THE 411 ON FURTHERING YOUR EDUCATION
PART II: CLASSES

There are a plethora of children’s writing classes out there. There are correspondence classes where everything is done through snail mail. There are classes available online and/or via email. There are classes most likely near you that can be taken in person. The question is, which class is best for you? I wanted to find out which classes had worked well for other children’s writers, so I posed this question to several children’s writer message boards, and there were a handful that received enormous praise.

Snail Mail Correspondence Classes

I received the most positive feedback about the Institute of Children’s Literature correspondence school. Each student at ICL is assigned a personal writing coach. The coaches are well-published children’s writers and/or editors. They critique each assignment with the promise that by the end of the course, students will have one publishable piece.

For Bev Patt, ICL opened many doors. Her Assignment 7 nonfiction article, Feeling Lucky, was published by Guideposts for Kids. “In fact, Guideposts liked it so much, about a month after I sold it, they called and asked if I’d be interested in doing another for them. I went on to write over 40 stories, articles, quizzes and mad-lib-type fill in the blank stories for them. I also served as a contributing editor for a while and even their advice columnist!”

Ellen Pridmore had the distinct honor of having Jim Murphy as her instructor. “That year he won his first Golden Kite. Then, he went on to win so many awards over the years including a Newbery Honor and a Siebert. He was very instrumental in my writing nonfiction.” Ellen went on to sell one of her assignments from the second course to Boy‘s Quest, Natures Papermakers..

 Brenda Ferber says,”I loved the materials they sent. They were very informative, and I loved the way they broke the writing process down into manageable steps. I also loved the flexibility of not having to leave the house and being able to work at my own pace.” Brenda went on to sell not only a story, but also a novel worked on in the course. Julia’s Kitchen was published two years ago by Farrar Straus & Giroux.

Online Classes

Anastasia Suen’s classes were also a big hit with those who responded. Anastasia Suen, author of 80 books currently teaches writing at Southern Methodist University. A credentialed elementary teacher, she sits on the Reading Advisory Board for the Rosen Publishing Group, is a literature consultant for Sadlier-Oxford, a children‘s book consultant for the Browns Book Publishing Group, and a reviewer for Book Links.

Janee Trasler says, “I’ve taken most of the workshops that Anastasia offers. Initially, I took the Intensive Picture Book workshop. That first workshop gave me the basics of picture books (types, structures, arcs, plotting, pacing), and most importantly, it gave me a plan and a place to start. I had the blueprint for creating picture books. Anastasia’s approach of “tell, show, then do” not only makes the information become crystal clear, it cements it in the brain.” Trasler also says that while nothing she actually wrote in the workshops has been published, “Anastasia’s workshops are a HUGE part of why I sold two books to Little Brown Kids.

Classes In Your Own Backyard

If you’re looking for something closer to home, check into your local colleges and universities, local park districts and art’s councils. For example, if you live in the Chicago area, Heidi Roemer often teaches her ABC’s of Poetry class at the Hinsdale Center for the Arts and for the Lemont Park District. June Sengpiel says, “It was wonderful and well worth the time and money.” June went on to sell four poems after completion of the class. I also happen to be a former student of Heidi’s, and I’ve gone on to sell a collection to an educational publisher, numerous poems to magazines, and I was also hired as the poetry editor for Wee Ones Magazine. If you don’t live in the Chicago area, Heidi also teaches this class via email.

Deciding What’s Best For You

When deciding on which class would be best for you, ask the following questions: How do I learn best? What is it exactly I want to learn? How much time can I devote to a class? What is my budget? Also be sure to research instructors. Find out their publishing history. Ask for references from former students. As I said last month when discussing conferences, your time and money are valuable. You don’t want to waste either.

Side Bar

Institute of Children’s Literature
http://www.institutechildrenslit.com/

Anastasia Suen
http://www.asuen.com/

Heidi Roemer
www.HeidiBRoemer.com
http://www.scbwi-illinois.org/Roemer.html

These classes received positive feedback, as well.

www.writersonlineworkshops.com

http://university.barnesandnoble.com/browse.asp