Stories of Our Hearts Writing Workshop | Fictional Retellings with Chris Baron
This fall, join award-winning author Chris Baron for a heart-centered, transformational writing workshop:
Stories of Our Hearts: Fictional Retellings, hosted by Urban Haiku. This workshop is a deep dive into storytelling for young readers, rooted in your personal truth and designed to nurture the kind of fiction that heals, uplifts, and empowers.
Whether you're writing from a place of memory, trauma, wonder, or resilience, this space invites you to craft Middle Grade and Young Adult fiction that comes from the most authentic, tender, and powerful places within.
📚 What You’ll Explore in This Workshop
This is not just a writing class — it’s a creative reckoning with your truth. A chance to explore how fictional narratives can be woven from your lived experiences in a way that brings hope, healing, and wholeness to young readers.
Through:
✍🏽 Guided writing exercises
🗣️ Collaborative discussions
💬 Q&A sessions with Chris
🤝 Peer connection and community
You’ll learn how to:
Translate your personal stories into compelling fictional narratives
Create characters and plots that resonate with real-life emotional depth
Write from a place of vulnerability and truth — even when fictionalizing
Understand the heart of Middle Grade (MG) and Young Adult (YA) audiences
Explore storytelling as activism, empathy, and soul-work
This workshop welcomes new and seasoned writers alike — whether you're scribbling ideas for the first time or polishing your fifth manuscript. Your heart is the only prerequisite.
About Your Guide: Chris Baron
Chris Baron is a literary force in the world of Middle Grade fiction, known for stories that weave mental health, identity, faith, friendship, and family into unforgettable journeys of growth. His work includes:
All of Me – NCTE Notable Book
The Magical Imperfect – Sydney Taylor Notable / SLJ Best Book
The Gray (2023) – A ProjectLIT Selection
Spark (2025) – Coming from Feiwel & Friends/Macmillan
The Secret of the Dragon Gems – Co-authored with Rajani LaRocca
On All Other Nights – Editor, Middle Grade Passover Anthology from Abrams
Lantern Tree – San Diego Book Award-winning poetry collection
Chris is a professor of English, director of the Writing Center at San Diego City College, and a mentor who meets writers with both technical excellence and genuine empathy.
🧠 Why Middle Grade & YA Matter
Young readers are often in the most pivotal, identity-forming moments of their lives. Stories they encounter can validate their emotions, mirror their struggles, and offer new ways of seeing the world — and themselves.
Your personal truth, transformed into story, can become someone else’s lifeline.
This course helps you uncover the “story of your heart” — then guides you through shaping it into fiction that holds power, purpose, and emotional resonance.
📅 Workshop Details
DetailInformationWhenBeginning Fall 2025FormatVirtual – Zoom-based sessionsWho Can Join?Open to all writers; prioritizing BIPOC and underrepresented voicesRegistrationVia Urban Haiku Website
This is a community-first, inclusive space dedicated to amplifying marginalized voices. We welcome folx of all identities and backgrounds with open arms and shared purpose.
💖 You Should Join If…
You have a deep story inside you — and want to tell it in a way that resonates with young readers
You love Middle Grade and Young Adult fiction, or feel called to write it
You’re looking for craft mentorship that meets you with compassion, not critique
You believe in the power of story to change lives — starting with your own
🌈 Conclusion: Fiction From the Heart, For the Future
Stories of Our Hearts: Fictional Retellings is your opportunity to write fiction that doesn't just entertain — it heals, empowers, and liberates. Guided by the wisdom of Chris Baron and grounded in community support, you’ll emerge from this experience with not just pages written, but perspective gained, courage claimed, and purpose ignited.
📝 Learn more and sign up today — because the world needs your story, and the next generation is ready to read it.
FAQs
1. Do I need to have a manuscript started to join?
Nope. You can come with a full draft, a vague idea, or just the desire to begin. All levels welcome.
2. Is this only for people writing Middle Grade or YA?
That’s the focus, but the storytelling tools and exercises can be applied to any genre or age group.
3. Will there be feedback on our writing?
Yes — expect a mix of gentle feedback, group discussion, and generative writing exercises to help you grow.
4. How long is the course?
Full course schedule and dates will be released closer to Fall 2025. Be sure to register for updates.
5. Will I get to interact directly with Chris?
Absolutely. Chris will be actively involved in every session, offering insight, support, and guidance.
