Visiting Artist: Jo Knowles

Knowles’s visiting artist board, drawn by Luke Howard

Jo Knowles is a prose writer and teaches writing at Southern New Hampshire University. She mainly writes YA novels. She was an engaging and organized speaker, and quite funny.

Michelle Ollie talking with Knowles

Knowles’s first novel, Lessons From a Dead Girl (Candlewick, 2007), received The Pen New England Children’s Book Discovery Award and was named A New York Library Book for the Teen Age.

Knowles talking about character flaws

She talked about making characters real by including strengths and flaws. Power relationships between characters can really be a driving force for how to explain their relationships. A character can have different power dynamics with different characters depending on the setting. Characters don’t need to be overtly demanding about their powers; it can be shown through non-verbal actions.

Knowles’s with a novel thumbnailed on a single sheet of paper

She talked about story boarding an entire novel on a single sheet of paper. The only information included in each chapter is the emotions that start and end each chapter and a tid bit of information.

Jacob B. asks Knowles’ a question. Also shown: Steve Thueson, Robyn Brooke-Smith, Jarad Greene, and Moss Bastille.

Knowles and Howard can both answer questions.

Photos courtesy of Abe Olson.