Writing Books for Children

Pre-requisites
No previous experience required, although you should have at least basic skills in written English.
Qualification
ICS Writing Books for Children Diploma
Support and benefits

Complimentary textbook: ‘Writing for Children and Getting Published’
Five complimentary children’s books
Learn from our expert, experienced in writing for children
Access to a dedicated ICS tutor to mentor and motivate you throughout
Access to the ICS online Student Community, allowing you to interact with other students and browse our resource library

















































Key topics

Getting Started
Explore your market and examine sources of ideas. Discover what publishers are looking for. Consider what age group you want to write for and whether you want to write for boys, girls or both.

Plotting the Story
Explore conflict and plot structure. Learn how to write with your own voice and how to grab the attention of a reader from the first page.

Creating Characters Children will Love
Examine different types of characters and learn how to write believable characters. Consider the roles of the key character, secondary characters and minor characters. Explore character names.

Dialogue
Discover how to write realistic dialogue and examine the different purposes of dialogue.

Writing Picture Books
Learn how to see the world through a child’s eyes. Discover how to make every word count and how to hold the interest of a young child. Consider how to write to the level of a young child.

Writing Non-fiction
Explore the non-fiction and educational markets, as well as the activity book market. Learn how to write non-fiction. Discover how to design activities that appeal to children.
Course Code
D15
Hours of study
9 months / 100 hours
Technical requirements
None




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Outline
You’ll complete eight assessments during your course. These assessments can be submitted to ICS online via the Student Community, or they can be posted to ICS. It is recommended that you submit your assessments online as you will receive your results more quickly this way.
Assessment Breakdown

Assessment 1: 1 exercise requiring you to write 4 letters on the same subject, aiming each at children of different ages
Assessment 2: 1 exercise requiring you to create a brief plot for a children’s detective novel
Assessment 3: 1 exercise requiring you to create a plot for your first children’s book
Assessment 4: 1 exercise requiring you to create character profiles for the protagonists of your children’s book
Assessment 5: 1 exercise requiring you to write dialogue
Assessment 6: 1 exercise requiring you to write a story for children under 7, or the beginning of a story for children over 7
Assessment 7: 1 exercise requiring you to write the story for a picture book
Assessment 8: 1 exercise requiring you to revise and rewrite the story that you submitted for Assessment 6