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Writers Bureau Courses
<p><a href="http://www.writersbureau.com" target="_blank">Home Study Creative Writing Course</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.wbjournalism.com" target="_blank">Home Study Freelance Journalism Course</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.writingforchildrencourse.com" target="_blank">Home Study Writing for Children Course</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.writersbureau.com/competition" target="_blank">Poetry and Short Story Writing Competition</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.poetrywriting.co.uk" target="_blank">Home Study Poetry Wirting Course</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.writing-course.com" target="_blank">Home Study Biography Writing Course</a></p>
Writing for Children
For children anything is possible. So writing for them is one of the most exciting, challenging, fulfilling and fun types of writing you can do. It's also an area of writing which is growing in demand and offers many opportunities for writers.
In the UK alone there are over 100 book publishers in the children's market bringing out over 10,000 new children's titles each year. The sales of children's books are bigger than romantic, crime and literary fiction combined. And, around a quarter of the books borrowed from libraries are children's fiction.
And don't forget the writing opportunities provided by children's and teenage magazines as well as overseas publications and on the Internet. So, as you can see, the markets are many and varied.
However, writing for children is not an easy option. They are the severest critics and notoriously difficult to please. But, don't let this worry you. Writing for children - like all writing - is a skill that can be learnt. And, one of the best ways to learn it is with help and support from experts like ourselves. We will help you find the genre that suits you best and show you how to plan, research and publish your work.
What's more, you don't need any special background or education to start. Time and time again our students have proved that writers come from all walks of life - housewives, teachers, civil servants, business people, factory workers, senior citizens, teenagers - all types of people who have, under our guidance, developed their writing to a publishable standard.
If you want to write for children, have the thrill of seeing your name in print and get paid for your work, this is the place to start.
Your Course
Writing for Children has its own special skills and techniques and this course will teach them to you. It has been written by three professional children's writers who are willing to share with you the secrets of their success.
Your course is divided into fourteen information-packed modules with fifteen writing assignments - ten set and five open - which are marked by your personal tutor.
There is a detailed outline of the course later which you should study carefully. But briefly, you cover all aspects of writing for children - novels, picture books, story books, puzzle and activity books, nonfiction and educational books, magazines and poetry. Throughout your course there are plenty of examples and exercises to inspire your writing. You are shown specific techniques to help generate ideas, develop your plot and structure your storyline. You learn how to create realistic characters, believable worlds and how to tame the wildest ideas into publishable form.
You learn about the different techniques needed for fiction and non-fiction. Plus, you are shown how to use the right language and tone for different age groups.
Next, and just as importantly, you learn how to sell your writing. You are shown how to present your manuscript, analyse your markets and contact editors and publishers giving your writing the best chance of being published.
Now we come to what, in our opinion, is the most important part of your course - YOUR PERSONAL TUITION. This is the individual advice, help, guidance and encouragement that you receive from your tutor.
Your Personal Tuition
Undoubtably, the best way to develop your writing is under the guidance of an expert tutor. Your tutor's job is to give you constructive comment, encourage you, but above all to be objective and realistic. Through this firm but gentle approach your tutor will help you develop your writing skills.
There are fifteen writing assignments in all. The first ten assignments are set and take you through the different genres of writing for children. This will help you find which genre suits you best. Then the next five assignments are kept open so that you can work with your tutor on the project of your choice.
You are assigned a tutor who will stay with you throughout the whole of your course. This gives you the chance to develop a good working relationship. In fact, some of our students take this relationship a step further and get to know their tutor as a real friend.
As we have said before, the guidance from your tutor is, in our opinion, the most important part of your course. It's just like having lessons all to yourself. Not only do we promise you high quality tuition, but we actually GUARANTEE it. If you feel an assignment has not been corrected properly and thoroughly by your tutor, we will examine it again and if we agree, then we will GIVE YOU A £10 REFUND. We do not just make claims about your tuition, we are fully prepared to back them up with cash. That's how seriously we take it.
Our ability to help you depends on the caliber of our tutors. Each one is a successful, published writer. Each one is an experienced tutor who has been specially trained by us to help you overcome the difficulties, and avoid the pitfalls, all writers face. From their own experience they can help you to start writing, develop your ideas and produce the sort of work that really sells.
Selling Your Writing
One of the biggest challenges all writers face, is where and how to sell their work. At this stage do not let this worry you. As we have already shown there is a strong market in the UK as well as opportunities in the overseas and Internet markets.
We will show you exactly what to do - and how to do it - for all these markets. After all, it's as much in our interest to see your work published, as it is yours. We want you to earn the fees and royalties your writing deserves. So, this part of your tuition is just as thorough as the writing instruction itself.
As you can see from the course outline, a whole module is devoted to selling your writing. But we are always aware that extra help may be needed on this side. So, your tutor will also advise you, as appropriate, throughout the course. This is all part of the tuition service.
The effectiveness of this part of your tuition is proved time and time again by our students. They regularly have their work published - because our methods work. Once your writing reaches publishable standard then you should be able to sell it. Follow our advice carefully, do everything we ask of you, and we are confident that - like so many students before you - you too will soon be a published writer.
Your Guarantees
We have complete confidence in the course and tuition service we give you. So much so that we are able to make your enrolment as risk-free as possible with our unique triple guarantee.
This clearly states:
1. If you have not earned your tuition fees from published writing within one month of completing your course, your full course fees will be refunded.
2. You have your course on 15 days inspection. If you are not completely satisfied with it, just return it within 15 days of receipt and your money will be refunded in full.
3. We will give you a £10 refund for every written assignment that is not assessed properly by your tutor (failing agreement between us arbitration is available). This is in addition to any refund you may eventually claim under the first guarantee.
These guarantees are your safeguard of a fair deal from The Writers Bureau and they are set out clearly on your enrolment form. They also ensure that we maintain high tuition standards.
Providing you play your part, you really can't lose! You will either earn, as a minimum, the tuition fees (and we hope a lot more), or you will receive your money back in full. What could be fairer than that?
The Professionals Who Will Help You
Karen King - the main author of this course - has had over eighty children's books published and has been a professional writer for over fifteen years. Her books include I Don't Eat Toothpaste Anymore which won Gold award for Best Product (1994) and The Birthday Surprise which won The Practical Parenting Award (1998). She has also written picture books, storybooks, activity books, joke and puzzle books, non-fiction books and features. Karen is often commissioned to write stories about licensed characters such as Barbie. She also writes stories and comic strips for children's magazines such as Winnie the Pooh and Rosie and Jim.
Karen is an experienced tutor - both face to face and by home-study. This, combined with her publishing success, makes her the perfect person to guide you through the intricacies of writing for children.
Steve Bowkett has written modules five and six which cover fantasy, horror, science fiction and other genres. Steve has had 35 books published covering teen fantasy, children's fantasy, horror, science fiction, educational and inspirational.
Steve started writing at the age of thirteen to keep out of trouble and to stop getting board. He then carried on because he enjoyed it so much. When asked why he likes to write horror and Science Fiction he says, "I like to be safely scared and to be overwhelmed by a sense of wonder". His advice to aspiring writers is, " Do it because you love it. Practice, practice, practice."
His experience and attitude make him ideally suited to guide you through the exciting world of genre fiction.
Alison Chisholm has written module 11 - writing poetry for children. She has had over 500 poems published in various magazines, anthologies and seven collections, including 'Daring the Slipstream. She is the poetry consultant to BBC Radio Merseyside and has led courses at The Writers' Summer School in Derbyshire and The Writers' Holiday, Harlec/Caerlean. She is also a competition adjudicator.
Alison has written the popular 'Art of Writing Poetry' course and tutors for The Writers Bureau. Her authority on this subject is evident in this module.
Diana Nadin our Director of Studies, has been constructing, writing and editing home-study courses for the last 20 years. She has edited 'Write Lines' a news letter for business students and is currently the consultant editor for Freelance Market News. Diana has been responsible for assembling this excellent team of specialist writers and tutors as well as writing the supplement on spelling, punctuation and style. With great skill she has blended together all the contributions to give you a thorough and effective course in Writing for Children.
The Course That Can Bring You Writing Success
As you will see from the synopsis overleaf, the course modules cover each genre in depth. But, it is in the writing assignments - 15 in all - where your tutor will really help you develop your skills.
The tuition we offer you is very flexible. It doesn't matter where you live - you can study from anywhere in the world. You can work to your own timetable - starting when you are ready, studying when it suits you and taking as long as you like to complete your assignments. We feel this is important as some people have more time to devote to their studies than others.
Your full course is sent to you as soon as you enrol and comes in an attractive easy-to-use ringbinder.
Finally we suggest that once you have studied the course synopsis overleaf you read this booklet again. You will see how the course material and the tuition service we provide can help you become a successful writer for children.
Synopsis:
Module 1 - Introduction
Welcome to the Writers Bureau - your first and most important step to becoming a published writer - how to build on your natural talent - how to enjoy your course - hints for studying successfully.
Module 2 - Making a Writer out of you
Deciding when and where to write - how to start your writing - overcoming writers' block - the basic books and tools you need -how to organise yourself - the importance of reading widely - the personal qualities every writer needs - coping with rejection - the need to build on firm foundations.
Module 3 - Getting Started
Deciding why you want to write for children - liking and understanding children - contact with children - reading modern children's books - deciding what you want to write - writing for a hobby or an income. Market research - the importance of knowing your market and your reader - how to find out what children are reading today - research form - recommended reading list - how children see the world - exercise:deciding what to write - your responsibilities as a writer - political correctness - writing for different age groups - start writing:tips on getting yourself motivated - the 3 Is:imagination, inspiration and ideas - your ideas file - ideas cards - developing your story - What if? - useful books and magazines.
Module 4 - Fiction for the under 12s
Creating characters - the Key character - child characters - fantasy characters - animal characters - adult characters - character cards - mixing the good and the bad - naming your characters - tips for getting to know them better - character profile - introducing your Key Character - viewpoint:first person or third person - keeping things consistent - show don't tell - secondary characters - the title - plotting the story - your theme - 6 important questions to ask: who, what, where, when, why and how - the importance of conflict - different types of conflict - writing in your own voice - the synopsis - writing the first draft - dialogue - 11 reasons for using dialogue - choosing the right language - 6 rules for writing dialogue - direct and indirect speech - story structure - beginnings: setting the atmosphere - the middle:moving the story along, flashbacks, chapters and chapter titles - 6 tips for satisfying endings.
Module 5 - Genre Fiction Part I - Fantasy, Horror and Science Fiction
What is genre fiction? - knowing what's out there: the importance of research - generating ideas: parallel story exercise - the six big questions - the 'because game' - more connective prompts - lensing - asking 'what if?' - creating a story tree - story structure - visualization - the three column game - seed thoughts - creative dialogue - structural components: 'chunk' sizes - the basic plan - themes - elements - ingredients - injecting a sense of wonder - idea as hero - motifs - vivid particularities - what is acceptable: how far can you go? - creativity exercises.
Module 6 - Genre Fiction Part II - Other Genres
Author led-v-series led stories - the pros and cons of each examined - historical novels and crime/thrillers - is factual accuracy necessary? - retelling legends and local stories - what is acceptable in the romance genre - working to a series house style - what are publishers currently looking for? - writing for the educational market - reading schemes - the needs of less confident readers - looking to the future.
Module 7 - Picture Books
What are picture books? - who provides the pictures? - know your market - looking through the eyes of a child - books for babies - novelty books - story books - what to write about: give your character a problem then help them solve it; use your own children as inspiration; give an old favourite a new twist - finding a new angle - the power of children's imagination - picture book characters - naming your character - the title - writing up the story - the plot - the rule of 3 - the beginning, middle and end - language: rhythm, rhym and repetition -using all 6 senses - making every word count - picture book formats - your first draft - let the pictures do the talking - making artwork suggestions - subplots - your final draft - creating a 'dummy' - educational picture books: concept books and information books - early readers.
Module 8 - Puzzle and Activity Books
Choosing a theme - getting ideas - finding a new angle - specialist activity books - story/activity books - what about the art work? - plotting the book - writing up the puzzles: dot-to-dot, crosswords, mazes, matching pairs, counting, spot the difference, colouring by numbers, rebus, find things in a picture, word search, unscramble words, anagrams, codes, missing letters, riddles, general knowledge, logic and other puzzles - activities - materials - making sure it words - writing the instructions - the artwork - pull outs - joke books - approaching a publisher - payment for photocopying your work; the ALCS.
Module 9 - Writing for Magazines
Getting started - American magazines - annuals - the importance of research - magazine content - short stories: studying style, thinking-up ideas and using the right language, presentation - picture strip stories: the art work, the story board, writing the text, picture strips with speech bubbles - comic strips: speech bubbles, captions, sound effects, making the pictures do the talking - photo stories - writing articles: choosing your subject, finding a new angle, research, writing it up - puzzles - activities - quizzes.
Module 10 - Non-fiction Books
Text books - studying the market - preparing a book synopsis - research - vocabulary level - preparing assignments - illustrations - quotations and extracts - reference books and series: age and development; sense of audience; language level.
Module 11 - Writing Poetry
Know the age you are writing for - choosing a subject - using the school curriculum - experience, observation and imagination - the importance of humour - style and tone - using the right words - finding rhymes - rhythm and metre - set forms -'devices' - finishing touches - presentation - submissions - back to school - your rewards.
Module 12 - Presentation and Publication
The 3 Rs: rereading, revising and rewriting - your first page check list - further 10-point check list - avoiding common spelling errors - when to stop revising - presentation - paragraphs - cover sheet - sending off your work: some dos and don'ts - sample covering letter - sample query letter - agents - multiple submissions - dealing with rejection - further revision - acceptance - payment - the contract - knowing what rights to offer - copyright - plagiarism - libel - packagers - self publishing - vanity publishers - public lending rights - the Authors' Licensing and Collecting Society - publicity.
Module 13 - Using the Internet
Using the Internet for research purposes - using if for market research - finding script writing opportunities - looking for an agent - finding information about other authors - book reviews - writing groups - writers' societies - obtaining funding - awards - e-publishing: submitting your work to e-publishers - setting up your own website - your rights.
Module 14 - Supplement: Punctuation and Spelling
Everything you need to know if you've every worried about either aspect of your writing, or you just want to check on a point about which you need clarification.
Your Certificate
This attractive Certificate of Achievement is awarded to all successful students. You qualify for your Certificate as soon as you have earned your course fees from published writing. This may be near the beginning of your course, somewhere in the middle, or near the end. Once you have earned it, you can be rightly proud of it and we hope it will be the start of much bigger things to come.
Looking to the future
All too often people let their ideas and dreams go to waste. Usually it's because they don't know where to start, claim they haven't the time or simply just never get around to it. Don't let this happen to you. With our help you will learn where to begin and how to plan your time. All you have to do is create a small space in your life for your writing. Even with only half an hour a day you'll be surprised how quickly your writing develops and your project comes together.
If you really want to write for children then there is no time like the present to start. It would be a great shame to do nothing and then look back in a few years time and say, If only . . . On the other hand, you could take action right now by enrolling today. Simply complete the enrolment form or pick up the phone and let's start working together.
How To Enrol
Anybody can enrol on the Writing for Children Course. You don't need any special qualifications or background other than an average standard of written English. And, because this is a home-study course you can start anytime you like. Simply complete the enrolment form enclosed with this booklet and send it to us, together with your fee or deposit, and your full course will be sent to you straight away.
If you wish to pay by credit or debit card you can enrol over the telephone on our FREE fast 24 hour enrolment facility.
0800 389 7360
So, we now look forward to hearing from you and hope this is the start of a long and happy relationship between us.
10 Reasons Why You Can Enrol With Complete Confidence
1. A first-class course on Writing for Children from professionals.
2. Caring constructive help from expert tutors (all published writers).
3. Triple Guarantee to make your enrolment as risk free as possible:
1. A full refund if you have not earned your tuition fees by the time you finish your course.
2. You have your course on 15-day inspection
3. £10 refund for each assignment not properly corrected.
4. Flexible study programme to suit YOU.
5. Fifteen individual writing assignments - ten set and five open to work on the project of your choice.
6. Specialist help on selling your writing. Your tutor will give you further advice on this.
7. Your full course is sent to you as soon as you enrol. This is attractively presented in an easy-to-use ringbinder.
8. You can complete your fees by instalments if this will help you.
9. There are no time limits to your studies.
10. You are awarded a Certificate of Achievement as soon as you have earned it.
Prospectus - Writing for Children by Susan Metcalfe -Second Draft
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