Our Writing Picture Books for Young Children course is an industry-led programme designed to help writers understand how to craft strong picture book stories that will have the best chance in the current market. Previous students on our course have included MA graduates, produced playwrights, TV scriptwriters and published children’s writers. Each has found the course to be enlightening. We’ve also had agents and publishers recommend our services to writers who show promise but aren’t yet ready for representation.
I’m a published adult author. How can Golden Egg help me?
Writing for children is a different discipline to writing for adults. The Writing Picture Books for Young Children syllabus covers the child’s voice and viewpoint, insight into the current children’s market and how to connect with and engage the child reader of today. Our current intakes include produced playwrights, TV scriptwriters and published children’s writers – all of whom are finding the course very helpful.
I’m new to writing picture books. Am I ready for Writing Picture Books for Young Children?
Whilst most of our students have been writing for at least a few months, and some students for a lot longer, we are happy to take a look at your stories. Application is free and we will let you know if you are ready for the course. Alternatively, we might advise you start with our short course, How to Be a Picture Book Writer. It’s a great place to ensure you have all of the core elements of writing a children’s picture book in place before joining our more in-depth, intensive, twelve-month course.
I’m thinking of doing an MA. How would a Golden Egg course differ?
Whilst an MA would usually encourage students to explore their writing through preparation of pieces of work across different genres of children’s writing, Writing Picture Books for Young Children focuses exclusively on the core elements needed to write successful picture books and helps you develop the necessary skills to succeed in this important and highly competitive sector of the children’s book market. Golden Egg courses are industry-focused and all have the aim of bringing you a step closer to publication. You will work with an editor to refine and strengthen the concepts and plotlines of your picture book manuscripts, as well as receiving guidance on how to heighten reader engagement
I’ve been a member of the Golden Egg Academy in the past and have taken a few workshops, but I let my membership lapse. Does Writing Picture Books for Young Children repeat what I’ve already been taught?
Our wings are wide open to former eggs and we’d love to have you back in the Nest. Get in touch, let us know where you’re up to with your writing, and we can take it from there.
What are the start/finish and workshop dates for the four-week/twelve-month course?
As soon as dates are available, they will be noted on the website page for the relevant course. If dates are not yet included in the workshop copy, it’s because an aspect is still being worked out. Please revisit the page which will be updated as soon as possible.
I want to apply for feedback on my Writing Picture Books for Young Children application. What’s the process?
Feedback will not be provided until applications have closed and decisions have been provided. When applying for our Writing Picture Books for Young Children course, please note that you would like to book feedback on your application. Once you have been contacted with the result of your application, you may discuss further. If you are successful in your application, we would recommend waiting until your first one2one editorial with your editor takes place as application feedback is provided at an additional cost.
I have more than three picture book stories and I’m not sure which to apply with.
Please pick the stories that you feel are the strongest. Applications are assessed for free and, as such, we do not have the bandwidth to assess more three stories from individuals. Everything you learn on our course is transferable, which means you can develop your other stories using the skills taught by GEA. If successful in your application, you can discuss your other story ideas with your assigned editor. They will help you assess them for suitability. We encourage all students to keep on writing new stories as the course progresses, and our goal is to help you prepare a portfolio of three-four submission-ready manuscripts.
I want to write picture books but haven’t started a story yet. Is How to Be a Picture Book Writer for me?
All you need to join our short course is a story idea. This course helps you understand how to build a story from the ground up, as well as develop a pre-existing idea. If you’re right at the beginning of your writing journey, this course will help you identify areas that you need to think about and how to craft something you can write from start to finish.
If I join How to Be a Picture Book Writer, can I apply for Writing Picture Books for Young Children as well?
Joining our four-week short course, How to Be a Picture Book Writer, doesn’t mean you can’t apply for our next twelve-month course, Writing Picture Books for Young Children. The skills you will learn on our short course will help you prepare your application texts for the 12-month course.
If you have any questions that haven’t been answered above, please get in contact with [email protected]
