Writing for children
by
Gregory Norris

A dozen pitfalls

1. My grandchildren loved it.  So why won’t they publish it?

Children will listen with rapt attention to whatever is read.  They particularly enjoy a loved one making them the centre of the world.

2. I’ve written a story about Samuel Squirrel.  He’s cuddly and fun. 

Talking animals are what drives publishers crazy.  They are swamped by countless Samuel Squirrels each day.  Instead, create proper animal characters.  A rabbit or squirrel isn’t cuddly, but they can be cunning, heroic or vicious.  Think about the characters who emerge in Charlotte’s Web.

3. I’ve written a story where the villain is a witch who scares children.  Witches are a timeless classic after all.

“Witches” used to be completely taboo for publishers.  These days the Harry Potter witches are accepted.  But still steer clear of the traditional “witch” who lives in a spooky house, is ugly and automatically evil.

4. I’ve illustrated the story myself.  How do I get it published?

Do not supply your illustrations unless you are exceptionally talented.  If one part fails, both will be rejected.

If submitting both, separate the text and pictures.  The illustrations should be the right shape for the proportions of the proposed book – they must fit a consistent format.

5. My mother-in-law/best friend/neighbour has offered to illustrate my story.

Don’t let them! Submit the text alone to a publisher’s and it has a better chance.  Publishers match up authors with illustrators already on their list. 

If your relative/friend is exceptionally gifted then proceed with caution.  Royalties are shared between author and illustrator.

6. I want to send a message to these ghastly, badly-behaved children of today.  I blame the parents.  Bring back caning.

Never talk down or patronize or lecture to children.  They will see through it.  In particular, never tell teenagers that they are immature.

To write successfully for children you must be closely in touch with children today, no matter how well you can remember your childhood.  It needs you to tap into your childlike qualities.

If you don’t like children don’t write for them!

7. I don’t like all the violence and evil in Harry Potter.  Children are actually being killed, for heaven’s sake.  Why can’t they publish nice books?  What sort of world are we creating for the future?

Television means children are very well informed about issues, world events and the imperfections of the world and life.  Do not cover your story with smiling veneer.

Older children today read about death, divorce, peer pressure, bullying, drug and alcohol abuse, crime, teenage pregnancy and motherhood.

The truth is: kids like violence.  They like good vs. evil, with dark times before good prevails.  They don’t want hypocrisy.  Fairy tales were cruel before sanitized by Disney.  Did Roald Dahl become the world’s most successful children’s author by writing safe, sweet stories?

8.  My nephew read my story and his mother reports that he was too scared by it.  But there wasn’t anything as nasty as you get in most children’s stories.

Remember a child will be more disturbed by a little girl who loses her mother while shopping than by a pirate boiled in oil.  They enjoy horror as long as it’s not too close to their own everyday experience.

9. I’ve carefully made sure that every word in the story is suitable for my targeted age group.  Is this enough?

In fact, you can use an unexpected “long” word now and again.  It will give added zest but make sure it is not essential to the understanding of the story.  Think: can it be guessed at?  E.g. “Lucy leapt into the boat and it rocked perilously.”

10. My grandson seemed to struggle with my story.  But the vocabulary was well within his range.  What went wrong?

As well as limited vocabulary, it also needs short sentences, short paragraphs, short chapters.  Clarity and simplicity of writing is essential.  Chronology is usually straightforward linear, without flashbacks.

11. My teenage niece laughed at my attempt at a Young Adult novel.  But I tried to address topical issues that they need to learn about, and throughout I was trying to make it hip and groovy.

The greatest mistake in writing for teenagers is to fail to treat them as the intelligent adults they believe themselves to be. 

Listen to their language and slang.  Out-of-date slang will be scorned so the trick is to use words that won’t date.

Watch how they use mobile phones and Playstations.  Read their internet sites.  Watch their TV shows, read their books, listen to the pop radio stations and note how the DJs talk.

12. My granddaughter hated the ending to my story.  And she disapproved of some parts, saying she disagreed with the events.

The story’s problem or problems MUST be solved by the children in the story, never by adults.  Throughout, everything must be from the child’s point of view – do not supply an adult interpretation to the situations.