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Patricia M. Newman

The Truth about Writing for Children

If you want to write or illustrate for children, it has to be because you LOVE the work. Not because your family loves your stories and says you should get them published. You write because you can’t NOT write.

One of the most common misconceptions about writing for children is that it’s easy. Nothing could be further from the truth.

It’s hard. Really hard. (I’m not kidding!) Writing for children is not for the faint of heart. It’s more competitive than writing for adults and rejection letters are part of the business. If you take rejection personally, writing may not be for you. I’m not trying to scare you away, but I do want you to be prepared.

A common mistake many beginning writers make is to take a sweet event that happened to them or their children and write a story about it. If you’ve done this, ask yourself the following questions:
  • Is there a conflict in my story? Conflict creates tension, which makes readers want to turn pages. No conflict? No story.
  • Are my characters compelling? Compelling characters use snappy dialogue. Their personalities come through in the words they speak, not in 1,000 words of description.
  • Does my prose sing? Even though narrative prose doesn’t rhyme, it can sing with descriptive verbs and an active voice. Don’t know what those are? Consider a writing class at a local college or learning exchange.

Still with me? Here’s what you can do to make yourself a better writer.

  • Join the Society for Children’s Book Writer’s & Illustrators (SCBWI). Members have access to market publications, manuscript format guides, agent information, contests, regional and national conferences—EVERYTHING to do with writing for children. It’s the gold standard for children’s writers and illustrators
  • Check out a few other private websites:
    • www.janeyolen.com Jane Yolen is the author of over 200 books, short stories and articles. If she doesn’t know it, no one does.
    • www.patriciamnewman.com My website features profiles from dozens of children’s authors and illustrators. Reading one or two of the profiles is like attending a mini-conference. Each profile is full of insight and inspiration.
    • www.verlakay.com Verla Kay hosts writing-related chats online. The transcripts of past chats are posted, too.
    • www.underdown.org Harold Underdown maintains this site as a public service. It’s loaded with tips, articles, market information, and places to buy children’s books.
  • Read. A lot.
    • Read what you want to write. If you want to write picture books, read them. If you want to write middle grade fiction or teen fiction, read it. If you want to write nonfiction, read it.
    • To start with, check out some of the award-winning children’s books. Your public librarian should be able to help you, or you can visit falcon.jmu.edu/~ramseyil/awards.htm. Scroll down for the list of Children’s Literature award categories and links to the sponsoring sites.
  • Join a critique group.
    • Your critique group reads your writing and gives honest constructive criticism. They are not supposed to tell you how wonderful your story is; they are supposed to help you improve it so it will sell.
    • The best way to find a critique group is to attend a conference or two and ask for the critique group coordinator. I found my critique group through SCBWI; maybe it will work for you, too!