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WRITING FOR CHILDREN AND YOUNG ADULTS
With Jeni Mawter (10MAWT11)
5 x Saturday mornings: 20 & 27 November; 4, 11 & 18 December, 9.30am - 12.30pm
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Full Price |
Member (30% disc) |
Conc Member (40% disc) |
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$430 |
$300 |
$260 |
Do you write with a young audience in mind? Do your ideas appeal to kids or teens? Then join the best-selling author of the ‘So’ series Jeni Mawter for an exploration of the issues and challenges involved in writing for children and young adults.
Jeni will explore imagination, innovation and enjoyment through writing for children. In this fun course she will combine theory, practical exercises and open discussion. Jeni will help you tackle your questions about writing for a target age group, how to write genre, humour, adventure, the elements of a story, visual literacy, picture books and writing for young adults. The course will end with a discussion about getting published and writers support groups.
Anyone with an interest in writing for children is welcome, no matter how experienced. The only prerequisite is that you have been a child in a past life!
Week One
What is a child? What is imagination? Creativity? Writing involves inspiration (originality) plus care (crafting). Writer/Target Audience considerations. Warm-Up exercises or ‘How to wrestle our thoughts to page’.
Week Two
What do we mean by ‘Story’? Genre Writing (Realistic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Fantasy). Writing Humour. Writing Adventure.
Week Three
Elements of Story: Voice, Point of View, Character, Dialogue, Setting, Time, Plot, Openings.
Week Four
Poetry. Visual Literacy. Picture Books.
Week Five
Young Adult Fiction. Getting Published. Writer’s support groups.
Student Requirements: Writing materials, imagination and enthusiasm. Acne is optional. Prior to the course it would be a good idea to familiarise yourself with Normal Child Development and Normal Communication Development. For week one bring in three children’s books that interest you and jot down three qualities they possess. Try to find a favourite book from your childhood and analyse its appeal.
Food: Tea and coffee making facilities will be provided. Course participants are advised to bring their own lunch.
JENI MAWTER (J.A. Mawter) is the best-selling author of the hilarious ‘So’ series: So Gross!, So Feral!, So Sick!, So Festy!, So Grotty! and So Stinky! (HarperCollins) as well as the Freewheelers adventure series: Unleashed!, Launched! and Extreme! (HarperCollins). Other books include Team Dream (Otford Press), the picture book There’s a Sun Fairy in Our Garden (Axiom) as well as fiction, non-fiction, poetry and verse narrative for the education market. Jeni’s enthusiasm for words and books is infectious. She has taught at Macquarie University and Sydney University and been writer-in-residence at several schools. She can be found at www.jenimawter.com.
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