Some DOs and DON’Ts of Writing for Children By Jean Matthew Hall

 

Great writing is great writing! Right? Yes, but writing for children does have challenges that are different from the challenges faced by other writers.

Here’s a quick list to help you as you shape your stories to appeal to children:

DOs:

Do write from universal themes. Figure out early in your writing process what the theme(s) of your story is. Be able to express each theme in one or two words.

Do hyperbolize. Make characters, places and events bigger or smaller, scarier or funnier, happier or sadder than they are in real life.

Do your research. You can’t exaggerate or portray things or people well unless you know the facts and truths about them.

Do make your main character a little older than your target audience.

Do appeal to both your readers emotions AND physical senses.

Do write tight. Make every single word do double duty. Get rid of words that are not essential to telling your story, portraying your characters or creating your voice.

Do be specific. Use specific people, traits and events. Create specific places, dialogue, mannerisms.

Do give your story a definite BEGINNING, MIDDLE and END. Without these three elements what you have written is NOT a story.

DON’Ts:

Unless you are creating a fable don’t tack a lesson or moral onto the end of your story. Let the lesson rise to the surface on its own. Let your readers figure that lesson out for themselves.

If you are writing a STORY (not part of a curriculum plan) don’t “teach” or “preach.” Let the story and the characters pierce the reader’s heart with the truth of the lesson.

Don’t let an adult solve the main character’s problem or even help solve it too much.  The child main character MUST be the hero of your story.

Don’t use characters who are all-bad, or all-good. Everyone has strengths and weaknesses.

Don’t use stereotypes in characters, plots, situations or dialogue. Throw in unexpected or unusual things and people.

Don’t write to trends. Write YOUR story in YOUR voice and style.

Don’t rely on generalizations like “everyone,” “over there,”  “one day,” “one time” or “people.” Create specific people, specific times and places.

Unless you are a professional illustrator don’t try to illustrate your own books.

 

BIO

Jean Hall lives in Louisville, Kentucky. She is represented by Cyle Young of Hartline Literary. Her premier picture book Four Seasons series was recently signed by Little Lamb Books. Jean is a member of the SCBWI, Word Weavers International, and the Kentucky Christian Writers. Visit Jean at www.jeanmatthewhall.com, on Facebook at Jean Matthew Hall, and on Twitter as @Jean_Hall.