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Introduction to Writing Literature for Children (ENCW 2216)
Total Credits:
3
Lecture Credits:
3
Description:
This course introduces you to the main elements of writing literature for children: storytelling, scene-building, characterization, revision, and more. We will write, read, discuss, and critique children’s literature – specifically, Picture Books (PB), Middle Grade (MG) and Young Adult (YA) novels. You will write a draft of a full PB manuscript, and begin MG and YA novel manuscripts. You will practice the effective writing skills we have been focusing on through workshops, and also learn to give and receive feedback. This course will also provide you with opportunities to interact with local authors from our local vibrant literary community.
Topical Outline:
1. A broad selection of racially and ethnically diverse contemporary KidLit texts.
2. Contemporary techniques in writing for children and young adults.
3. The creative process and writing techniques.
4. Large and small workshops.
5. The historical, cultural, and social context in which art and writing are produced.
6. A final portfolio of revised, polished KidLit writing.
Learning Outcomes:
1. Read, discuss, and critique a broad selection of texts, including stories, poems, and books in various genres, with a focus on analyzing form and technique in order to guide and inform one’s own creative work.
2. Identify contemporary techniques in writing for children and young adults, and use them in their own work.
3. Understand the creative process and practice techniques for pre-writing, writing, revising, and editing their creative work.
4. Participate in large and small workshops and be able to respond critically and analytically to written work, and practice this critical analysis of their own writing.
5. Understand that excellent contemporary literary writing derives from both individual and cultural values that are shaped by broader social, historical, and aesthetic standards and movements.
6. *Produce a body of revised, polished writing for children and young adults that will culminate in a final portfolio.
Prerequisites:
ENGL 1110 or
ENGA 1110
MnTC:
Goal 6