Writing for children: workshop

Course Dates: 16/01/25 - 27/03/25
Time: 12:00 - 13:30
Location: Online
Tutors: 
Penny Joelson
On this ongoing workshop you will develop your work-in-progress with constructive feedback from tutor and classmates. You need to have completed a ‘Writing for children’ course before joining this class.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.
98% of 100
Download
Book your place
In stock
SKU
224349
Full fee £199.00 Senior fee £199.00 Concession £100.00
Choose a start date

Writing for children: workshop
  • Course Code: HW439
  • Dates: 16/01/25 - 27/03/25
  • Time: 12:00 - 13:30
  • Taught: Thu, Daytime
  • Duration: 11 sessions (over 11 weeks)
  • Location: Online
  • Tutor: Penny Joelson

Course Code: HW439

Choose a start date  

Thu, day, 16 Jan - 27 Mar '25

Duration: 11 sessions (over 11 weeks)

Any questions? writing@citylit.ac.uk
or call 020 4582 0415

Please note: We offer a wide variety of financial support to make courses affordable. Just visit our online Help Centre for more information on a range of topics including fees, online learning and FAQs.

What is the course about?

Under the guidance of an experienced tutor, these workshops offer help and support to children's writers with works in progress. At each session, different writers will have an opportunity to present their work and receive helpful and constructive comments from the class. There will also be information available on current markets and advice on how to approach publishers.

This is a live online course. You will need:
- Internet connection. The classes work best with Chrome.
- A computer with microphone and camera is best (e.g. a PC/laptop/iMac/MacBook), or a tablet/iPad/smart phone/iPhone can be used if you don't have a computer but please note the experience may be less optimal.
- Earphones/headphones/speakers.
We will contact you with joining instructions before your course starts.

What will we cover?

- Critical appraisal of your own work and that of others
- Redrafting and revising
- The publishing marketplace.

What will I achieve?
By the end of this course you should be able to...

- Respond to and assess pieces of writing with sensitivity
- Receive an unbiased critical appraisal of your work by your peers and the tutor, within a supportive atmosphere
- Redraft your work, taking into account the feedback you received
- Identify ways of finding a market for your manuscript.

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

The course is suitable for those writing fiction for all age groups from babies to teenagers. Ideally, you'll have completed the introductory ‘Writing for Children’ course at City Lit. However, new students are welcome if you are already a published author or if you are otherwise actively involved in writing for children. The workshop is not suitable if you have no experience of writing for children, and you should not enrol for both the introductory course and this one at the same time.

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

You'll be taught by group discussion and feedback, and you should be actively writing outside the class so that you have work to bring each time it is your turn.

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?

When it is your turn to bring work you need to bring two typed copies, one for the tutor and one for the reader.

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

City Lit runs a number of children’s writing workshops and courses in the daytime and the evening.

All students are invited to join us at Late Lines, our regular performance night for City Lit writers. Students are also encouraged to submit their work to Between the Lines, our annual anthology of creative writing. For the latest news, courses and events, stay in touch with the Department on Facebook and Twitter.

Penny Joelson Tutor Website

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.