We are so excited to introduce our intern for the Fall 2026 semester, Ethan Watschke. Ethan is a senior at North Greenville University and is making his debut on Write2Ignite’s blog with a recap of Saturday’s Master Class. Welcome, Ethan! We are so excited to have you on board.

The Master Class

This past Saturday, a group of over thirty authors and writers passionate about bringing God to kids all came together to hear from Jesse Florea. Florea oversees the Christian magazines Clubhouse, Clubhouse Jr., and Brio for Focus on the Family, and he led each workshop for the Master Class.

This was my first Master Class through Write2Ignite, and I learned a great deal from Florea. He presented detailed guidelines and tips for magazine writing as well as how to construct works of fiction and nonfiction. His passion for kids was clear as he taught us all how to write for Christ in the children’s magazine industry.

The Workshops 

The Master Class began with a devotional by Sandy Quandt on the merit of our writing, even when we think it’s as useless as crumbs of potato chips. Then, Florea led three workshops, each followed by a breakout session where small groups discussed his presentations.

I’m new to the magazine sphere, so each workshop helped provide a full view of the industry. In his first session on  “Do’s and Don’ts of Magazine Writing,” Florea provided guidelines to follow for magazine writing. He discussed the importance of the four P’s (profit, platform, portfolio, and the writer’s passion) when writing in the industry. He also told what to do and what not to do; for example, be sure to know the market and edit your writing to make your editor’s job easier.

After “Do’s and Don’ts of Magazine Writing,” Florea moved into “Writing Dynamic Magazine Fiction.” He emphasized building interesting characters, the lead of a story, and the different story structures. Alongside those elements, Florea stressed making characters relatable . These tenets are critical to good fiction in magazines. His final workshop, “Writing Creative Magazine Nonfiction,” focused on works such as devotionals, quizzes, crafts, personal experiences, and interviews. Florea provided guidelines for each of those works, showing us examples from his own magazines. 

The Author Panel

The Author Panel was composed of four authors that had published many works in magazines. I loved hearing about each of their different experiences and the advice they had for each of us. They talked about the importance of persevering and knowing who your audience is. Several mentioned how authors should build a relationship with the magazines they write for. The door prizes for this Master Class were free critiques from these writers, and I wish I had won one after hearing what they had to say. 

The Breakouts

After each workshop, I was able to dig deeper into the topics Florea discussed in the breakout sessions. After talking with the people in my group, I learned the importance of a good hook and knowing  my target audience. Each person of our group shared about what they were working on and how we could tighten up our manuscripts. We discussed the differences between age groups and the areas of writing we were weakest in. To finish, I got to discuss the experiences I could take from my life and see how to share them with kids to point them to Christ. These breakouts were essential in my understanding of the workshops, and I learned a great deal from each person in my group. 

What Other Attendees are Saying 

“Great tips and practical advice from Jesse. I loved meeting other writers today! Great to know that magazines are wanting us to submit to them.” Nell

“Really enjoyed learning more about the magazine market! I loved Jesse’s saying, “Say YES to the opportunities God gives you!” Barb

If you missed this…

If you registered for the Master Class but weren’t able to attend, watch your email for information about how to access the recordings. They will be available until December 31st. Also, make sure you subscribe to Write2Ignite and check out our critique groups and Time2Write.

You can read an interview with Jesse here and read his guest post here.

Our next Master Class will be April 17, 2027 on “Writing for Boys” with author Tim Shoemaker. Stay tuned for more information!