Writing for children is one of the most challenging disciplines an author can choose. Learn to write for the most imaginative and creative audience that you will ever face. Gain skills in writing fiction and non fiction for children, improve your understanding of children and their development, improve your writing skills and learn from an experienced author.
Course Aims:
- Describe children’s cognitive development and target writing to be appropriate to various developmental stages.
- Explain the nature and scope of writing for children.
- Describe the process of planning a written manuscript of children’s writing.
- Describe the planning and processes involved in writing articles for children’s magazines.
- Develop a short story for children to read.
- Discuss the specific requirements associated with writing children’s non-fiction
- Describe the various categories of children’s fiction and the writing processes involved.
- Explain the scope and nature of literature aimed at young children.
- Explain the scope and significance of editing skills and processes for children’s writing.
- Plan, evaluate, edit and present a piece of writing for children.
This course is made up of 10 Lessons:
- Introduction
- Understanding Children
- Children’s thoughts
- Children’s needs
- Child development.
- Overview of Children’s Writing
- Categories (fiction & non fiction)
- Understanding the market place
- Analyse and understand what is needed for the different categories, etc.
- Conceptualisation: Conceiving a concept
- Where & how to find inspiration/influence.
- Developing a concept
- How to plan.
- Children’s Writing for Periodicals
- Children’s pages in magazines
- Newspapers, etc.
- Short Stories
- Non-Fiction
- Texts (writing to satisfy curriculum).
- Other (eg. nature, history, biography, hobbies).
- Fiction
- Settings
- Characterisation
- Fantasy
- Science fiction
- Adventure.
- Picture Books and Story Books
- Differences between types of picture books
- Age groups and picture books
- Editing your work
- Grammar
- Spelling & punctuation
- Improving clarity
- Cleaning out clutter
- Expansions.
- Project
- Write a short story, picture book or kids page for a (hypothetical) periodical.
Each lesson culminates in an assignment which is submitted to the school, marked by the school’s tutors and returned to you with any relevant suggestions, comments, and if necessary, extra reading.
Aims
- Describe children’s cognitive development and target writing to be appropriate to various developmental stages.
- Explain the nature and scope of writing for children.
- Describe the process of planning a written manuscript of children’s writing.
- Describe the planning and processes involved in writing articles for children’s magazines.
- Develop a short story for children to read.
- Discuss the specific requirements associated with writing children’s non-fiction
- Describe the various categories of children’s fiction and the writing processes involved.
- Explain the scope and nature of literature aimed at young children.
- Explain the scope and significance of editing skills and processes for children’s writing.
- Plan, evaluate, edit and present a piece of writing for children.