Engaging Children's Books: From Ideas to Storytelling
A course by Ute Krause , Illustrator and Children's Book Author
Create captivating children's fiction with engaging characters and plots using creative writing techniques and storytelling skills
Unleash your creativity and dive into the enchanting world of children's fiction. Crafting stories for young minds involves nurturing your imagination and exploring your inner child. Discover how to transform spontaneous ideas into compelling narratives. Learn to engage with your surroundings and find inspiration in everyday life. Delve into the nuances of character development and plot construction, ensuring your story captivates and resonates with young readers. Develop your unique voice while embracing improvisation and spontaneity as essential tools in your writing toolkit.
Embark on a journey of storytelling, where characters come to life and plots unfold organically. This course guides you through crafting a solid story structure with a focus on the three-act framework. Understand the significance of turning points and character evolution. Through practical exercises and insightful examples, gain the confidence to write a gripping synopsis. Equipped with this foundation, begin writing your children's book with clarity and purpose. Embrace the creative process, refine your writing skills, and bring your imaginative tales to life.
What will you learn in this online course?
16 lessons & 15 downloads
- 83% positive reviews (6)
- 268 students
- 16 lessons (3h 13m)
- 15 additional resources (7 files)
- Online and at your own pace
- Available on the app
- Audio: English, German, Spanish (Latam), French, Indonesian, Italian, Dutch, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Turkish
- Spanish · English · Portuguese · German · French · Italian · Polish · Dutch · Turkish · Romanian · Indonesian
- Level: Beginner
- Unlimited access forever
What is this course's project?
Craft a captivating children's book draft, starting from idea generation and character development to plot structuring and synopsis writing, while honing storytelling skills through creative exercises and practical guidance, culminating in a well-rounded, engaging narrative.
Who is this online course for?
Aspiring writers passionate about crafting children's stories will find this course ideal. Whether you're new to writing or seeking to refine storytelling skills, the course offers valuable insights into creating engaging narratives, developing characters, and understanding plot structures. Perfect for those eager to explore their creativity and transform ideas into captivating tales for young readers.
Requirements and materials
A passion for writing, storytelling, and time commitment are key. Basic necessities include a notebook, computer, and a reading list provided in the course. No extensive prior knowledge is needed, just an eagerness to explore imaginative children's fiction.
Reviews
Ute Krause
A course by Ute Krause
Ute Krause is a renowned children’s book author and illustrator with a distinguished career in Germany and internationally. She has created over forty books for children, ranging from picture books to novels, and has illustrated over four hundred titles for various publishers. Her work has received award nominations, been translated into more than twenty languages, and adapted into series and films for German television.
Born in Berlin, Ute grew up in countries including Turkey, Nigeria, India, and Cyprus, and lived in the United States, experiences that shaped her worldview and creative approach. She currently lives in Berlin, but her passion for teaching has taken her worldwide, leading workshops and lectures in writing and illustration in collaboration with institutions such as the Goethe-Institut. Her Domestika courses guide students in developing stories and characters with a unique narrative and visual approach, blending technique, imagination, and artistic sensitivity.
Content
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U1
Introduction
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About Me
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Influences
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U2
Creating the Roots of a Story
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Where Ideas Come From
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Finding Sources of Inspiration 1
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Finding Sources of Inspiration 2
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Getting Started
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Working on the First Ideas
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Moving Towards the Story
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U3
Developing Characters and Plot
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Characters 1
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Characters 2
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Starting with the Plot by Deepening Your Characters
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Story Structure and Beginning with the First Act
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Second and Third Act
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Writing the Synopsis
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U4
Beginning the Novel
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First Three Pages: Finding the Tone of Voice and Perspective
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Final Notes
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FP
Final project
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Introduction to Writing Children’s Fiction
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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
What are Domestika's online courses?
Domestika courses are online classes that allow you to learn new skills and create incredible projects. All our courses include the opportunity to share your work with other students and/or teachers, creating an active learning community. We offer different formats:
Original Courses: Complete classes that combine videos, texts, and educational materials to complete a specific project from start to finish.
Basics Courses: Specialized training where you master specific software tools step by step.
Specialization Courses: Learning paths with various expert teachers on the same topic, perfect for becoming a specialist by learning from different approaches.
Guided Courses: Practical experiences ideal for directly acquiring specific skills.
Intensive Courses (Deep Dives): New creative processes based on artificial intelligence tools in an accessible format for in-depth and dynamic understanding.
When do the courses start and when do they finish?
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.
What do Domestika's courses include?
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.
Have you been given a course?
You can redeem the course you received by accessing the redeeming page and entering your gift code.
I love this course. Ute demystifies the process of writing a children's book. I can do it! She pulls in so many elements I would never have thought about. They all go to character and story development in a beautiful way. Ute Krause is a delight. Her twinkling eyes and delighted sharing make this course even better. Her enthusiasm is contagious.
Mi è piaciuto molto questo corso, ho imparato tante cose e soprattutto non mi ha mai annoiato. Molto brava l'insegnante!
Excellent, well-thought-out, and incredibly helpful course! It gave me so many eye-opening moments and greatly contributed to my story and characters coming alive. I'm honored to learn from Ute Krause and truly admire her work! Dankeschön, Ute!
Ute es una genia con sus libros y comparte muchas de sus experiencias. No obstante, encuentro el curso demasiado simple.
Ute Krause is such an inspirational, humble presenter of Engaging Children's Books, I wish I did her course much earlier. I would have published a book by now. I learned so much. Totally recommend it to any aspiring writer/illustrator.