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Installment #1 – More than just a great idea 12/7/2010 5:56:19 AM
A "How To" on children book writing. (September 2010 entry)
So you’ve decided that writing for children is an avenue you wish to discover … that’s great! There is no better time than the present but … are you absolutely sure you are, and will remain, passionate about it? Ponder on this for a few minutes. If you’re doing this for the money or the exposure, might I suggest you think twice, if not thrice!!
You say: “Yo André, I really want to give this a try!” Well okay. Here’s a tip at no charge to you (this will build up your story idea library): when ever you’re around kids, take notice, see what they do, hear what they say, how they interact with other kids and/or adults – trust me, you won’t be able to write fast enough. Later on, I’ll give you more hints on available sources. Now let’s say that, out of all your fabulous ideas, one truly inspires you. What would be your next step? Will it interest young readers and parents alike? Will editors – even agents – like it as well? Many questions to which I have but one answer: Hakuna matata (Swahili for there are no worries). As I mentioned above: if you’re passionate about it, go for it, and don’t worry about the selling aspect of the business – your job is to write, and write well.
Keep paper and pen handy and jot down what ever springs to mind. Don’t worry about form and typos for now, just focus on getting the gist of your brilliant storyline down on paper. Another tip: don’t procrastinate about it, and don’t overestimate your memory – if you don’t write it down right then and there, chances are your idea will defuse itself as … (wait for it, here comes an analogy!) … as high thin clouds burning away from the rays of the morning sun! If you’re one of those tech savvy individuals whom owns a smartphone of some kind, you could use the voice memo option.
There’s an important topic I feel I should bring up: your characters. Why? It’s all fine and dandy to have an idea, great as it may be, but who will your characters be? Are they human or animal? This might seem somewhat useless to answer at first, but my personal experience revealed that using anthropomorphic characters (talking animals) is not as easy as it initially seems. I’ll admit getting away with it in a picture book might be much simpler than in a novel, but the fact remains that you can spoil a great idea by using animals instead of human characters: But who am I to say this? The best way to find out is to try it out! Who knows, you just might be a natural at it, and an animal as your main character might be a much better fit than a human.
If you walk into your neighborhood public library or book store, head for the children’s section, chances are you’ll come upon loads and loads of picture books filled with anthropomorphic characters. If you consider a talking animal to be the best fit for your story, might I suggest you pick up a few titles (in fact many), and really analyze them. Read them to get a feel and better understanding of how the authors went about it. Disney books would be a very good start! Remember, you’re the author, and if a four-legged animal is a must in your story, then by all means, take your story where it may! Editors that publish talking animal books will be open minded when reading about Suzy the elephant cooking pancakes for her best friend. In other words, don’t stop yourself from writing a story where an animal takes center stage, and don’t listen to naysayers that give groundless advice … write with your heart.
In two weeks time, I’ll cover the all important question that is: the market. Imagine yourself in a boxing ring: in the left corner, your story idea … in the right corner, the same story idea (but already published). If you plan on getting published (and not pummeled), know that competition is fierce and you’d be wise to study your opponents.
YOUR HOMEWORK:
• Buy a nice pad and a really cool pen (optional!)
• Write what ever comes to mind (brainstorm about story lines)
• Check out your local public library and book stores and read up
• Compare your ideas with what is already out there
• Come back daily to my blog, Facebook and Twitter for updates
• HAVE FUN!
Oh ya! I mentioned earlier I’d give you a few more resource leads. Google is an amazing tool to work with when looking for story ideas. Type in what ever comes to mind: kids jokes, kids drawings, children book reviews, children oriented websites, kids games, input from teachers, librarians, etc.
