Script Writing for Illustrated Books
A course by Ana PavezChildren’s Author
A course by Ana Pavez, Children’s Author
Learn how to write children's books and spread joy through good stories for young readers
Fostering a love of reading and good stories in our little ones is the driving force behind the work of children's author Ana Pavez. She is the brains behind a dozen books based on powerful sources of inspiration like history, nature, and pre-Columbian America, which allow her to weave stories like the seamstresses of old that she so admires.
In this course, Ana shows you how to write an illustrated children's book. Drawing on something that inspires you, learn to ground your idea through a process of investigation and documentation to help you develop your project. Write a dialogue as the foundation for the rest of the text as well as the illustrations, and then take a look at how to prepare a mock-up of your book and how to present it to a publisher.
What will you learn in this online course?
14 lessons & 26 downloads
Write a picture book
21 minutes, 9 seconds
Audience
15 minutes, 17 seconds
The main idea
15 minutes, 13 seconds
Investigation
18 minutes, 32 seconds
Write a first draft
20 minutes, 46 seconds
Writing the scenes
16 minutes, 2 seconds
What's included in this course?
Start the course by getting to know a little about Ana Pavez and her journey through various disciplines before finally becoming a children's author and editor. She also talks about some of her main influences and how she combines them in her own work.
Then dive right in by hearing about the defining features of a picture book and an educational book, as well as the process for writing an illustrated book. Your teacher discusses target audiences and how to pinpoint the main idea and develop it through a process of research and documentation that takes into account both the text and the images.
Now it's over to you! Choose a topic that inspires you and use it to write the script for your illustrated book. Next, discover how to build the structure of the book and how to document everything correctly.
Next, Ana teaches you to do a draft of your story using the materials you've gathered, which will later become the scenes for your script. Learn to make a storyboard to help you with the illustration side of things before creating a mock-up of your book along with the definitive version of the text.
Finish up by exploring how to prepare a presentation for your project to send or pitch to publishing houses or enter in competitions. Hear Ana's final tips on the topic of intellectual property rights and some of her reflections on cultural appropriation when it comes to using sources and themes from other societies and cultures.
What is this course's project?
Write a script and create a mock-up of a children's book using the research and documentation of something that inspires you. Also make a dossier to present your project to editorials or enter it in competitions.
Who is this online course for?
Anyone interested in children's literature, writers who are just starting out, and anyone wanting to explore creative writing and illustrated books. This course is also of interest to teachers who want to write, as well as parents and grandparents who want to write specifically for the children in their lives.
Requirements and materials
No previous experience is required for this course. All you need is a pencil, some paper, and the word processor of your choice.
Reviews
- 10 months ago
interesante
- 11 months ago
An excellent course! I appreciated the step-by-step approach, the honesty and passion of the instructor, and the practical advice. I loved it! Thank you very much.
- 1 year ago
Muy Interesante. Especialmente para estructurar analizar y organizar
- 1 year ago
Un curso maravilloso que me ha ayudado a poner orden en mis proyectos.
- 2 years ago
Love it. Thank you!
She is cofounder and current general editor of the Amanuta publishing house, and coauthor of various books including Sabores de América (2009) and 1, 2, 3, ¿cuántos ves? (2009).
Content
- U1
Introduction
- Presentation
- Influences
- U2
Preliminary investigation
- Write a picture book
- Audience
- The main idea
- Investigation
- U3
Start working on the final project
- Write a first draft
- Writing the scenes
- Storyboard
- Working on the illustration
- Last version and final layout 1
- Last version and final layout 2
- U4
How to present your project
- Presentation of the project
- Cultural appropriation and property rights
- FP
Final project
- Script Writing for Illustrated Books
What to expect from a Domestika course
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FAQs
You’ll learn how to research themes, structure scripts, create storyboards and mock-ups, collaborate with illustrators, and handle legal aspects to develop original and meaningful illustrated children's books.
This is an intermediate-level course, perfect for those who already have basic knowledge of storytelling or illustration but want to deepen their skills in creating illustrated children's books.
All you need is an interest in children's literature, access to basic writing and drawing tools, and a willingness to explore and experiment with narrative and visual formats.
A picture book combines text and images to tell a story, while a nonfiction children's book aims to share knowledge, focusing on clarity and accuracy.
You’ll learn how to create detailed storyboards, organize double-page spreads, and design editorial mock-ups that blend text and illustration seamlessly.
The course teaches how to research primary and secondary sources, analyze trends, and organize relevant information to support and enrich your chosen theme.
You’ll learn how to protect your copyrights, respect the originality of illustrations, and avoid cultural appropriation, ensuring your projects are ethical and respectful.