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Writing For Children & YA: Video Course

This course will take you through the novel writing process in full – from turning a gem of an idea into a functioning plot, all the way through to editing. This course is perfect for anyone writing young protagonists.

6 Lessons

Online

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About this course

Learn how to craft compelling stories for young readers with globally-renowned author Melvin Burgess, often called the ‘Godfather’ of Young Adult literature. In this course, Melvin guides you through every stage of the novel-writing process—from developing your initial idea into a fully-formed plot to refining and editing your manuscript.

Whether you’re writing for children or teens, or simply exploring writing young protagonists, this course will give you the skills and insight you need to create stories that resonate with younger audiences.

This course, and many more, is free and exclusive to our Premium Members.

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In this course, you will learn how to

Unlock your inner child

Journey back to our youth to discover our inner child and unlock the secrets of writing for young audiences.

Plan your book in two hours

Learn how to question and develop an idea you have for your novel Using the “Two-Hour Novel” exercise.

Self-edit your work

Great books are made in the edits. Learn how to start editing your draft and spot common mistakes

Plot your book

You’ll learn how to plot your story using the timeless, proven structure of fairytales.

An introduction to the Writing for Young People video course with Melvin Burgess. This course will teach you how to connect with your inner child, plot your story, develop your characters and even how to edit your drafts.

Melvin asks us to journey back to our youth to discover our inner child and unlock the secrets of writing for young audiences. We’ll consider group dynamics and how friendships are integral to this stage of your life.

Discover the core fundamentals of character, story and plot through the lens of some of the oldest stories around: Fairytales.

In this lesson, Melvin will show you how to question and develop an idea you have for your novel using the ‘Two Hour Novel’ exercise.

Editing your work can be a fun process for some, but a painstaking one for others. Learn how to be harsh and apply editing techniques first on existing text before you tackle your own.

Take the final steps on our quest to write for young audiences in this final video. Melvin recaps what we’ve learned in this course so far and signposts where to find more help.

Meet Your Tutor

Melvin Burgess is a British writer of children’s fiction. He became famous in 1998 with the publication of Junk, about heroin-addicted teenagers on the streets of Bristol. In Britain, Junk became one of the best-known young adult books of the decade. Burgess won the annual Carnegie Medal from the Library Association, recognising the year’s best children’s book by a British author. For the 10th anniversary in 2007 it was named one of the top ten Medal-winning works, selected by a panel to compose the ballot for a public election of the all-time favourite.

What’s included in Your Premium Membership

All self-paced video courses

Instant access to every self-paced video course, with more being added throughout the year

Downloadable course guides

Every course comes with a downloadable guide to support your learning

Private course forums

Talk to your fellow students, get feedback on your work, and offer feedback on others’ work

Personalised feedback

Twice a month, submit your work for the opportunity to get live feedback from the Jericho Writers team

Weekly live events

Participate in online group writing sprints and join Q&As with top authors and industry professionals

AgentMatch

Our unique database helps you effortlessly find the perfect agent for your novel

Tools & resources

Unlimited access to our library of over 300 masterclass videos, plus digital tools and resources

Discounts & writing opportunities

Enter competitions for free and enjoy 10% off our other services

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Reviews for Jericho Writers

4.7 star average

Rated ‘Excellent’

I’ve been a premium member for almost three years and have received helpful, detailed and relevant advice. Wish I’d found this site even sooner!

Cynthia MacChelsea

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I’ve been a member for years but this was the first time I tried an interactive online course with Jericho Writers and I’m so glad I did.

Amanda

via TrustPilot

The Jericho Writers team are comprehensive in their offerings and generously thoughtful in their support.

Emma

via TrustPilot

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12 Lessons. Master the essentials of using Amazon Ads to sell your books with expert Nicholas Erik. Learn how to navigate the dashboard, optimize your campaigns, and boost your book’s visibility to grow your sales.

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Writing For Children & YA: Video Course

About this course