From Idea to Finished First Draft | Write Your Children's Book

Finishing the first draft is the part most writers never get to.

Plenty of people have a good idea and a folder called "writing practice" with 12 pages in it. That gap usually isn't talent. Nobody handed them the order to work in.

This course takes you from your idea to a finished first draft, one step at a time. It stops there on purpose, because trying to revise while you draft is exactly what leaves stories unfinished.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN...

1. How to plot your story, using plot outlines and the Hero's Journey, with real picture book examples
2. The craft that makes a draft readable: voice, character personality, and theme
3. How to write dialogue that sounds like a real kid and moves the story
4. How and when to use back matter
5. How to write all the way to the end instead of rewriting your opening for 6 months

WHAT YOU'LL RECEIVE...

1. Video lessons taking you from story idea through a complete first draft
2. Plotting instruction, including plot outlines and the Hero's Journey with picture book examples
3. Craft lessons on voice, character personality, and theme
4. A bonus lesson on writing good dialogue
5. A bonus lesson on how and when to use back matter
6. A bonus on writing for the nonfiction market, with Ciara O'Neal
7. A sample story manuscript to set up your own story
8. "Answers to your questions" lessons
9. The Digital Kidlit Resource Binder
10. A private student Facebook group
11. Email support while you write
12. Lifetime access

What customers are saying:

• "All I had was an idea inspired by my children. The difference between my idea and my first draft is monumental. Your templates are phenomenal." - Jannesy D. -
• "I loved the course! It was so helpful to get my ideas down in the right order. I have 2 finished stories now and I'm excited for the next steps." - Wendee V. -
• "My first manuscript is finished, and because of your course, I'm more confident in writing and will continue to write more stories." - Deb W. -
• "I'm feeling really excited about this. After watching the videos, I got a clear vision of what my own picture book could look like in terms of plot." - Daniella N. -
• "The information I gleaned has been very valuable. The tools you provided are most useful, especially the ones for fleshing out character identities and personalities. I found this profoundly useful when my character has "flesh" so to speak, my story actually grows, stretches, and changes based upon my character's reactions to certain situations; purely because I know who he is. My initial story idea now immediately becomes far more alive with possibility." - Simon L. -

Who's this course for?

This is for you if you have an idea, or a draft that stalled, and you want a clear path to a finished manuscript. It works for picture books, chapter books, and novels, and it's built for people who have never finished a draft before.

It takes you to a finished first draft and stops. Revising that draft is Polished, and choosing a publishing path is Your Publishing Plan.

How soon will you get access?

Your course access is granted after purchase. You'll get an instant download with your login instructions and what to expect, then a separate email with your course invite.

All our courses are self-paced with lifetime access. If you've bought a course from us before, you'll use the same login and find everything in one place.

This is an online course. Nothing physical will ship.

Please note: Our digital products are for personal use only. While you can use the fillable fields on your computer or print out the sheets yourself, you cannot share this with anyone else, make a copy, or use this for resale.