6-week rhyming picture book course with Catherine Emmett

Catherine Emmett, author of rhyming picture books, will lead WriteMentor‘s 6-week online course, which explores everything that you need to know about writing rhyming picture books. 

Combine flawless rhyme with a strong plot

The course is aimed at picture book writers who are beginning their journey into rhyme. Learn about the unique features of picture books, explaining what is needed for a great concept, and how to combine flawless rhyme with a strong plot. 

Taking your picture book from idea to manuscript

Catherine will deliver an interactive workshop each week on rhyming picture books and set homework to help you take your picture book from conception to polished manuscript.

Along the way Catherine will encourage you to post your work for tutor and peer review to help improve your writing. 

Course summary

Start and end date: Wednesday 17th April – 22nd May

Time: 8.15 pm – 9.15pm (GMT)

Duration: 6 weeks

Platform: Slack

Tutor: Catherine Emmett

Course coordinator: Florianne Humphrey (florianne@write-mentor.com)

Cost: £144.00

Frequency: Once a week


Course outline


WEEK ONE: What picture book are you writing? 

Introduction to the course and exploration of what rhyming picture book you are writing. Find out whether you have an original concept, discover the core of your story, and decide where your book would sit in the market.

Week TWO: Metre

What is metre and why is it important? Learn what stressed syllables are and examine common metre patterns to ensure that you have a picture book text that rolls off the tongue. 

Week THREE: Rhyme

What makes a beautiful rhyming story? Learn all about the Rules of Rhyme and how to make your picture book sing.

Week FOUR: Plot

Discover the traditional three-act story structure and how it applies to rhyming picture books. Understand what to include in your beginning, your middle and your ending.  

Week FIVE: Layout

Learn about the importance of picture book layout and how your story should interact with the illustrations. At the end of this week each group member will be paired up with another member to critique each other’s work.

Week SIX: Critique Week 

Discuss the previous week’s critiques and look at how to edit your manuscripts ready for submission.   

“I have recently started submitting my work and had my first 1-to-1 with an agent. She didn’t sign me but did say that the manuscript I sent her flowed well and commented that I have a talent for rhyme. This was not the case before the WriteRhyme course and I can say hand on heart that it was one of the best investments I’ve made in my writing”

Camilla Porter, author and WriteRhyme student

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Meet the course leader


Catherine Emmett, author


Catherine used to work in the City, but quit her job to move to the countryside and write children’s books. She writes rhyming and prose picture books, which are funny and heart-warming, with twisty plots and endearing characters. Her first book was published in 2020 and she has books in development with Simon & Schuster and Macmillan.

Twitter: @Emmett_cath

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Testimonials


“Catherine is a wonderful teacher, full of knowledge and experience and super approachable. All of the sessions were delivered to time, with a lot of information and useful take aways. Not only do I now feel more confident writing in rhyme, but I also gained important information and tips about writing PB’s in general. I would highly recommend this course to anyone who wants to delve deeper into the world of Picture Books and rhyme. Thanks Catherine, you are a font of knowledge!”
Vicki Minchin Writer
“If you’re writing or considering writing a rhyming picture book the you’d be foolish not to attend this course!”
Sam ClarkeWriter
“I’ve done some excellent writing courses in the past and my skills and knowledge has improved gradually with each one. I know it’s a long process, where ideas and advice take time to consolidate and show results. But when I did Catherine Emmett’s WriteRhyme class this wasn’t my experience at all. I felt like I went from zero to a hundred just from that one course! I didn’t know much about writing a rhyming picture book to begin with, but at the end of the six weeks I felt confident and competent, and had a fairly decent draft of a PB to show for it. Catherine is a brilliant teacher and the content is really engaging; I would so look forward to that Thursday evening when class was on! I recommend this course wholeheartedly.”
Niz FarookWriter
“This course is a cracker! You need Cath’s help if you want to try writing in rhyme; have tried and struggled; or think you already can (you can’t until you’ve done this course!).”
Tom LancasterWriter
“A fantastic course – Catherine’s insights and advice had an immediate impact on my work and by the end of the course I’d created a rhyming text from an idea that had been sitting in my head for fifteen years.”
Kirsty ApplebaumWriter
“The WriteMentor Write Rhyme course unlocked all the secrets on how to write a great picture book and avoid all the pitfalls that you can make when trying to write in rhyme. I now have a much better approach to plotting and critiquing my own work. It’s fired me up to get all my unfinished drafts completed.”
Nicola PintoWriter

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