Introduction to Writing a Children’s Fantasy Novel
A course by Piers Torday , Children’s Book Author
Write your first children’s novel by developing a synopsis for your story and building a fictional world with compelling characters
Write your first children’s novel by developing a synopsis for your story and building a fictional world with compelling characters
“The books we read when we’re young shape us into the adults of tomorrow.”
Piers Torday, recipient of the Guardian Award for Children’s Fiction, is exactly what he wanted to be when he was a child. As a children’s writer, he has dedicated his career to creating fictional worlds that keep young, curious minds turning pages and fascinated by reading.
In this course, Piers takes you on a writer’s journey to create a children’s novel that transports the little ones to another universe and inspires them to ask big questions. Learn how to plan, structure, and write a full-length novel step by step. Discover the creative process behind world-building, plot development, and character arcs that can inspire the next generation.
What will you learn in this online course?
17 lessons & 17 downloads
- 100% positive reviews (187)
- 6,924 students
- 17 lessons (4h 6m)
- 17 additional resources (3 files)
- Online and at your own pace
- Available on the app
- Audio: English
- English · Spanish · Portuguese · German · French · Italian · Polish · Dutch
- Level: Beginner
- Unlimited access forever
What is this course's project?
Write a synopsis of a children’s book that includes the characters, the fictional world, and a summary of the complete story.
Projects by course students
Who is this online course for?
Writers of any ability who want to write their first, full-length children’s book.
Requirements and materials
No previous experience necessary.
To take this course, you need a pen, a pencil, and a notebook to develop your story, access to children’s books, and of course, inspiration to get creative.
Reviews
A course by Piers Torday
Piers Torday is an author, playwright, and educator from Northumberland, England. As a children’s author, he is dedicated to harnessing the power of imagination through creative writing. The art of writing has always been present in Piers' life: He wrote his first cartoon at age seven, which was about a superhero called Super Sid, and won a competition in a local newspaper. His father, the late Paul Torday, is the author of Salmon Fishing in the Yemen, which was later adapted into a film.
For Piers, writing children’s novels is a way to engage young readers, inspire them to ask big questions, and shape the minds of tomorrow. His most notable work includes The Lost Magician, The Frozen Sea, The Last Wild Trilogy, and There May Be a Castle. Piers also received the Guardian Award for Children’s Fiction in 2014. In a review for the trilogy, The Times states that Piers is “the new master of books for children.”
Content
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U1
Introduction
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About Me
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Influences
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U2
Preparing to Write for Children
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Why Write?
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Where Do Ideas Come From?
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How to Have Ideas
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U3
Let’s Make Up a Story
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To Plan or Not to Plan 1
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To Plan or Not to Plan 2
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Creating a Fictional World
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Characters
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The Writer’s Toolbox: Finding Yours
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U4
How to Plan Your Book
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Finding the Idea
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Creating Your Characters
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Structuring the Story
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Writing Your Synopsis
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U5
Sharing Your Stories
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Writer’s Block
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How to Pitch Your Story
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An Overview of the Children’s Book Market
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FP
Final project
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Introduction to Fantasy Novel Writing for Children
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What to expect from a Domestika course
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Learn at your own pace
Enjoy learning from home without a set schedule and with an easy-to-follow method. You set your own pace.
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Learn from the best professionals
Learn valuable methods and techniques explained by top experts in the creative sector.
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Meet expert teachers
Each expert teaches what they do best, with clear guidelines, true passion, and professional insight in every lesson.
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Certificates
PlusIf you're a Plus member, get a custom certificate signed by your teacher for every course. Share it on your portfolio, social media, or wherever you like.
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Get front-row seats
Videos of the highest quality, so you don't miss a single detail. With unlimited access, you can watch them as many times as you need to perfect your technique.
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Share knowledge and ideas
Ask questions, request feedback, or offer solutions. Share your learning experience with other students in the community who are as passionate about creativity as you are.
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Connect with a global creative community
The community is home to millions of people from around the world who are curious and passionate about exploring and expressing their creativity.
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Watch professionally produced courses
Domestika curates its teacher roster and produces every course in-house to ensure a high-quality online learning experience.
FAQs
Domestika's courses are online classes that provide you with the tools and skills you need to complete a specific project. Every step of the project combines video lessons with complementary instructional material, so you can learn by doing. Domestika's courses also allow you to share your own projects with the teacher and with other students, creating a dynamic course community.
All courses are 100% online, so once they're published, courses start and finish whenever you want. You set the pace of the class. You can go back to review what interests you most and skip what you already know, ask questions, answer questions, share your projects, and more.
The courses are divided into different units. Each one includes lessons, informational text, tasks, and practice exercises to help you carry out your project step by step, with additional complementary resources and downloads. You'll also have access to an exclusive forum where you can interact with the teacher and with other students, as well as share your work and your course project, creating a community around the course.
You can redeem the course you received by accessing the redeeming page and entering your gift code.
thewritersmedium
I loved Piers Torday’s writing course! In the first lesson, a childhood memory of growing up in a Kenyan village with a family dog, Ken, inspired my book idea. But in units 3, 4, and 5, my vision shifted thanks to Piers’ insightful examples. By the end, I had a clear roadmap for my book, even though I didn’t share it online.
Thank you, Piers, for the incredible lessons!
joseleo
El curso me ha encantado. Piers transmite tranquilidad y amor por la literatura. Sus prácticas y ejercicios creativos me han encantado.
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michbjork
I really liked this course. The tutor knows what he is doind and is nice and interesting to listen to and to watch on the video. He treats the topic with respect and interest and is very clear and learned.
Loved it. Top marks. Thanks.
salla_k_silander
Very informative and professional course! Thank you!
sergiodaniellealperez1
excelente, una mirada diferente acerca de la escritura de literatura infantil.
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