Writing for children: workshop

About this course

Participants bring works in progress for discussion and receive constructive responses from the tutor and other writers. Sessions examine how to assess writing sensitively, revise drafts in response to feedback and understand the publishing marketplace. The workshop also covers ways to identify potential markets and approach publishers. It is intended for fiction writers working across children’s age groups, from babies to teenagers, with active writing forming part of the course process.

What you'll learn

• Assess children’s writing and respond to it with sensitivity
• Evaluate feedback from peers and the tutor
• Redraft work in response to critical feedback
• Identify potential markets for a children’s manuscript

Is this course right for you?

The course is designed for writers with experience of writing for children, including published authors and those actively involved in children’s writing. Although listed at Beginner level, it is not intended for people with no experience in this area. Participation involves group discussion, sharing work and writing between sessions.

• New students may be suitable if they are published authors or actively involved in writing for children.
• Fiction for any children’s age group, from babies to teenagers, can be brought to the workshop.

Before you go

• Participants should be actively writing outside class and have work available to bring when it is their turn to share.
• When presenting work, participants need to bring two typed copies: one for the tutor and one for the reader.
• Learners are encouraged to alert the tutor and classmates in advance if shared writing contains potentially sensitive material.