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Children's Picture Book Writing

Complete a first draft in just 6 weeks

Course is closed.
Children's Picture Book Writing

WHEN 6 weeks, May 20 - June 24
Online chats: Tuesdays, 8-9 pm EST

WHERE Online. Click here for more information.

LEVEL Intro

PRICE
$425 ($399 for )
more info

Course Details

You have a great idea, and you've even imagined how the book will look when it's illustrated. But how do you actually go about writing a children's picture book? Part lecture, part workshop, this six-week course will take you through the process of outlining, writing, editing, and submitting a children's picture book. There will be weekly writing assignments, and we will workshop students' work in class.

In this class you can expect to learn:

  • How to write in pictures
  • How to develop a premise into a plot
  • Techniques for hooking readers -- and editors
  • The science of making language sing
  • Why editors like to choose their own illustrators
  • The nuts and bolts of marketing a manuscript

By the end of this class you can expect to have:
A completed picture book manuscript, along with a cover letter for sending it out

The online classroom has several interactive components:

  • Instructors post lectures once a week. You can read them online, print them, or download them at your convenience.
  • Students post completed assignments for feedback and discussion by the instructor and class.
  • Weekly chats allow your class to get together via instant message. Transcripts are available for review if you can't attend.
  • Technical support is available from mediabistro.com staff.

Related Courses

Tell me when courses like this are scheduled.
• Children's Book Writing and Illustrating – New York (Class starts September 10)
View all courses in Fiction | Book Publishing | Poetry |

Instructor Bio

Dashka Slater's Courses

Children's Picture Book Writing – (Class starts July 22)

Dashka Slater
Dashka Slater is the author of two picture books: Baby Shoes and Firefighters in the Dark. A third, The Sea Serpent and Me, will be released by Houghton Mifflin in 2008. Baby Shoes was named one of the best children's books of 2006 by both Booklist and Nick Jr. magazine. Slater's novel, The Wishing Box, was named one of the best books of the year by the Los Angeles Times, which called it "an impish novel, hopeful and full of humor." She is the recipient of a 2004 Creative Writing Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts, and has won many awards for her journalism, which appears in magazines ranging from More to Mother Jones. Her book about Hollywood's portrayal of Alcatraz Island, Lights, Camera, Alcatraz!, was released in October 2005.


Testimonials


The class with Dashka Slater changed my 'writing life!' Her lectures were concrete and offered me bits and pieces of advice, as well as excerpts from children's books, to solidify her points. This class offered me ways to find my focus, and I feel I could not have gotten this helpful information from any text book or 'how-to' book out there. I am so grateful to have had Dashka's concise viewpoints as well as the support of peers through the weekly postings. -- Natalie Hansen

"Dashka Slater is unpretencious, refined, encouraging and exacting. I'm a professional writer in a different field and was consistently impressed by how well Dashka understands the mechanisms of writing. She's an excellent editor, as well." -- Mona Kanin

"I really enjoyed this class. The assignments were thought-provoking and challenging, and the lectures offered practical tips on how to get started and build on what we were creating. Also, this particular group of students was amazing. We were all extremely involved in the class, consistently commenting on each others' work, and that encouraged me to keep working on my story." -- Sara Kruger

"Children's Picture Book Writing is a fabulous class for those who want to recapture their zest for writing and their pursuit to get published. It's also useful if you simply want to grow as a writer and perfect your craft. I left the class with a solid manuscript under my belt and a rip-roaring energy to hit the pavement once again in order to reach my goals. Dashka is a fabulous "guide" throughout the course. She has a way of pushing you to the next level week after week, to the point that--come the final days of class--you are flabbergasted by what you have been able to accomplish!" -- Christina Doremus

"This class touched on all the basic information I needed to get started writing my children's picture book. It was a joy to be involved, because the class, instructor, and the other students all motivated me to write. The chat sessions were excellent. The hour just flew by each week and I didn't want it to end. I highly recommend this course." -- Janet Martin

"If you have always wondered if you could write a picture book - if that idea you've been playing with forever could actually work - this is the class for you to find out. Starting from the beginning, the class will teach you the basics without being condescending in a very creative and supportive environment." -- Kristen Giang

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