Writing for Children Course – Jericho Writers
Jericho Writers
167-169 Great Portland street, 5th Floor, London, W1W 5PF
UK: +44 (0)330 043 0150
US: +1 (646) 974 9060

Writing For Children Course

Gain all the tools you need to begin creating compelling stories for young people, plus professional market-driven advice from an expert tutor.

Writing for Children with Eleanor Hawken

Learn how to turn a simple premise into a full-length story for children. Develop your voice, build recognisable worlds, and create unforgettable characters.

This six-week course is perfect for anyone who has ever thought about writing for children. It’s suitable for complete beginners with no writing experience or knowledge of the publishing industry. The course will consist of six written tutorials covering everything from narrative voice, characterisation and plotting, to how to get your stories published.

Every week you’ll be given a writing exercise, which your fellow students will be able to read and critique, you’ll also have editorial feedback from your course tutor. There’s also a live video chat once a week where you can ask questions, receive feedback and bounce ideas around.

Perfect for beginners, lovers of children’s books and for those with a passion for storytelling.

Places on the 2022 course dates are out now.

This course at a glance:


A Six-Week Course

Running four times in 2022

Online Learning

Weekly online tutorials

Small Class Sizes

For personal tutor attention

Why Choose This Course?

Weekly Tutorials

All course content including tutorials, exercises, tasks, and reading lists, is uploaded to the course platform on the same day each week.

Feedback on Your Work

Each week, you’ll be set a task to be completed by the following week. Your tutors and peers will then give you feedback on your writing.

A Community of Writers

Each course has 12 students that engage in discussion and peer-feedback every week. Students tend to form strong and lasting bonds, which means the exchange of ideas, friendship and support lasts beyond the course itself.

Live Workshop Call

There will be a live workshop call every Thursday at 7pm GMT (time subject to change) where you can ask questions, receive feedback and bounce ideas around.

Lifelong Access

Once you’re enrolled, you’ll have full access to all that content permanently. So there’s plenty of time to fit the course around your everyday life.

Key Information

Date: This course runs four times in 2022

Duration: 6-week online course

Price: £365 (10% discount for members)

Entry: Book your place now

Location: Online

Lead Tutor: Eleanor Hawken


Eleanor is the published author of nine children’s books, which include the Sammy Feral’s Diaries of Weird series. Eleanor has also written numerous books and novels under pseudonyms and as a writer-for-hire for licensed brands such as Disney, Warner Brothers and Universal.

Eleanor is also an experienced children’s fiction editor, having worked in the publishing industry for over 15 years. She has worked on a wide range of books from young fiction through to YA. Eleanor has been working as a children’s editor for Jericho Writers for three years and has had the privilege of working with many new and aspiring authors during that time. She has a passion for storytelling, children’s books and helping other writers find their narrative voice and navigate the path to publication.

Course Syllabus

Week 1 – An Introduction to Children’s Books

In our first week we’ll take a practical look at the children’s book market and the sub-genres within it. What works well and who the best-selling authors are. What do children want to read? How can we as authors find a story to tell in a crowded marketplace? This week we’ll look at writing ‘elevator pitches’ for stories and explore whether it’s better to follow current publishing trends or not.

Outcome: Get to know the market and how to pitch your book so it stands apart from others.

Week 2 – Narrative Voice

What tools can an author use to create an original narrative voice that appeals to younger readers? How will you tell your story, through the first person or third person narrative? Will your narrative focus on just one character or a few? These are a few of the topics we’ll be discussing this week.

Outcome: You’ll have the opportunity to explore your own narrative voice and get to grips with the narrative techniques and tools that appeal to younger readers.

Week 3 – Characterisation and Dialogue

At the heart of every story are relatable and memorable protagonists. In this week’s tutorial we’ll look at how we can create fully rounded characters on the page and how we can give them a unique voice through dialogue.

Outcome: Get to know the characters in your story on a deeper level and learn how to communicate those details to the reader in an engaging and accessible way.

Week 4 – Creating Dramatic Tension

What is dramatic tension, why is it so important (especially in children’s books!) and how does an author create it? This week we’ll look at how you keep your young readers turning the page by creating suspense, jeopardy and a sense of drama in your writing.

Outcome: Understand the importance of dramatic tension and what tools authors use to create it in their stories.

Week 5 – Plotting

You have an idea for a story, but how do you then develop that into fully formed plot? This week we’ll look at the structure of plots, how to pace a story and what methods you can use to ensure you’re communicating your ideas effectively.

Outcome: You’ll be given a practical writing exercise to help you plot a story from your opening lines, through to its conclusion.

Week 6 – The Path to Publication

In the final week of the course, we’ll look at the process of getting your story published. We’ll talk about what literary agents are and how you go about acquiring one, and what the path to publication commonly looks like for authors. We’ll also use the knowledge and techniques we’ve acquired over the course to draft the first 500 words of a story!

Outcome: Feel confident taking your next steps in the world of publishing and writing for children.

Join a worldwide community of writers

“The Writing for Children course was excellent and really useful. Eleanor as a tutor was brilliant, very supportive and offered such great detailed feedback that has helped me so much. This was the first time that I had spoken to another group of writers and submitted any work for people to see, which was very nerve-wracking! However, I was immediately put at ease and kindly pushed in the right direction by Eleanor.”

Kimberley K

Writing for Children Course Student
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Writing for Children Tutored Course

£365.00

Writing For Children

Frequently asked
questions

1

How many hours work per week should I be putting in?

We suggest putting in two hours a week if you can, but obviously the more hours you put in the more you’ll get out. You’ll want to read the tutorials, do the exercises, and contribute to peer-feedback.

2

Is this course for UK writers only?

No, we work with writers from all around the world. It’s open internationally for writers from all over the world, and all online calls will take place at Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). 

3

How many students will be on the course?

There are twelve students on each course in total. Many go on to become lifelong friends.

4

Will it be possible to ask questions during the course?

Yes. You’ll be working on your own novel throughout the course, and getting plenty of feedback and opportunities for questions .

5

I can’t afford this course, is there something I can do?

We recommend taking a look at our bursary page here. We often have bursaries for under-represented writers, and we always have a bursary space available for each Self-Edit Your Novel course.

6

I have paid for the course and can’t join, can I get a refund?

If you wish to be refunded for the course, you are entitled to a refund up to 14 days before the course starts, but note that an administration fee will be charged. After this, no refund will be possible. To avoid loss, we strongly advise customers to ensure they are able to take the course on the dates advertised, and that they are comfortable undertaking this online. Should a customer wish to transfer their place to the next scheduled course, please note this is only possible if places remain, and an administration fee could still be charged. Please refer to our Terms and Conditions for more details.