Writing YA & Children’s Fiction – Three Months
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Writing YA & Children’s Fiction – Three Months
Take your young adult or children's novel to the next level – get expert feedback and publishing industry insights.
We’re delighted to offer this in-depth online course specialising in YA, Middle Grade, and children’s fiction (for the over 7s). Join a group of 15 writers for three months of expert teaching, including an exclusive live Zoom masterclass with top UK literary agents specialising in books for young people, all hosted on our secure online learning platform.
Prize-winning YA and children’s author Catherine Johnson will give direct feedback to students on their novels-in-progress during weekly online workshops, one-to-one tutorials and writing exercises. You’ll also watch exclusively recorded teaching videos from Catherine, which are accompanied by notes and resources. This course will run from 13 Feb to 15 May 2023.
There’s something very special about children’s writers and I feel so lucky that I was placed with this group. I also left with a sense of ‘I can do this’.
Author of the YA TikTok sensation Last One to Die
Tutor
Catherine Johnson
Catherine Johnson has written over 20 books for children and young adults, including Sawbones, which won the Young Quills Prize for best Historical Fiction in the 12+ category and was nominated for the Carnegie medal in 2015. Her book Freedom won the 2019 Little Rebels Award for Radical Children's Fiction.
What does this course give you?
- Teaching videos: Across 12 teaching modules, videos and notes will be made available on our learning platform, covering a range of topics such as worldbuilding, characterisation, point-of-view and rewriting. All delivered by Catherine.
- A community of writers: Our selective applications process means that you will be writing your novel in a peer group of 15 students working at a high level. We have developed a bespoke learning platform exclusively for our students. Here you can give and receive feedback, and discuss the week’s topics with your fellow students and tutors. Many of our former students have found their trusted readers with us – and form strong working friendships with classmates which go on long after the course is over.
- Guided teaching: Catherine will teach on a variety of novel-writing topics in our interactive online learning platforms. She will also set homework tasks to further your learning.
- Writing workshops: Across the course, you'll get two dedicated workshops centring on 3,000-word extracts from your novel-in-progress. These sessions offer in-depth feedback, and are also designed to help develop your self-editing skills.
- 1-to-1 tutorials: You'll get two 45-minute, one-to-one tutorials with Catherine. Tutorials will be based on 3,000-word extracts of your novel-in-progress. Use these tutorials to address your specific concerns about your writing. Near the end of the course all students will also get a 45-minute one-to-one with an experienced CBC editor or a Curtis Brown/C&W literary agent. They will read a 6,000-word extract from your novel-in-progress plus your synopsis.
- Industry masterclass: Join a live Zoom session with Curtis Brown literary agents, they will talk about writing, editing and the submissions process, drawing on their experience of real-life publication journeys – with a specific focus on the market place for YA, Middle Grade and children’s fiction. There will also be an opportunity to ask questions.
- Synopsis & agent letter advice: We’ll draw on our expertise to give you the vital ingredients needed for a great synopsis and the all-important pitch letter. Individual feedback will come from experienced members of the CBC editorial team and/or a Curtis Brown/C&W literary agent.
- End of course submission: All students will be invited to submit the 3,000-word opening from their novel, plus a synopsis, to be shared with the agent teams at Curtis Brown and C&W as well as a select group of agents from other UK-based agencies. This is not a formal submission but a chance to give the agents a taste of your work at this stage. When you are ready to formally submit – no matter how long after your course has finished – the CBC team will give you guidance and support with your submission to the Curtis Brown and C&W agents.
- Alumni services: You’ll be given access to a range of exclusive writing services, available only to the alumni of our selective courses, which you’ll be able to access after your course finishes. These services include individual mentoring, editorial reports on your completed novel, and submission reports on your ‘pitch package’. Read more about the opportunities available to our alumni here.
Masterclass speaker
Join Zoom masterclass with a top literary agent
Course schedule
Inspiration
Mon 13 Feb – Sun 19 FebBeginnings
Mon 20 Feb – Sun 26 FebCharacterisation
Mon 27 Feb – Sun 5 MarPoint of view
Mon 6 Mar – Sun 12 MarWorldbuilding
Mon 13 Mar – Sun 19 MarEverything matters
Mon 20 Mar – Sun 26 MarSynopsis
Mon 27 Mar – Sun 2 AprDialogue & description
Mon 3 Apr – Sun 9 AprEaster Break Week
No teaching Mon 10 Apr – Sun 16 AprPlotting & planning
Mon 17 Apr – Sun 23 AprTroubleshooting
Mon 24 Apr – Sun 30 AprEndings & resolutions
Tues 2 May – Sun 7 MayEditing & rewriting
Mon 8 May – Sun 14 MayEnd of course submission
Mon 15 May
COURSE FEES
The course fee of £1,800 (inc VAT) per student is payable, in full, by bank transfer. Funds must reach our bank account before the course begins. If you are unable to pay the full fee upfront, let us know and we can arrange an instalment plan.
READY TO APPLY?
Please apply with the first 3,000 words of the novel you’d like to work on during the course, and a synopsis of no more than a page (both need to be in the same document, as you can only upload ONE file to the application form).
The CBC team will select applicants based on the quality of the writing sample provided. The deadline for applications is midday Sun 15 Jan, and we will respond to applicants by Thurs 19 Jan.
We read all application material promptly after the closing date and make our selection of students swiftly at that time. However if you require an earlier response from us in order to be able to take part in this course, please email us with full details and we will consider and respond on a case by case basis.
If you encounter any problems during the application process, or have any more questions about the course, please email help@curtisbrowncreative.co.uk for assistance.
Scholarship place
There is alo one scholarship place available, we will award one talented writer of colour with limited financial means a free place on thisthree-month Writing YA & Children's Fiction course. To find out more and apply to Curtis Brown Creative's YA & Children's Fiction Scholarship for Writers of Colour please fill in the seperate application form found here.
Learn how to write exciting and engaging YA, Middle Grade, and children's fiction. Scholarship place available.
Tutor
Catherine Johnson