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This course is about micro-editing, taking a close-up look at the details of your novel for children or young adults.
What will we cover?
The course will cover line-editing looking at paragraph, sentence and word level details including punctuation. Do you overuse favourite phrases or words, or have a passion for exclamation marks? We will look at filter words, use of adverbs, dialogue, description, sentence length etc. The course can be taken on its own or following on from last term’s Advanced Writing for Children: Editing Your Novel Part 1, which focuses on the structural edit, and the bigger picture. You can also take this as part of a whole year course starting with ‘Advanced Writing for Children: Finish Your Novel’ in the autumn term. It is possible to attend this course alongside the Writing for Children Workshop on the same day. Ideally you will have a first or second draft of a novel ready for editing.
What will I achieve? By the end of this course you should be able to...
Edit your work at paragraph level including tone, sentence length, dialogue.
Edit your work at word level including use of adverbs, choice of verbs, filter words etc.
Edit your punctuation and grammar including punctuating dialogue.
Write a synopsis and an email to an agent/publisher
What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?
You need a good quality of English and ideally to have done a beginner’s class in Writing for Children. Ideally you need at least at least half of a first draft of a novel to work with.
How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?
You will be taught through a mixture of group and pair discussion, writing exercises, tutor input, workshopping and one to one support. You are expected to continue to work on your editing outside of the class, applying what you have learnt. You will have two opportunities for written feedback during the course.
All writing courses at City Lit will involve an element of workshop. This means that students will produce work which will be discussed in an open and constructive environment with the tutor and other students. The college operates a policy of constructive criticism, and all feedback on another student’s work by the tutor and other students should be delivered in that spirit.
For classes longer than one day regular reading and writing exercises will be set for completion at home to set deadlines.
City Lit Writing endeavours to create a safe and welcoming space for all and we strongly support the use of content notes in our classes. This means that learners are encouraged to make their tutor and classmates aware in advance if any writing they wish to share contains material that may be deemed sensitive. If you are unsure about what might constitute sensitive content, please ask your tutor for further clarification and read our expectations for participating in writing courses at City Lit.
Are there any other costs? Is there anything I need to bring?
No additional costs.
When I've finished, what course can I do next?
Please ask your tutor for advice on suitable progression courses.
Penny Joelson began her writing career with a course at City Lit. She has now been teaching Writing for Children courses at City Lit for over twenty years. During this time Penny has had twelve books published including fiction for young adults, middle grade and early readers and books for teens with a low reading age. Her books have been published internationally and her three most recent YA thrillers, I Have No Secrets, Girl in the Window and Things the Eye Can’t See have all won awards. I Have No Secrets was nominated for the Carnegie Medal and won ten awards including the FCBG (Federation of Children’s Book Groups) National Children’s Book Award (Older Readers).
Please note: We reserve the right to change our tutors from those advertised. This happens rarely, but if it does, we are unable to refund fees due to this. Our tutors may have different teaching styles; however we guarantee a consistent quality of teaching in all our courses.
product
https://www.citylit.ac.uk/advanced-writing-for-children-editing-your-novel-part-22532061Advanced writing for children: editing your novel - part 2https://www.citylit.ac.uk/media/catalog/product/a/d/advanced-writing-for-children-editing-your-novel-part-2-hw133-1200.jpg209209GBPInStock/Courses/Courses/Writing/Children's writing/Children's writing/Courses/Writing/Courses/Writing/Children's writing228515921358113584122851358113584<p>Learn how to edit the finer details of a children’s/YA novel, using the skills you learn to line-edit your own novel during the course.</p>002531992Advanced writing for children: editing your novel - part 2209209https://www.citylit.ac.uk/media/catalog/product/a/d/advanced-writing-for-children-editing-your-novel-part-2-hw133-1200_1.jpgInStockDaytimeThuKeeley StreetAvailable courses11 weeks or longerWeekday2026-04-23T00:00:00+00:00AdvancedApr 2026WritingHW133209209Advanced writing for children: editing your novel - part 2209105209Penny Joelsonadvanced-writing-for-children-editing-your-novel-part-2/hw133-2526<p>Learn how to edit the finer details of a children’s/YA novel, using the skills you learn to line-edit your own novel during the course.</p>0000-Available|2026-04-23 00:00:00<p>This course is about micro-editing, taking a close-up look at the details of your novel for children or young adults. </p><p>Learn how to edit the finer details of a children’s/YA novel, using the skills you learn to line-edit your own novel during the course.</p><p>The course will cover line-editing looking at paragraph, sentence and word level details including punctuation. Do you overuse favourite phrases or words, or have a passion for exclamation marks? We will look at filter words, use of adverbs, dialogue, description, sentence length etc. The course can be taken on its own or following on from last term’s Advanced Writing for Children: Editing Your Novel Part 1, which focuses on the structural edit, and the bigger picture. You can also take this as part of a whole year course starting with ‘Advanced Writing for Children: Finish Your Novel’ in the autumn term. It is possible to attend this course alongside the Writing for Children Workshop on the same day. Ideally you will have a first or second draft of a novel ready for editing.</p><p>Edit your work at paragraph level including tone, sentence length, dialogue.</p><p>Edit your work at word level including use of adverbs, choice of verbs, filter words etc. </p><p>Edit your punctuation and grammar including punctuating dialogue.</p><p>Write a synopsis and an email to an agent/publisher</p><p>You need a good quality of English and ideally to have done a beginner’s class in Writing for Children. Ideally you need at least at least half of a first draft of a novel to work with.</p><p> </p><p>You will be taught through a mixture of group and pair discussion, writing exercises, tutor input, workshopping and one to one support. You are expected to continue to work on your editing outside of the class, applying what you have learnt. You will have two opportunities for written feedback during the course.</p> <br />
<br />
All writing courses at City Lit will involve an element of workshop. This means that students will produce work which will be discussed in an open and constructive environment with the tutor and other students. The college operates a policy of constructive criticism, and all feedback on another student’s work by the tutor and other students should be delivered in that spirit. <br />
<br />
For classes longer than one day regular reading and writing exercises will be set for completion at home to set deadlines.<br />
<br />
City Lit Writing endeavours to create a safe and welcoming space for all and we strongly support the use of content notes in our classes. This means that learners are encouraged to make their tutor and classmates aware in advance if any writing they wish to share contains material that may be deemed sensitive. If you are unsure about what might constitute sensitive content, please ask your tutor for further clarification and read our <a href=" https://www.citylit.ac.uk/expectations-for-participating-in-writing-courses" target="_blank">expectations for participating in writing courses at City Lit</a>.<p>No additional costs.</p><p>Please ask your tutor for advice on suitable progression courses.</p>Children's writingChildren's writingvirtual209209105HW133NONEThu23/04/26 - 02/07/2610:30 - 12:0010:3012:0011 sessions (over 11 weeks)1111 weeks or longerDaytimeWeekdayKSKeeley StreetPenny JoelsonAdvancedAvailable courses2026-04-23T00:00:00+00:00Apr 2026Writing209209Advanced writing for children: editing your novel - part 2advanced-writing-for-children-editing-your-novel-part-2/hw133-2526<p>Learn how to edit the finer details of a children’s/YA novel, using the skills you learn to line-edit your own novel during the course.</p>0000-Available|2026-04-23 00:00:00<p>This course is about micro-editing, taking a close-up look at the details of your novel for children or young adults. </p><p>Learn how to edit the finer details of a children’s/YA novel, using the skills you learn to line-edit your own novel during the course.</p><p>The course will cover line-editing looking at paragraph, sentence and word level details including punctuation. Do you overuse favourite phrases or words, or have a passion for exclamation marks? We will look at filter words, use of adverbs, dialogue, description, sentence length etc. The course can be taken on its own or following on from last term’s Advanced Writing for Children: Editing Your Novel Part 1, which focuses on the structural edit, and the bigger picture. You can also take this as part of a whole year course starting with ‘Advanced Writing for Children: Finish Your Novel’ in the autumn term. It is possible to attend this course alongside the Writing for Children Workshop on the same day. Ideally you will have a first or second draft of a novel ready for editing.</p><p>Edit your work at paragraph level including tone, sentence length, dialogue.</p><p>Edit your work at word level including use of adverbs, choice of verbs, filter words etc. </p><p>Edit your punctuation and grammar including punctuating dialogue.</p><p>Write a synopsis and an email to an agent/publisher</p><p>You need a good quality of English and ideally to have done a beginner’s class in Writing for Children. Ideally you need at least at least half of a first draft of a novel to work with.</p><p> </p><p>You will be taught through a mixture of group and pair discussion, writing exercises, tutor input, workshopping and one to one support. You are expected to continue to work on your editing outside of the class, applying what you have learnt. You will have two opportunities for written feedback during the course.</p> <br />
<br />
All writing courses at City Lit will involve an element of workshop. This means that students will produce work which will be discussed in an open and constructive environment with the tutor and other students. The college operates a policy of constructive criticism, and all feedback on another student’s work by the tutor and other students should be delivered in that spirit. <br />
<br />
For classes longer than one day regular reading and writing exercises will be set for completion at home to set deadlines.<br />
<br />
City Lit Writing endeavours to create a safe and welcoming space for all and we strongly support the use of content notes in our classes. This means that learners are encouraged to make their tutor and classmates aware in advance if any writing they wish to share contains material that may be deemed sensitive. If you are unsure about what might constitute sensitive content, please ask your tutor for further clarification and read our <a href=" https://www.citylit.ac.uk/expectations-for-participating-in-writing-courses" target="_blank">expectations for participating in writing courses at City Lit</a>.<p>No additional costs.</p><p>Please ask your tutor for advice on suitable progression courses.</p>Children's writingChildren's writingconfigurable
