Please note the course is now fully booked. But feel free to add yourself to the waiting list on Eventbrite and we will inform you if tickets become available.
Online course via Zoom.
No of participants: up to eight.
Suitable for all levels of experience.
Tuesdays: September 14th, 21st, 28th, October 5th, 12th, 19th.
Time: 7.30-9.30.
Cost: £35 (+Eventbrite Booking Fee)
This course aims to give anyone interested in writing fiction for children and young adults the tools to create a fantastic novel. Through a combination of teaching, practical exercises, and feedback on their writing, participants will develop their understanding of children’s fiction, and explore how to structure and develop their story using a range of methods including the concept of the hero’s journey.
Tutor
Jenny Alexander has written scores of books for children and adults, both fiction and non-fiction. She teaches creative writing, both independently and for major organisations such as the Society of Authors and the Arvon Foundation. She has written four books on the art and craft of writing and has a monthly column, ‘Free-range writing through the year’, in Writing Magazine. www.jennyalexander.co.uk
Course outline
September 14th
Session 1: Intro to children’s writing. Writing for different age groups. Creating the protagonist and the importance of character in plotting.
September 21st
Session 2: How to create a beginning that hooks the reader. The call to adventure and initial refusal of the call.
September 28th
Session 3: Meeting the mentor and crossing the threshold.
October 5th
Session 4: How the body of the story works. The journey – tests, allies, enemies. The role of other major characters, including the antagonist. Subplots and how they work.
October 12th
Session 5: The crisis of the story, the final push. The ordeal and the treasure.
October 19th
Session 6: Creating a satisfying ending. How are the protagonist and their world changed? The relationship between the beginning and the ending.