BBC Free Mini Maestro Writing Course with David Walliams
BBC Free Mini Maestro Writing Course with David Walliams
BBC Maestro, an online learning platform that provides video courses taught by experts in their field, has teamed up with author/comedian/presenter David Walliams to bring you ‘David’s Mini Maestro Writing Course‘, a free online writing course featuring 12 videos for children aged 7-12, to help inspire and excite them to write their own stories during lockdown.
The course is available for free until 31st March 2021 and at the end children can submit their own one-page stories, no more than 500 words maximum, and each week a random sample will be showcased on BBC Maestro social channels.
There is even a chance for 20 lucky entrants to attend a writing lesson with David AND win a copy of their very own, specially illustrated book cover, framed and signed as a keepsake. All submissions will be entered into the draw, which will be split into two ages, 7-9 and 10-12. Deadline for entries is 31st of March 2021 and winners will be announced on 1st May 2021.
David’s Mini Maestro Writing Course has been designed to entertain and inspire children to create their own stories, and to give parents and children a valuable resource to help keep young minds engaged during this tough time, with homeschooling and lockdown. It is for kids to enjoy under the supervision of parents or teachers.
The twelve videos last between 1 and 6 minutes and include:
– Introduction
– Character Inspiration
– Where To Set Your Story
– When to Set Your Story
– The Hero
– Your Villain
– Titles
– Grab Their Attention
– Structure
– The Big Idea
– Finding the Funny
– Conclusion
The course also comes with a downloadable 12-page activity book to complement the course videos, with extra tips, tricks, and activities to complete.
From David Walliams:
“Kids have the most imaginative ideas, but turning them into stories can sometimes feel like hard work. It shouldn’t be. Bringing amazing ideas to life should only be fun. At this difficult time, I wanted to give kids a fun story writing challenge and at the same time, offer them a few tips and tricks I’ve learned along the way, to turn their fantastic creations into stories that that everyone can enjoy.”
From BBC Maestro:
“David’s BBC Maestro course is such an incredible, inspirational and hugely entertaining tool for aspiring adult writers, we asked David if he could find a way to create a version for kids, to give them something fun and inspiring to do during lock-down. David’s Mini Maestro writing course invites kids into David’s amazing world of writing through his fantastic child-friendly lessons. We want it to be something hugely compelling for kids and hopefully helpful to parents and teachers as a free resource, at this challenging time.”
There is also an adult online course by David Walliams – ‘Writing Books For Children’ priced at £80 and featuring 3.5 hours worth of videos (which can be rewatched as often as you like) and 25 course lessons. Go to BBC Maestro to find out more.
