Writing for Children: Picture Books & Chapter Books

3 units

This is a workshop in writing for the youngest readers. We will first examine the broad range of picture book styles and subjects, how writers manage relationships of text to art, and the requirements of writing in a form that combines the conciseness of poetry with the narrative dynamic of story. For chapter books, we will examine how the basic elements of fiction -- character, setting, plot, etc. -- are developed into a sustained, book-length narrative. Students will complete a series of directed writing exercises that culminates first in a completed picture book manuscript, then in a chapter book prospectus (an outline of the book and one or two sample chapters), with completed works presented and revised through workshop discussion. Finally, we will discuss the business of writing for children, the particulars of how manuscripts are prepared for submission to publishers, how they are ultimately selected and edited for publication. Writers of any -- or no -- level of prior writing experience are invited.