Children’s Writing – 8 Tips to Get You Started

What does it take to write a children’s book? You have made the decision and have the ideas but what do you do now? Wouldn’t it be nice to have inside knowledge about the world of children’s writing It would make things a lot easier for you if you can understand what is involved and what it takes to compile a successful story for children.

There is specific criteria involved with children’s writing, as with any specialized industry, that you should know before you get started. You wouldn’t let a first time driver drive without giving him lessons first now would you. So it is right to say it would benefit you in the long run, to be equip with the skills necessary to be successful at writing stories for children.

Here are the 8 ways you can kick-start your children’s writing career.

1. It takes action to make your book happen. Set yourself goals and work towards them. Taking action everyday will help you to achieve your goals.

2. Have the right attitude. Positive thoughts like “I will be a great writer” and “I will be published by the end of the year” are the right thoughts to be having at the beginning of your writing career.

3. Do your research. Sometimes you will need to research aspects of your storyline, publisher expectations and your audience. If you are writing about something you’re not precisely sure of, do your research to make your story convincing and realistic. All publishers will have different requirements so you will need to tailor your writing to suit these expectations. The type of book you will write will be determined by the audience you choose to write for.

4. Find time everyday to write something. Even half and hour or an hour will assist you with completing your book.

5. Believe in what you are writing. If you don’t believe in what you are writing,don’t expect your readers to either. No doubt this will project through your writing so be careful here.

6. Children’s books are easy to write. Anyone can do it! If you think this is a true statement, you’re defiantly a positive thinker but it’s not entirely true. It takes a lot for the author to produce a well written children’s book. There is more to think about when writing children’s books than with adult novels. Realizing this from the start will improve your writing tenfold.

7. Know where you are going, sounds easier than it is. Know how the book will end before you start and work towards this. Sometimes, planning the book from start to finish can back you into a corner. When you know where you want to go, you should head in that direction. But if you like to plan out your book, that’s ok too, don’t be disappointed or get stuck if it goes slightly off track. Stick at it!

8. Don’t go off on a tangent. Say what you need too to get the point across and leave it at that. Especially when writing for children! Children have short attention spans so keep it short and sweet where possible. Read more

2011
08/23
CATEGORY
Writing Skill
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Writing Lesson Plan – A Children’s Writing Lesson Plan For Beginners

Since many aspiring children’s book writers are also teachers, it might be a good idea to offer some advice in a familiar format — a writing lesson plan. We’ll develop this plan step-by-step.

LESSON ONE:

Let’s start our adventure with a look at the categories of children’s books:

* Picture books — In its broadest definition, a picture book is a book in which the illustrations play a significant role in telling the story. Under this umbrella are several types of books:

1. Baby Books — For infants and young toddlers, these books are generally lullabies, nursery rhymes, fingerplays, or wordless books. The length and format varies with the content.

2. Toddler books — Very simple stories for ages 1-3 (under 300 words) familiar to a child’s everyday life, or concept books (teaching colors, numbers, shapes, etc.) Books are short (12 pages is average) and the format can be board books (sturdy paper-over board construction), pop-ups, lift-the flaps or novelty books (books that make sounds, have different textures, etc.) See the “Max” series of board books by Rosemary Wells (Dial).

3. Picture books — Traditionally, picture books (also called “picture story books”) are 32-page books for ages 4-8 (this age may vary slightly by publisher). Manuscripts are up to 1500 words, with 1000 words being the average length. Plots are simple (no sub-plots or complicated twists) with one main character who embodies the child’s emotions, concerns and viewpoint. The illustrations (on every page or every other page) play as great a role as the text in telling the story. Occasionally a picture book will exceed 1500 words; this is usually geared toward the upper end of the age spectrum. Picture books cover a wide range of topics and styles. The list of Caldecott Medal winners, available from your library, is a good place to start your research. Nonfiction in the picture book format can go up to age 10, 48 pages in length, or up to about 2000 words of text.

4. Early picture books — A term for picture books geared toward the lower end of the 4-8 age range. These stories are simple and contain under 1000 words. Many early picture books have been reprinted in the board book format, thus widening the audience. The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle (Philomel) is an example.

As we continue our writing lesson plan, we step up to a slighty older age group:

* Easy readers — Also called “easy-to-read”, these books are for children just starting to read on their own (age 6-8). They have color illustrations on every page like a picture book, but the format is more “grown-up” — smaller trim size, sometimes broken into short chapters. The length varies greatly by publisher; the books can be 32-64 pages long, with 200-1500 words of text, occasionally going up to 2000 words. The stories are told mainly through action and dialogue, in grammatically simple sentences (one idea per sentence). Books average 2-5 sentences per page. See the “Amelia Bedelia” books by Peggy Parish or other “I Can Read” books published by Harper Trophy.

* Transition books – Sometimes called “early chapter books” for ages 6-9, they bridge the gap between easy readers and chapter books. Written like easy readers in style, transition books are longer (manuscripts are about 30 pages long, broken into 2-3 page chapters), books have a smaller trim size with black-and-white illustrations every few pages. See “The Kids of the Polk Street School” series by Patricia Reilly Giff (Dell) or the “Stepping Stone Books” published by Random House. Read more

2011
08/22
CATEGORY
Writing Skill
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