How To Write For Children, An Easy Three Step Guide To Writing Children
While I have been doing signing and readings with my children’s books (Little Blue Penguin & McKenzie’s Frosty Surprise), I am asked on several occasions, “I have an idea for a children’s story. What do I do now? How do I get started writing it?”
These questions prompted me to write the guide, How To Write For Children, An Easy Three Step Guide To Writing Children’s Books. Although this book references ideas specific to the children’s genre, the steps presented will suit any author who is beginning a writing project and just doesn’t know what to do next.
Step One of the guide helps authors with the basics of beginning a writing project. With the writers’ interest in mind, it is time to do the research to determine what publishers are looking for in today’s markets, and if you know your market genre well enough to write about it. Do you know the age range of your target audience and the types of genres and themes that would be of interest to them?
Once you’ve determined a subject, then it is time to look at some writing tools that will make your job as an author easier. These include creating a story summary, story synopsis and writing an outline. These tools help you determine the point of view you may wish to write from, and getting to know your characters a little better. Finalizing a setting and how to do topic research is something you need to do at this stage also.
Step Two leads you through the writing process and offers ideas and tips on creating a rough draft, getting started after a break, overcoming writer’s block and tips about writing for children.
Once your writing is finished, then it is onto Step Three, where the very important step of revisions and editing is covered in detail to help you end up with a final draft that can be used to market to publishers. This guide then offers information about publishing your writing, how to find a publisher, and then briefly discusses self publishing and marketing ideas.
As an added bonus, you will find samples of the writer’s tools: story summary, story synopsis, outline, character cards and submission formats. It is important to ensure that your submission package to a publisher is presented as professionally as possible.
I am excited to have anyone who has an idea for a book, be it a children’s book or otherwise have a look at, How To Write For Children, An Easy Three Step Guide To Writing Children’s Books, available on Smashwords.
Tags: how to write books, How To Write For children, how to writing guide, story synopsis summary outlines
