Writing for children: the picture book

Write a picture book text for young children. Suitable for children's writers and for illustrators wishing to write their own stories.

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Key course information

Date
29/04/12

Day(s)
Sun

Duration
1 week

Time
10:30 - 16:30

Fees
Full fee: £47^NC

Venue
KS - Keeley Street

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Course code
HW102

Availability
This course has finished

^NC: No concessionary fees available as there is no government funding for this course.

This course has finished

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Still got questions?
humanities@citylit.ac.uk or call 020 7492 2652

Course outline

What is the course about?

The course examines how to write a picture book text (This is not the same as writing a story with illustrations.) With the picture book, while the story may be the concept of the writer, in the telling both illustrator and writer narrate the story together.
The course also looks at how to prepare a manuscript, dummy and approach publishers.

What topics will we cover?

Development of under threes in relation to perception and books. Finding appropriate ideas. Importance of theme. The twenty-four page spread.
Development of threes to fives. Finding ideas in the familiar world and in fantasy. Structure.
The thirty-two page spread. Handling characters, time span and visual variety. Using repetition, rhyme and rhythm.

The picture book for older children.

Approaching agents and publishers.

By the end of this course you should be able to:

Aware of the technical requirements of picture book writing, and be familiar with what makes for a successful picture book story.

What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?

No special educational attainments are required, but students should be able to write fluent English.

How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?

We will look at picture books.
We will complete exercises in class, both individually and in groups, and share the results with whole class discussion.
The tutor will make short presentations on various aspects of picture book writing.

The Tutor
Elizabeth Hawkins has written many books for children and is a professional writer. She has been a writer all of her working life, first as a journalist and subsequently, after having children of her own, as an author of books for children. Her latest book is Disco Fever (Simon and Schuster, 2004)

City lit reserves the right to change course tutors or venues from those advertised in this outline. In line with our refund policy we are unable to grant a refund on the grounds of a change of tutor/venue.

Are there any other costs? Is there anything I need to bring?

Bring writing materials and a roll of plain wall paper lining paper, or other roll of plain paper to map out stories on.

Do I need to have an interview before I can enrol?

No.

What feedback will I get?

You will receive regular feedback from your tutor throughout the course, as and when appropriate. At the end of the course you and your tutor are asked to assess the progress you have made.

How will I be able to give my views on the course?

Please complete the evaluation form at the end of your course. These are monitored and help us to continually improve our courses.

How do I find out if I can get some support for my learning?

You may be interested in: education and careers advice; financial and childcare support; disability support; support for Deaf and hearing-impaired students; dyslexia support; English and maths support; counselling, and library services (supported learning centre). To find out what may be available to you, and how to apply, see page 213 of the 11/12 course guide, or visit www.citylit.ac.uk/students

When I've finished, what course can I do next?

Elizabeth Hawkins teaches a two term Writing for Children class in September.

General information and advice on courses at City Lit is available from the Information and Advice Shop, open Monday to Friday 12:00 – 19:00 during term time, and Monday to Friday 12:00 – 17:00 out of term time. See the course guide for term dates and further details.

Who can I contact for further information?

Tel: 020 7492 2652

humanities@citylit.ac.uk

Advice times:

During term-time Monday 12.30–13.30 and 17.30–18.30 Thursday 12.30–13.30 and 17.30–18.30

Non term-time Monday 17.30–18.30 Thursday 12.30–13.30.

To enrol on a course, call 020 7831 7831.