Learn how to write and pitch kids’ books that children (and publishers) love.

Join children’s author Charlotte Barkla as she distils everything she’s learned in her eight years’ writing and eight published kids’ books, in this jam-packed 2 hour workshop. Bring along all your questions about writing and publishing, and leave with the inspiration and motivation to kick start your career in writing for kids.

Learning outcomes

In this workshop, participants will learn:

The nuts and bolts of writing kids’ books, including formats, genres and age ranges.
How to find inspiration around you – noticing gaps and chasing story sparks.
Tips on pitching your work to publishers.
How to sustain a writing career. The importance of retaining the joy of writing, and pursuing other avenues of income such as school visits and feature writing.

Format

This is an in-person workshop with a focus on writing craft; it will be held in-person at Helensvale Cultural Centre on the Gold Coast, and is suitable for children's fiction writers of all levels.

About Charlotte

Charlotte Barkla is a Brisbane-based author who worked as a civil engineer before rediscovering her love for children's literature. Her books include Let's Try Again Another Day, the 11 Ruby Road historical fiction series, All Bodies are Good Bodies, the Edie’s Experiments series and
From My Head to My Toes, I Say What Goes. She has a further four children’s books due to be published in 2025.

Charlotte’s books have been translated in multiple languages and short-listed for awards, including the Speech Pathology Australia Book of the Year Awards and the Wilderness Society’s Environment Award for Children’s Literature.

As well as writing for children, Charlotte has also written feature articles for publications including AEU News, Create Digital, Beanz Magazine and Double Helix. She regularly visits schools, libraries and festivals for creative writing workshops, sharing her passion for creativity and stories with children of all ages.

For more information about Queensland Writers Centre’s Program of Events and answers to FAQs, please visit: www.queenslandwriters.org.au/program-info