Do you aspire to see your work sitting on the shelves in bookshops next to Kiran Millwood Hargrave, Frank Cottrell Boyce, Malorie Blackman, and a whole host of other brilliant writers?
If so, join us for five stimulating weeks of practical workshops and expert advice from course leader Christopher Edge, an award-winning writer of children’s fiction and experienced creative writing practitioner. Students will explore essential elements of writing for young people, including: how to take an initial idea and develop it into a story that others will want to read; how to craft memorable characters; and how to write vivid settings. All attendees will gain an understanding of how the children's book market works and learn how to make their manuscript stand out in the slush pile, alongside recommended reading.
The course has been designed to benefit authors at all stages of their writing journey, so whether you have an initial idea and want to know where to start, or have a full draft and need help with revising and making it the best it can possibly be, this is the course for you.
The sessions will run online via video conferencing software, with homework assignment deadlines in place for the following week.
Each week will combine tutorials with practical exercises, discussion and feedback. Guest speakers to be confirmed shortly. Furthermore, all attendees will receive a critique of up to 3,000 words of their writing and a copy of the latest edition of the Children's Writers' & Artists' Yearbook.
Testimonials
"Utterly brilliant. Really specific, practical, considered advice delivered very clearly. The sessions were packed full of information - I really appreciated that they weren't simply saying 'this is what you're aiming for', but actually talked in detail about how to achieve this. Christopher is such a highly skilled writer, so it was always going to be brilliant listening to him, but what really came across in the sessions was how much he thinks about and values writing for children specifically - that was wonderful. There was ample opportunity to ask questions, and the homework set each week really helped to motivate me to put what we'd talked about straight into practice. I've finished with greater clarity about my writing and what I'm doing with it, and best of all, I've got my enthusiasm back!" Debbie Cannon
"I loved every minute of the course. It was so well put together. Christopher was such a generous tutor, and made it as fun as it was interesting, with loads of useful information and insight." Gill Wood
"This is the best writing course I have ever been on. It is packed with amazing tips and exercises on how to write a book for children. I would recommend this course to anyone who is serious about writing for children. I have learned so much in this course and I can't stop writing. Thank you Chris for the inspiration." Kylie Holmes
"Christopher Edge shared his knowledge of writing and insights into the world of children’s books with great generosity and warmth. I feel inspired and encouraged to keep writing, reading and learning." Martha Lightfoot
"The past 5 weeks have offered wonderful guidance on writing for children, understanding the market, novel editing, setting, plot & character development, and it just feels like a great bonus that 5k of my novel will be reviewed as well. Terrific value for money, would highly recommend." Linda Byrne
"The W&A writing course with Christopher Edge was fantastic. The course material was all enriching for a developing writer and there was clearly a lot for more advanced seasoned writers too. The course was delivered in a fantastic engaging manner and the whole experience has left me feeling enriched and focused." Sam Gaskill
"Your Children’s Book was the first course I have attended online, however it was well put together and well thought out. I feel, as a young writer, if you need guidance and support, a course like this one, is a worthy investment. You will get the chance to workshop and develop your own work, however also, you will get the chance to really question your direction as a writer. It was this course, that allowed me to question my direction, and through it, I have found a new direction, and one I am confident in. Looking back, the course last five weeks, and it flies by! You really do end up doing a lot of work but you end up challenging yourself to do better." Luke Joseph Emmett
Schedule
Week One: Finding your voice
Wednesday 27th April
- Understanding the children’s book market: categories, genres, trends, series and stand-alones
- Chapter books, middle-grade, teen and YA: deciding where your story fits and how you want to tell it
- Exploring choices of narrative viewpoint and voice
- Exercises, discussion and sharing time
Week Two: Plotting and planning
Wednesday 4th May
- Story sparks: moving from initial inspiration to planning your story
- Understanding plot structure: taking a look at acts, arcs and other theories
- Crafting an ‘unputdownable’ opening: exploring narrative hooks
- Building to a climax: crafting an ending with an emotional impact
- Exercises, discussion and sharing time
Week Three: Characterisation
Wednesday 11th May
- How to create memorable characters and make them real
- Exploring character motivations and conflicts, goals and obstacles
- Writing dynamic dialogue that reveals character and drives the plot forward
- Reflections on the hero’s journey and how characters change
- Exercises, discussion and sharing time
Week Four: Building your world
Wednesday 18th May
- Creating fictional places, including the role of research
- Exploring setting, character and conflict
- Understanding ‘show, not tell’ and how to interweave action and description
- Structuring your scenes: narrative pace and scene transitions
- Exercises, sharing and discussion time
Week Five: Revising and pitching your work
Wednesday 25th May
- Revising your first draft: identifying problems and fixing plot holes
- Making your story shine: unleashing your inner critic and killing your darlings
- Pitching your work to agents and editors: dos and don’ts of the submission process
- Tips from an expert on what the industry is looking for right now and how to make sure your work stands out in the slush pile
- Exercises, sharing and discussion time
Christopher Edge is an award-winning children's author whose books have been translated into more than twenty languages. His novels The Many Worlds of Albie Bright, The Jamie Drake Equation, The Infinite Lives of Maisie Day and The Longest Night of Charlie Noon have all been nominated for the prestigious CILIP Carnegie Medal, and he has also won several awards for his children’s fiction including the STEAM Children’s Book Prize and the Brilliant Book Award. He has been described as ‘a writer of genuine originality’ by The Guardian and his last four novels have all been awarded The Times’ Children’s Book of the Week as well as being praised in publications including The Sunday Times, The Spectator and the New Statesman. He is also the author of the bestselling How to Write Your Best Story Ever! and How To Be A Young #Writer, inspirational guides to creative writing for children and teenagers and is an experienced teacher of creative writing, running workshops for aspiring children’s authors at the Cheltenham Literature Festival and Edinburgh International Book Festival.
The course fee of £350 (inc. VAT) is payable in full online.
Please do contact us if you wish to discuss an instalment payment plan by calling 0207 631 5985 or by sending an email to writersandartists@bloomsbury.com.
If this event is Sold Out, please look out for other writing courses by visiting our Events homepage.
This is a live online course which will be presented using video conferencing software. Joining instructions and full guidance will be provided by the W&A Team a week before the event start-date.
Course materials will be made available to attendees for a time-limited period after the event at the author's discretion.
Please note that payment instalment plans are available for all W&A events, writing courses and editing services. Contact W&A Admin on writersandartists@bloomsbury.com so that we can find a payment schedule that works for you.
Accessible to All
It’s of real importance to Writers & Artists that our events and courses remain accessible to all.
- Writers & Artists has made one bursary place available for this event as part of our accessibility scheme. Please visit our bursaries page for further information about how to apply.
- At the author’s discretion, event materials will be made available to attendees after the course.
- A link to a recording of the course will be circulated each week. This will be made available to course attendees only, and for a time-limited period.
- This course will include written text and visuals. Please contact us in advance so that we can make arrangements to be sure all documents appear in a format that works for you.
- If you’d like to attend but have any questions or concerns regarding accessibility, then please email AccessWA@bloomsbury.com
