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, and Whale Rock Writing Workshops, as well as her private class, Poetry Techniques for the Verse Novelist.
Upcoming Workshops:
July 2025
Intro to Novels in Verse: Drafting and Deepening Your Story
4-Week Online Course, Offered through the Highlights Foundation
Discover the power of verse to tell your story! Join award-winning verse novelists Meg Eden Kuyatt, Laura Shovan, and Hannah Sawyerr as they guide you through the craft of blending poetry and narrative to create a compelling novel in verse.
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:
Breaks, 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:
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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.