NZ Writers College Write a Book for Children

Writing Books for Children - Part One

If writing stories for children has always been your dream, then this course will provide all the guidance, skills and support you need to write a chapter book for 8-to12-year-olds. Study under award-winning, New Zealand author Philippa Werry as you begin writing your manuscript.

Course Details:

• Course fee: $995.00 GST inclusive
• Modules: 8 Modules
• Duration: Course can be completed at own pace: between 6 and 12 months
• Start date: At any time; applications all year round via our website

Student will produce:

• A 5000-word start to a manuscript
• Numerous writing exercises of varying length

Admission Requirements:

• Basic writing skills are essential
• Students must be proficient in the English Language
• Computer skills, e-mail and Internet access required
• No previous tertiary qualification required
• Access to a library or book shop

Tutor for this course :

  Philippa Werry is the author of five published children’s novels and has written numerous children’s stories, plays, poems and articles for educational publishers. Her novel Enemy at the gate was shortlisted for the New Zealand Post Children’s Book Awards in 2009.  The great chocolate cake bake off and A girl called Harry were both named as Storylines notable books.

Philippa also writes travel articles and non-fiction for adults. She has twice been shortlisted (in 2010 and 2011) for the Royal Society of New Zealand Manhire Creative Science Writing Prize, and won second prize in the 2011 Cultural Icons and Vernacular Lounge Non-Fiction Writing Competition.

In 2010, she was awarded the NZSA Mid-Careers Writers Award. Visit her website here (http://www.philippawerry.co.nz/)

Course Curriculum

Module 1 - An Introduction

• Some myths about writing for children
• Getting Started
• Writing Assignments

Module 2 - Knowing Your Readers

• Developmental and reading age
• Current culture and fashion
• Writing Assignments

Module 3 - 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 4 - Writing Technique

• The difference between formal or business writing and story telling
• The basic elements of creative writing: Action
• The basic elements of creative writing: Description
• The basic elements of creative writing: Dialogue
• Writing Assignments

Module 5 - Voice, Mood

• Choosing a voice
• Building mood
• Writing Assignments

Module 6 - Characterisation

• How to choose characters, develop and sustain them
• Writing Assignments

Module 7- Dialogue

• Writing strong dialogue that promotes character
• Vocabulary and word patterns in children of this age
• Reading ages and target readership
• Writing Assignments

Module 8- Beginnings and Endings

• Beginnings and endings
• Writing Assignments