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This course has some very distinct and informative material which was terrific for learning about writing for young readers. I particularly found Maria Gill's modules very informative, encouraging and well presented.

What I found REALLY disheartening, was that we as students (who aren't qualified and at times, have questionable English literacy skills), were the ones who were given the task of assessing all of the assessments in this course. I was really hoping for feedback from the industry experienced course creators :( . The other thing that was frustrating is that 'word count' was a criteria. Some students were brutal in their grading because one was over the word count by a few words, so be aware of that, if you are going to undertake this 'course'.

This is not so much a course which leads to some sort of exam or qualification (dictionary.cambridge.org) but an independent information acquirement experience.

I learnt quite a lot about writing and publishing and would encourage you to do this course, as it does contain some great information and tips, just be aware that grading is based on newbies like us and sometimes the feedback can be a bit disheartening but just persevere and you will learn lots. These people really know what they are talking about.

This is a great course to get you writing. The interviews with writers are particularly helpful. The assignments are well thought out though there was some confusion when it came to peer reviews and how to assess word count which the staff are trying to sort out. Peer reviews were very varied as some people just wrote one word down which was no help at all, while someone inexperienced wil struggle with this I think the course should include an early module on reading and critically as reviewing someone's work is a great aid to writing and editing your own work. Course paperwork could include a critical checklist to help with peer reviews. I would have found that helpful so that I could be confident Of doing a good job. I think you should also be able to edit your reviews as a mistake will mean your fellow writer could be marked down. All in all though well worth doing. Many Thanks to the tutors, staff and guest writers.

I very much enjoyed this course! Lots of opportunites to write and learn about every area of writing and publishing. I wish there was more information on publishers/magazines. Most of the publishers that were listed do not accept unsolicited applications. Also, having more magazines listed would help people trying to publish shorter pieces than novels. It would have also been wonderful if we could have had at least one of our pieces reviewed by a professor. In general, I found peer reviews not very helpful. But overall, very satisfied with this course!

One of my favorites parts of all the course, was the interview with the playwright. The course is about guiding the participants, or those who want to start to write, with the most important and necessary advices. In addition, the profesor wants to make us understand that writting is more than just a profession: it's passion, and the most effective way of see that point is by hearing a writter who feels that way about litterature active and also pasive.

This course is great so far - really helpful and specific - but I feel like there is an unnecessary amount of repetition of certain points. We were told "use your own experiences to fuel your stories" in 2 videos with David Hill, a reading assignment and then again in a video talking to another author. While I appreciate the "look, they say it too!" idea of backing up their ideas, I feel like this is overkill.

Wonderful to see and hear so many different authors giving advice and being able to learn from them. The instructors were well spoken and neatly organized or an online audience. Definitely a treat for the unpublished and aspiring authors. New tips for old dogs and pups. You can have others review your writing style and format. The only problems you may run into might be the students submitting for review.

This course is really meant for beginning writers for Young Readers. The information is good and at a pace that is easy to follow. If you are an advanced writer or have experience, it may not be as valuable for you. However, if you are just starting to look at becoming a professional, or have limited experience beyond writing for yourself, you will find this a very valuable learning experience.

An excellent course. The inclusion of excerpts allows one to develop a greater understanding of the different topics dealt in the MOOC. Also, several excerpts are from stories written by authors based in different continents; this makes reading the excerpts all the more interesting. Also, the course allows one to adjust the deadlines for submitting assignments, which is a good thing.

The instructors are great and the interviews are very useful. I would have liked to learn about tone and pacing of the stories. Is there a common structure (at least a basic one that we can later break?). Hollywood uses the three-act structure. Is this also useful for stories for young readers?

I learned a lot but perhaps there should be a second course. I'd be interested.

I did the MOOC just to break the ice and have a general idea about this world of writing for young audiences. I think the course is fair and quite complete, has some very interesting insights, and the videos as very informative and the perfect lenght (by the time your head can't take more info, they are over). Thank you very much, it has been a pleasure.

Great course that develops your confidence on book writing. Well-tailored with regard to the needs of a beginner writer, showing clearly what editing, proofreading and publishing involves and the various existing types. It was such an opportunity to know more on writing and especially on how to approach publishers and get your book published.

This is a really nice course, it has actually help me grow in the way i write a story! There are many things i am taking away, key tips and suggestions. One thig that could be improved in this course was the assesment, noone has assesed my work becase of which my course it said to be incomplete. That could change, otherwise AWSOME!!!!

Great if you literally know nothing about writing but want to write. Otherwise, the first three modules cover basic story writing information. What's great is the interviews with authors and the ability to peer review and so, read all sorts of things.

This is the first MOOC I did and it was a great experience. The instructors and guests were pleasant and informative. The assignments were fun to do and the peer reviews were all respectful, most were very constructive.

Would recommend!

The course is great! However, there are no written examples of expectations for weeks 4 and 5 At least David Hill shows examples after lectures. Not everyone is an audible learner therefore written examples should be posted for week 5

I found the course to be a very good introduction and review for beginner writers and also experienced writers who just need a refresher of sorts. Comments from peers are the most helpful and motivational aspect of the course.

The course gave me some insight into the processes involved in editing and seeking publication. However, I feel it was too skewed toward writing for VERY young readers, whereas it was marketed as including Young Adult fiction.

I've learned so much from this course. Not just about the whole writing process but also some valuable information on how to get your work published. Thanks for opening this treasure chest for new writers like me! Cheers!

This course was very nice, its objectives were clear and it gave a good panorama of the writing experience. The interviews with writers were interesting and some tips about editing and publishing were really valuable.

Overall an enjoyable course. I do find that the evaluation rubrics provided were a little bit unsatisfactory. In addition to improved rubrics, clearer instructions on how to use the rubrics would have been helpful.

This course has reminded me how important has been always creative writing in my life. I did not like the texts we had to comment some times but other than that, I think it is a very nice course. I recommend it!

Para novatos es una excelente información para comenzar, y para escritores con más experiencia ayuda a reafirmar y recordar conocimientos, así como a ver las cosas en ojos de otros escritores experimentados.

Very intetesting and complete. Would love a follow up. Didn't give 5 stars just because I think the course could have been even more specific about young readers target audience. Thank you.