Children's Novel Writing for Beginners

Begin by getting to know author Lisa Thompson. She discusses how she became a full-time professional writer, what she loves about writing, and the books and films that have influenced her writing career..

Explore your writing materials and begin gathering ideas. Lisa walks you through the equipment she uses at different stages of the writing process, such as a notebook, a timer, Microsoft Word, coloured pens and a phonebook. She explains how she comes up with the concepts for her books and how to put together your own ‘treasure box’ of ideas. Learn how to use your own memories and surroundings to form a realistic and vibrant story. Then, begin planning the structure of your story by outlining key moments and character details.

Understand how to connect with an audience of young readers by observing how children speak and act. Then learn which elements to avoid to make your story relevant in the future. Create your main character and write a dialogue between them and another individual to establish personality. Learn to ‘show not tell’ in your writing, allowing your reader to fill in the gaps. Then, Lisa shares her best practices for creating the best writing environment, making a mood board, and advice on completing your first draft.

Hear Lisa’s tips on editing your work, and how to share it with the right readers, including finding an editing partner or a writing group. End the course by delving into how and where to take your work forward, from self-publishing to finding an agent.