Wanting to write a children's book is a fun dream. But it doesn't have to stay one.
We're going to go big here in order to grab some attention.
Do you have an awesome children's book idea in your head that you can't stop thinking about but don't know how to start? Do you have too many ideas for a children's book and don't know how to pick one? Have you written a draft but feel like it's missing something?
Its time. let's write that book.
scroll on if you're into it.
join waitlist
The KidLit Lab is your one stop shop to get your dream of writing a children's picture book out of your head and on to the page—and I'm going to walk with you every step of the way.
Welcome to
The KidLit Lab Manuscript Masterclass
Ready to pursue your dream?
At some point in the kidlit journey, we all realize that writing for children is a whole lot harder than it looks. Maybe you...
Here you are
going to state the challenges and frustrations
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II'm a bestselling, award-winning children's picture book author, and I want to help you. Plus, as the Co-founder and Executive Director of Risen Motherhood, I see hundreds of the best children's books each year and I evaluate them to decide what to recommend to the hundreds of thousands of moms in the RM community, and what goes back on the shelf. I love books, and I might just love seeing books come to life even more.
've written three children's books: the bestselling, Any Time, Any Place, Any Prayer, which was the winner of the Christianity Today's Children and Youth Book of the Year, and a finalist for the ECPA's Children's Book of the Year, the bestselling, Like Me: A Story About Disability and Discovering God's Image In Every Person, and A World Wonder, forthcoming in March 2024."
I'm Laura and I'm here to answer your children's book questions.
but i'm here to help.
I've been writing stories for as long as I can remember. In fact, in first grade, I won my first writing award after I entered my story, "Mackenzie's Dog Goldie" in an AT&T writing contest. I still have the certificate and ribbon. (I'm thinking about putting them up on my office wall.) Since that day, I dreamed of being a children's picture book author, but I never actually thought it would happen. But by God's grace, I got where I am today. Now, I get emails and dm's every week from people just like you who are looking for advice and help at various stages of their author journey, but typically their questions require more than what a quick email or dm can accomplish. So, I built this masterclass to answer all the most common questions people have (and the ones they haven't thought of yet). Think of this like my brain in a bottle, the Manuscript Masterclass takes all my best tips and brings them straight to you.
"With each new module drop, I raced to soak up her expertise! The content was formatted into doable steps and weekly goals so that it didn’t seem overwhelming; I’ve truly never had so much fun with writing!"
-kay
"I couldn’t get enough of Laura’s teaching!
The KidLit Manuscript Masterclass
introducing...
Your one-stop shop for writing that children's book you've always dreamed of.
- Know general requirements for children's picture books.
- Understand the current kidlit landscape.
- Discover where you, as a Christian writer, can make an impact.
- Have a solid list of topics that you can turn into book manuscripts.
- Know which one is the best one to pursue for your next draft.
- Understand how to weave a uniquely Christian worldview into your story and make it theogically accurate.
- Know how to develop characters and settings in a way that's believable and compelling for a child's imagination.
Here's What's Inside The KidLit Lab
The KidLit World
The Prep
module 1
Module 2
- Know the top things to avoid that make editors cringe.
- Understand the correct formatting for a children's book.
- Understand pacing and page turns.
- Select a solid title.
- Ensure you have a tight thread to pull through the manuscript.
- Have a solid manuscript that's ready for publication.
Polish and Shine
module four
- Understand how to write a snappy opening and satisfying ending
- Know how to keep momentum and tension through the middle
- Understand when to use lyric, rhythm, and rhyme—and when not to
- Know exactly what to do when you get stuck (It happens to all of us!)
Draft the Draft
module 3
THERE'S NOTHING LIKE SEEING YOUR IDEA BECOME REALITY, HERE'S HOW WE'RE GOING TO DO IT.
EXPERT INTERVIEW:
CATALINA ECHEVERRI ON WORKING WITH AN ILLUSTRATOR, THE ICONIC ILLUSTRATOR OF THE TALES THAT TELL THE TRUTH SERIES
EXPERT INTERVIEW:
HUNTER BELESS ON PREP AND RESEARCH - Author of Read It, See It, Say, It, Sing It, and Amy Carmichael: The Brown Eyed Girl Who Learned to Pray
EXPERT INTERVIEW:
Melissa Kruger on Writing First Drafts
Author of "Wherever You Go I Want You To Know,"and other children's books
Note: Due to time constraints, I am unable to offer feedback or editing on your specific manuscript / story ideas.
EXPERT INTERVIEW:
Dorena williamson on editing and polishing the draft
Author of "colorful,"and other children's books
- Understand your options for a path to publishing and which one is right for you.
- Hear from an editor at a major Christian publishing house about what they're looking for and how to catch their eye.
- Gain gospel-centered encouragement for how to steward your gifts and dreams to the glory of God.
What Now?
module 5
EXPERT INTERVIEWs:
Amy Gannett on Writing for Children to the Glory of God
Founder of tiny theologians
Kyle Hatfield on Traditional Publishing*
editor at Harvest House Publishers
*Note: As mentioned, this e-course is for writing and honing in on an incredible children's book manuscript, therefore we will not be covering publishing in-depth. But because I am asked this question so often, I wanted to include an interview with a publisher to understand what a path to traditional publishing looks like. We will discuss this further (and other paths to publishing) in the module.
Every week, after you work through the module, you can come hang with me at our live group coaching calls and we'll discuss all your burning questions.
Plus, I'll be holding live calls, giving you direct access to ask all your questions.
and that's not all...
In The KidLit Lab, you'll hear from:
catalina echeverri, illustrator of the tales that tell the truth series
kyle hatfield, editor at harvest house publishers
Amy gannett, author and founder of tiny theologians
hunter beless, author and founder of journeywomen
get me on that waitlist
Melissa kruger, VP at TGC and author of "wherever you go, i want you to know"
dorena williamson, Author of "colorful and other children's books
The course is informative and encouraging. Laura is knowledgable, fun, and honest while also providing great interviews with fellow KidLit colleagues."
"I enjoyed every minute spent working through the masterclass!"
XX
"This course was so helpful to provide the beginnings of a framework for me to approach my writing."
"Laura strikes just the right balance between giving instruction, being informative and providing inspiration."
XX
yes, it really works
"Laura is like a big sister who's been there before, warmly guiding you through every module."
"Makes your manuscripts 100% better!"
XX
Not sure it's for you?
See where you land below and find out.
Sure is! Book ideas are everywhere, if you only know where to look. And I'm going to teach you exactly that.
I don't have any book ideas—just a dream to write—is this course for me?
I'm a dreamer!
What if I have a completed manuscript already? Will this course still help me?
Absolutely! It doesn't matter where you are in your children's book journey, there are always ways to improve and strengthen your draft. Plus, we're going to bring in real authors and other professionals from the industry that you can learn from—I'm sharing all my secret sources from my past years of experience as a published author.
I already wrote my children's book.
While you can think of The Lab as a 101 for writing a great children's manuscript, there are always new things to learn. If you're looking to learn some new skills or still feel a bit uncertain about writing a strong manuscript, then yes! But if you're whipping out kid's books and have several pub deals, this might not be the right course for you.
Is this masterclass only for new authors? What if I've already been published?
I'm an experienced author.
I only want to write a book if I can be traditionally published. Will this course help?
I understand this! Yet the reality is there is no silver-bullet to getting traditionally published. But you can ask any editor at any publishing house—the place to begin is with an excellent story idea and solid manuscript. Without it, there's no chance. And in the KidLit Lab? That's exactly what we're going to work on.
i really want a book deal.
You shouldn't have to feel lost as you write your children's book.
While I won't pretend the actual process of writing a children's book is easy (It isn't! And it's not for everyone!) you don't have to flounder. The KidLit Manuscript Masterclass is designed to give you confidence in writing a good, true, and beautiful story that will have kids coming back to your book again and again.
let me, help you, help you
"Your downloadable resources were wonderful—worth the cost of the course alone! I will refer back your teaching in this course for years to come."
Kate M.
"I couldn't believe how much insider knowledge I gained."
The KidLit Manuscript Masterclass is the only one of its kind. You'll...
Gain clarity on what makes a good idea and what you should set aside
Understand the requirements, standards, and best practices for Christian KidLit
Know how to research and vet a topic idea so you can be as true and accurate as possible
Have go-to strategies for when the draft isn't working
Learn techniques for editing and polishing your draft
Know what it looks like to find and work with an illustrator
Discover clarity on what to do with your manuscript once it's complete
Receive encouragement on what it looks like to write for God's glory and steward your gifts faithfully
waitlist
We're all incredible writers in our heads. Let me help you be incredible on the page.
Try KitLit Manuscript Manuscript for 7 days, risk free.
I want you to be 100% confident when you invest in The KidLit Manuscript. That’s why I'm offering you a 7-day money back guarantee! If you're feeling like The KidLit Manuscript Masterclass isn't helping you in your children's book writing journey, you're free to cancel, no questions asked.
money back
guarantee
100%
COME ON, TAKE A CHANCE ON YOUR DREAM.
Don't flounder in your book journey for one second more.
I'm busy! How much time will this take?
The KidLit Lab will run for five weeks. You can expect the content to take about 30 min - 1 hour to get through each week, plus, my hope is that you'll also take time to implement what you're learning on the fly. In addition, there will be a 1 hour live group coaching call each week. BUT I don't want time to be a barrier so you can absoutely go at-your-own-pace. You'll have access to the course long after the five weeks are over, so you can take your time (and still hop on the group calls or watch the replays!), re-listen to the material, and implement as it works for your life.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do I have access to the course?
Lifetime access! Once you purchase, you can go back and watch it as much as you'd like for the lifetime of the course. You'll also get access to any future new content for free, if it's added.
Will you offer feedback on my manuscript / story ideas during the course?
Unfortunately, while I would love to, I'm just not able to do this due to time constraints. But I will offer third-party resources for you if that's something you desire.
Does this cohort give me 1:1 access to Laura?
This cohort is designed for group coaching and at this time. If you'd like to meet with me 1:1 you can do that here. You will definitely have time to ask me your questions and I'll be highly available to you throughout the course!
When exactly is this thing?
The masterclass will start on October 23, 2023 and run for five consecutive weeks. The cart opens to purchase your spot on October 16, 2023 and will be open one week.
If I'm not able to enroll now, will it come back in the future?
I currently don't have any plans re-open enrollment in this masterclass any time soon. I plan to devote the most attention to this first round of enrollees that will ever be offered. If it does come back in the future, I also plan to raise the price, so this is the best time to get in on the deal.
Is the course-self paced?
Technically, yes! But because I want you to learn as much as possible, I'm only going to be granting access to one to two modules at a time. I'll be dripping out content each week so that we can work together, discussing what you're learning during the five weekly live group coaching calls. My hope is this will allow you to practice what you're learning along with each module, then be able to ask me specific questions related to that week's content during our live calls.
What if I purchase The KidLit Lab and realize it's not for me?
No problem! I'm offering a a 7-day money back guarantee! I want you to be 100% confident when you invest in The KidLit Lab. If you enroll and realize it's not for you, I'll refund it.
Do I need to buy anything extra once I purchase?
Nope! It's all included.
Is this for children's fiction or nonfiction?
Both! There will be all sorts of information and tips for anyone who wants to write for children, no matter their genre.
Do I have to be a Christian to take this?
Nope! You can think of this a bit like “faith-based." While I think what sets this course apart is the fact that we're coming at the topic from a Christian angle, it's not heavy-handed and anyone can learn from it.
It was such a gift to be able to talk through the content with Laura, who is absolutely lovely and has so many compelling thoughts. I have come away inspired and would totally recommend this course.
rebekah t.
"I am so happy
I signed up."
I completely understand. Feel free to send me an email with any questions you have!
Still on the fence?
