I’ve noticed that people who want to write a story, but are new to the arena, don’t understand what ‘s involved in writing a good story. I’ve seen lots of drafts that are cute, but they have no story arc. They’re a series of related events or incidents … they’re not a full story. Another…
Category: writing for children
Words to Live By – The Three Gates
Sometimes, you read a quote or adage that makes you want to share it. This is one of them. Before you speak, let your words pass through three gates. At the first gate, as yourself, “Is it true?” At the second gate ask, “Is it necessary?” At the third gate ask, “Is it kind?” Sufi…
The Foundation of Every Children’s Story
While every story starts with a good idea, that’s not enough to make a good story. Your idea, while possibly the cornerstone of the creation, is only part of the foundation. There are other elements needed to make a fully developed story. To give you an example of this, a protagonist wants to take guitar…
Twist Endings – Are All Children’s Books a Good Fit?
Twist endings in young children’s book can give a great story a blast off ending. One that kids will want to read over and over. Twist endings in young children’s book can give a great story a blast off ending. One that kids will want to read over and over. This type of ending is…
A Children’s Ghostwriting Dilemma
I get ghostwriting clients from all demographics. I work with psychologists, therapists, professionals in the medical field, grandparents, parents, teachers, and others who for whatever the reason want to write a children’s book. Now and then, I get a client who trusts my writing skills enough to hire me to ghostwrite or rewrite his story,…
Where Does Your Story Really Start?
You may think you’ve started your story where it should be started, but are you sure? Go over it again or ask a peer to go over it and see it you should start it further along.
Deep Point of View
Contributed by Linda Wilson Do you write romance novels? Historical fiction? Mysteries? Whatever your genre, you strive to create a close personal relationship between your main character and your reader. To shed light on this topic, at a recent New Mexico Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, SCBWI Regional event, Kimberley Griffiths Little presented…
Writing Elements – Is One More Important than Another?
There’s a lot of information on the elements of writing. You have characters, setting, point-of-view, style, theme, plot, and even literary devices. But you also have things like readability, consequences, and uniqueness. Could you choose which of these elements is the most important? It’s tough, isn’t it? Well, after doing some research and reading a…
Submitting Your Ghostwritten Manuscript to a Children’s Publisher
Authors have lots of publishing options, one of them is traditional publishing. As a children’s ghostwriter, some of my clients take this path, but don’t know how to actually travel on it. Here are a few of the tips I give them.
Writing Tips From the Book, Story Genius
Contributed by Children’s Author Linda Wilson As SCBWI meetings, critique group sessions, and so much more offered by our local New Mexico chapter go, the subjects at two recent meetings couldn’t have been more helpful. This month’s post offers highlights from a meeting that presented and discussed Lisa Cron’s book, Story Genius: How to Use…