Emma Read is a children’s author and creative writing mentor and tutor. Her debut novel for young readers, Milton the Mighty, was one of The Times’ Best Children’s Books of 2019. It also won the N. Somerset Teachers Award and was shortlisted for the Bath Children’s Novel Award. Other published works include short stories and flash fiction.
Emma provides mentoring to unagented writers and, when possible, also runs in-person workshops for schools, libraries and festivals.
She lives in Bath, with her young family and many, many notebooks.
Start Date: 28th January, 2025
Duration: 6 Weeks
Fee: $299
3 places remaining
Ignite Imagination with Your Stories: Join Our Online Writing for Children Course
Welcome to our 6-week Online Writing for Children Course! This exciting journey is crafted for aspiring authors eager to create captivating stories that spark imagination and inspire young readers. As a children’s writer, you have a unique opportunity to craft worlds that entertain, educate, and empower. Our course will enhance your writing skills and help you produce engaging content that resonates with children and young adults.
Please note, this course is specifically designed for those looking to write for children or young adults. If you’re interested in a course for younger audiences, check out our Creative Writing Course for Children (ages 7-12) or our Writing for Teenagers Course.
Join us on this magical adventure and uncover the secrets to crafting tales that touch the hearts and minds of young readers everywhere.
Limited Enrolment: Secure Your Spot Today
To ensure a high-quality learning experience, enrolment is limited to just ten students. We recommend early registration to guarantee your place on this literary journey.
Extended Access: Lifetime Access to Course Materials
After the course ends, you’ll enjoy access to the materials for an entire year, allowing you to revisit lessons and reinforce your learning as needed.
Global Reach: Open to Students Worldwide
Our online courses welcome aspiring writers from around the globe. Join our diverse community of passionate authors and benefit from shared experiences and perspectives.
Weekly Assignments and Personalised Feedback
At the beginning of the course, your tutor will email you your first module (be sure to check your Spam/Junk folder and add us to your contacts for smooth communication). You’ll receive weekly assignments designed to sharpen your skills and keep you on track. Each assignment will be assessed by your dedicated online tutor, who will provide personalised feedback to support your growth as a writer. The course is structured around weekly modules, with new materials released as text lessons. We recommend dedicating 2-3 hours per week, but with no set class times, you can learn at your own pace.
Course Outline
Module 1: What’s the Big Idea?
An introduction to writing for children, exploring reader age and stage, appropriate themes and topics. Then moving on to ideas – assessing what works using pitching techniques to build on an idea, exploring goal, obstacle and stakes.
Module 2: Heroes and Villains
Character is at the heart of any children’s story. Here, we’ll be looking at what makes a compelling and believable character, and why this is so important for a child reader. We’ll also consider series fiction and how children buy in to strong characters, to make these a success.
Module 3: A Series of Unfortunate Events
In this module we’ll discover how characters drive the plot forward through agency, and search for the story at the heart of it all. We’ll be looking at examples of plot structures in children’s fiction and how to make linear storylines engaging.
Module 4: Saving the World and Surviving School
Next we’ll be taking a deeper dive into how our characters interact with their story, how their wants and needs will be thwarted throughout the plot, creating pace, tension and reader engagement. From saving the world, to surviving the school day, we’ll discover how characters’ goals connect the reader to the work.
Module 5: Show and Tell
A quick look at writing craft techniques for children’s literature, particularly finding a balance in the ‘rule’ of Showing rather than Telling. The module will also introduce the concept of ‘voice’ and how dialogue provides a conduit to your character’s emotion and personality.
Module 6: The Hard Sell
A review of children’s publishing, trends and marketing. How you can get your work noticed amidst a busy time: the new, so-called, golden age of children’s fiction, and the importance of school visits, libraries and festivals.
Get Started – Enrol Today!
By enrolling in our Online Writing for Children Course, you’re not only investing in your growth as a writer but also enriching the imaginative and emotional development of countless young readers eager for your stories. Your words can inspire dreams, spark curiosity, and nurture empathy, shaping the minds and hearts of future generations.
Don’t miss this chance to embark on a transformative journey and make your unique mark in children’s literature. Enrol in our Online Writing for Children Course today and begin crafting your very own unforgettable stories that will enchant, inspire, and delight young readers for years to come!