Creating Your Children's Book

Midwest Journal Press

• Publisher: Midwest Journal Press DD
• Year: 2017
• eBook ISBN: 9781329176737
• Topic: Languages & Linguistics
• Subtopic: Creative Writing
• Index: Languages & Linguistics

How to Write That Children's Book You've Always Wanted

Have you ever thought to go ahead, sit down, and write that story which keeps coming into your mind? That one that's "childish" or "juvenile"? Maybe you already "see" the pictures which should go with it?

Maybe you're one of those lucky writers whose head is bursting with ideas. Or perhaps you have one idea that's been nagging you for weeks, always at the edge of your thoughts. Either way, you're itching to begin writing...

A lot of writers, especially when they're beginners, get ideas for fiction from their own lives. This can be useful for several reasons: you're emotionally invested in the topic, you can relate directly to the main character, and if the situation actually happened to you, you're less likely to be unconsciously basing the story on a book you've read...

When writers stick too closely to what really happened they fail to develop the elements necessary for a good story: a believable main character who is faced with a problem or conflict, mounting tension as that character tries to solve her problem and experiences setbacks, and a tension-filled climax followed by a resolution that's satisfying to the character and the reader. If your main character is really your son, you might not want to get him in trouble or throw rocks in his path. But you have to. It's the only way you'll create a story that will keep readers hooked and wondering how it will end.

However you get your idea, focus first on whether it's a plot or a theme. Many times, an initial idea is really the underlying meaning of the story, what the author wants to convey to the reader.

Themes should be universal in their appeal– such as friendship, appreciating one's own strengths, not judging others too quickly. Then play around with the sequence of events until you develop a plot (what actually happens in the book) that makes this theme clear to the reader.

And remember: if you're using a childhood incident as the foundation of your story, tell it from your childhood viewpoint, not how it feels to you now as an adult...

(From Chapter 2)

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Have you ever thought to go ahead, sit down, and write that story which keeps coming into your mind? That one that's "childish" or "juvenile"? Maybe you already "see" the pictures which should go with it?

Maybe you're one of those lucky writers whosehead is bursting with ideas. Or perhaps you have one idea that'sbeen nagging you for weeks, always at the edge of your thoughts.Either way, you're itching to begin writing...

A lot of writers, especially when they'rebeginners, get ideas for fiction from their own lives. This can beuseful for several reasons: you're emotionally invested in thetopic, you can relate directly to the main character, and if thesituation actually happened to you, you're less likely to beunconsciously basing the story on a book you've read...

When writers stick too closely to what reallyhappened they fail to develop the elements necessary for a goodstory: a believable main character who is faced with a problem orconflict, mounting tension as that character tries to solve herproblem and experiences setbacks, and a tension- filled climaxfollowed by a resolution that's satisfying to the character and thereader.

If your main character is really your son, you might not wantto get him in trouble or throw rocks in his path. But you have to.It's the only way you'll create a story that will keep readershooked and wondering how it will end.

However you get your idea, focus first on whetherit's a plot or a theme. Many times, an initial idea is really theunderlying meaning of the story, what the author wants to convey tothe reader.

Themes should be universal in their appeal– such asfriendship, appreciating one's own strengths, not judging otherstoo quickly. Then play around with the sequence of events until youdevelop a plot (what actually happens in the book) that makes thistheme clear to the reader.

And remember; if you're using achildhood incident as the foundation of your story, tell it from yourchildhood viewpoint, not how it feels to you now as an adult...

(From Chapter 2)

How to Write That Children's Book You've Always Wanted

Have you ever thought to go ahead, sit down, and write that story which keeps coming into your mind? That one that's "childish" or "juvenile"? Maybe you already "see" the pictures which should go with it?

Maybe you're one of those lucky writers whose head is bursting with ideas. Or perhaps you have one idea that's been nagging you for weeks, always at the edge of your thoughts. Either way, you're itching to begin writing...

A lot of writers, especially when they're beginners, get ideas for fiction from their own lives. This can be useful for several reasons: you're emotionally invested in the topic, you can relate directly to the main character, and if the situation actually happened to you, you're less likely to be unconsciously basing the story on a book you've read...

When writers stick too closely to what really happened they fail to develop the elements necessary for a good story: a believable main character who is faced with a problem or conflict, mounting tension as that character tries to solve her problem and experiences setbacks, and a tension- filled climax followed by a resolution that's satisfying to the character and the reader. If your main character is really your son, you might not want to get him in trouble or throw rocks in his path. But you have to. It's the only way you'll create a story that will keep readers hooked and wondering how it will end.

However you get your idea, focus first on whether it's a plot or a theme. Many times, an initial idea is really the underlying meaning of the story, what the author wants to convey to the reader.

Themes should be universal in their appeal– such as friendship, appreciating one's own strengths, not judging others too quickly. Then play around with the sequence of events until you develop a plot (what actually happens in the book) that makes this theme clear to the reader.

And remember; if you're using a childhood incident as the foundation of your story, tell it from your childhood viewpoint, not how it feels to you now as an adult...

(From Chapter 2)

Table of contents

• Bonus
• Introduction
• Part 1 - Writing
• Part 2 - Illustrating
• Summary
• Addenda:
• Bonus
• Notes