Friday, March 6, 2026

Join us for a weekly “Writing Kid Lit” class

Writing Kid Lit

  ~ Board Books to Young Adult Novels

Online: Monday evenings, 7 – 9 p.m.,
April 13 – June 22. No class April 27, May 18 or June 8
Offered online and accessible from anywhere there's internet 

This course is for adults (or teens) interested in writing Board Books, Picture Books, Chapter Books, Middle Grade books, or Young Adult novels, whether fiction or nonfiction, traditional text or a script for a graphic book. This course is accessible for beginners and meaty enough for advanced writers.

Through lectures, in-class assignments, homework, and feedback on your writing, we’ll give you ins and outs of writing for younger readers. If you want to write for kids, this is the course you need to make sure you’re on the right track.

Guest speaker Lana Button has published well over a dozen children’s books, with Orca, Kids Can Press, Owlkids, Tundra, Nimbus, Groundwood and Pajama Press, including her latest picture books: Time to Leave, Laverne! (Owlkids) and One Can, co-authored with Eric Walters (Groundwood), plus an early chapter book series titled Brianna Banana (Orca).  

Lana has several books scheduled for publication through 2028, including a board book, some picture books and two more books in the Brianna Banana series.

Lana has been awarded the Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Award and the Crystal Kite Award. Her picture books have been shortlisted for The Blue SpruceThe Shining Willow, the Jean Throop IODE Award and the Rainforest of Reading, and have been recognized as Canadian Children’s Book Centre’s Best Bets and the IBBY Outstanding Book for Young Children.

Find out more about Lana and her books at www.lanabutton.com, connect with her on social media @lanabuttonauthor, and order her books through Chapters/Indigo here.  

Instructor Brian Henry has been a book editor and creative writing instructor for more than 25 years. He publishes Quick Brown Fox, Canada's most popular blog for writers, taught creative writing at Ryerson University (now Toronto Metropolitan University) and has led workshops everywhere from Boston to Buffalo and from Saskatoon to Toronto to Saint John. Brian is the author of a children's version of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (Tribute Publishing). But his proudest boast is that he has helped many of his students get published.  

Read pieces about ~ or inspired by ~ Brian's retreats, courses and workshops here (and scroll down).

Fee: $257.52 plus 13% hst = $291

To reserve your spot, email: brianhenry@sympatico.ca

See all of Brian’s upcoming weekly writing classes, one-day workshops, and weekend retreats here.

Thursday, November 27, 2025

Join us for “Writing Kid Lit – Intensive”

“Writing Kid Lit – Intensive”

Online: Mondays, 6:30 – 9:00 p.m.
First readings emailed January 12, 2026
Classes: 
Jan 19 – March 30, or to April 6 if the class fills up. No class Feb 16 

This Intensive course will be organized like my other Intensive courses, but it’s for people writing kid lit: board books, picture books, early chapter books, and middle grade  both fiction and nonfiction, conventional text or scripts for graphic books. It’s for people who are working on their own writing projects, not for complete beginners. 

You’ll be asked to bring in several short pieces of your writing for detailed feedback. Or, possibly, you might bring in the same piece, but reworked several times. You bring whatever you want to work on.

Besides critiquing pieces, we’ll have discussions and I’ll give short talks addressing the needs of the group. You’ll receive constructive suggestions about your writing, learn how to critique your own work, and you’ll discover that the greatest benefits come from seeing how your classmates approach and critique a piece of writing and how they write and rewrite.

We’ll also have published author as a guest speaker (to be announced).

I expect you’ll find this course extremely rewarding – and fun. After all, we’re working on kid lit! ~Brian

Instructor Brian Henry has been a book editor and creative writing instructor for more than 25 years. He publishes Quick Brown Fox, Canada's most popular blog for writers, taught creative writing at Ryerson University, and has led workshops everywhere from Boston to Buffalo and from Saskatoon to Toronto to Saint John. Brian is also the author of a children's version of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (Tribute Publishing). But his proudest boast is that he has helped many of his students get published.   

Read reviews and other pieces about or inspired by Brian's courses, workshops, and retreats, see here (and scroll down).

Fee: $292.04 + hst = $330

To reserve your spot, email: brianhenry@sympatico.ca

See all of my upcoming weekly writing classes, one-day workshops, and four-day retreats here~Brian

Tuesday, September 2, 2025

Join us for Writing Kid Lit – The Next Level!

Writing Kid Lit – The Next Level!

Graphic books, picture books, middle grade and young adult novels

With guests Erin Silver
       
and Rhael McGregor 

Online: Wednesday evenings, 7 – 9 p.m.
October 8 – December 3 (or to Dec 10 if the course fills up). No class Oct 22.

This course is for adults (or teens) interested in writing graphic books (fiction or nonfiction, for very young kids or older kids), picture books, chapter books, middle grade books, or young adult novels. It’s meant for people who have previously taken a kid lit course or who otherwise know the basics of the contemporary market for children’s literature.

For graphic books, we’ll be looking at writing scripts not creating the art, though if you’re a writer-artist, we’ll want to see your work!

The focus of the class will be on your work – picture book manuscripts, proposals for nonfiction books, chapters of longer books for young people – whatever you’re working on, you’ll present to the class for feedback as to how to make your work even better.

We’ll also have discussions, talks from the instructor, and a children’s authors and an illustrator guest speakers:

Erin Silver is an award-winning children’s author and freelance writer. Her books for children include Rush Hour: Navigating Our Global Traffic Jam (Blueberry Award winner) and the picture book Sitting Shiva (Ontario Library Association Best Pick, Sydney Taylor Book Award Honor, Vine Award finalist, and TD Canadian Children’s Literature Award finalist).

She's also the author of: Good Food, Bad Waste: Let’s Eat for the Planet; Mighty Scared: The Amazing Ways Animals Defend Themselves; and Plant Attack! The Fascinating Ways Flora Defends itself; also, In It To Win It: Sports and the Climate Crisis; and All Consuming: Shop Smarter for the Planet. 

Erin’s very first kid’s book was a middle grade novel, Just Watch Me, and her most recent is Resistance and Survivors, part of the series, Remembering History: The Holocaust, from Beech Street Books. Several additional nonfiction books are in the works. 

Visit Erin's website here

Rhael McGregor is a Métis and two-spirit/queer comic artist based in Winnipeg. Since 2018, Rhael has been passionately telling stories in which they hope all readers can see themselves. Their work includes illustrations and stories published by Iron Circus Comics, Quindrie Press, and HighWater Press, along with several self-published works. 

Rhael’s also the illustrator for the middle grade novels Touching Grass (launching Sept 9 – see here) and the Governor General Award finalist Mortified both by Kristy Jackson (more here). For the class, Rhael will be talking about graphic novels and will love to take questions.

Visit Rhael's website here.  

Instructor Brian Henry has been a book editor and creative writing instructor for more than 25 years. He publishes Quick Brown Fox, Canada's most popular blog for writers, taught creative writing at Ryerson University (now Toronto Metropolitan University) and has led workshops everywhere from Boston to Buffalo and from Sarnia to Saint John. Brian is the author of a children's version of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (Tribute Publishing). But his proudest boast is that he has helped many of his students get published.  

Read reviews and other pieces about or inspired by Brian's writing courses, workshops, and retreats here (and scroll down).

Fee: $257.52 plus 13% hst = $291

To reserve your spot, email: brianhenry@sympatico.ca

See all upcoming weekly writing classes, one-day workshops, and weekend retreats here.  

Tuesday, July 15, 2025

You're invited to "Writing Kid Lit – The Next Level!"

Graphic novels, picture books, middle grade and young adult novels

Online: Wednesday evenings, 7 – 9 p.m.
October 8 – December 3, (or to Dec 10 if the course fills up). No class Oct 22.

This course is for adults (or teens) interested in writing graphic novels, picture books, chapter books, middle grade books, or young adult novels. It’s meant for people who have previously taken a kid lit course or who otherwise know the basics of the contemporary market for children’s literature. 

The focus of the class will be on your work – picture book manuscripts or chapters of novels, graphic novels, or nonfiction books for young people that you’ll present to the class for feedback as to how to make them even better. We’ll also have discussions, talks from the instructor, and two children’s authors as guest speakers (TBA).

For graphic novels, we’ll be looking at writing scripts not creating the art, though if you’re a writer-artist, we’ll want to see your work!

Instructor Brian Henry has been a book editor and creative writing instructor for more than 25 years. He publishes Quick Brown Fox, Canada's most popular blog for writers, taught creative writing at Ryerson University (now Toronto Metropolitan University) and has led workshops everywhere from Boston to Buffalo and from Sarnia to Saint John. Brian is the author of a children's version of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (Tribute Publishing). But his proudest boast is that he has helped many of his students get published.  

Read reviews and other pieces about or inspired by Brian's writing courses, workshops, and retreats here (and scroll down).

Fee: $257.52 plus 13% hst = $291

To reserve your spot, email: brianhenry@sympatico.ca

See all upcoming weekly writing classes, one-day workshops, and weekend retreats here.  

 

Monday, May 19, 2025

Join me this summer for a writing course – Personal Stories, Kid Lit or Intensive, plus an in-person Intensive in Sept

Online “Writing Personal Stories” 

~ A weekly class dedicated to the pleasures of writing your stories & insights

Tuesday afternoons, 1 – 3 p.m.
July 8 – Aug 19, 2025
Offered on Zoom and accessible from anywhere there's internet 

If you've ever considered writing your personal stories, this course is for you. We’ll look at memoirs, travel writing, personal essays, family history – personal stories of all kinds. Plus, of course, we’ll work on creativity and writing technique and have fun doing it. 

Whether you want to write a book or just get your thoughts down on paper, this weekly course will get you going. We'll reveal the tricks and conventions of telling true stories, and we’ll show you how to use the techniques of the novel to recount actual events. Weekly writing exercises and friendly feedback from the instructor will help you move forward on this writing adventure. Whether you want to write for your family and friends or for a wider public, don't miss this course.

We’ll also have a published author as a guest speaker for this course.

Fee: $220.35 plus 13% hst = $259

To reserve your spot, email: brianhenry@sympatico.ca

Online “Writing Kid Lit” 

~ Picture Books to Young Adult Novels 

Wednesday evenings, 7 – 9 p.m.,
July 2 – August 13 {or to Aug 20 if it fills up}
Offered online and accessible from anywhere there's internet 

This course is for adults {or teens} interested in writing picture books, Chapter Books, Middle Grade books, or Young Adult novels. This course is accessible for beginners and meaty enough for advanced writers. Through lectures, in-class assignments, homework, and feedback on your writing, we’ll give you ins and outs of writing for younger readers. If you want to write for kids, this is the course you need to make sure you’re on the right track.

We’ll also have a published children’s author as a guest speaker.

Fee: $220.35 plus 13% hst = $259

To reserve your spot, email: brianhenry@sympatico.ca

Online “Intensive Creative Writing”

Offered at 2 different times:

Wednesday afternoons 12:30 – 3:00
First readings emailed June 25.
July 2 – August 13 (or Aug 20 if it fills up)

Tuesday evenings 6:30 – 9:00
First readings emailed July 2.
Classes:
July 8 – August 19

Intensive Creative Writing isn't for beginners; it's for people who are working on their own writing projects. You’ll be asked to bring in several pieces of your writing for detailed feedback. All your pieces may be from the same work, such as a novel in progress, or they may be stand-alone pieces, such as short stories or essays. You bring whatever you want to work on. 

Besides critiquing pieces, the instructor will give short lectures addressing the needs of the group, and in addition to learning how to critique your own work and receiving constructive suggestions about your writing, you’ll discover that the greatest benefits come from seeing how your classmates approach and critique a piece of writing and how they write and re-write. This is a challenging course, but extremely rewarding.

Fee: $256.64 + hst = $290

To reserve your spot, email: brianhenry@sympatico.ca

In-person “Intensive Creative Writing”

 ~ For more experienced writers 

Thursday afternoons, 12:30 – 3:00 p.m.
First readings emailed September 11, 2025.
Classes: Sept 18 – Nov 27 (or to Dec 4 or 11, adding one or two more classes, depending if the course fills up. No class Oct 2 or Oct 23).
Burlington Anglican Lutheran Church, 3455 Lakeshore Rd, Burlington, Ontario (Map 
here)

Intensive Creative Writing isn't for beginners; it's for people who are working on their own writing projects. You’ll be asked to bring in several pieces of your writing for detailed feedback. All your pieces may be from the same work, such as a novel in progress, or they may be stand-alone pieces, such as short stories or essays.

You bring whatever you want to work on. Besides critiquing pieces, we’ll have discussions on topics of interest to the class. In addition to learning how to critique your own work and receiving constructive suggestions about your writing, you’ll discover that the greatest benefits come from seeing how your classmates approach and critique a piece of writing and how they write and re-write. This is a challenging course, but extremely rewarding.

Fee: $292.04 + hst = $330

To reserve your spot, email: brianhenry@sympatico.ca

Instructor Brian Henry has been a book editor and creative writing instructor for more than 25 years. He publishes Quick Brown Fox, Canada's most popular blog for writers, taught creative writing at Ryerson University (now Toronto Metropolitan University) and has led workshops everywhere from Boston to Buffalo and from Sarnia to Saint John. Brian is the author of a children's version of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (Tribute Publishing). But his proudest boast is that he has helped many of his students get published.  

Read reviews and other pieces about Brian's various courses and workshops here (and scroll down).

See all of Brian’s upcoming one-day workshops, weekly writing classes, and weekend retreats here.

Tuesday, April 15, 2025

You're invited to Writing Kid Lit, a weekly class for grown-ups

“Writing Kid Lit” 

~ Picture Books to Young Adult Novels

Online: Wednesday evenings, 7 – 9 p.m.,
July 2 – August 13 {or to Aug 20 if it fills up}
Offered online and accessible from anywhere there's internet 

This course is for adults {or teens} interested in writing picture books, Chapter Books, Middle Grade books, or Young Adult novels. This course is accessible for beginners and meaty enough for advanced writers. Through lectures, in-class assignments, homework, and feedback on your writing, we’ll give you ins and outs of writing for younger readers. If you want to write for kids, this is the course you need to make sure you’re on the right track.

We’ll also have a published children’s author as a guest speaker (TBA).

Instructor Brian Henry has been a book editor and creative writing instructor for more than 25 years. He publishes Quick Brown Fox, Canada's most popular blog for writers, taught creative writing at Ryerson University (now Toronto Metropolitan University) and has led workshops everywhere from Boston to Buffalo and from Sarnia to Saint John. Brian is the author of a children's version of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (Tribute Publishing). But his proudest boast is that he has helped many of his students get published.  

Read pieces about ~ or inspired by ~ Brian's retreats, courses and workshops here (and scroll down).

Fee: $220.35 plus 13% hst = $259

To reserve your spot, email: brianhenry@sympatico.ca

See all of Brian’s upcoming weekly writing classes, one-day workshops, and weekend retreats here.

Sunday, March 16, 2025

Still spots open in “Writing Picture Books (and other little kid lit) – Intensive”

“Writing Picture Books – Intensive”

Online: Wednesdays, 6:30 – 9:00 p.m.
First readings emailed March 19.
Classes: March 26 – June 4 (or to June 18 if the course fills up. No class April 23 or June 11)

Note: See all the writing classes on offer this spring here.

This Intensive course will be organized like my other Intensive courses, but it’s for people writing picture books – though if you want to bring board books, early chapter books, a nonfiction proposal, or some other form of kid lit, we’re very easygoing. You’ll be asked to bring in several pieces of your writing for detailed feedback. This may be several separate picture book manuscripts or, possibly, just one, reworked several times. You bring whatever you want to work on. 

Besides critiquing pieces, we’ll have discussions and I’ll give short talks addressing the needs of the group. You’ll receive constructive suggestions about your writing, learn how to critique your own work, ands you’ll discover that the greatest benefits come from seeing how your classmates approach and critique a piece of writing and how they write and re-write.

I expect you’ll find this course extremely rewarding – and fun. After all, we’re working on picture books!

Fee: $292.04 + hst = $330

To reserve your spot, email: brianhenry@sympatico.ca

Instructor Brian Henry has been a book editor and creative writing instructor for more than 25 years. He publishes Quick Brown Fox, Canada's most popular blog for writers, taught creative writing at Ryerson University (now called Toronto Metropolitan University) and has led workshops everywhere from Boston to Buffalo and from Sarnia to Saint John. He’s also the author of a children’s version of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. But his proudest boast is that he’s has helped many of his students get published. 

Read pieces about ~ or inspired by ~ Brian's retreats, courses and workshops here (and scroll down).

See all of Brian’s upcoming weekly writing classes, one-day workshops, and four-day retreats here.

To receive new postings on Quick Brown Fox as soon as they go up, visit Quick Brown Fox on Substack, and subscribe: https://brian999.substack.com/ 

Sunday, February 23, 2025

Spring session starts soon: Intensive, Picture Books, Extreme, and Personal Stories courses on offer

Intensive Creative Writing

Offered online at 3 different times:

Tuesday evenings 6:30 – 9:00
First readings emailed March 25.
Classes: April 1 – June 3 (or to June 10 if the course fills up)

Wednesday afternoons, 12:30 – 3:00
First readings emailed March 19.
Classes:
March 26 – June 18 (No class April 23 or June 11).

Friday mornings 10:00 – 12:30
Jan 17 –March 7. First readings emailed March 21.
Classes:
March 28 – June 20 (or to June 27 if the course fills up. No class April 25, May 16 or June 13)

Intensive Creative Writing isn't for beginners; it's for people who are working on their own writing projects. You’ll be asked to bring in several pieces of your writing for detailed feedback. All your pieces may be from the same work, such as a novel in progress, or they may be stand-alone pieces, such as short stories or essays. You bring whatever you want to work on. 

Besides critiquing pieces, the instructor will give short lectures addressing the needs of the group, and in addition to learning how to critique your own work and receiving constructive suggestions about your writing, you’ll discover that the greatest benefits come from seeing how your classmates approach and critique a piece of writing and how they write and re-write. This is a challenging course, but extremely rewarding.

Fee: $292.04 + hst = $330

To reserve your spot, email: brianhenry@sympatico.ca

“Writing Picture Books – Intensive”

Online: Wednesdays, 6:30 – 9:00 p.m.
First readings emailed March 19.
Classes: March 26 – June 4 (or to June 18 if the course fills up. No class April 23 or June 11)

This Intensive course will be organized like my other Intensive courses, but it’s for people writing picture books – though if you want to bring board books, early chapter books, a nonfiction proposal, or some other form of kid lit, we’re very easygoing. 

You’ll be asked to bring in several pieces of your writing for detailed feedback. This may be several separate picture book manuscripts or, possibly, just one, reworked several times. You bring whatever you want to work on. 

Besides critiquing pieces, we’ll have discussions and I’ll give short talks addressing the needs of the group. You’ll receive constructive suggestions about your writing, learn how to critique your own work, ands you’ll discover that the greatest benefits come from seeing how your classmates approach and critique a piece of writing and how they write and re-write.

I expect you’ll find this course extremely rewarding – and fun. After all, we’re working on picture books! Though if you want to bring board books, early chapter books or a nonfiction proposal, or some other form of kid lit, we’re very easygoing.  ~Brian

Fee: $292.04 + hst = $330

To reserve your spot, email: brianhenry@sympatico.ca

“(Not so) Extreme Creative Writing”

 ~ For more experienced writers 

In-person: Thursday afternoons, 12:30 – 3:00 p.m.
First readings emailed March 20.
Classes: March 27 – June 5 (or to June 19 if the course fills up. No class April 24, May 8 or June 12).
Burlington Anglican Lutheran Church, 3455 Lakeshore Rd, Burlington, Ontario (Map 
here)

Extreme Creative Writing isn't like an extreme sport – it doesn't demand something crazy – but it is meant for writers who have been writing for a while or who have done a course or two before and are working on their own projects.

You’ll be asked to bring in a few pieces of your writing for detailed feedback, including a couple longish pieces. All your pieces may be from the same work, such as a novel in progress, or they may be stand-alone pieces, such as essays, picture book manuscripts, or short stories. You bring whatever you want to work on. 

Besides critiquing pieces, we’ll have discussions on topics of interest to the class. In addition to learning how to critique your own work and receiving constructive suggestions about your writing, you’ll discover that the greatest benefits come from seeing how your classmates approach and critique a piece of writing and how they write and re-write. This is a challenging course, but extremely rewarding.

Fee: $256.64 + hst = $290

To reserve your spot, email: brianhenry@sympatico.ca

“Writing Personal Stories & Other Nonfiction”

Online: Tuesday afternoons, 1 – 3 p.m.
April 1 – May 27 (or going to June 3 if the course fills up. No class April 29)

In person: Thursday evenings, 7 – 9 p.m.
April 3 – May 29 (or going to June 5 if the course fills up. No class April 24 or 
May 8)
Burlington Anglican Lutheran Church, 3455 Lakeshore Rd, Burlington, Ontario (Map here)

If you want to write any kind of true story, this course is for you. Personal stories will be front and centre – we’ll look at memoirs, travel writing, personal essays, family history – but we’ll also look at writing feature articles, creative nonfiction and other more informational writing. Plus, of course, we’ll work on creativity and writing technique and have fun doing it. 

Whether you want to write a book or just get your thoughts down on paper, this weekly course will get you going. We'll reveal the tricks and conventions of telling true stories, and we’ll show you how to use the techniques of the novel to recount actual events. Weekly writing exercises and friendly feedback from the instructor will help you move forward on this writing adventure. Whether you want to write for your family and friends or for a wider public, don't miss this course.

Fee: $220.35 plus 13% hst = $259

To reserve your spot, email: brianhenry@sympatico.ca

Instructor Brian Henry has been a book editor and creative writing instructor for more than 25 years. He publishes Quick Brown Fox, Canada's most popular blog for writers, teaches creative writing at Ryerson University (now called Toronto Metropolitan University) and has led workshops everywhere from Boston to Buffalo and from Sarnia to Saint John. But his proudest boast is that he’s has helped many of his students get published. 

Read pieces about ~ or inspired by ~ Brian's retreats, courses and workshops here (and scroll down).

See all of Brian’s upcoming weekly writing classes, one-day workshops, and four-day retreats here.

To receive new postings on Quick Brown Fox as soon as they go up, visit Quick Brown Fox on Substack, and subscribe: https://brian999.substack.com/