Monday
Key Theme: Character Development
Ø How to create convincing characters
Ø Creative writing practice
Ø Title review
Ø Character development strategies
Tuesday
Key Theme: What's the Problem?
Ø Giving your character/s a problem - and an unexpected solution
Ø Creative writing practice
Ø Narrative pace and its impact on storytelling
Ø Escalating the drama
Wednesday
Key Theme: Who's Your Story For?
Ø The child's-eye view
Ø Creative writing practice
Ø How to introduce dramatic irony - title review
Ø Power play! Children outwitting adults
Thursday
Key Theme: Form, Structure, Pace
Ø The impact and effect of voice (funny, colloquial, formal etc)
Ø Creative writing practice
Ø Giving your story structure - title review
Ø Page extents and page turns - the rule of less is more
Friday
Key Theme: Pulling it all
Together
Ø The rules of picture book production
Ø Preparing your storyboard
Ø Sharing lessons learnt
Ø Next steps: taking your manuscript to market
Recommended Reading
Joan
Aiken The Way to Write for Children
Julia
Cameron The Right to Write
Paul
Fussell Poetic Meter and Poetic Form
Ed.
Vanessa Gebbie Short Circuit: A Guide to the Art of the Short Story
Natalie
Goldberg Writing Down the Bones
Kate
Grenville The Writing Book
Kenneth
Koch Rose, Where Did You Get That Red?
Ursula
Le Guin Steering the Craft
Eric
Maisel The Creativity Book
Jason
Rekulak The Writer's Block
Noah
Scalin Unstuck: 52 Ways to Get and Keep your Creativity Flowing
William
Strunk and E.B. White The
Elements of Style
Ann
Whitford Paul Writing Picture Books
Equipment
Writing is a low-tech activity!
You just need to bring along a large notebook, pencils
and pens, and anything else that you think will help inspire you. If you have
any favourite picture books you'd like to share, please feel welcome to bring
them along too. If you like to work on a laptop, by all means bring this as
well.
