from the trenches, as well as her view on the importance of keeping a clear sense of your own identity within an ever-changing market.

Controversy and Censorship

Judy remains one of the most banned authors in the country, with books that are still challenged by censors. She shares her hard-earned belief that writers need to remain true to themselves and the truth of their stories.

Career Journey

Judy started writing because she was desperate for a creative outlet. She shares how her desire to feel normal led her to create enduring emotional connections with readers who wanted to feel the same way.

Closing

When you finish this MasterClass and begin your next project, Judy urges you to foster the most powerful force in your writing life: your own imagination. As she says, “No one can have too much imagination—let alone a writer.”