Course Description for

Children's Magazines

with Karen King

Registration Fee and Course Length

Prerequisites

Standard course: $180 / 6 weeks. Click here to register.

No prerequisites.

Course Contacts

Course Description

WEEK 1: THE CHILDREN'S MAGAZINE MARKET. Studying the market, identifying the magazine you would like to write for, checking whether the magazine accepts freelance submissions, obtaining the guidelines.

WEEK 2: WRITING SHORT STORIES. Knowing your reader, getting ideas, using the right language, keeping to the required word length.

WEEK 3: WRITING ARTICLES. Doing your research, choosing a subject, pitching the article, getting a new angle, writing it up.

WEEK 4: WRITING PICTURE STRIP STORIES. Keeping the story simple, making sure it has a beginning, middle and end, using the pictures to tell the story, keeping the text simple, keeping to the required word length, writing the artwork instructions.

WEEK 5: WRITING COMIC STRIPS. The difference between comic strips with speech bubbles and picture strips with text, how to use speech bubbles, one frame one action, using occasional words to further the story along, using the pictures to tell the story, writing the artwork instructions.

WEEK 6: WRITING PUZZLE AND ACTIVITIES. Aiming the puzzles/activities at the correct age group, making sure they work, writing them up, setting out the artwork instructions.

PLANNED HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENTS BY WEEK:
LESSON 1: Write a brief study of a children's magazine that you would like to write for. Check first that they accept freelance submissions.

LESSON 2: Write the outline of a short story suitable for a named children's magazine.

LESSON 3: Write the outline of an article suitable for a named children's magazine.

LESSON 4: Write out a short story (provided) in picture strip format.

LESSON 5: Write out a short story (provided) in comic strip format with speech bubbles.

LESSON 6: Write up a puzzle or activity for a children' magazine Or you can write up your short story or article from Assignment 2 or 3.

Karen King has been writing children’s books since the mid-eighties. She’s also written for many children's magazines including Sindy, Barbie, Winnie the Pooh and Thomas the Tank Engine. Some of her short stories were featured on Playdays BBC and some of her poems on the BBC One Potato, Two Potato website.

She writes for all ages and in all genres. She’s written more than 100 books including picture books, story books and joke books. Her picture book I Don’t Eat Toothpaste Anymore! won the Gold Award for Best Product and Country Companions:The Birthday Picnic won the Practical Parenting Award.

King's latest books are Dognapped! Sabotage! and Smugglers! (the first three books in the Amy Carter Mysteries series) and Silly Moo! a lift-the flap picture book.

She wrote the ‘Write for Profit using the Internet’ course for The Writer’s Bureau, part of their ‘Writing for Children’ course and the study guide for the ICS ‘Writing for Children’ course.  Her first romance novella has just been published in Large Print.

King has a Certificate in Education and tutors for The Writer’s Bureau. She runs writing workshops for children in schools.