Children's Story Writing Diploma
Why you should study with us
This course is for you if you have ever considered writing stories for children but didn't know where to start. The Children's Story Writing Diploma course covers a wide range of topics from telling you what you need to get started through to how to develop characters, backstory and plot. This course has everything you need. The course consists of 13 super-informative modules and will take between 15 and 20 hours to complete.
Children's Story Writing Diploma Course
Have you always wanted to allow your creativity to flow and become a successful children's story writer? This is your chance to learn all you need to know to write your own children's book, come up with your own characters and discover your passion for writing.
Introduction to Children's Story Writing Diploma
The Children's Story Writing Diploma covers a range of topics, helping you develop your characters, the plot and write a great story that you can publish for children around the world. This course covers a range of topics in thirteen modules which takes between fifteen to twenty hours to complete. You will learn how to develop your characters and plot. You will get the guidance, skills and support you need to become a children's story writer with online modules that you can study from anywhere at any time on any device. This course will help to allow your creativity to flow and become a successful writer, with no previous experience necessary. The information packed modules have been carefully constructed to give you everything you need to write a children's story with complete confidence.
What You Will Learn
The course comprises of thirteen information packed modules and a multiple choice test. The course includes:
- Introduction – the introductory module includes what writing a book for children entails and what it is about children's story writing that appeals to you.
- What you will need to write literature for children – this value packed module will identify the tools and personal skills you will need to write a successful story.
- Examples of what other children's writers do well – in this module you will learn what some of the best children's writers do well and how to use existing children's books to write your own.
- How to choose an age group's point of view – you will learn how to choose an age group and the importance of writing for a particular age group. You will also learn a number of points of view you can make use of when writing your book.
- Getting started from the first page and creating the perfect setting – this module will teach you what you can do to make your first page stand out and the importance of the first line and page of your children's book.
- Learn how to build a good character for your book – learn how to get good characters and why your characters are so important. You will also learn how to differentiate your characters based on the age group you are targeting.
- Plot planning – learn how to create a plot, identify with other plot structures and learn ways to develop your plot structure.
- Using a backstory – What is a backstory? How to ensure your backstory isn't boring? Why you need a backstory when writing children's literature.
- Writing dialogue that makes your story flow – this module will teach you how to use dialogue and why it is so important, along with how to make your dialogue realistic and engaging.
- Useful advice to improve confidence and purpose – identify common problems you will face, tips to achieve your writing goals and effective tools to overcome writer's block.
- Practical writing exercises – identify why writing exercises are so important and how writing a blog may enhance your writing.
- Working with illustrators – know the power of illustration, how to submit a picture book for publication and how to choose and work with an illustrator.
- Working with publishers and selling your story – know the difference between traditional publishing and self-publishing, the process you will have to go through in getting your children's book published and whether you are going to need a literary agent.
Benefits of the Children's Story Writing Diploma
This diploma will provide you with a host of benefits once you have completed the course successfully, including being able to download and print your certificate on successful passing of the multiple choice test. The benefits of taking this course include:
- The course will help you to become a creative thinker when working on your own project.
- You will learn how to organise your ideas in order to write clearly.
- Your self-confidence will improve when you see your work on paper.
- You will discover your passion for writing.
- You will get to step outside your comfort zone to achieve writing success.
This course includes
24/7 Student Support
End of course certification
Lifetime access to your course
Compatible with modern devices
- What is it about writing children's books that appeals to you?
- Clearing up the myth that writing for kids is easier than writing for adults
- Some other common misconceptions about writing books for children
- What does writing a children's book actually entail?
Module 2 : What you will need to Write Children's Literature in regards to Tools and Personal Skills
- Physical items you will need to start writing a book
- Managing your time efficiently
- Personal skills you need to succeed as a children’s writer
- Skills you can develop in order to write children’s literature
- How to use other children's books in order to write your own
- A look at some famous picture books aimed at younger readers
- Excellent examples of first chapter books
- Books aimed at teenagers and young adults
- The importance of writing for a particular age group
- How to choose an age group
- The most common age groupings used by publishers
- The various points of view you can use to narrate your book
- The importance of the first page and first line
- Examples of some great first lines in existing children's books
- What you can do to make your first page stand out
- What not to do in a first page
- Why creating good characters is important
- How to get ideas for characters
- How characters will differ depending on your target age range
- The qualities a character needs to be real and engaging
- A definition of plot and why it is important
- How to come up with plot ideas
- The traditional plot structure
- How to develop your plot ideas
- The definition of backstory
- Why backstory is important in children's literature
- What happens when backstory is employed incorrectly
- When to use backstory and when to avoid it
- Why dialogue is important
- The uses of dialogue
- How to make your dialogue realistic
- How to make your dialogue engaging
- The problems that a writer will face
- How to improve self-esteem and banish your critical inner voice
- How to achieve your writing goals
- How to overcome writer's block
- Why writing exercises are useful
- Some writing exercises for different aspects of writing
- Some writing exercises to prompt your writing if you need ideas
- How blogging might help you as an emerging writer
- The power of illustration
- The differing nature of illustration for different formats and age ranges
- How to submit a picture book for publication to a conventional publishing house
- How to choose and work with an illustrator
- The importance of perfecting your manuscript before you submit it
- How conventional publishing and self-publishing compare
- The process of getting your book published by a publishing house
- Whether you need a literary agent
ID: YDFT67YHJ
of achievement
This certificate is presented to
Your Name
For completing the
Children's Story Writing Diploma
on 21st November 2025
Selena Hurford
Selena Hurford
Course Tutor
Daniel Morgan
Daniel Morgan
Head of Academy
Anyone who has an interest in learning more about this subject matter is encouraged to take the course. There are no entry requirements to take the course.
The course is broken down into 13 individual modules. Each module takes between 20 and 90 minutes on average to study. Although you are free to spend as much or as little time as you feel necessary on each module, simply log in and out of the course at your convenience.
You can study the course any time you like. Simply log in and out of the web based course as often as you require. The course is compatible with all computers, tablet devices and smart phones so you can even study while on the move!
Once you have completed all 13 modules there is a multiple choice test. The questions will be on a range of topics found within the 13 modules. The test, like the course, is online and can be taken a time and location of your choosing.
The pass mark for the test is 70%.
If you don’t pass the test first time you will get further opportunities to take the test again after extra study. There are no limits to the number of times you can take the test. All test retakes are included within the price of the course.
Once you have completed your test you can log in to your account and download/print your certificate any time you need it. If you would prefer us to post you a certificate to a UK address, there will be an admin charge of £10 (certificates sent internationally may cost more).
You can either use your Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Solo cards or PayPal account to pay for the online course. Our site uses the latest SSL encryption to ensure your safety. All payments are handled securely by PayPal.
You can begin the course immediately after your payment has been received. You will create your login details during the checkout process. We will also send you an email confirming your login details.
We estimate that the course will take about 20 hours to complete in total, plus an additional 30 minutes for the end of course test.
Once you have been awarded your certificate it is valid for life. The certificate does not expire or need renewing.
I use Sage 50 every day at work, but wanted a qualification on my CV to reflect this. I thought this course was well set out and very informative.
I really appreciated that the course is split into 10 modules as this made it very easy for me to stop and come back to when convenient. I found with work and 4 kids this was very helpful and with a good feature that it saved the place where I was so you could return at any time.
I must admit I was very surprised that I learnt new things and really glad I took the course. I would recommend this course to anyone thinking of using Sage for the first time or like me already use it daily. I really appreciated the fact that I used my tablet while taking the course.
I must be honest at 36 years old, this was my first course taken online, I was generally really surprised how easy to it was to order/book on line. Overall I felt this was a very positive experience for me I not only gained a qualification, I also gained confidence and have now book up 2 more courses.
Justine Pitman
At age 44, I took a notion to start a new career, so I booked a Travel & Tourism online course with New Skills Academy.
I was actually pretty nervous when I looked at the modules as it’s been years since I studied!
I was pleasantly surprised at how well the course flowed and how uncomplicated it was. The presentation of the course was easy to read and understand.
When I got to the final test, I was nervous, but had no need to be. It was a general test of knowledge and I passed with 70%. I feel proud!
Angela Wilson
I am Massage Therapist, I know many things about various massages and techniques. On this website I finished Upper body course and I learned loads of interesting information which I did not know before. I recommend this for everyone who wants to be a professional massage therapist or just keep it as a hobby and give a massages to family members or close friends, because it is very helpful to know how to give massage correctly. Definitely will buy more courses from this website. Looking forward to buy a new course and learn more and more and more!
Sarune Liepaite
Very Informative course, breaks everything down easily into simple steps.Thank you.
Nicola Hovell
I am only 5 modules in to the course but is delivering above what I expected. Content is well explained and easy to digest and I like that I can do it at my own rate and without time pressure.
I have a dace agree that covers anatomy etc and this has been an thorough refresher for me. Highly recommended. (Well priced too.)
Arran Selhi
Amazing course with so much detail. All the modules are easy to read and flow from one subject to the next. It was really easy to enrol on the course too and I received my log in information the same day that I enrolled. I would recommend the course to anyone wishing to pursue a course in floristry.
Stacey Garside
This course is for you if you have ever considered writing stories for children but didn't know where to start. The Children's Story Writing Diploma course covers a wide range of topics from telling you what you need to get started through to how to develop characters, backstory and plot. This course has everything you need. The course consists of 13 super-informative modules and will take between 15 and 20 hours to complete.
Children's Story Writing Diploma Course
Have you always wanted to allow your creativity to flow and become a successful children's story writer? This is your chance to learn all you need to know to write your own children's book, come up with your own characters and discover your passion for writing.
Introduction to Children's Story Writing Diploma
The Children's Story Writing Diploma covers a range of topics, helping you develop your characters, the plot and write a great story that you can publish for children around the world. This course covers a range of topics in thirteen modules which takes between fifteen to twenty hours to complete. You will learn how to develop your characters and plot. You will get the guidance, skills and support you need to become a children's story writer with online modules that you can study from anywhere at any time on any device. This course will help to allow your creativity to flow and become a successful writer, with no previous experience necessary. The information packed modules have been carefully constructed to give you everything you need to write a children's story with complete confidence.
What You Will Learn
The course comprises of thirteen information packed modules and a multiple choice test. The course includes:
- Introduction – the introductory module includes what writing a book for children entails and what it is about children's story writing that appeals to you.
- What you will need to write literature for children – this value packed module will identify the tools and personal skills you will need to write a successful story.
- Examples of what other children's writers do well – in this module you will learn what some of the best children's writers do well and how to use existing children's books to write your own.
- How to choose an age group's point of view – you will learn how to choose an age group and the importance of writing for a particular age group. You will also learn a number of points of view you can make use of when writing your book.
- Getting started from the first page and creating the perfect setting – this module will teach you what you can do to make your first page stand out and the importance of the first line and page of your children's book.
- Learn how to build a good character for your book – learn how to get good characters and why your characters are so important. You will also learn how to differentiate your characters based on the age group you are targeting.
- Plot planning – learn how to create a plot, identify with other plot structures and learn ways to develop your plot structure.
- Using a backstory – What is a backstory? How to ensure your backstory isn't boring? Why you need a backstory when writing children's literature.
- Writing dialogue that makes your story flow – this module will teach you how to use dialogue and why it is so important, along with how to make your dialogue realistic and engaging.
- Useful advice to improve confidence and purpose – identify common problems you will face, tips to achieve your writing goals and effective tools to overcome writer's block.
- Practical writing exercises – identify why writing exercises are so important and how writing a blog may enhance your writing.
- Working with illustrators – know the power of illustration, how to submit a picture book for publication and how to choose and work with an illustrator.
- Working with publishers and selling your story – know the difference between traditional publishing and self-publishing, the process you will have to go through in getting your children's book published and whether you are going to need a literary agent.
Benefits of the Children's Story Writing Diploma
This diploma will provide you with a host of benefits once you have completed the course successfully, including being able to download and print your certificate on successful passing of the multiple choice test. The benefits of taking this course include:
- The course will help you to become a creative thinker when working on your own project.
- You will learn how to organise your ideas in order to write clearly.
- Your self-confidence will improve when you see your work on paper.
- You will discover your passion for writing.
- You will get to step outside your comfort zone to achieve writing success.
This course includes
24/7 Student Support
End of course certification
Lifetime access to your course
Compatible with modern devices
- What is it about writing children's books that appeals to you?
- Clearing up the myth that writing for kids is easier than writing for adults
- Some other common misconceptions about writing books for children
- What does writing a children's book actually entail?
Module 2 : What you will need to Write Children's Literature in regards to Tools and Personal Skills
- Physical items you will need to start writing a book
- Managing your time efficiently
- Personal skills you need to succeed as a children’s writer
- Skills you can develop in order to write children’s literature
- How to use other children's books in order to write your own
- A look at some famous picture books aimed at younger readers
- Excellent examples of first chapter books
- Books aimed at teenagers and young adults
- The importance of writing for a particular age group
- How to choose an age group
- The most common age groupings used by publishers
- The various points of view you can use to narrate your book
- The importance of the first page and first line
- Examples of some great first lines in existing children's books
- What you can do to make your first page stand out
- What not to do in a first page
- Why creating good characters is important
- How to get ideas for characters
- How characters will differ depending on your target age range
- The qualities a character needs to be real and engaging
- A definition of plot and why it is important
- How to come up with plot ideas
- The traditional plot structure
- How to develop your plot ideas
- The definition of backstory
- Why backstory is important in children's literature
- What happens when backstory is employed incorrectly
- When to use backstory and when to avoid it
- Why dialogue is important
- The uses of dialogue
- How to make your dialogue realistic
- How to make your dialogue engaging
- The problems that a writer will face
- How to improve self-esteem and banish your critical inner voice
- How to achieve your writing goals
- How to overcome writer's block
- Why writing exercises are useful
- Some writing exercises for different aspects of writing
- Some writing exercises to prompt your writing if you need ideas
- How blogging might help you as an emerging writer
- The power of illustration
- The differing nature of illustration for different formats and age ranges
- How to submit a picture book for publication to a conventional publishing house
- How to choose and work with an illustrator
- The importance of perfecting your manuscript before you submit it
- How conventional publishing and self-publishing compare
- The process of getting your book published by a publishing house
- Whether you need a literary agent
ID: YDFT67YHJ
of achievement
This certificate is presented to
Your Name
For completing the
Children's Story Writing Diploma
on 21st November 2025
Selena Hurford
Selena Hurford
Course Tutor
Daniel Morgan
Daniel Morgan
Head of Academy
Anyone who has an interest in learning more about this subject matter is encouraged to take the course. There are no entry requirements to take the course.
The course is broken down into 13 individual modules. Each module takes between 20 and 90 minutes on average to study. Although you are free to spend as much or as little time as you feel necessary on each module, simply log in and out of the course at your convenience.
You can study the course any time you like. Simply log in and out of the web based course as often as you require. The course is compatible with all computers, tablet devices and smart phones so you can even study while on the move!
Once you have completed all 13 modules there is a multiple choice test. The questions will be on a range of topics found within the 13 modules. The test, like the course, is online and can be taken a time and location of your choosing.
The pass mark for the test is 70%.
If you don’t pass the test first time you will get further opportunities to take the test again after extra study. There are no limits to the number of times you can take the test. All test retakes are included within the price of the course.
Once you have completed your test you can log in to your account and download/print your certificate any time you need it. If you would prefer us to post you a certificate to a UK address, there will be an admin charge of £10 (certificates sent internationally may cost more).
You can either use your Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Solo cards or PayPal account to pay for the online course. Our site uses the latest SSL encryption to ensure your safety. All payments are handled securely by PayPal.
You can begin the course immediately after your payment has been received. You will create your login details during the checkout process. We will also send you an email confirming your login details.
We estimate that the course will take about 20 hours to complete in total, plus an additional 30 minutes for the end of course test.
Once you have been awarded your certificate it is valid for life. The certificate does not expire or need renewing.
I use Sage 50 every day at work, but wanted a qualification on my CV to reflect this. I thought this course was well set out and very informative.
I really appreciated that the course is split into 10 modules as this made it very easy for me to stop and come back to when convenient. I found with work and 4 kids this was very helpful and with a good feature that it saved the place where I was so you could return at any time.
I must admit I was very surprised that I learnt new things and really glad I took the course. I would recommend this course to anyone thinking of using Sage for the first time or like me already use it daily. I really appreciated the fact that I used my tablet while taking the course.
I must be honest at 36 years old, this was my first course taken online, I was generally really surprised how easy to it was to order/book on line. Overall I felt this was a very positive experience for me I not only gained a qualification, I also gained confidence and have now book up 2 more courses.
Justine Pitman
At age 44, I took a notion to start a new career, so I booked a Travel & Tourism online course with New Skills Academy.
I was actually pretty nervous when I looked at the modules as it’s been years since I studied!
I was pleasantly surprised at how well the course flowed and how uncomplicated it was. The presentation of the course was easy to read and understand.
When I got to the final test, I was nervous, but had no need to be. It was a general test of knowledge and I passed with 70%. I feel proud!
Angela Wilson
I am Massage Therapist, I know many things about various massages and techniques. On this website I finished Upper body course and I learned loads of interesting information which I did not know before. I recommend this for everyone who wants to be a professional massage therapist or just keep it as a hobby and give a massages to family members or close friends, because it is very helpful to know how to give massage correctly. Definitely will buy more courses from this website. Looking forward to buy a new course and learn more and more and more!
Sarune Liepaite
Very Informative course, breaks everything down easily into simple steps.Thank you.
Nicola Hovell
I am only 5 modules in to the course but is delivering above what I expected. Content is well explained and easy to digest and I like that I can do it at my own rate and without time pressure.
I have a dace agree that covers anatomy etc and this has been an thorough refresher for me. Highly recommended. (Well priced too.)
Arran Selhi
Amazing course with so much detail. All the modules are easy to read and flow from one subject to the next. It was really easy to enrol on the course too and I received my log in information the same day that I enrolled. I would recommend the course to anyone wishing to pursue a course in floristry.
Stacey Garside
Why you should study with us
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This course is a great way to brush up on my rusty excel skills, I recommend this course to anyone looking for something to do during lockdown, it's easy to use and talks you through each stage step by step. It has given me the confidence I need to further my career.
Georgia Darke
The course was clearly set out with helpful end of week tests which built my knowledge. Being dyslexic I found the course was set out in an easy to understand way. I was able to pass the test on my first attempt. The downloaded pdf are a useful resource that you can keep forever. Looking forward to the next course
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Omg im so excited, over joyed and all the good stuff that comes to mind! Wonderful experience doing lessons with New Skills Academy. I look foward to doing more courses with them. I hope this will encourage others to come on board and refresh your minds or to learn something new, it's a win win situation. I want to thank New Skills Academy so much for making this as simple as possible for me.
Shari Anderson
This is a great course for any level of knowledge. Very easy to navigate, great practical tasks and explanations are very clear. You can revise any module with no problem. The test wasn’t too hard if you completed every module. It may be handy to make some notes before you start. Overall I'm very happy with my choice. Thank you New skills for my New skills :)
Julia Bobkova
I took up this course initially to help me with my own dog, but found that as I worked through the material I actually started thinking that this could be something that I could use to make a second income. From start to finish I found the course engaging and interesting. I am now doing another dog related course and am experiencing the same level of enjoyment. I would recommend New Skills Academy without hesitation.
Keith Smith
Fantastic course! Well-presented and challenging with frequent assessments. I feel a serious sense of accomplishment having not studied for over 30 years! Videos that accompany each module are carefully thought out and informative. Am so impressed with this course, have now signed up for 3 other courses and recommending New Skills Academy to everyone!
Marva Hudson
I am a doctor. This course is well organized, covering all areas of CBT. The videos and practical tips are very helpful. All the modules are arranged with good explanations and examples. Also each module consists of quick test and assignment which enables you to gain knowledge. Finally I would like to thank the New Skills Academy team.
Dr. M. Arshad
