How to write children's books

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   gamergirlposted 15 years ago

   How to write children's books

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2. 99

   Rochelle Frankposted 15 years ago

   I have a couple of hubs on the subject-- and I'll bet there are others, as well.

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3. 0

   Dark Lucyposted 15 years ago

   Read a lot of children's books, and you'll start to get into the right mindset, understanding what works and what doesn't.  Like adults, children like to identify with the characters in the story, so different children will like different things.  Think back to when you were a child - what books did you like reading, because they are the ones you would be best at writing.

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   writingconsultantposted 15 years ago

   The most important detail to keep in mind when preparing to write anything is your audience.  Writing must be tailored to the audience it is geared toward targeting. 
   
   That being said, a children's book must a) be written with terms a child can comprehend and retain, b) include illustrations for the purpose of keeping their attention and encouraging retention of the information
   
   As with any book, the first key component is the writer's passion.  If this is missing, the book will not be successful.  One must possess a great passion for writing and an understanding that it is important to see the book from the audience's eyes!  (i.e. look at the book from a child's perspective). 
   
   One does not need to possess a PhD to write a book - just passion and dedication.

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   gradypposted 14 years ago

   This year for NaNo will be my first foray into writing books for a younger audience.  My plan is to read at least 5 to 10 books similar to what I want to write to get a feel for the language and level to write for them.  I will also read a few books on how to write for children. 
   
   When it comes to it, though, I'll just write and try to tell a good story.  I expect I'll slip in a few things that might be too advanced for the audience I'm writing for, since most of my writing so far has been intended for older audiences. But that sort of thing can easily be remedied through editing.
   
   Just write the best story you can.  Details can always be worked out later.

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   Tom_Radfordposted 14 years ago

   I've written and illustrated a few childrens books... there is no 'right way' to do it... but if you read the greats like Roald Dahl you realise that in order to engage children you need to think like them, simplify your humour, make it physical and funny, and talk about things that are important to them. The holy grail, in terms of making money, is writing fiction that appeals to young girls, they're much harder to write for than boys and so much of it has been done already.

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   jkselectionsposted 14 years ago

   I'm in the process of writing a children's book also and what I have read is that you should start with something you know.  So I looked back at what things I did as a child and the crazy things that happened and decided they were pretty funny.  So I'm putting these instances in writing and hopefully children will find them funny too.

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