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Writing AND Illustrating a Children's Picture Book - Combined
Write & Illustrate a Children's Picture Book
Learn to develop an entire book in the formats that publishers require.
Work at your own pace
Take things as quickly or slowly as you like, fitting your writing around your own busy work-life balance.
Combined Course only £169
Save 15% on the cost of 2 separate courses, with video tutorials, downloadable notes and more.
*Please note...
The 10-Part Combined Course will be available soon. In the meantime you will receive both of the separate courses (12 parts) for a discount of 15%, and you will also have access to the new Combined Course parts as soon as they become available.
The overall teaching content will be the same - the only difference will be that the new Combined Course will feature an edited
Part 1 and Part 10 to eliminate any repetition between the two separate courses.
Combined Course Overview
Do you want to illustrate AND write picture books for children?
Would you like to have control over the entire creative process - composing story ideas that will be accompanied by your own illustrations? Whether you’re considering a fun hobby or hoping to make a career out of being a children’s author-illustrator, this course combines the teaching information from both individual courses at a discounted price.
What happens in this online course?
Through a series of videos and downloadable notes, bestselling and award-winning children’s book author and illustrator Christyan Fox will teach you the inside secrets, tips and tricks of the trade that will enable you to capture the magic that will put stories and characters on the page in ways that will captivate young minds and the attention of publishers and literary agents. Teaching you…
How to choose the best ideas that will be popular and resonate with children and publishers.
How to illustrate and compose stories that will be most effective for your own illustration and storytelling style and strengths.
How to compose and construct those stories in the formats that publishers require
How to develop your characters and their worlds in simple, concise ways
How to use playful language that will be convincing to a child reader, best- suiting your illustration style.
Advice on the current market and what publishers are looking for.
How to present your work professionally and develop a career in children's publishing
Revealing some great inside secrets, tips and tricks of the trade...and much more!
Who is this course for?
This particular course is for those who would like to write picture books for children but who have little or no interest in illustrating them (see our other options). Christyan works with all kinds of students, from complete beginners who don’t know how to make a start, all the way up to MA students and professional writers in other areas who would like to understand how to translate their work into the world of children’s publishing. We even have students who’ve already had one or more children’s books published and who would now like to reappraise their work. The courses have been designed to work for all levels, presented in a straightforward conversational manner.
If you’re an illustrator with little or no interest in writing, take a look at our Illustrating a Children’s Picture Book Course.
*Please note that these courses are focussed on picture books for the 3-7-year-old market. If your interest is in writing Middle Ground (roughly 8-12 years) or teen fiction, these courses will not cover those areas.
Course Tutors
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Christyan Fox
Author-Illustrator
A freelance illustrator, author and lecturer living in Thames Ditton, UK, Christyan has been creating children's books, cartoons, packaging design, graphics, branding, magazines and advertising for over 35 years and has more than 50 books in print. He also teaches children's book writing, illustration and character design at UAL Chelsea, the London V&A Museum and other London Universities as well as one-to-one workshop and mentoring sessions - from complete beginners all the way up to M.A. level and beyond.
Diane Fox-Jones
Author-Designer
Diane was a senior graphic designer with London design consultants Minale Tattersfield for 12 years, working with clients such as Hertz, NatWest, Canary Wharf and Northern Foods. She now collaborates with Christyan in writing children's book texts, as well as designing the paper-engineering elements for their novelty books. Their first book written together was Goodnight PiggyWiggy in 1999, and they have now collaborated on 28 books. Diane does not appear in the videos but was involved with designing the content for this course.
Combined Course Schedule
The 10-part course combines the teaching information from both individual courses at a discounted price... also featuring a revised first and last lesson to consider both writers and illustrators. It consists of a series of video lectures, downloadable transcript notes and resources. Each step takes you through practical writing & illustration examples and exercises, arranged in a clear structure that’s easy to follow. All parts should be completed in the correct order for the course to make sense, as each subsequent part will refer back to lessons and techniques learned in previous stages.
Finding your illustration style
Reviewing your work and deciding on the most effective styles and stories that will work with your illustration strengths.
3
8
Planning & Structure
Editing, working to the correct lengths and format and considering how to write for your illustration strengths.
1
Exploration & Inspiration
Learn to look at children’s books as a writer, taking inspiration from classic books, and those being published now.
2
Finding & Developing Ideas
How to develop story ideas that will resonate with young readers - and be popular with publishers!
6
Writers Development & Style
In rhyme, rhythm or prose, finding the most effective words is an important part of being a children’s writer.
7
Illustrators Development & Style
Effective techniques for the composition in which your characters perform, and balancing words with image.
4
Written Characters & Settings
Creating written characters with lasting appeal, and considering the settings in which to place them.
9
Pacing & Storyboarding
Pacing your story pages to balance the images and words is a vital part of the overall process - here’s how to do it right.
Illustrated Characters & Settings
Creating illustrated characters with lasting appeal, and learning how to make them consistent.
5
10
Presentation & Careers
Beyond writing & illustration: how to present your work for publishers and agents and develop a writing career.
*Please note...
The 10-Part Combined Course will be available soon. In the meantime you will receive both of the separate courses (12 parts) for a discount of 15%, and you will also have access to the new Combined Course parts as soon as they become available.
The overall teaching content will be the same - the only difference will be that the new Combined Course will feature an edited
Part 1 and Part 10 to eliminate any repetition between the two separate courses.
WRITERS COURSE
115£Write a Children's Picture Book- Write a Children's Picture Book for 3-to-7 year olds
- Work at your own pace
- Advice on the market and what publishers are looking for
- Revealing great inside secrets, tips and tricks of the trade
ILLUSTRATORS COURSE
115£Illustrate a Children's Picture Book- Illustrate a Children's Picture Book for 3-to-7 year olds
- Work at your own pace
- Present your work professionally and develop a career
- Revealing great inside secrets, tips and tricks of the trade
BUY BOTH COURSES
195£Buy both courses with a 15% discount- Write and Illustrate a Children's Picture Book
- Access to all the content in the separate courses
- Advice on the current market
- Revealing great inside secrets, tips and tricks of the trade