This writing course, Funny Kids Business: Writing Humour for Children with Oliver Phommavanh, takes place at Writing NSW in Sydney.

Funny children’s books are no joke.

They dominate best-selling lists and are always in popular demand by kids. But can you learn to write funny stories? What if you think you’re not funny?

Award-winning children’s author Oliver Phommavanh will tap into your sense of humour and reconnect with your inner child by doing a series of writing exercises that can be applied to any story that you’re working on. You will practise creating jokes and funny characters that children will adore.

Is this course right for you? Read our FAQ >

No matter what genre you’re writing in, you’ll discover why a little humour can immediately hook and engage your audience, and make it even more memorable.

You’ll also gain some insights into the current children’s industry. Oliver will share what it’s like being a working children’s author. You’ll find out how you can make a sustainable living out of writing children’s books, as well as how to remain relevant in the long run.

Expected learning outcomes

In this workshop, participants will:

1. Explore all the elements of writing a story for children, through a lens to create tension and humour
2. Dissect jokes and funny stories to see what makes them funny for children
3. Create funny characters that could feature in books and be extended to a series
4. Plan plots that involve plenty of tension, humour and drama
5. Edit work that targets engagement, curiosity, and emotion in a story
6. Learn more about the current children’s industry and how you can make a living as a children’s author.

This workshop takes place at Writing NSW in Sydney.

Participant requirements

Pen and paper, or a fully charged device. Please read our FAQ before enrolling.

If you have questions about this course, please contact us.

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