Writing Children's Books.
Learn How to Write For Children and Get Published.
So You Want to Write a Children's Book.
This is the online course created by a Booker Prize list, award-winning author and Cambridge University History graduate to share with you the ingredients of the very best-selling children's books of all time. JK Rowling's Harry Potter, CS Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia, Tolkien's Lord of the Rings, JM Barrie's Peter Pan, and all the best-beloved books from Alice in Wonderland to Mark Haddon's Curious Incident of The Dog in the Night-time and everything in between.
Be guided step by step to create a wonderful and original children's book. Discover the joy of writing for children. Start today.
Susie Bower wrote 'School For Nobodies' with The Novelry.
"This lovely novel has the perfect blend of excitement, emotional power and magic to hook any young reader and Susie’s super confident world building makes this one of the most assured debuts I have read for some time."
Sarah Odedina editor-at-large for Pushkin Children's Books.
How to Write a Children's Book and Get Published.
Rashmi Sirdeshpande took the classic course with The Novelry and secured a two-book deal with Puffin Books.. Her children’s book How to Be Extraordinary was published in August 2019.
“This course has been so enlightening! I have a goal, a road-map, the beginnings of characters I love and a magical world I want to explore and adorn. A magical, enlightening experience - a course that holds your hand and takes you to the very doorway of writing a modern classic.”
Rashmi Sirdeshpande.
Create a Wonderful Children's Book with The Classic Course.
We have literary agents waiting for our children's books at leading global literary agencies Peters, Fraser + Dunlop, Darley Anderson and A.M. Heath.
We offer a full service plus the option to get feedback on your finished work from our panel of younger readers. This is vital editorial development at the final stages and useful material for when we pitch to agents. We can, with confidence, show them that children love the story. You're in safe hands all the way to publication.
Take our course the way that works best for you. Either pace yourself with a lesson a day or tuck into the entire box set of the course immediately. Available worldwide in all currencies.
Once Upon A Time.
You will learn the great story structure that is the blueprint for the bestselling classics. Get a working model to use to start planning your story immediately. Find out where ideas come from and how to develop them from something small and innocent into something exciting with commercial potential.
Find the Story.
Draw upon your own experience to create the main characters of your big story. Put ‘memory’ at the service of ‘desire’ in a combination commonly known as ‘imagination’. Exercises that will help you discover that you have all you need inside of you. So many great stories originate from the author's wound.
World-Building.
What are the things you should include to create a reading experience that works a powerful magic for Middle Grade and Young Adult books? These lessons examine the mechanics of the epic adventure - the cosy start, the portal, the garden, the guide, temptation, decency, the battle, treasure, and noble sacrifice.
Heroes & Villains.
In adult fiction, the conflict is within, in the classic children's bestsellers it's externalised and there are clear agents of good and evil. You'll need the 'special' hero or heroine, singled out by fortune or misfortune, and villains who exude charisma. Learn why they need to have something in common and how to pit apparent opposites against each other for page-turning excitement.
The Reader.
You are your first reader. Locate the child within and draw upon your own favourites and heroes. Spend time with the old you. Remember the person you wanted to be. Attribute parts of you to your characters. Discover how to take readers on a thrilling adventure whilst keeping them safe in your story.
Become an Author.
Find out how the great authors told their stories, and why. Walk in their footsteps and plunder their toolkits. The sources of inspiration and the working methods are revealed. Leave the course with a big idea, colourful material, a plan, a plot and the confidence that you’re about to write the book of your life.
Our Reviews.
We are the home of happy writing. Read our testimonials and reviews to reassure yourself that there's no course like this one. You'll be so thrilled you joined us, within days, not weeks from now.
“For me, the shift towards writing for children was a revelation, and the exercises proved really helpful. I have a sense of direction and purpose. I feel more confident about writing - and finishing. The experience has been positive, fulfilling and exciting.” Susie Bower.
Meet Our Children's Books Literary Agents:
Peters, Fraser + Dunlop
Silvia Molteni is the dedicated children’s books Agent at PFD and across MG and YA fiction, she is drawn to voice-driven and character-driven narratives, LGBTQI story-lines and characters, endearing narrators, magical realism and upmarket literary fiction. She's looking for Middle Grade novels, strong and diverse voices with brave narratives and contemporary and realistic settings, edgy, funny and moving Middle Grade fiction. Her client list includes our very own Susie Bower.
Darley Anderson
Lydia Silver represents children's and YA, she loves working editorially with writers and is always on the lookout for new talent. "I’m particularly looking for middle grade. I love funny books, adventure stories, a bit of fantasy – probably more middle grade than high-end YA – and anything that’s got a lot of heart and is quite moving." Lydia represents clients in the UK and the US including Dominic Beesley, Rachel Morrisroe and our Rashmi Sirdeshpande.
A.M. Heath
Julia Churchill joined A.M.Heath in 2013 to run the children’s department. She's looking for debut and established authors with storytelling magic, all the way through to YA. She'd love an animal story showing an animal can be integral to the life of a child. Besides a breakout Young Adulr author, a classic Middle-Grade fantasy series is on her wishlist. She's looking for the next The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. She would like to see world-building with playfulness and depth, and a ‘what-if’ at the heart of the concept. "Fantasy that feels fresh and springs from the page".
Suitable for All Writers.
Our courses are suitable for writers at all stages of their writing. Lessons are given by video and text and can be viewed on any internet-connected device - desktop computer, tablet, smart phone - and can be viewed either through our website or our app available on the Kajabi platform for Apple iOS and Android.
Listen and watch your lessons as audio even on your commute! We believe in digital inclusion - where life stage, visual impairment, dyslexia or dis/ability aren’t barriers to learning to write a novel. Our online course content can be read aloud in multiple languages using a natural and engaging voice to transform your reading experience. We offer our pages in 99 languages; with speak translated text aloud in 40 languages. You will find a SPEAK button in your course and you can use it to start the text reading aloud to you. You can change the speed, and the language of playback. You can magnify text too. Simply perfect. Read more and try it for yourself here.
Any questions? Try our FAQ page here.
Or contact us here.
The Children's Panel.
Do you know an avid reader aged 8 - 12 years old? Would they like to join our Children's Panel of readers and review our children's novels in return for a £35 Amazon gift voucher?
Each child will receive the novel via pdf form suitable for tablet or Kindle or to print out and have a month to read it, then be asked to give feedback via a live video chat which the parent or guardian is welcome to attend too.
A fun way to encourage, reward and fuel a child's reading habit!
Join The Children's Panel
As Featured In:
“The ultimate productivity hack.” Forbes Magazine.
“One of the top ten creative writing holidays in the world.” The Telegraph.
“A place for writers to develop their work quickly.” The Bookseller.
“The best course to write your novel.” The Bookfox.
Let's talk about your writing.
Set up a free live chat with Louise Dean or get in touch via email.