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If writing books for children has always been your dream, then this course will help you achieve it. Get the guidance, skills and support you need to write a book for 8-to12-year-olds, and find out how and where to get it published.
Cost: $1295.00
Modules: 9 modules
Student produces: A book of 10000 - 20 000 words, a book synopsis and book proposal
Duration: 12 - 24 months
Tutor: Helen Brain
 Helen Brain is the author of 30 books for children and has contributed stories and plays to numerous school anthologies. Her teen novel, “Tamara”, won an ATKV award. She has also published several short stories for adults. Her memoir, Here Be Lions, was published by Oshun in 2006.
As a teacher, Helen likes to unlock her pupils’ creativity, and help them overcome the fear of failure. She says: “I can't turn you into a writer like a wizard waving a wand, but I can tell you it’s a long road to being a published writer, and a companion who knows the way can make your journey easier.”
Admission Requirements:
- Basic writing skills are essential
- Students must be proficient in the English Language
- E-mail and Internet access required
- No previous tertiary qualification needed
- Access to a library or book shop
Curriculum:
Module One - An Introduction
- Some myths about writing for children
- Writing Assignments
Module Two - Knowing Your Readers
- Developmental and reading age
- Current culture and fashion
- Writing Assignments
Module Three – How To Plot
- How to tell a story with a beginning, middle and end.
- What can children this age understand in terms of structure?
- Point of view: Through whose eyes are you telling the story?
- Writing Assignments
Module Four – Voice, Mood
- Choosing a voice
- Building mood
- Writing Assignments
Module Five – Characterisation
- How to choose characters, develop and sustain them
- Writing Assignments
Module Six – Dialogue
- Writing strong dialogue that promotes character
- Vocabulary and word patterns in children of this age
- Reading ages and target readership
- Writing Assignments
Module Seven - Beginnings And Endings
- Beginnings and endings
- How to hook your readers
- Writing elegant or punchy endings
- Analyzing how successful children’s writers begin and end their books
- Writing Assignments
Module Eight – Using The Most Important Test, And Editing
- Looking at editing techniques
- How to edit your own work
- Common errors
- Tightening the text. Anything that does not build character or move the plot forward must go
- Writing Assignments
Module Nine - Submitting To A Publisher
- Finding the right publisher for your story
- Choosing a title
- How to write a covering letter, and a synopsis of your story
- Writing Assignments
How does the course work?
The course consists of nine modules. Detailed class notes covering the content of each module are e-mailed to students. At the end of each module, students will be required to complete several writing exercises.
Once the writing assignment has been completed, and e-mailed to the tutor, an assessment and feedback will be sent to the student, and the module will be considered complete. The next module will then be e-mailed to the student.
Conditions of Certification:
Students will receive an NZ Writers’ College Certificate upon successful completion of the course, provided they meet the following conditions:
- Students must have completed all the writing assignments.
- The course must have been completed within two years of registration.
- Students are expected to attain a minimum average of 50% for the course.
Minimum Estimated Time Commitment:
The speed at which you work is entirely up to you. After studying the modules, the exercises at the end of each module should take about two to four hours to complete. A completed chapter could take much longer, depending on the speed at which you write.
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