Writing for Children Writing for Children Writing for Children

Writing for Children

Always wanted to write for children but not sure where to start? Join Faber author Chloe Daykin in Newcastle for this playful and supportive 12-week course.

Level

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Improving

What do these levels mean?

Location

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Newcastle

Length

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12 weeks
  • Start Date
  • Time
  • Thursdays, 19.00–21.00

Places available

£795

£795

£200 / month for 2 months and a £395.00 deposit

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Always wanted to write a children's novel? Start here

Kickstart your path to writing your first novel for younger readers in our inaugural Newcastle Writing for Children course.

Led by Faber author Chloe Daykin, you’ll build all the core skills needed to write stories for children in this wide-ranging, adventurous course.

Covering fiction for children aged six to twelve (with a little experimentation beyond), you'll benefit from everything Chloe knows about this difficult craft – worlds that keep kids immersed, dialogue that convinces them, humour that gets giggles and more.

You’ll be joined by like-minded writers on your creative journey, as well as benefiting from masterclasses and talks from guests Piers Torday and Emma Carroll.

Is this the right course for me?

This three-month course is one of our 'Improving' courses, so you don't need to have taken any writing courses before. You might have had an idea for a children's book you've been thinking about for a while, or you may have been working on other types of writing before now.

By the end of the twelve weeks, you should expect to have created a bag of juicy ideas to choose from, gain knowledge from industry professionals on the children’s publishing world, and be well on your way to becoming a fully-fledged children’s writer.

    The course will take place on Thursday evenings, from 7–9 p.m. at The Common Room, in the heart of Newcastle city centre.

Course Programme

Session 1

Thursday 1 May, 7 – 9 p.m.

Oh the places you will go! ...

Session 2

Thursday 8 May, 7 – 9 p.m.

Landscapes...

Session 3

Thursday 15 May, 7 – 9 p.m.

Characters...

See remaining sessions

Course Programme

Writing for Children

Session 1

Thursday 1 May, 7 – 9 p.m.

Oh the places you will go!

Introduction, goal setting and a little wild writing.

Session 2

Thursday 8 May, 7 – 9 p.m.

Landscapes

Places of the past, the present and the imagined.

Session 3

Thursday 15 May, 7 – 9 p.m.

Characters

Who we want to be with and why.

Session 4

Thursday 22 May, 7 – 9 p.m.

Guest Tutor

A masterclass with the queen of Children’s Historical Fiction, critically acclaimed and bestselling Faber author, Emma Carroll.

Session 5

Thursday 29 May, 7 – 9 p.m.

Magic realism, fantasy & sci-fi

Session 6

Thursday 5 June, 7 – 9 p.m.

Picture Books and Younger Readers

NB This week will be followed by a reading week.

Session 7

Thursday 19 June, 7 – 9 p.m.

To be or not to be (funny)

Playing with humour and when to use it.

Session 8

Thursday 26 June, 7 – 9 p.m.

Guest Tutor: Piers Torday

A masterclass with ‘master storyteller’!

In this session we'll be joined by critically acclaimed, best-selling author and Faber playwright, Piers Torday.

Session 9

Thursday 3 July, 7 – 9 p.m.

Plot

Ins and outs and options.

Session 10

Thursday 10 July, 7 – 9 p.m.

Point of View

Session 11

Thursday 17 July, 7 – 9 p.m.

Rhythms, Styles & Pacing

Session 12

Thursday 24 July, 7 – 9 p.m.

And Out Into the World

Insights into the Children’s book industry, how to find an agent and get out there.

Tutor

Photo of Chloe Daykin, Faber Academy's Writing for Children tutor in Newcastle

Chloe Daykin

Chloe Daykin is a critically acclaimed and award-winning Faber children’s author (and occasional playwright)...

More About This Tutor
Chloe Daykin

I loved Chloe's approach. It was playful, encouraging and supportive and you could tell she had put a lot of thought into every session. I'm extremely sad not to have this to look forward to each week now. I would often come in feeling tired then leave with more energy than when I started. She's a natural teacher and a very generous with sharing knowledge.

Student, 2024

Writing for Children

Chloe was absolutely exceptional, fun and informal but always brilliantly thoughtful, full of good ideas and advice and a fantastic listener.

Student, 2024

Writing for Children

Chloe is such a fantastic person and I feel so much stronger as a writer and as a person.

Student, 2024

Writing for Children

Chloe is an amazing tutor... as well as an accomplished author. I am so grateful for her attentiveness, kind encouragement and such a fun personality.

Student, 2024

Writing for Children

I thought the course was wonderful; educational, engaging, informative and useful. And I loved the camaraderie of my course mates.

Student, 2024

Writing for Children

Chloe Daykin is an amazing tutor, engaging, fun and thoughtful. Her knowledge of children's literature is incredible and her passion for writing is inspiring and invigorating.

Student, 2024

Writing for Children

Writing for Children was genuinely one of the best writing courses I've ever been on (and I've done a few!).

Location

The Common Room

Neville Hall

Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 1SE

About the Common Room

The Common Room is a new charity, formed to lead the restoration of Neville Hall in Newcastle. Their vision is to use their unique heritage to inspire the next generation of innovators and engineers. Through education and engagement activities, they will support the region’s future economic growth and provide a range of public spaces for innovation, collaboration, events, lectures, weddings and more.
 
We’re delighted to host our Newcastle courses in this historic venue.

Find out more

Browse the Reading Room

From author interviews and writing tips to creative writing exercises and reading lists, we've got everything you need to get started – and to keep going.