Young Adult Storytelling in the Age of Social Media
Learn to write young adult fiction in which contemporary digital life changes character choices, relationships, conflict and plot. Across 40 practical lessons, plan, draft, test and revise a YA narrative with a responsible online element, a clear reader promise and a polished portfolio.
About this course
Course summary: Learn to write young adult fiction in which contemporary digital life changes character choices, relationships, conflict and plot. Across 40 practical lessons, plan, draft, test and revise a YA narrative with a responsible online element, a clear reader promise and a polished portfolio.
Course overview: This self-paced craft course turns the supplied ten-chapter manuscript into a sequence of independent lessons. Students study age-category conventions, digital storytelling, teen agency, ethics, reader communities and publishing decisions while building an original YA story.
Intended students: Adult writers developing fiction for adolescent readers; no publication experience is required.
Outcomes: Distinguish YA age category from story genre; create believable teen decisions and digital-era conflicts; use source-aware and respectful representation; draft and revise scenes; explain reader fit and publication choices.
Workload: Plan for 2–4 hours per module, plus independent drafting and revision. Keep a portfolio of exercises and notes.
AI collaboration policy: You remain the author. An AI partner may critique clarity, generate questions or compare approaches, but must not invent sourced claims, replace your creative decisions or receive private details you do not wish to share. Each activity can be done without AI.
Completion: Complete the required lesson work, revise at least two prior passages and submit the capstone materials in Lesson 10.4. The final project is evaluated against the 100-point rubric there.
Your course outline
Understanding YA Literature
YA as an Age Category
The Adolescent Point of View
Identity, Belonging and Pressure
Evolving YA Traditions and Reader Promises
Social Media as a Storytelling Tool
What Social Media Changes in a Story
Platform Form and Story Form
Pacing Through Posts and Delays
Audience Feedback Without Surrendering the Book
Teen Characters and Digital Identity
Online Persona Versus Private Self
Digital Desire and Stakes
Relationships Across Screens
Mental Health With Nuance
Building Digital-Era Plots
The Digital Inciting Incident
Escalation, Screenshots and Evidence
Interactive and Serialized Narratives
Plot Logic and Digital Permanence
Belonging, Isolation and Relationships
Connection as Conflict
Comparison, Status and Self-Image
Friendship, Distance and Access
Boundaries, Belonging and Resolution
Ethics and Representation
Privacy and Digital Footprints
Writing Harassment Responsibly
Representation Beyond Labels
Research, Sensitivity and Creative Authority
Marketing YA Stories Responsibly
The YA Reader and the Book Promise
Choosing a Platform With a Purpose
Reviewers, Creators and Ethics
Campaign Measurement and Adjustment
Engaging Readers and Communities
Readers as a Community
Feedback, Fan Response and Boundaries
Using Reader Reactions to Revise
Accessible and Lasting Engagement
Emerging Formats and Future Trends
Distinguishing Trends From Craft
Serialization, Multimedia and Coherence
VR, AR and Interactive Possibilities
Future-Proofing a YA Story
Final YA Fiction Portfolio
Reviewing the Story Promise
Final Project Architecture
Revision and Responsible Publication
Capstone Submission and Reflection
Begin at your own writing desk.
Includes 0 AI credits. Review access and payment details in your workspace.