Six tips on how to write a children’s book (and answers to some commonly-asked questions)

Writing a children’s book can be an interesting and rewarding experience. If you’ve ever wanted to write your own story, but weren’t sure where to start this blog post is for you! Here are some tips on how writers can pen their first piece of fiction:

Have a plot or conflict

Remember that the story must have teeth — it cannot simply be a story about character X who went to place Y, and did Z. There must be a conflict or problem that is introduced in the beginning and resolved by the end of your story.

Create interesting and believable characters

Your protagonist must be someone that your young reader can root for, even if they’re not perfect. In addition, you’ll also want to create supporting characters that are just as well-rounded and three-dimensional. Remember — these people will be the ones helping your protagonist learn and grow throughout the course of the book.

If you’re looking for tips on creating interesting or believable characters, this article may help.

Dialog matters

Make sure the dialogue is naturalistic or realistic for children’s fiction writers. It must be believable that a child would say these words at this time in the novel — so avoid any advanced vocabulary if possible!

Dialogue can add humor, suspense, action, and other elements to your children’s book. It also makes reading more enjoyable since there will be no dull moments when you have only words on every page.

The “show, don’t tell” approach

“Show, don’t tell” can help writers get around some of the problems that can occur when writing for a younger audience. For example, if you want to show that a character is afraid of something, have them experience fear in a scene, as opposed to telling the reader outright.

Stay motivated

You can use an online tool like Writemo to stay motivated and help you work on your book a little each day. That’s the best way to achieve any goal.

Have a satisfying conclusion

The ending should be satisfying and feel like a natural conclusion — it’s important not to leave loose ends hanging or readers will feel cheated.

Other resources

These are just a few tips to help writers pen their first children’s book — there is no one right way to go about it, so be creative and have fun with the process! For more advice on writing fiction for kids, check out some of these resources:

- The Writer’s Journey by Christopher Vogler

- The Children’s Book Insider by Steven James

- The Emotion Thesaurus

- How to Write a Novel Using the Snowflake Method

FAQs

Here are some common questions writers have about writing children’s fiction.

Q: Can I use advanced vocabulary in my book?

A: It’s best to avoid any difficult words or phrases that a child might not understand. However, you can still be creative with your language and use interesting metaphors or descriptions.

Q: What if I don’t know how to write for children?

A: Start by reading a lot of children’s books! Not only will this help you understand what makes them enjoyable to read, but you’ll also get a sense of the kinds of things that work well in this genre. You can also take online courses or attend writers’ workshops specifically tailored for writing children’s fiction.

Q: Do I need to hire an illustrator?

A: If you decide on self-publishing, this is completely up to you. There are writers who choose not to illustrate their books and instead use stock images or pictures they find online. However, many children’s authors do commission illustrations for their picture book manuscripts — it really depends on the individual project and what you’re hoping to achieve.

Q: How long should my book be?

A: Again, there is no one answer for this — it really depends on the story you want to tell. Generally speaking, picture books are around 32 pages long (not including the cover), but some can be as short as 16 pages or as long as 64.

Q: How can I stay motivated?

A: You can use an online tool like Writemo to stay motivated and help you work on your book a little each day.

Q: How do I make my story stand out?

A: There are many writers who have written great books for children, so it’s important to put in the time and effort to create a truly unique story. Focus on making your characters three-dimensional, adding humor where appropriate, creating realistic dialogue (avoiding advanced vocabulary), and having a satisfying conclusion that wraps up well at the end of the book.

Q: How do I write for younger audiences?

A: It’s important to get a feel for the types of books that work well in this category. Start by reading children’s fiction and pay close attention to how writers keep readers engaged, what they do with language, and any other elements that make these stories worth reading over and over again. You can also take online courses or attend writers’ workshops specifically for children’s writers.

Conclusion

There is no “right” way to write a children’s picture book — just be creative, have fun with the process, and check out some of these resources if you’re looking for advice!