How to Write Picture Books is an online course for those who have always wanted to create a picture book and want to know the nuts and bolts of how picture books are made and why they matter. Author, Eva Wong Nava will take you through the paces of writing a picture book, and answer questions on how to work with illustrators as a writer.
Packed with industry insights and expertise, this course is for those who are curious and passionate about picture book creation, and those who want to create their own.
By the end of the course, you’ll have a first draft of your debut picture book.
Please note, if you are an illustrator you can check out the accompanying How to Illustrate Picture Books course here. And if you are a writer AND an illustrator you can take a look at our full course on How to Write & Illustrate Picture Books here.
Week 1 (1 hour)
Basics of writing picture books
An overview of the basics of writing picture book stories, focusing on narrative picture books. Let’s take a look at a story with a clear beginning, middle, and end. We'll also discuss the importance of identifying your target audience to ensure your story is suitable for the audience your picture book is aimed at.
Week 2 (1 hour)
Creating your Main and Secondary characters
In this session, we will create a memorable main character and the supporting characters that make the story come alive. We will look at some mentor texts to prompt you along. Come with your notebook and something to write with.
Week 3 (1 hour)
Drafting Your Story & Finding the Story Problem
Writing the first (awful) draft makes your story feel awfully real. Locating the Story Problem gives your story punch and propels it forward. You’ll see real-life examples of a draft.
Week 4 (1 hour)
Emotions and Themes
A good story leaves a lump in your throat. A great story opens the floodgates. Learn how to amp up the feels to make your story unforgettable.
Week 5 (1 hour)
Understanding Voice & Tone
Ah! That nebulous entity called ‘voice’. This week you’ll be hearing about how Eva took Voice by the reins to write her picture books.
Week 6 (1 hour)
From Draft to Pitching your Manuscript
When it’s all done, it’s time to share it with the world! Let’s take a look at pitching your story to agents and editors. Includes tips on what agents and publishers want to see.
Testimonials from events led by Eva:
"A great course with excellent speakers that provided invaluable information and advice. The dip into the world of illustration was brilliant." Jason Francis-Sutton
"It was interesting and inspirational. I learned a lot of things I didn't know." 2025 Masterclass attendee
Eva Wong Nava was born on a tropical island where a heraldic animal spurts water. Her ancestors braved monsoon winds sailing from the Middle Kingdom to British Malaya to plant roots in Southeast Asia. When the winds changed, her relatives sailed again and found another home somewhere in the western hemisphere, braving snow storms and hail.
Eva has done many things in life, but writing remains her most favourite thing to do. She combines degrees in English Literature and Art History, and writes stories that explore identity, culture, and belonging by adding a dash of magic. She has written an award-winning middle-grade novel (Moonbeam Children’s Book Awards, 2018), a Singapore Book Awards-nominated YA Historical Fiction (Best Literary Work, 2023), and several fiction and nonfiction picture books. She is the author of the best-selling picture book, I LOVE CHINESE NEW YEAR, which was selected for Cbeebies Bedtime Stories in 2024 and DANCING DUMPLINGS FOR MY ONE AND ONLY, which was awarded a starred review on Kirkus Reviews and School Library Journal in America. And, she has forthcoming picture books to be announced. Eva has been a speaker at The Bookseller Children's Conference on writing and editing sensitively and the Asian Festival of Children’s Content on writing diverse books and representing under-represented voices. She has spoken to parents and children in the United Kingdom, Australia, France, and Singapore on reading for pleasure and using picture books to learn about the world.
Eva is the cofounder of Picture Book Matters, a mentoring platform for aspiring picture book creators in and from Southeast Asia. She established The Writing Essentials to offer editorial services such as sensitivity reading and author coaching. Eva is passionate about how her culture, heritage, and people are represented in books, films, and media. She has lived here, there, and everywhere, but she calls the Land of Albion home. Eva lives in London with her family, two scampering squirrels, and a regal fox.
Picture Book Matters is a mentorship platform, for aspiring and emerging authors and illustrators, co-founded by author Eva Wong Nava and Artist / Graphic Novelist Debasmita Dasgupta.
The course fee of £175 (inc. VAT) is payable in full online. Please note that payment instalment plans are available for all W&A events, writing courses and editing services. Contact W&A Admin on [email protected] so that we can find a payment schedule that works for you.
If this event is Sold Out, please look out for other writing courses by visiting our Events homepage.
This is a live online course which will be presented using video conferencing software. Joining instructions and full guidance will be provided by the W&A Team a week before the event start-date. All timings for this event are as per UK time.
To view our event refund and cancellation policy, please click here.
Accessible to All
It’s of real importance to Writers & Artists that our events and courses remain accessible to all.
- Writers & Artists has made one bursary place available for this writing course as part of our accessibility scheme. Please visit our bursaries page for further information about how to apply. Please note, this has now been allocated.
- At the author’s discretion, event materials will be made available to attendees after the course.
- A link to a recording of the course will be circulated each week. This will be made available to course attendees only, and for a time-limited period.
- This course will include written text and visuals. Please contact us in advance so that we can make arrangements to be sure all documents appear in a format that works for you.
- If you’d like to attend but have any questions or concerns regarding accessibility, then please email [email protected]
