Your writing has the potential to change your young readers’ lives in the way that the books you read as a child most probably changed yours, and helped you become the person you are today. This is because the stories we read as children have a lasting and profound influence on us. We put ourselves in the place of lead characters: we all dream of being Katniss or Bilbo or Lucy Pevensey – or we see ourselves in Adrian Mole or Clarice Bean. Through the books we read, we work out who we are, and who we want to be.
Perhaps you have always dreamed of writing a children’s book, but don’t know where to begin. Maybe you are unsure of the age you are writing for, or unclear on how the market is structured. On this course we will demystify the different ages and stages of reading. We’ll take time to delve into picture books, chapter books, middle grade and young adult fiction. We’ll discuss the themes that young readers want – and need – and the different language writers use for those different stages of the reader’s development. Through reading others and experimenting with our own writing via prompts and exercises, we’ll come to discover which age and stage you are happiest writing for. There will be a chance to give feedback on one another’s work and you will receive one piece of feedback from me at the end of the course.
This course is aimed at new writers who are looking for an introduction on how to write for children and young people.
Course outline
- Three assignments, including reading material, discussion prompts and writing exercises
- Opportunity to share your work (not obligatory)
- Written feedback from the course tutor on a final submission of up to 1,500 words
- An online writing community, lasting beyond the end of the course
Your course tutor, Anna Wilson, will upload a new lesson each week. This will include extracts and other sources to read, Anna’s lesson, and a writing assignment. You can read and write in your own time, and share your thoughts and writing with others using message threads on the course page. There is no obligation to share work unless you would like to!
In the fourth week, you’ll have time to develop one of the writing assignments into a finished short piece. Anna will read it and provide individual feedback.
All material and discussion channels will be available for the four-week period of the course.
Course timetable and content
Week 1 (Feb 2nd): Picture Books – we’ll discuss age relevant ideas and themes; structure and appropriate language.
Week 2 (Feb 9th): Chapter book and Middle Grade – we’ll discuss ideas and themes, language and reading development – also the difference between chapter books and Middle Grade and how one segues into the other.
Week 3 (Feb 16th): “Clean Teen” and YA Fiction – Again, ideas and themes, and language – also the US market and what we can get away with in content and how “clean teen” segues into YA.
Week 4 (Feb 23rd): Submit a piece, up to 1,500 words, for feedback
Time commitment
You can work through the material and do writing exercises at your own pace. To help with your planning, we suggest you allow a minimum of three hours for each lesson/assignment, and a little extra for optional recommended reading.
Learning online
The course will take place online, in a closed group on a platform called Slack, so you’ll need to have internet access, but not at any specific times. Slack is easy to use, and we’ll provide you with full instructions and guidance before the course starts. On Slack, we won’t have scheduled live chats, but there will be plenty of opportunity to interact with Anna and the other course participants in discussion threads, throughout the four weeks.