What can your students expect to get out of completing this course about developing their skills as children’s book writers?
Students will learn all about the wonderful world of literary devices and how they can use them to best effect. This online course is delivered in 4 easy lessons and includes practical information and advice and super fun exercises so students can flex their creative muscle. Students will learn about writing with purpose and how to add depth and layers of meaning and interpretation to their writing.
How can an understanding of literary techniques elevate the work of a children’s book writer?
The way we put words together on a page – the way we ‘weave’ a story – can influence and delight our readers. It’s our job as authors to ensure that we use every word, every technique at our disposal to tell our story in the most skilful, entertaining way. If we pull it off, our story inevitably becomes that much more enjoyable, impactful, and memorable. Using literary devices in our writing takes it to THE NEXT LEVEL.
What literary devices do you turn to in your own practice to make your writing stand out from the crowd?
Oh, there are so many to choose from! Alliteration. Onomatopoeia. Characterisation. Juxtaposition. Rhyme. Repetition… The trick is knowing which technique to use at the right time. To write with skill, yet to also show restraint. When I’m writing for children, I love using hyperbole to add a dash of humour and to get a giggle out of my readers. Oh, and … Suspense … Well, that’s also a fabulous technique to draw a reader in too.
Aleesah Darlison is a multi-published, award-winning Australian children’s author. She has written over fifty books for children including picture books, chapter books, novels, and series. In 2021, Aleesah received an Australia Day Award. She has also won numerous awards for her writing including the Environment Award for Children’s Literature, an Australian Society of Authors Mentorship, and CBCA and Speech Pathology Book of the Year Award short listings.
Join Aleesah for Online Feedback: Children’s Books, Monday 5 February to Friday 21 June 2024, online.
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