Writing for Children and Young People

Learning Outcomes

Subject Specific Practical Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

• written a synopsis of your work in progress and a covering letter to a potential agent, producer or publisher
• written a complete short story, script or opening of a novel or script for children

Transferable and Generic Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

• give and receive constructive criticism
• analyse and understand a range of texts for children and young people
• plan, structure, edit and improve your work
• write fiction/drama for particular age-groups of children and young people
• confidently present your work to small groups of your peers

Knowledge and Understanding

Having successfully completed this module, you will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:

• a range of contemporary works for children and young people and the stylistic and structural devices employed by their authors
• the marketplace, target audiences, and age ranges for specific works
• the qualities of a successful work for children or young people
• the process of writing a novel or script for children or young people
• the role of agents and editors in the publishing industry and the routes towards publication

Subject Specific Intellectual and Research Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

• evaluate and offer constructive criticism on the work of your fellow students
• look critically at your own work in order to edit it and rewrite it as necessary to achieve a professional standard

Writing exercises used during the module and the discussion in classes will provide you with potential starting points, foundations and guidance for your writing. You will be required to bring your work in progress to seminars and present it to small groups of your peers for constructive criticism and feedback. The tutor will also give you feedback on your work in progress to assist you in editing and improving it prior to finally submitting it. The taught module and visits by experts and practitioners in the field will provide you with insight into and understanding of the business of writing for children and young people.

Reading of and beyond the suggested list of texts for the module will give a firm foundation and broad understanding of the subject.

This module will make use of weekly seminars and opportunities for individual discussion of your work with the tutor. Learning activities include individual study, research and writing, group writing exercises in seminars, and presentation of your work in draft to your tutor and seminar group for feedback prior to final submission. Innovative features of this module include visits and talks by writers for children and young people, a visit by a children’s librarian, and feedback and guidance on your work from a published writer.

Summative

This is how we’ll formally assess what you have learned in this module.

Referral

This is how we’ll assess you if you don’t meet the criteria to pass this module.

Repeat

An internal repeat is where you take all of your modules again, including any you passed. An external repeat is where you only re-take the modules you failed.