Writing for Middle Grade readers is the sweet spot: at this stage of a child’s development, they inhale stories. So, as a writer, almost anything goes – it’s all in the way you tell it.
You can write gritty urban books such as Alex Wheatle’s Crongton Knights which plays out on a South London estate, or you can indulge in horror such as Neil Gaiman’s Coraline or you can have a giggle writing humour such as Caroline Green’s There’s a Dog in My Brain. Pretty much any theme can be written about for this age-group, even murder – see the highly successful Murder Most Unladylike series by Robin Stevens.
It’s all about how you frame your story and the language you choose in which to tell it. And for Middle Grade, first and foremost this means having fun! If you have fun writing it, you can be sure your readers will have fun reading it. To this end we’ll be looking at how to build a story with pace, humour and compassion with a heavy sprinkling of friendship and family drama. And we’ll have fun along the way with writing prompts and assignments to fire your imagination.
Course outline
- Four Assignments including reading material, discussion prompts and writing exercises
- Introductory Zoom session to welcome you to the course and meet the other writers – 23rd January at 6pm (GMT).
- Post-course Zoom chat covering how to get an agent, navigating the writing industry, and a general Q+A – 26th March at 6pm (GMT).
- Peer Feedback on three of your assignments.
- Tutor Feedback on your last assignment.
- An online writing community, lasting beyond the end of the course.
Course Timetable
Week 1 (23rd Jan) Assignment 1: character and character development
Week 2 (30th Jan – 5th Feb) Feedback week
Week 3 (6th Feb) Assignment 2: setting and world-building
Week 4 (13th -19th Feb) Feedback week
Week 5 (20th Feb) Assignment 3: voice, POV, and dialogue
Week 6 (27th Feb – 4th March) Feedback week
Week 7 (5th March) Assignment 4: This final assignment will bring together what we have learnt over the course. You’ll be asked to write a piece that showcases a compelling main character in an original setting, using the tools we have looked at. Your piece should be aimed at the target audience of a readership of 7-12 year-olds. (no longer than 1,000 words)
Week 8 (12th-18th March) Additional writing time
Detailed tutor feedback on Assignment 4 to be sent out by 1st April (two weeks after the course ends)
*this course was postponed until the currently listed start date of 23rd Jan 2024
Learning online
The course will take place online, in a closed group on a platform called Slack. You’ll need to have internet access to receive the assignments and when you give and receive feedback. Slack is easy to use, and we’ll provide you with full instructions and guidance before the course starts. Slack is a forum similar to Discord, where participants chat via discussion threads, this means you can login whenever suits you. The only scheduled sessions are the Introductory and Post-course Zoom chats.
