Writing YA & Children’s Fiction

Overview

We’re delighted to offer this in-depth online course specialising in how to write YA, Middle Grade, and children’s fiction (for the over 7s). Join a peer-group of 15 writers (selective applications process), for three months of expert teaching, special industry advice, writing workshops, and one-to-one tuition, all hosted on our secure learning platform.

YA and children’s author and experienced tutor Catherine Johnson will give direct feedback to students on their novels-in-progress via weekly online workshops, one-to-one tutorials, and writing exercises. Via our online learning platform, you’ll get access to teaching videos from Catherine, plus notes and resources.

In the nine years since we first launched Curtis Brown Creative, over 160 of our former students have gone on to get major publishing deals for their novels. These include bestseller and Waterstones Children’s Book Prize winner Lisa Williamson, YA fantasy author Michelle Kenny, as well as middle-grade authors Struan Murray, Penny Chrimes, Ann-Marie Howell and Jenny Pearson who was shortlisted for the 2020 Costa Children’s Book Award. You can find out more about some of our recent children’s writing success stories here.

While we can’t guarantee publication or representation, we lavish our expertise on our students. The agents of Curtis Brown and C&W are hungry for new authors and will be actively looking for clients among our writers.

‘I loved Catherine’s approach to tutoring. She is so full of energy and enthusiasm and really knows what she is talking about. She tells you how it is, which I really needed.’
Jenny Pearson, former student of the Writing YA and Children’s Fiction course and author of the Costa Shortlisted middle grade novel The Super Miraculous Journey of Freddie Yates

WHAT DOES THIS COURSE GIVE YOU?

WORKING WITH OTHER WRITERS

We pride ourselves on the tightly-knit writing communities that are established on our courses. As well as getting feedback on extracts from your own novel during the course, we’ll be asking you to read the work of your fourteen fellow students week by week, and provide constructive written comments on their work. We find this process helps students develop their own inner editor and has a hugely positive impact on their own writing. Each week three students will submit 3,000-word extracts from their novels-in-progress to be workshopped by the rest of the group and the tutor. It’ll be your turn to get the group’s dedicated workshop attention two times across the course.

Exclusive alumni services

By popular request we have now launched a range of exclusive writing services, available only to the alumni of our selective courses, which you’ll be able to access after your course finishes. These services include individual mentoring from some of our most experienced tutors (you get to choose your supervisor from the available tutors), a four-day annual alumni summer school at our London offices, editorial reports on your completed novel, submission reports on your ‘pitch package’ and coaching from experienced practitioners. If you’d like further details about these services, and current prices, before applying to this course, you can email us on cbccourses@curtisbrown.co.uk .

Additionally, any students from our selective course who want to formally submit their novels to agents from Curtis Brown or C&W will be given advice and support from the Curtis Brown Creative team with their submission. Full information about this free service is provided during the course.

Guest Speakers