Company Name: The Learning Group Telephone: Fax: Cell Phone: Email: studentlearninggroup.co.za Website:
Course Title: Writing For Children
What a joy it is to write for children. Writing for children is a special skill in its own right.
Children's stories must appeal to young, lively imaginations, whilst being easy to follow but never condescending. The biggest difference between writing for children and writing for adults is that children are the more critical audience. Children of all ages are avid readers, and the market is large and growing.
Different age groups call for different writing styles and construction - you will study this difference as part of your course. You will explore the delicate business of distilling ideas and experience into potent stories for children. You will learn vocabulary and story construction for each age group; you will study the importance and skills of natural dialogue, and you will learn how to hold children's interest, how to make them laugh, how to create images for them, and how to make them identify with your storytelling.
Plotting, imagery, creating characters that are real to children - these are some of the other skills you will study. Your tutor will show you how to adapt your style from picture book for the very young to science fiction for the teenager.
Writing for children takes many forms and provides many with an enjoyable living and lucrative hobby. The range of markets varies widely from first readers to teenagers' novels, from picture books to scripts, from pop-up book to plays.
You will be shown how to find the markets for all types of children's writing.
The rewards in this wonderfully creative field of writing, besides financial, are the feelings that you will get when a young person tells you how much he or she really enjoyed reading your story, a sense of pride in the knowledge that you have created something that your young reader will never forget.
Writing For Children - Course Syllabus
Blueprint 1
Pre-Primary 5 to 6 who can't read • Age ranges • Characters • Conflict • Style
Blueprint 2
Children who can read, 7-9 • Know your readers • Theme, cause & effect • Characters • Plots • Problem, conflict, solution • Beginnings- How to hook readers • Show, Don't tell • Endings
Blueprint 3
Children 9-12 • Ideas • Characters • Chapters • The first chapter • Chapter endings • Language • Guideline questions • The climax
Blueprint 4
World of teens, 11-17 • Popular kinds of books • Real life problems • Ethnic books, Horror • Teenage romance • Theme • Plot • In the beginning, decide • Where should I start? • The ending
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