Experience of distance learning writing courses? The Writers Bureau

[internationalbeeboo]

I'm currently on parental leave til next year(I live in France). I'm considering a career-change and have been looking into distance learning courses in writing for children.
Does anyone have any experience of this sort of thing? I don't know what to look out for and how to compare different courses. I have received a brochure from Systematic Training & Trading referring to the Writers Bureau...has anyone heard of this? Is it a good reference?
Any tips & advice would be appreciated!

Don't know about that course in particular, but I would just say be careful as there are a lot of courses making a lot of money from people who want to be writers, and it's not really something a course can help you achieve, especially not as a career that pays the bills (am only just making okay £ after 10 years of building a career). Of course it can be helpful to be part of a group of writers and get feedback on your work, but this wouldn't happen in a distance learning course. I think you'd get just as much from getting a good book on the subject and just getting some writing done. That's the only way to know if you're any good at it and it doesn't cost a penny. If you really want to do a course, there are a few decent MA's out there that may be distant learning, but again it's pretty costly. Maybe you could think about doing a residential course (like the Arvon Foundation ones) to inspire you when you get time. But there's no substitute for just getting on with the writing. Good luck!

This is one of the distance learning MA's I've heard good things about and it seems to have a writing for children strand:

www.hlss.mmu.ac.uk/english/postgrad/course.php?id=10

Unlike the private courses, they don't talk about writing as a career choice or money-making venture, which is more realistic. But if it's something you're passionate about, you should get a lot out of it. Anyway, I'd better shut up and get some writing done...

Writer's Bureau is rubbish ime. My sil did it a few years back and whilst she enjoyed the course it didn't lead to anything at all - not sure how it could really ? I think they oversell themselves.

Better off just starting to write and get drafts off to publishers - but be ready for a lot of rejections - it is not a career for the easily put off !