Glen and Karen Bledsoe --> articles --> What should I write? --> Books: Fiction
Articles Index: Site Index: When people think of writing for
children, the first think they think of is the picture
book. Often they think of picture books full of rhyming
text and fuzzy bunnies. But this is a dated view of
children's literature, and the fiction market is far
wider than picture books. In fact, the fiction picture
book market is the hardest of all children's markets to
break into as a new writer. Yet as memorable and beloved
as picture books are, is it any wonder that so many
people want to write them? Let's take a look at picture
books and other categories of children's
fiction. Picture books A broad definition of picture
book is a book in which some or all of the story is told
through pictures. Most picture books have little text,
generally fewer than 1000 words and generally run 32
pages. Some have no text at all, and rely entirely on the
illustrations to tell the story. The stories are usually
about children, with a child as the main character,
though there are exceptions, such as folktales about
kings and princesses and the like. Though picture books are short,
they are by no means easy to write. The text must be
concise, the words fluent, and the voice lyrical,
important qualities in these books that are more often
than not read aloud. Writing a picture book is very much
like writing a poem, where every word is carefully
selected for the best effect. Some picture books use
rhyme, though many do not. Even without rhyme, though,
the text is often rhythmic. Picture books fall into three
general categories: story books, concept books, and
novelty books. Story books are the most familiar to the
beginner: these are books that tell a clear story, with a
beginning, a middle, and and end. Concept books teach a
concept. Alphabet books, counting books, books with
pictures of trucks or cars, books about solving problems,
are all concept books. Novelty books are engineered books
with lift-up flaps, pop-out pages, textured surfaces, and
similar features. The best novelty books involve the
novelty feature as part of the story. If you are skilled at writing
poetry, have an ear for lyrical language, love the sounds
of words, and are a visual thinker, you may have the
talent needed for writing picture books. Early readers Early readers are books aimed at
"emergent readers" -- children who are just learning to
read on their own. The age level is variable, since some
children learn to read spontaneously as young as three or
four, while others may not achieve independent reading
until they are in first or second grade or later. Most of
these books, however, are intended for primary grades.
Early readers sold in the bookstores are nearly always 6"
by 9" and are 32, 48, or 64 pages long, and run between
500 and 1,500 words. What surprises new writers is
that the language in early readers may be simpler than
that found in picture books. This is because picture
books are often read to a child, while early
readers are intended to be read by the child.
Sentences are short, words are simple, and words tend to
be repeated often. Think of the classic tale of the House
that Jack Built, which has been told and re-told often.
The story relies on repetition. In a similar vein, a
story about a birthday party may devote several lines to
the birthday cake: Father cut a slice of cake for
Jason. He cut a slice for
Angela. He cut a slice for
Max. He cut a big slice for
Jennie. Jennie smiled. "Now can we eat
the cake?" she asked. The entire book may only use a
handful of words, but repeat them often so that the
reader soon masters them. Don't be fooled by the simple
language, though, into believing that the plot can be
simplistic. Early readers must have a clear and robust
plot in order to hold the attention of the reader who may
be struggling to make meaning of the words. Many early
reader stories have a surprise twist at the end, a reward
for the reader's efforts. To write early readers well, the
writer must have a clear understanding of how children
learn to read. While the writer doesn't have to be a
professional reading specialist, it may help to read
books on childrens' language development and acquisition
of reading skills. Word lists (see the Children's
Writer's Word Book at the left) are also helpful in
choosing the appropriate vocabulary. Chapter books Chapter books are transitional
books that help children move from early readers to full
novels. While the book is usually one unified story, each
chapter is a complete episode by itself, with conflict,
action, and resolution. Most chapter books deal with
contemporary situations that are familiar to the readers,
and are often humorous books. To write a chapter book, the
writer needs to think in terms of episodic stories. Each
episode becomes a chapter, and each chapter may build to
a final conclusion to the overall story. A trip to an
amusement park, for example, could be an episodic story,
in which each chapter involves one of the rides. A
character may have to overcome fear of the fast ride, or
talk another character into going along, or have to
choose between using one last ticket for a ride or to win
a prize on the midway. At the end, the character may have
learned a lesson about courage, sharing, or making
choices. Middle-Grade
Novels After the picture book, the
second most common choice of books that beginning writers
want to write is the middle-grade novel. A novel,
however, unlike the picture book, relies entirely on text
to tell the story. While illustrated novels were the rule
several decades ago, now thanks to higher printing costs,
illustrations are rare. A good novel writer must be able
to create mental images entirely through the use of
words. Middle-grade novels are intended
for independent readers, usually third grade and up. Most
run between 14,000 and 20,000 words, though the
extraordinary success of the Harry Potter series has
pushed the upper limit considerably. Where early readers
and chapter books often have universal appeal, some
middle-grade novels are aimed specifically at either boys
or girls, though there are many that are meant for both
genders. Novels may involve interests that children are
developing at these ages, such as sports, or they may
provide escapist fantasy. Series books are popular, since
children of this age group enjoy collecting things.
Indeed, some children may collect a whole series without
reading the books! To write middle grade novels, a
writer needs to be attuned to children in upper
elementary school: their likes, dislikes, language,
worries and fears. Children in the middle grades are
keenly attuned to what is cool and uncool, and can
quickly spot a fake. When writing a middle grade novel,
the writer must aim at writing a strong story with
realistic dialogue, fast pacing, and realistic
characters. Most of all, the writer must be true to him
or herself to write a story that feels genuine, even if
it doesn't carry all the hallmarks of what is currently
fashionable. In fact, any attempt to work in every last
fad and fashion will severely date the book, and the
reader will spot the attempt as someone trying much too
hard to appear cool. Children can be quite savage in
their opinions, so it is better to put one's efforts into
writing a good story than in to adding fashionable
window-dressing. Young Adult Young adult novels, also called
YA or teen novels, are generally read by children
anywhere from 5th grade on up. They are longer books,
often 50,000 words or more. Most are contemporary
stories, and often involve contemporary problems,
including drugs, sex, and peer pressure. Some may involve
grimmer topics, including rape or murder. Pre-teens and
teens are becoming aware of the world, and often crave
books that deal with the same issues they are wrestling
with -- not to say that all teens must deal with violence
in their lives, but that they are now becoming aware of
violence in the world and are attempting to make sense of
it. Teens experience intense emotions, and their
reactions to ordinary stresses may seem, in the eyes of
the adults around them, entirely out of proportion, the
result of overanalysis and intense brooding. Books about
other teens going through the same intense period can
help readers cope with their own feelings. While in the past YA has taken up
only a few shelves in the bookstore, the YA section has
grown recently as publishers have realized that the
majority of teens do read for pleasure, and teens have
more disposable income than they did in the past. While
problem novels remain popular, YA books may also
encompass humor. Some YA novels are graphic novels
(comic-book-style) or may have other unusual formats.
As when writing middle-grade
novels, a writer who wants to write YA must be attuned to
pre-teen and teenage readers, who are even pickier
consumers than the middle-grade reader. Writers who enjoy
offbeat stories, weird humor, or dark and challenging
situations may enjoy writing YA. Recommended books: How
to Write and Illustrate Children's
Books Children's
Writer's Word Book
"Now we'll cut the
cake," said Father.
Treld Bicknell, Felicity Trotman
Writer's Digest Books, 2000
An
excellent introduction to both writing and illustrating
picture books.
Alijandra Mogilner
Writer's Digest Books, 1999
Those who write Early
Readers will find the Children's Writer's Word Book
useful.
Glen and Karen Bledsoe --> articles --> What should I write? --> Books: Fiction
