"It is the magic of fiction that allows the young reader to 'escape' from ordinary day-to-day doings and to live more fully in a heightened, highlighted version of life, with adventure possible at every turn of the page"
—Lee Wyndham,
Writing for Children & Teenagers
Read what students are saying about this class.
Writing for children can be a rewarding experience—both personally and professionally. It means opening yourself to a child’s point of view and rediscovering what it feels like to learn something new, to experience something for the first time, to let your imagination run wild. But children’s writing isn’t all fun and games. In many respects, it is more difficult than writing for adults because the writer has so much less in common with the reader. And just because your readers will be children doesn’t mean you can pay any less attention to the basics; in fact, bright, curious young readers demand realistic, compelling characters and exciting plots just as much—if not more so—than their adult counterparts.
The goal of this workshop is to provide you with an understanding of the fundamental techniques of writing stories for young readers and to encourage—through the use of creativity exercises, hands-on writing assignments and constructive critical feedback—the development of your individual style and creative expression. While the focus will be on fiction, you can apply these techniques to children's nonfiction as well. You may work on one or several projects of your choice in this workshop—anything for readers from ages five-fifteen (stories for very young children can be used for class assignments, but to get the most from this workshop, you may want to try something a little longer). By the end of your class, you will have written a complete children’s story or book chapters up to 2,000 words.
This workshop will consist of six two-week sessions. Each session will include online lectures and associated textbook reading assignments, along with writing assignments incorporating the techniques learned in the session, which you will submit to the instructor for private review at the end of the first week of the session. During the second week of each session, work will be posted for group review and feedback. Throughout the workshop you will be able to participate in asynchronous lecture discussion and encouraged to take advantage of ongoing informal discussions and posted self-directed writing and creativity exercises. (2.4 CEUs)
| Workshop length: |
12 Weeks |
| Textbook(s) to purchase: |
The Writer’s Guide to Crafting Stories for Children (by Nancy Lamb, Writer’s Digest Books) |
| Course Developer: |
Nancy Lamb |
| Tuition: |
$350.00 |
Workshop Outline
Session One: Getting Started
Defining your reader; Sources of ideas; Narrative Authority; Setting and senses
Writing Assignment: A 500-word scene based on a personal experience in a special place from your childhood. This can be a nonfiction account, or a fictionalized version. Either way, try to evoke the voice and emotions of the child you were at the time.
Session Two: Characters and Dialogue
Creating characters children can relate to; Heroes and villains; Viewpoint; Dialogue basics
Writing Assignment: Brief narrative profiles describing your protagonist and antagonist (maximum 250 words each) and a short dialogue scene of confrontation between them (250-500 words).
Session Three: The Elements of Storytelling
Principles of a strong plot; Story problem and motivation; Obstacles and conflict; Scene and sequel; Outlines
Writing Assignment: A story outline (or narrative summary) that includes the conflicts and obstacles your hero confronts (500 words maximum) and a scene-sequel combination in which you use the sequel to set up the action for the following scene (250-500 words).
Session Four: Beginnings, Middles and Ends
The best way to begin your story; Propping up the middle of your story; Endings—fulfilling the story promise
Writing Assignment: First draft of the first 750 words of a story or book chapter(s).
Session Five: Fine-Tuning Your Story
Articulating your story's premise; Finding your voice and creating your tone; Figurative language; The best word for the job
Writing Assignment: Complete (or continue) your first draft with the next 1,000 words of the story or book chapter(s) submitted for Session Four (or—if your story is less than 1,000 words—you can start from the beginning and incorporate suggestions from Session Four).
Session Six: Polishing Your Prose & Maintaining Momentum
Keys to successful revision; The care and feeding of the creative spirit; Final thoughts
Writing Assignment: A complete short story or book chapter(s) (maximum 2,000 words total). This can be a second/third draft of the work submitted for Sessions Four and Five, or a polished first draft of a new piece.