Writing for Children
Writing for Children and Teens
Writing for Magazines
Writing and Selling Children’s Books
Beyond The Basics
Writing for Adults
Breaking Into Print
Basics of Writing Stories & Articles for Publication
Shape, Write, and Sell Your Novel
Course Offerings for Writers
Our unique instructor-led courses for writers combined with time-tested curriculum help you to achieve your writing goals
Writing for Children and Teens
6 Credits
Our signature, customized writing course for those interested in learning how to write and market children’s stories and articles. Students learn techniques of good writing, develop the ability to direct writing to specific readers, and undertake projects that match their skills and interests to editorial needs of publishers of material for children. Students write and review three article/story outlines targeted to specific magazines and websites as well as one magazine manuscript up to 1,500 words suitable to submit to a publisher.
220 hours – 2 years to complete
Writing for Magazines
3 Credits
A shorter version of the Writing for Children and Teens course designed to guide students in the planning, writing, and revision of at least one manuscript (fiction or nonfiction) suitable for submission to a current children’s publication. Students define personal writing goals and learn the basic techniques of writing fiction and nonfiction required by today’s magazine editors. Additionally, students acquire skills to research magazines and targets manuscripts to meet editorial guidelines.
155 hours – 18 months to complete
Breaking into Print
7 Credits
Our signature, customized writing course for those interested in learning how to write for adults and young adults in the genre of their preference. Students learn to write and market fiction and nonfiction novels and magazine articles for the adult reader. Students define personal writing goals, learn techniques of good writing, develop the ability to direct writing to specific readers, explore and identify a writing niche for potential writing projects, and undertake a project that matches their skills and interests to editorial needs. Students write and revise seven articles or stories to submit to magazines.
276 hours – 2 years to complete
Basics of Writing Stories & Articles for Publication
4 Credits
Designed for the aspiring writer interested in a more compact, economical yet comprehensive program combining the fiction and nonfiction techniques required by editors in today’s markets. Basics of Writing Stories and Articles for Publication is designed to teach the fundamentals of writing fiction and nonfiction for submission to a wide range of magazines published for adult readers. Students write and revise one nonfiction article, one short story, and two outlines targeted to specific magazines to meet their editorial requirements.
208 hours – 18 months to complete
Advanced Courses for Writers
Advanced Courses for Writers are Specifically designed for selected ICL and IFW graduates
Beyond the Basics
6 Credits
Beyond the Basics is designed to train you for independent, professional-level work. By the time you finish this course you will complete at least four manuscripts that are suitable for submission to magazine editors. The course teaches the development, writing, and revision of three articles and/or stories suitable for submission to current children’s publications. The emphasis is on targeting writing to editorial needs including advanced work in researching, planning, writing, self-editing, and creating submissions directed to meet editorial specifications of children’s magazines.
Writing and Selling Children's Books
6 Credits
Writing and Selling Children’s Books is a carefully designed bridge that takes students from a basic course level towards independence as a freelance writer of children’s books who also knows how to sell a book manuscript to a publisher. Students play a stronger role in defining personal writing goals, idea development, planning, writing, and revising a fiction or nonfiction book targeted to a specific readership (children through young adult). Students research editorial needs of the children’s book market and submit submission materials and the book manuscript to a specific publisher.
Shape, Write and Sell Your Novel
5 Credits
Shape, Write, and Sell Your Novel teaches the entire process of crafting a novel, starting with the solid foundation of a saleable idea; finding the genre that matches the idea; creating a chapter-by-chapter outline, writing and revising the first three chapters; researching and identifying a market; and developing a submission packet targeted to an appropriate editor or agent. The submission packet includes a synopsis of the entire novel and a query letter written to an editor or agent of the student’s choice.
