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The Child in Literature: A 4-Part Writing Workshop

Craft Class & Workshop with Writer Isabelle Eastman

In this 4-week class, participants will explore their own writing through readings, discussions, and prompts on how child characters and family perspectives are treated within literature.

Childhood is one of the great shared human experiences, but it can often be the hardest to put into words. Drawing from the works of Frances Hodgson Burnett, Nina McConigley, Alison Bechdel, and more, this creative writing class will explore the history of children’s literature and its evolution into the numerous ways we see children on the page in today’s literary landscape.

Class-time will include discussions of readings and generative prompts. Weekly craft topics will include how child labor practices have shaped children’s literature, how changing ideas of gender, queerness, and parenting have affected depictions of families, and how more modern practices like inner child work can shape our own creative voices.

This class is welcome to writers of all experience levels: no experience required.

Class-time and homework: Class-time will consist of brief craft lectures, as well as short readings and generative writing prompts designed to give participants inspiration for their own work. There will be in-class time for writing, as well as low-pressure opportunities to share our work every week. By Week 4, every participant will have a 250-500 word piece of fiction that they have generated in class or at home. The final class will be a workshop of these pieces, with the class divided into groups of 4-6 people to share and discuss one another’s work.

Course goals: Participants will leave this class with the start of at least 3 pieces, a variety of prompts and readings to use in the future, and confidence in exploring and writing stories of childhood. They will grow in their knowledge of literary terminology, craft terms, and how children’s literature can be used as a lens across genres and forms. As a discussion-based course, the class will function as a collaborative community that will grow in confidence in providing feedback and articulating thoughts about their own work.

Isabelle Eastman (she/her) is a current Hive resident and a graduate of Eastern Washington University’s Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing program. She has a decade of experience in a variety of education and childcare roles, including as a camp counselor, babysitter, adjunct professor, and environmental education instructor.

By attending library programs, you are agreeing to potentially appear in photos/videos taken at our locations that may be used in promotional materials including social media.

We strive to make events welcoming for people of all abilities. To request accommodations (i.e. hearing assistance, ASL requests, or other ADA inquiries), email sday@spokanelibrary.org.

For all event information inquiries, email telref@spokanelibrary.org or call 509-444-5300.

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