Write Your Children’s Book!
with Kelly Bingham
Would you like to spend this season getting a manuscript well on its way? If you’re looking for accountability, support, enthusiasm, feedback, and a chance to make progress on your story, then this is the place for you.
In this eight-week long personalized workshop, you’ll draft (or revise, or finish up) your work-in-progress for a children’s book. From picture books to chapter books, Young Adult novels to Middle Grade novels, instructor Kelly Bingham welcomes writers of all stories for children and teens. Take that idea—or partially finished manuscript—and really get some work done. You’ll find an enthusiastic and supportive instructor, and a gathering of like-minded writers such as yourself.
Expect a brisk writing pace, weekly feedback on your pages, and the opportunity to workshop your stories to fellow classmates.
This is a chance to make headway on your story, with an instructor at your weekly disposal and classmates to walk the path to publication right alongside you. Please note that this class is a workshop class—we will be strictly writing and reviewing work week to week, and there will be no lectures or instruction. For this reason, students need to have completed an introductory course to writing for children (or perhaps a course on novel-writing, if you are pursuing novels for older children,) and have a working knowledge of story structure, and of the general process of creating a story from beginning to end. You will be given notes and feedback each week and ideally, you can take those notes and run with them. If you have any questions at all as to whether or not this class is for you, please feel free to drop Kelly a note to discuss where you are in your writing process.
Writers for all children’s book genres welcome. Please join us!
Zoom Schedule
An introductory Zoom group meeting of one hour will be held at the beginning of the course, and students have the option of a one-time one-on-one thirty-minute Zoom with Kelly, either halfway through the course or at the end. You can use that time to ask whatever you would like, and to share final thoughts or questions about the next steps for your personal project.
Weekly Schedule
This is a mix of private workshopping, group sharing, utilizing our classroom, and getting to know your classmates.
In each week of this eight-week course, you will:
- Submit pages to Kelly for personal feedback. (Weekly word count limits vary, depending on the age-range you have chosen, as follows: easy reader, up to 1000 words; picture book, up to 1,300 words; chapter book, up to 1500 words; novel (middle grade or young adult), up to 2000 words)
- Swap writing with 1-3 fellow classmates, sending notes, feedback, encouragement, and support to one another.
- Receive detailed, thoughtful notes on your work from Kelly.
- Share questions, book recommendations, and a love for children’s book in general.
Each week, you can choose whether to send in new pages, or revisions of previously submitted work for a second look.
Student Feedback for Kelly Bingham:
Kelly Bingham is the best teacher I have worked with. She is specific in her critiques. She is kind and patient. Young writers will learn a tremendous amount from Kelly. I feel very blessed to have found her. Wendy Carbo
This course FAR exceeded my expectations. It was my first time taking a writing class and the content of the course helped me to move forward on a project that has been sitting in the back of my mind for years. Kelly was quite simply PHENOMENAL—she was open, responsive, encouraging, and peppered her lively sense of humor through the critiques and lessons. Gwendolyn Robles
This course exceeded my expectations! I’m so glad I found it. Kelly was very generous with her feedback, offering many thoughtful suggestions and comments. Over 6 weeks, I completely restructured my manuscript with Kelly’s help, and it is now a much stronger story. I’ve taken other picture book writing courses, but this course was by far the most helpful. Heather OConnor
I truly appreciated Kelly as a teacher. Her comments and suggestions were extremely helpful. The lessons were very informative and helpful as well. I am so glad I took this course. Ksenia Winnicki
This course was a great step-by-step instruction for someone like me who has never written a book. Kelly was great to work with, very knowledgeable and helpful. Jodi Tormey
Kelly is an excellent teacher. She is encouraging, thoughtful and so inspirational. I felt that she really worked with me on a close personal level, and her feedback was very helpful. The tutorials were very good, with lots of examples and clear key points. Joining this course with Kelly has given me much more confidence as a writer. Kathleen de Mengel
The teacher was very good. Kelly is patient and gave many excellent suggestions. She was also very responsive and thorough. Tobias Vogelstein
The course was well laid out and challenging. Kelly’s lecture were well-crafted and packed with useful information. I had a great experience! Michele Noble
Really positive experience. Kelly was a wonderful teacher, with lots of guidance and positivity. Paula McEvenue
Kelly Bingham gave great editing advice, her lessons were chock full of information, and she was very pleasant and encouraging. I know my story is so much better because of this class and Kelly! Joan Jensen
An interesting class. Exceptionally organized. Lots of information and a caring knowledgeable teacher. Kelly ran a class that offered a wealth of knowledge, and was always supportive and willing to offer insights. I enjoyed the class immensely. Ariela Zucker
Kelly Bingham is very encouraging and positive. My writing improved and I received great comments, insight, and feel more confident about my story. Genevieve Bardwell
Great course, great experience–and all for a great price. Highly recommended. Meg Eden
Kelly was terrific as a teacher. Available, open, honest and also caring with her comments and feedback. Kelly was extremely helpful and willing and open to discuss her comments and lessons as well as the books on the reading list. The lessons were presented on time and her feedback by email and in the forums was terrific and timely. The course material was well-organized with many wonderful examples provided for each lesson. And a great reading list. Suzanne Purvis
Kelly is an excellent teacher. Her lectures were fabulous, and her approach was both professional and generous. I felt encouraged and challenged every week, and I have a much better understanding of this genre because of her guidance. Barbara Santucci
Kelly is so obviously an expert in her area. I loved her personable and positive approach to critique and feedback. This is a rigorous writing class. However, that’s what I wanted. I really feel that I gained a lot of insight and skill during this time. I already have recommended these classes to friends. : ) Heather Woodward
