Children’s author Kwame Alexander is launching a new video series that will teach kids how to write stories, Publishers Weekly reports.
Alexander, known for books like The Undefeated and The Crossover, will bring “WordPlay” to young writers next month. The digital series will be produced in a partnership with Age of Learning, a California-based education technology company.
The series will consist of 10 episodes in which Alexander shares creative writing tips with viewers. Guests on the show will include actor and writer Maulik Pancholy (The Best at It), author Nic Stone (Jackpot), and graphic novelist Gene Luen Yang (Dragon Hoops).
On the website for the series, Alexander writes, “This is a master class in writing…if it was set in a carnival.”
“Through entertaining videos, young storytellers are guided through the writing process and introduced to concepts like word choice, characters and setting, how to revise what is written, how to ‘hook’ the reader, and many other topics designed to help them channel their creativity and express their ideas clearly and effectively,” the website says.
Alexander told Publishers Weekly that the timing was right for the release of “WordPlay.” release.
“Writing is a way for them to practice interacting with the world—remembering that they are a part of it, and that writing their stories matters,” he said.
Michael Schaub is a Texas-based journalist and regular contributor to NPR.
