This is Part2 of an article about creating your protagonist. Well, not just creating him, it’s about creating a powerful and memorable main character (MC). And, it’s based on an article I read at Jerry Jenkins, author of 186 books. Part one discussed: – Naming your character – Making him quickly visible – Let the…
Tag: writing for children
6 Power-Tips to Creating Your Main Character
View Post I read an excellent article by Jerry Jenkins who is an author of more than 186 books and a New York Times bestselling novelist. This is a writer who knows about writing. The article was about creating memorable heroes. Every author wants to be able to do this. So, below are the first…
Writing Picture Books for Young Children – A Different Writing Style
A writing style is the way a writer writes a story. It’s the words used, sentence structure, tone used, and even the method used. The children’s picture book writing style is unique for two main reasons: 1. You’re dealing with young children. 2. You’re often dealing with parents and teachers who will read the story…
Ghostwriting Children’s Books – 5 Ways to Know if You’re Any Good
Some writers can at times wonder if they’re ‘good enough’. Are they fulfilling their clients’ expectations? They may occasionally doubt their writing skills and ability. I think it goes with the territory. They may take on a project they’ve never done before. Yep, doubts surface. They see peers getting credits from major magazines or getting…
Children’s Writing and Information Dump
As a ghostwriter and editor, occasionally I get clients who give me a draft of a story that has information dump within the first few spreads of a picture book. This is a no-no. Information dump is when an author literally dumps a chunk of information for the reader to absorb. Granted most new writers…
4 Writing Tips on Using Descriptions
Using descriptions can be a powerful writing tool. The most important thing to keep in mind is to use your imagination. Close your eyes and picture what your character is doing. Picture what the scene looks like then paint it with words. Below are four tips to help you get a handle on writing…
The Front Matter – Before the Story Text Begins
I get lots of questions from my clients as to what comes after the story is written. While a lot of the questions are about illustrations, what’s been coming up more and more is about the pages that come before the story text begins. The pages before the story are called the front matter. Just…
10 Tips to Hiring a Children’s Ghostwriter
Before I get into the tips to working with a ghostwriter, let me explain what a ghostwriter is. A ghostwriter is simply a ‘writer for hire’ who will write your children’s book, article, website content, or other type of content you need to create and market your book. S/he’ll take your idea, your notes, your…
Fiction Writing – 5 Top No-Nos
Fiction writers who are good at what they do, enjoy what they do. They like creating something from nothing . . . well from an idea. They enjoy the craft and the process. But, with that said, there are 5 top mistakes these writers make. 1. You make the beginning of your story all roses….
Writing – Trimming The Fat
Guest Post by Penny Lockwood (Ehrenkranz) If you check market resources both for printed and on-line publications [picture books], you’ll find a number whose word limit is below 1,000 words. How do you trim the fat from your manuscript to fit within the tight confines of those word limits? First, check your manuscript for “weak”…