COMPLETE SELF-STUDY COURSE

INTRODUCTION

WELCOME TO THE LYRICAL LANGUAGE LAB SELF-STUDY!

I’m thrilled that you’ve taken this step toward learning all the nitty-gritties of lyrical language and poetry, which is what LLL is all about. My goal with this course is to help you unlock poetic tools and show you how to use them to convey story, emotion, and meaning through lyrical language. Understanding the elements of poetry will enhance all your writing, whether it be poetry, prose or rhyming picture books, or novels.

Facebook support group

If you have questions on the lessons or need clarification of a specific concept, just post in our dedicated Facebook group at any time. You will need to request to be added, which I will do ASAP.

If you prefer to email your questions, you may do so at renee@reneelatulippe.com

Assignment feedback

At the end of the course, you have the option of sending me two assignments for detailed feedback. Just choose the two you prefer and email them to me. Please be patient, though — the turnaround will depend on the volume of assignments I have at that time.

Remember: the included feedback is on two assignments from the course, not on full manuscripts!

Feedback on the course

This course has been carefully researched and developed to maximize learning while keeping the daily time commitment to a (relative) minimum. I am, however, always open to improvement and welcome your feedback at any time. If something doesn’t quite work for you, don’t hesitate to let me know via message or email.

Legal stuff

I have worked diligently to create a comprehensive yet affordable course that is accessible to most writers. Please help me protect my work by not sharing emails, links, passwords, or content in any way. If you find the class helpful, I would be most appreciative if you recommended the course to those you feel would benefit from it.

INTRODUCTION

In the world of children’s literature, poetry often comes off as the eccentric cousin – the one everyone admires from afar but doesn’t get too close to. And that is a darn shame! Besides being a delightful medium to read and share, children’s poetry also has so much to teach us about the craft of writing.

But enough of this waxing poetic business! You will soon receive an email with the link to 
Lesson 1, and we still have some things to do to get ready.

HOW THE COURSE WORKS

On alternate days, you will receive an email with a link to that day’s lesson. All content is hosted on password-protected pages on my website at www.reneelatulippe.com. Simply click the link, enter your password, and start learning! Please do not share your password with anyone. The password will expire at the end of the course.

 

YOUR COURSE PASSWORD: write-2017

For your convenience, practice sheets and supplemental materials are also offered in PDF format, which you will find at the bottom of each lesson page in the Downloads and Links section. You may print them out and keep them in a binder for future reference, but I do ask that you not share them with anyone else. 

 

How long are the lessons?

This course is designed to put you in control of how much or how little you do. Concepts have been broken down into manageable chunks that can be read in about 30 minutes a day, plus writing time. Some students spend a couple of hours on a lesson while others may spend a couple of days or more. 

Each lesson also includes suggestions for extra exercises and assignment options in case you want or need more practice. And of course you can always go back to those extra exercises later.

 

Please also take a look at this FAQ, which will answer common questions about what to expect. 

This course consists of 20 lessons delivered on alternate days. All lessons are in written form, hosted on my website. There are no recorded or live lessons. 

Many of the lesson assignments include an additional “apply this concept to your work in progress (WIP)” exercise, and many past students have used the class to work on various aspects of a specific WIP. For example, many students will work on small portions of their WIPs for the assignments.

So while the class is not about developing PB/MG/YA stories, the lessons and exercises are designed to help you hone and polish what you have. It’s important to remember that this is a language-level course, so we are looking at the nitty-gritties of making your writing musical and engaging rather than at the big-picture concepts of plot, story arc, character development, and so on … even if, in the process of feedback, those things are often touched upon. 

The self-study course is completely self-guided, so how much time you spend on reading the lessons and completing the writing assignments is entirely up to you. There are no deadlines! 

Forever! Feel free to print them out and make a binder, or keep the links to return to as often as you wish, whether it’s next month or three years from now.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED

  • The following materials from the Downloads and Links section below:

      • Library List

      • Reading Resources list

      • Glossary of poetic terms

    • Computer with Internet access

    • A generous selection of poetry books (see Reading Resources)

    • A generous selection of rhyming and prose picture books (see Library List) 

    • The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson

    • Highlighters of various colors

    • Many students use the class to work on works-in-progress (WIP), so you may want to have some manuscripts handy, either rhyming or prose.

     

    That’s it! Are you ready to get lyrical? Then go check your inbox for that link to Lesson 1.

    Lyrically yours,

    Renée

    DOWNLOADS AND LINKS

    Library List (books referenced and excerpted in the lessons)

    Download Library List

    Reading Resources 

    Glossary of Poetic Terms

    Download Glossary