Five Mistakes Made by New Children's Writers

How to Avoid These Common Blunders When Writing for Children

Oct 11, 2009

Writing for children may seem as easy as 1-2-3, but underestimating what publishers and readers want can be the death knell for first-time writers.

All too often, many aspiring writers think kids’ books are an easy way to publication and riches. After all, it’s just a matter of writing a simplistic story about an anthropomorphized animal and throwing in a moral lesson or two. It’s bound to be an instant best-seller, right.

Unfortunately, no. Young readers want interesting characters and entertaining and surprising stories, just like adults. Moreover, children’s book publishers want to provide rout of the slush is to avoid the common blunders many new writes make when writing for children.

Writing Mistake #1: Not Researching the Children’s Publishing Market

Many new writers assume that if a manuscript submission is good for one publisher, it must be good for all publishers. The first thing new writers should be aware of is that books are categorized by type and age group and not every publishers wants the same thing. While Athenaeum may be looking at picture books this year, Enslow only want to see middle-grade nonfiction proposals. It’s the responsibility of every aspiring writer to research what publishers want.

Fortunately, that information is readily available. New children’s writers need to check out market guides, like The Children’s Writers & Illustrator’s Market, search for online writes sites that keep track of publishers, such as JacketFlap.com, or join the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI)

If all else fails, new writers can contact publishers directly to request their writers’ guidelines. Just make sure to include a self-addressed stamped envelop (SASE) with the request.

Writing Mistake #2: Creating Perfect Characters for Your Children’s Book

Children’s writers work hard to create perfect characters that kids will love – perfect characters that will grab their attention and keep them reading. Most often, those characters exhibit less than perfect characteristics. Imagine a not so precocious Eloise minding her own business at the Plaza. Or, how boring the Time Warp Trio books would be if Joe, Fred and Sam always followed the rules.

New writers often think the characters in their children’s books should never make mistakes, never make the wrong choices and always be… well perfect. But what adult or child wants to read that?

Sometimes the key to perfection in children’s stories is imperfection. Look for traits to make your characters endearing and human.

Writing Mistake #3: Forgetting Conflict is Necessary for Children’s Stories

Many new writers shy away from conflict because they’re writing for children. But, without conflict, there is no plot. Even the simplest of children’s stories needs conflict to sustain the story, build suspense and give the main character something to overcome. Think of Sooki in The Saggy Baggy Elephant who faces conflict as he tries to find his place in the world.

Don’t be afraid to use conflict in when writing your children’s story. And don’t think of conflict as always external. The internal conflict – the struggle the main character has within him – is just as important. What would Harry Potter or Laura Ingalls be without it. Remember, using conflict is classic storytelling.

Writing Mistake #4: Making the Moral Lesson in a Children’s Story Transparent

Ending a children’s story with a moral lesson is not a bad thing. After all, in most good fiction the main character learns from her mistakes. Ramona Quimby and Junie B. Jones often learn something from their mistakes and misadventures (although the lessons for those two are often short-lived). The problem with lessons, moral or otherwise, is the reader does not want to see them coming.

Learn to weave the moral lesson into the story and disguise it with action and tension, even if you you’re writing an early reader.

Writing Mistake #5: Letting Adults Save the Day in a Children’s Book

Children do not want to read stories where adults save the day. That’s takes the fun out of the story. It’s like… like being home with mom and dad! Although, it’s sometimes important to have a strong, positive adult presence in the story, the truth is, kids don’t want to read about adults. They want to read about other kids who get the best of adults who get in their way.

As adults, it’s easy to put themselves in the stories they write. But as adults, writing for children, it’s a cardinal sin. Resist the urge to have adults save the day in your children’s stories.

There’s no better feeling then seeing a book go from idea to print. New writers need to keep in mind that competition is stiff. One way to stand out and grab an editor’s attention to avoid these common first-time writer mistakes.

The copyright of the article Five Mistakes Made by New Children's Writers in Writing for Children is owned by K.D. Kuch. Permission to republish Five Mistakes Made by New Children's Writers in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.