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Writing for Children – Learn the Ropes

Posted on by Karen Cioffi

I write for young children, and I’ve also written a lot of content on marketing and health topics. Writing in multiple genres, I can tell you that writing for children can be much more challenging.

When writing for children, there are guidelines to follow to help your story avoid the editor’s trash pile.

Okay, I can hear some of you mumbling that you’re self-publishing.

That’s great, but . . .

You SHOULD STILL create a story that adheres to traditional book publishing standards.

Wondering why?

There are so many reasons:

1. You want to create and publish a quality book, one that you’ll be proud to be the author of.
2. You want to be perceived as a professional writer.
3. You want a story that grabs the reader.
4. You want a story that engages the reader and motivates them to keep turning the pages.
5. You want to have an ending that leaves the reader satisfied and hopefully offers a take-away value.
6. You want your story to be age and word appropriate.
7. You need to edit and proof your story before publishing.
8. You want to write a story that. once read, will motivate the reader to read other books by you.

So, how do you write a slam-dunk children’s book?

For starters, you should know how to write for children.

I’m not saying you need to get an MFA in Writing for Children. I’m suggesting you take some online or offline courses and READ A LOT.

Read traditionally published books in all children’s genres, but specifically in the genre you want to write. You can also check out your local library and look for recently published books.

You’ll also want to read books on the writing process and structure.

What are some of the things you should know when writing for young children?

– There should be only ONE main character. It is from this character’s point of view that the story will be told.
– The story’s time frame should be short.
– You need to pay attention to adverbs and adjectives, and you should limit them.
– You can write in different tenses, but once you choose one for a particular story, you must stick to it throughout the story.
– You should use proper grammar and punctuation.
– You need a story arc and a character arc.
– All stories must have conflict unless you’re writing a children’s concept book.
– You should use age-appropriate words and an age-appropriate storyline.
– If you want to be called an author, you have an obligation to other self-published authors to produce a quality book. If you don’t, your book will lessen the value and professionalism of all self-published books.

These are just some of the things you should know about. So, are you familiar with adverbs and adjectives? Do you know what tense is? Do you know what a story arc is? Do you know what point of view is?

If you know all these things and the other things not mentioned here, then jump in and start writing your story.

But if you don’t know about writing for children, take a step back and at least learn the basics.

To help you on your journey, you can find a list of writing resources by clicking the link within this sentence. And this website is full of helpful writing tips; just scroll through the blog posts or use the Categories drop-down menu to find what topic you’re interested in. You’ll find it on the sidebar.

If you have any questions or would like to add your input, please leave a comment!

I’m a working children’s ghostwriter, editor, and coach. I can help turn your story into a book you’ll be proud to be the author of, one that’s publishable and marketable.

OTHER HELP I OFFER:

FICTION WRITING FOR CHILDREN COURSE
A guided self-study course and mentoring program.

HOW TO WRITE A CHILDREN’S FICTION BOOK
A DIY book to help you write your own children’s book.

WRITERS ON THE MOVE PRESS.
Self-publishing help for children’s authors.

You can contact me at: kcioffiventrice@gmail.com. Or give me a call at 347—834—6700. (Please leave a message- I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.)

3 thoughts on “Writing for Children – Learn the Ropes”

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  2. Pingback: Why and How Anthropomorphic Characters Work | Writing for Children with Karen Cioffi
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Karen Cioffi is a working children's ghostwriter, editor, and coach who would love to help you become author of your own children's book. Just send an email to kcioffiventrice@gmail.com

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