Dos & Don'ts for Writing for Children

Deborah Brodie, Executive Editor, Viking Children's Books
Presented during a New York SCBWI workshop, October, 1996

Dos
1. Humor is a big plus. There isn't enough of it out there, so if you can do it, do it!
2. Show, don't tell.
3. Most things have been done before. Your job is to do them differently. Fresh writing with a new slant, strong characters, and a creative hook that grabs the reader and draws them in are a must.
4. There's a market for action and for stories with gross elements (in good taste), but there will always be a need for quieter bedtime stories.
5. Holiday books are popular, but the market for them is very competitive. Make sure your stands out.
6. Read your stories aloud to see how they might sound to a child or group of children.
7. Having trouble starting? Try a free-writing exercise to loosen up. Read inspirational books or keep a writing log to determine when and how you write best.
8. Your story must convey what you intend, because you won't be there to explain anything to the editor.
9. Make your beginning strong. Pose a question that the reader would want to know the answer to.
10. If you use sound effects, make sure they work with the text and are age-appropriate.
11. Don't miss an opportunity to meet an editor face-to-face. It can really make a difference.

Don'ts
1. Don't give too much background information about your main character in the first paragraph. The reader needs time to care about the person.
2. With non-fiction, don't answer questions that haven't been asked. What you are writing about should be of interest to kids. Make sure it's age appropriate and information is authentic, up-to-date, and presented in a clear and concise manner.
3. Be careful if you are using rhymes. Don't force them--words shouldn't be chosen simply because they rhyme with the phrase or the previous line.
4. Don't change point-of-view in the middle of a story. Stay with one character's point-of-view.
5. Don't describe an event or situation in language that is too abstract or general. Kids tend to think in very concrete and literal terms, and they may not be able to understand what you're getting at.
6. Don't submit your work with illustrations if you're not an illustrator.
7. Don't give away the whole point of your story too soon! You need to ease the reader into it.

Excerpted from SCBWI Metro NY/SCBWI Arizona

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