Taking the Australian Writers Centre course Writing Picture Books
Some character development for one of the picture book manuscripts I am working on.
As an aspiring children's picture book author, I've been searching for a comprehensive course to help me hone my craft. That's when I stumbled upon the Australian Writers Centre's course "Writing Picture Books." I was immediately drawn to the course outline and signed up.
My only hesitation was the price, but I figured that given what the course outline described that it would be worth the cost. I figured it was worth investing in developing the skills I will need to become a successful children’s picture book writer.
The course was divided into five modules over five weeks. Each week focused on a specific aspect of writing picture books. The lessons included:
The big picture
Structure, pace, action and more
Technique, self-editing and troubleshooting
Language, word choice and rhythm
The publishing process
Throughout the course, I received feedback on several writing exercises and 2 complete stories. The feedback was the best part of the course, showing me exactly where my writing and stories could be improved.
I found the course to be incredibly informative and helpful in understanding the nuances of writing for children's picture books. The lessons were well-structured and really opened my eyes to the structured nature of children’s picture books.
There were several key learnings that I have taken away from the course and incorporated into the manuscripts I am currently working on. In particular the three act structure and the ‘show don’t tell’ writing technique.
Almost as valuable as the things I learned to do, was the things I learned not to do. For example, I learned to avoid describing the feelings of the characters in my stories to keep them from becoming didactic.
If you're serious about writing for children's picture books, I highly recommend this course. It's a fantastic investment in your writing career, and you'll come away with a deeper understanding of the craft and the publishing process.