So, You Want to Write for Kids?

 

Recently the organist at our church called to me across the chancel. “So, you’re a writer?” 

 “Yes?” 

“I didn’t know that!” 

I don’t hide what I do, and we’ve known each other for about 18 months. But somehow some people just seem to miss this fact about me. Yes, I am a writer. Yes, I write for young readers. 

Periodically when I’ve had an especially gruesome week, I consider giving it up. But then what would I do? If we’re just talking how would I fill my time, that isn’t an issue. I love taking classes and figuring out new things. I’m currently taking a class about AI. 

But if we are discussing how would I earn income? Hmm. That’s tricky. I’ve been a freelancer since about 1997. I’m not sure I’m good for much else at this point. 

Fortunately, tantrums and bad days aside, I’m good at what I do. I write primarily nonfiction for young readers. If writing for young readers is something you’d be interested in doing, the best thing you can do to pave your way is read books for young readers. 

If you want to write picture books, read picture books. If you are interested in nonfiction, read nonfiction. Young adult novels? There are so many great books for you to read. 

You don’t have to read only what you want to write. That means that you don’t have to confine yourself to only picture books or only middle grade. Who am I to deny you amazing books for other age groups? 

But do read things that were published in the last three years or so. Publishing is always changing and that includes the books that publishers want. Sure, some classics stand the test of time (Where the Wild Things Are) but today’s young readers want to read today’s books. One way to find these books is to check the new acquisitions at the library.

Another way to find these books is to sign up for publishing and literature newsletters. I get newsletters from Book Riot, Publisher’s Weekly, MacMillan, and Penguin Random House. 

When I tell you to read and read a lot, I don’t mean that you have to read print books. Audiobooks are a great way to get a feel for the play and flow in language. And ebooks are so convenient and also the way that many teens read. But really?  Print books are the only way to go if you want to write picture books. 

That’s because the format, complete with trim size and page turns, is a big part of the picture book experience. If you want to write picture books, you need to gain a feel for the full effect, page turns and everything. 

I’ve seen some people recommend that you read 1000 books before you start writing. Meh. I don’t know. The more you read the better. Reading will help you get a feel for what publishers want and what has already been published. It will help you learn about language and pacing and characterization. You’ll learn how to hook a reader and what setting details to include. 

Read, read, and read some more. But don’t use it as an excuse not to write. Because that part is truly vital if what you want to do is write for kids. 

--SueBE

Sue Bradford Edwards' is the author of over 60 books for young readers.  

• To find out more about her writing, visit her site and blog, One Writer's Journey.  
• Click here to find her newsletter.

She is also the instructor for 3 WOW classes which begin again on December 2, 2024. She teaches:

• Pitching, Querying and Submitting Your Work 
• Research: Prepping to Write Nonfiction for Children and Young Adults 
• Writing Nonfiction for Children and Young Adults 

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Leave a Comment how to become a children's writer Sue Bradford Edwards, writing for children, writing for young readers

Genre and Format: The Confusing Terms Used in Children’s Publishing

Whenever someone refers to the picture book genre, I cringe. I used to do this myself. Picture books aren’t a genre. They’re a format. If you want to publish books for young readers it is vital to know about both genre and format.   

The two broadest genres in writing are fiction and nonfiction. Within each of these categories, whether you write for adults or children, are numerous other genres. Fiction genres include: 

• Mysteries – a crime has been committed and someone needs to figure out who did it and why. Check out Midnight at the Barclay Hotel by Fleur Bradley.
• Fantasy – stories that involve magic. Anyone remember a series about Harry Potter? 
•  Science fiction – futuristic science. I loved The Lion of Mars by Jennifer Holm. 
• Historical fiction – these fictional stories are set in the past. See The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate.
• Romance – The lovers meet and then they split. Will they end up together at last? Ali Hazelwood has published romances for both adults and teens. 
• Dystopian – A cataclysm of some kind has left the world a total mess. The Hunger Games made it from print to screen.   

There are even more fictional genres, but there are nonfiction genres as well. 

• Memoir – This is a slice in a person’s life as told by themselves. It contrasts with autobiography (a person writes about their whole life) and biography (a person writes about someone else’s whole life). One of the latest is This Indian Kid by Eddie Chuculate.
• How-to or DIY – These books relate how to do something whether it is hand sewing or dying cloth with plants. 
• Science – Biology, chemistry, astronomy, and ecology are all covered in science books. Young reader science can be about anything from human anatomy to fungus. 
• History – The history of a wide variety of topics is covered in this genre. One of the best writers of historical nonfiction for young readers is Steve Sheinkin. 
• Popular Culture – From books about music to art and pop culture of all kinds, these books appeal to fans of everything from Barbie to Pink. 

If you write for young readers, you also need to identify your format. The most well-known formats for young readers include: 

• Board Books – these cardboard books stand up to rough handling by babies and toddlers. One popular board book author is Sandra Boynton. 
• Picture Books – Picture books combine texts and illustrations to tell a story. They are most often 32 pages long. For a popular series, check Ryan T. Higgins Mother Bruce books. 
• Early Readers (also called Beginning Readers) – These books have a smaller trim size than picture books. They are fully illustrated, but the illustrations don’t help tell the story. They are there to help decipher unknown words. Step Into Reading is one popular early reader series.
• Chapter books – Each chapter has some spot illustrations but there is much more text. The chapters are short to help newly independent readers build confidence. See Saadia Faruqi’s Yasmin books. 
• Novels -- Tweens and teens who are fully competent readers turn the pages of novels. Many of these books are popular with adults and even make it to the big screen like Judy Bloom’s Are You There God? It’s Me Margaret. 

If you write for adults, you need to know your genre. If you write for young readers, add format to this description to help you find the right agent or editor for you. 

--SueBE

Sue Bradford Edwards' is the author of 40 books for young readers.  

• To find out more about her writing, visit her site and blog, One Writer's Journey.  
• Click here to find her newsletter.

She is also the instructor for 3 WOW classes which begin again on January 8, 2024. 
She teaches:

• Pitching, Querying and Submitting Your Work 
• Research: Prepping to Write Nonfiction for Children and Young Adults 
• Writing Nonfiction for Children and Young Adults 

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6 comments format, genre, publishing for young readers, Sue Bradford Edwards, writing for children, writing for teens

Four Tips for People Who Want to Write for Children

That fake-o smile over there? It looks like the one I give people who chat me up about children’s writing and then make the big reveal. “I normally write for adults/teach/climb mountains but I want to do something quick and easy and make some money out of it.”

Nine times out of ten, I wish them luck and make my way to the punch bowl. They don’t want to know how to write for children, but you’re different. You’re a Muffin reader. That means you take writing seriously. Here are four tips for those of you who want to write for children.

Don’t assume writing for children is easier than writing for adults. If you write, you know writing is hard work. Writing for children is harder than writing for adults because, in addition to knowing how to write, you have to know about the different levels of books.

Know what type of book you are writing. Is it a picture book or a chapter book? An early reader or a young adult novel? You need to know because a picture book is vastly different from an early reader. There is also the fact that certain genre sell at one level but not another. Mysteries? Think middle grade. Romance? Young adult.

Research your audience. When you write for children, their developmental stages effect what makes a good book for that age level. A middle grader is starting to identify more with their peers than their parents. A young adult is finding her place in the world and questioning what her peers think as well as continuing to challenge her parents.

Remember the story. New writers often have a lesson to teach. Kids don’t want a lesson. They want fun. You can include a lesson but hide it under the story. Melanie Watt’s picture book, Bug in a Vacuum, is about a bug that gets sucked into a vacuum but is also a lesson on the stages of grief. That’s obvious enough to an adult but a child want to see if the fly gets out.

There are amazing opportunities for writers who have great stories to share with young readers. Before you break into the children’s market, you’re going to have to do the work to get to know them and their books. I’ll leave you to figure out whether it’s quick and easy.

--SueBE

Sue is the instructor for our course, Writing Nonfiction for Children and Young Adults. The next session begins on November 9, 2015.

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1 comment children's writing, writing for children

Friday Speak Out!: A Legacy For The Victims, Guest Post By Jeanine DeHoney

After the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School my heart grieved along with the nation at such an unconceivable and horrendous occurrence. I tried to focus on the commonplace things that ordered my day; cooking, checking my e-mails, working on multiple stories, but my mind kept going back to the horror that unfolded for the world to see. I wished, prayed that the day could be rewound and maybe something; like a boiler breaking, had closed the school. But it hadn’t. And then on the news I heard about a teacher who kept her children calm in the midst of such chaos by reading to them. So I reached in my file cabinet, swallowed back my tears and pulled out a children’s manuscript.

I had worked with precocious preschoolers for over twenty-five years. They were delightful; sometimes quite a handful but I loved them all. They loved for me to read them stories; “Green Eggs and Ham” by Dr. Seuss, “Where The Wild Things Are” by Maurice Sendak,” “Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do you see? by Bill Martin, Jr., “Amazing Grace,” by Mary Hoffman. So as a writer to heal the pain in my heart I pulled out a children’s manuscript that I had long put aside and began to revise it and then e-mailed it to a publisher.

It was funny. About a family of mice. I imagined a child reading it and rolling around in laughter until their belly ached, a child bright-eyed, and full of wonder like the ones that were lost. I imagined they loooooved books as all kindergarteners and first graders do. I imagined that the night before, after they put on their pajamas and were tucked into bed, a parent sat beside them to read their favorite bedtime story. And maybe this time, something they will always have to scent their memory, when their child asked to hear it one more time, they agreed, and nestled even closer for a second helping of storytime not knowing it would be their last. And I imagined that their teacher probably had assembled a ginormous reading list of only the best children’s books for them and it was the most anticipated part of their day when they were read to because she used gestures and her voice became animated and even the most squirmiest child would sit still when being entertained like that. As those happy images eased some of my grief, I made a pack with myself to write more children’s stories. Hopefully they will get published. Hopefully they will cushion a child’s heart, and be a time of tender bonding for parents and children, and be on a teacher’s reading list of must reads for inspiration.

Once upon a time I felt my literary calling was to other women because of the solidarity we shared. Now I have a newborn commitment to writing for children. I want to create a paper trail of stories that will make our most precious commodities hearts dance with unabashed giggles in a world that can be full of cruel human beings and catastrophes and sorrow. No, I won’t abandon my adult peers. But I will sleep better knowing that I am as dedicated to crafting a great story for young children just as the teachers, principal and other staff members who lost their lives were dedicated to giving the youngest victims of this tragedy educational wings to soar. For me that is the best way to honor each of their lives as a writer.

  * * *

Jeanine DeHoney is a former assistant and Family Services coordinator at a daycare center. As a freelance writer she has had her writing published in several magazines, and online blogs including Good Enough Mother, The Mom Egg, Mused-Bella Online, Literary Mama, The Muffins-Friday Speak Out, Family Fun, and Tea Magazine. She's also been published in "Chicken Soup for the African American Woman’s Soul," Devozine, Tea Magazine and Reunions Magazine. Jeanine is also a contributing writer to Esteem Yourself E-Magazine.
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Would you like to participate in Friday "Speak Out!"? Email your short posts (under 500 words) about women and writing to: marcia[at]wow-womenonwriting[dot]com for consideration. We look forward to hearing from you!
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3 comments children's books, Friday Speak Out, Jeanine DeHoney, tragedy, writer inspiration, writing for children

When Nostalgia Gets in The Way of Your Writing Career

by wharman www.flickr.com

I remember fondly sitting at the dentist's office with my mom and flipping through the latest Highlights for Children magazine. I loved the Hidden Pictures and the comic strip stories. I loved the poems and arts and crafts. I also remember getting my Jack and Jill magazines in the mail and sending in my own poems and drawings. These were some exciting days as a child.

When I decided to write for children, I wanted to publish a book, of course. But all the advice I read and heard at writing conferences was that while I was working on my book, I needed to build a publishing history. I needed to submit to magazines. This was one way I could work on my craft and learn the business at the same time.

So, I started on fiction stories, as most writers do. I thought back to those doctor's office waiting rooms and reading stories with my mom and dad. I remembered using my Jack and Jill magazines to play school, and reading with great expression the stories out loud to my stuffed animals.

This nostalgia got me rejection after rejection--and only one acceptance to a small, independent magazine because I placed in their fiction contest.

What I soon learned was that I needed a critique group. I needed to try my hand at nonfiction, too. I needed to learn about fillers and editors and query letters and more. So, through my correspondence classes at the Institute of Children's Literature and the wonderful members of my critique group (as well as all the conferences they dragged me to), I soon realized there was no place for nostalgia if I wanted a career as a writer. I needed to put away those memories of Highlights and Jack and Jill and face reality.

I see this SO OFTEN with new writers and/or people who have been trying to get a children's book published for years. They want to write a book like they remember from their childhood. They don't want to hear about e-zines or Walter, the Farting Dog or picture book apps. They don't want to hear that nonfiction sells easier than fiction, and that magazine editors are dying for boy stories with humor. They don't want to hear that they have to go study the market and figure out how it is always changing.

As the saying goes, "This is not your grandma's" publishing business any more. If you find yourself receiving rejection after rejection on your picture book or middle grade novel manuscript, take some time to find a critique group (or partner) and make it better. If you have any extra money, hire a professional editor. While you are in the revision process, learn about today's business and build your publishing history. Look into writing for e-zines and magazines--including teaching and parenting mags-after all, aren't these the people who are going to buy your children's books for their young ones?

Nostalgia is great--and it often helps us get in touch with our inner child, and come out with the best stories ever. But don't let it take over your career.

Margo's "Writing for Children: Short Stories, Articles, and Fillers" online class is still open! It's not too late to join. It starts on Monday 3/5. Click here for more information. 

post by Margo L. Dill

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8 comments children's magazines, critique groups, Margo L. Dill, WOW Classes, writing for children

What Am I Writing? Children's Books Defined

by purpleslog www.flickr.com

It seems we've gotten a lot of e-mails lately asking us which one of the online classes we offer for children's writers is appropriate for the e-mailer's project. Writers will then describe their manuscripts and ask us to tell them what they are writing--whether it's a picture book, chapter book, or middle-grade novel, for example. This is an important question, and one that you should definitely be able to answer as you finish up your first draft and start working on revisions.

So, what type of children's books are out there? How do they differ from one another, and who is your audience? One great way to figure out what you are writing or what you want to write is to spend time in the children's and young adult section of your public library as well as talking to the children's librarians. They are in the know and want to spend time helping others in the community, so pick their brains if you struggle with this topic. Here is a quick list to refer to with an example of a current title to go with it:

• Concept book:  This is a picture book or even a board book for very young children, preschoolers, that teaches them something, such as colors, counting, or opposites. An example would be Pirate Nap: A Book of Colors by Danna Smith.
• Picture book: The audience for this book is usually preschool through second grade. It is a story that is told with text and illustrations, with an illustration on each page, such as Olivia by Ian Falconer.  
• Chapter book: These are for those primary elementary students who are transitioning between picture books and novels. Series like Junie B. Jones and The Magic Tree House are considered chapter books. These books average about 70 to 80 pages and have a couple illustrations in each chapter. 
• Middle grade novel: This is a novel for children in fourth, fifth, and sixth grades. It generally has between 35,000 to 45,000 words. A couple of examples are the first Harry Potter, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, or Holes by Louis Sachar. 
• Tween novel: Although this is not an official term, many middle-grade writers are writing a little older than their upper elementary grade school audience, but not old enough to be considered YA.  These books would have 40,000 to 50,000 words and deal with a lot of middle school/junior high pressure. The Giver by  Lois Lowry is an example of a book perfect for tweens.
• Young adult novel: These are usually considered for children 14 and older. They often deal with tough subjects and teenagers trying to navigate through their adolescent years. Books by author Ellen Hopkins would be YA.

 So, what are you writing? Where does your project fall?

If you are interested in taking a class on writing middle grade novels or writing for children's magazines, Margo teaches both, and they are coming up at the end of February (2/22) for Writing a Middle-Grade Novel and the beginning of March (3/5) for Writing for Children's Magazines. Classes are also offered in writing a picture book and writing for young adults at different times throughout the year.  For more information, go to this link and click on the class you want to register for. 

post by Margo L. Dill

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2 comments children writers, children's books, Margo L. Dill, writing for children

Why Plan Your Novel?

All of you pantsers out there have probably asked this question, "Why should I waste time planning my novel?" You may have even stated, "I could never spend all that time on outlining my novel or doing character studies. I just write what comes to me." This is a fine and dandy way to write a novel. Poll 100 successful novelists, and a large majority of them will state they write by the seat of their pants.

But one thing I've discovered lately while teaching the writing the middle grade novel class for WOW! is that doing a little pre-writing really does help your novel. It, at least, makes the turmoil of getting your first draft down on paper a little easier.  Student after student has written to me and said that they enjoyed the weeks of pre-writing, they felt they knew their characters and plot better, and they actually had new ideas for subplots. 

What type of pre-writing did we do? It's nothing groundbreaking. We spent a week discussing our favorite middle grade novels and why they are our favorites. During this week, students wrote a summary of their novels like it would appear on the back of a book jacket. This exercise made writers focus on who and what their story was about. 

Next, we did a character study on the main character and an important minor character. I let students choose what type of character study to do, as I feel some writers need to answer questions to build a character like, "What's her favorite food?" or "What's a happy childhood memory?" Other writers build characters better if they can write about them in paragraphs with prompts such as, "What are your character's hobbies?" or "Who is in your character's family?"

Finally, the middle grade writers in my class made a list of problems or issues a child the same age as their main character could have. We shared these lists with each other, and then students created an external problem, an internal problem, and subplots. Once all these pre-writing activities were completed, writers started chapter one. 

So, why plan a novel? I wasn't convinced that it was a good idea before I started teaching this class. But now, I believe it makes a novel easier to write. I believe we'll have less backtracking later on. I believe we'll know our characters inside and out.

But what do you think? And do you have any methods that work best for you?

Margo L. Dill teaches the online class, "Writing the Middle-Grade Novel" for WOW! Women On Writing, which starts Monday, July 25 and lasts for six weeks. To see the syllabus and sign up, please visit the WOW! classroom page. Margo's first middle-grade novel will be published by White Mane Kids. To find out more, visit Margo's website, www.margodill.com. 

photo by Pink Sherbert www.flickr.com

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12 comments Margo L. Dill, middle grade, WOW Classes, writing for children

Learn to Write for Children: Tips from Margo L. Dill

I've never tried writing for children's publications but I've always been intrigued by the idea. It must be so rewarding to reach out and entertain a child through your writing. I still remember all the articles and stories I read in magazines, such as Cricket, as a child. Maybe it's because I was so young that the stories stuck with me, or the fact that I was reading something I wanted to read for the first time.

So to gain a bit of insight into this market, I caught up with Margo L. Dill and asked her a few questions on the subject. Margo teaches the e-course Writing for Children. The course begins next Wednesday, January 13th. If this is a market you've been thinking about writing for, I urge you to visit the classroom page and sign up today.

Welcome, Margo! Like I mentioned above, I'm new to children's writing. So tell me, what are the different types of manuscripts children's magazines accept?

Margo: Children's magazines accept short stories, poems, and articles. They also accept fillers, which are pieces like recipes, puzzles, quizzes, and arts and crafts.

That's a wide variety, and it sounds like a lot of fun. If a writer wanted to craft a short story for a children's magazine, what things should she keep in mind to better target her market?

Margo: I teach about the characteristics of a children's short story during the fiction lessons because writing a short story for children is very different than writing for adults. The age of the main character is very important and should be the same age or older than the target age range. For example, if you are writing a short story for readers between 8 and 12 years old, the main character should be 11 or 12. As a rule, children don't like to read about kids younger than them or adults as main characters. The other big mistake I see made in many children's stories, and we cover this in the class, is that the child protagonist does not solve his own problem. An adult swoops in and saves the day. Children want to read about other children solving their own problems.

I never thought about it, but that makes complete sense. I think it's a good lesson too for children to learn how to solve their own problems. In your class curriculum you recommend sending a cover letter with a short story submission. Are cover letters important? Shouldn't the story stand on its own?

Margo: Writing for children is a business. If you want a magazine editor to take you seriously, then you need to learn the business. On cold submissions, magazine editors expect to see a cover letter with your submission--this includes e-mail and snail mail submissions. The cover letter should be short and simple, just like you were sending a cover letter with a job application. The job application speaks for itself, but the cover letter highlights some important points. Same is true for a short story cover letter. It should briefly explain the story, tell the word count, why the story fits in the magazine, and a few of your credentials. That's it!

Great advice, and it sounds simple enough. Let's talk nonfiction articles. You mention that it's easier to break into the children's magazine market with nonfiction. That's also true with the adult magazine market. In your opinion, how do these markets differ?

Margo: The biggest difference is that there are fewer nonfiction children's magazines than there are adult magazines, so the competition is fierce. Therefore, you have to know how to research your market and your topic to give yourself an advantage over other freelance writers. You also must write a killer query letter, which we work on in the online class. Many children's magazines have theme lists; so before you send your query, it is important to see if your idea will fit in any of the themes. Some magazines will invite queries that do not fit in any themes for possible future consideration. Writing for children is similar to writing for adults, and it should be taken just as seriously.

I bet your students love the query letter part of the class! And you seem to have had a lot of success with queries. You've had articles, short stories, poetry, activities, and recipes published in various children's publications. Quite an impressive list too, I might add! I'm sure writers who are interested in your class would love to break into these publications. But what if they don't have any clips? Is it just as important to have clips in the children's market as it is in the adult market?

Margo: Thanks, Ang. I thought the different types of manuscripts I've had published showed I was a bit scattered, but I appreciate the compliment. (Laughs) Clips are not as important in children's magazines. If you are writing strictly fiction or poetry (which I don't recommend to ONLY write these), then you don't need clips. Editors want to see the entire manuscript before they make a decision. As for fillers, you also need to send the entire manuscript unless the guidelines say otherwise. Every once and a while, a magazine editor will ask for a query for a quiz idea, instead of seeing the whole quiz first. For nonfiction articles, clips can help you get published; but in general, children's magazine editors will accept a query idea on speculation. This means if you don't have a lot of clips, you will write the article because they like your idea, but they may or may not purchase it until after they read the complete article.

That's great to know! I'm sure some of us are breathing a sigh of relief on the clip thing. So what do you ultimately hope students will learn from taking your course?

Margo: Children's writing for magazines and websites is just as tough (or maybe tougher because there are less markets) than writing for adults. It is so important to have markets in mind before you write a story, article, or poem if you want to publish your work. Creativity is important, but published writers must use their creativity to craft a publishable manuscript, or it is a waste of time. I will show my students how and where to search for markets, how to target markets, how to craft a short story and submit it, and how to write a great query for an article. I also want them to see how fillers can be quite lucrative and motivating! When I taught this class in the fall, one of my students got an acceptance for a filler from a website during the class and became an educational writer for BrightHub.com.

Thank you, Margo, for sharing some great tips with us today!

Readers, if you're interested in breaking into children's writing, remember, Margo's class Writing for Children: Everything You Need to Know About Short Stories, Articles, and Fillers starts next Wednesday, January 13, 2010. It runs for 7 weeks. Visit the classroom page to view what you'll be learning week by week. Enroll today to reserve your spot. Happy writing!

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4 comments children's magazines, E-course, freelance writing, Margo L. Dill, online class, writing for children

Last Chance to Register! Writing for Children Workshop

Ladies,

If you're interested in writing for children's magazines--whether it's a short story, a nonfiction article, or poetry--this class is not to miss! Margo is a fabulous instructor and will walk you through the process--from crafting your story to creating your submission package. Enroll asap to ensure your spot.

WRITING FOR CHILDREN: Everything You Need to Know About Short Stories, Articles, and Fillers by Margo L. Dill

START DATE: Wednesday, September 30, 2009

DURATION: 7 weeks

COURSE DESCRIPTION: This class will teach the basics of writing for children’s magazines, crafting short stories, nonfiction articles, poetry, and fillers. The student will come away with a short story and cover letter, nonfiction query letter, and a filler or poem. She will also have a list of potential markets, fitting her manuscripts. The instructor will also share an organizational tool for submissions and information on finding other children’s writers and networking.

Visit the classroom page for more details and a week-by-week breakdown:
http://www.wow-womenonwriting.com/WOWclasses.html#MargoDill

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Leave a Comment children's writing workshop, E-course, Margo Dill, online class, writing for children

Writing for Kids—Challenging and Rewarding

I am lucky enough to have a middle grade novel coming out in the next year. For those of you who are not familiar with the children’s publishing world, middle grade is for kids between the ages of 9-12.

I am also currently teaching for a woman, who is on maternity leave, in a classroom full of nine and ten year olds, who love to read. With this job, I have been exposed to many, many, many great children’s books. I’ll mention a couple here by some fantastic women authors: Trouble Don’t Last and Shakespeare’s Secret. If you haven’t read these, you’ll want to check them out—even if you’re an adult.

But my point today is not how many terrific middle grade books I’ve read. It’s about what kids like or what writing teachers and authors say kids like. I think the following list is true and can make or break a great manuscript. Not only do these “rules” work for novels, but I think they also hold true for short stories. It’s not as easy to write a story for kids as some people assume it is. In fact, it may be harder. Kids are not gentle if they don’t like a book.

*The protagonist needs to be as old or older than your target audience. If your target audience is 9-12, then make your protagonist 12-13. Kids love to read about characters their own age or older doing spectacular things. They don’t want to read about someone their younger sibling’s age.

*The protagonist needs to solve his or her problem with minimal or no adult assistance. Parents are usually in the background in kids’ novels. They definitely don’t come to the rescue.

*Kids need to sound like kids—even if you have a genius as a main character. This genius is still 12 years old and doesn’t have the life experiences of an adult. The genius adolescent can have a grand vocabulary but still sound and think like a kid. If you want to write for kids and you aren’t around kids, then go where kids are and listen to them.

*Don’t underestimate your readers. They can handle complex plots and issues. Some of the students I am currently working with can write their own Web sites with html coding, so they can certainly figure out mysteries and follow subplots. Give them some meat in your stories.

I’m sure there are lists upon lists in cyber world of what makes good children’s stories. I followed these four points for my middle grade novel, and I’m trying to do these again in my current ya novel. If you write for kids and have any more to add, please do so in the comments. Writing for kids is not easy, but I wouldn’t want to do anything else.

Happy Writing!
Margo Dill
www.margodill.com

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5 comments Margo Dill, middle grade, writing for children