Writing for Children: 3 Basic Tools

Carolyn Howard-Johnson shares writers’ resources on her award-winning blog Sharing with Writers

 By Karen Cioffi

We all know how difficult it is to break into the business of writing for children. Whether you write fiction or nonfiction, it is a tough business and can be overwhelming for those just starting out. While all writing must adhere to certain guidelines, writing for children has additional principles unique to its genre.

To start, the words used in children’s writing must be age appropriate. This may sound easy to do, but it can be a difficult task.

There are also certain techniques and tricks used specifically in writing for children, such as the Core of Three, sentence structure, and the timeframe in which the story should occur when writing for young children. In addition, it’s essential to make sure your conflicts, storyline and point of view are appropriate for the age group you’re writing for.

Along with this, there are general techniques for writing, such as adding sensory details, showing instead of telling, and creating an engaging story that hooks the reader right away, along with writing great dialogue and using correct punctuation.

This is just the beginning, though. There is also the business of editing your work, writing a winning query, and following submission guidelines; the list goes on and on.

But don’t get discouraged, there is help.

Here are four (I added a fourth) basic tools to get you started and guide you down the children’s writing path:

1. Children’s Writer’s WORD BOOK by Alijandra Mogilner is a great resource that provides word lists grouped by grades along with a thesaurus of listed words. This allows you to check a word in question to make sure it is appropriate for the age group you’re writing for. It also provides reading levels for synonyms. It’s a very useful tool and one that I use over and over.

2. Read and take classes (online and offline) in order to learn how to write for children.

There are plenty of books and courses you can find online that will help you become a ‘good’ children’s writer. You might also look for a ‘good’ children’s writing coach.

Another great resource to learn the craft of writing for children is the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI). They have outstanding workshops. I’ve attended a couple and when they have another local one, I’ll be there!

In addition, the SCBWI has a helpful forum with experienced writers who are happy to help other writers.There’s an annual fee, but worth every penny.

3. The Frugal Editor, 3rd Edition by award-winning author and editor Carolyn Howard-Johnson, is a useful book for any writing genre, including children’s.

This is a powerhouse resource that guides you through basic editing to getting the most out of your Word program’s features to providing samples of queries. The author provides great tips and advice that will have you saying, “Ah, so that’s how it’s done.”

4. How to Write a Children’s Fiction Book by award-winning author and successful children’s ghostwriter Karen Cioffi.

This book is jam-packed with tips, advice, examples, and much more on writing for children. It also includes DIY assignments and touches on submitting your manuscript and book marketing.

I’ve invested in many books, courses, and programs focused on writing and marketing and know value when I see it. The products above have a great deal of value for you as a children’s writer, and they are definitely worth the cost.

Remember, though, the most important aspect of creating a writing career is to actually begin. You can’t succeed if you don’t try. It takes that first step to start your journey, and that first step seems to be a huge stumbling block for many.

Don’t let procrastination or fear stop you from moving forward – start your children’s book today!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Karen Cioffi is an award-winning children’s author and children’s ghostwriter, editor, and coach with clients worldwide. If you need help with your children’s story, visit Karen Cioffi Writing for Children.  

In addition, she offers self-publishing help for children’s authors with WRITERS ON THE MOVE PRESS.

Karen’s children’s books include “Walking Through Walls” and her DIY book, “How to Write Children’s Fiction Books.” You can check them out at: https://karencioffiwritingforchildren.com/diy/.

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MORE ABOUT THE BLOGGER MORE ABOUT THE BLOGGER Carolyn Howard-Johnson is the multi award-winning author of fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry. She is also a marketing consultant, editor, and author of the multi award-winning #HowToDoItFrugally Series of books for writers including “The Frugal Book Promoter” (https://bit.ly/FrugalBookPromoIII), now offered in its third edition by Modern History Press. Others in that series are “How to Get Great Book Reviews Frugally and Ethically,” “The Frugal Editor” and two booklets, both in their second editions also from Modern History Press. The booklets, “Great Little Last Minute Editing Tips for Writers” (https://bit.ly/LastMinuteEditsII) and “Great First Impression Book Proposals” (https://bit.ly/BookProposalsII) are career boosters in mini doses and both make ideal thank you gifts for authors. The one on writing book proposals is also available as an Audio Book. “The Frugal Editor “(https://tinyurl.com/TheFrugalEditor), was recently released in its third edition. It is the winningest book in this series for writers. Carolyn also has three frugal books for retailers including one she encourages authors to read because it helps them understand what is needed to convince retailers to host their workshops, presentations, and signings. It is “A Retailer’s Guide to Frugal In-Store Promotions: How To Increase Profits and Spit in the Eyes of Economic Downturns with Thrifty Events and Sales Techniques” (https://bit.ly/RetailersGuide). In addition to this blog, Carolyn helps writers extend the exposure of their favorite reviews at https://TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com. She also blogs all things editing–grammar, formatting and more–at “The Frugal, Smart, and Tuned-In Editor” (https://TheFrugalEditor.blogspot.com). Learn more and follow for news on her new releases directly from Amazon at https://bit.ly/CarolynsAmznProfile.