This article is to enrich your knowledge in writing and completely answers the question ‘How to write a children’s book?’
Introduction
Children are the messengers of God. Children are living examples of life. Childhood is a stage of life where you learn the valuable life lessons that are going to act as the building foundation for the great of your entire life. Hence, childhood must be filled with good books that help the child grow and develop into a healthy and successful human being. Books are the treasures of unimaginable lessons and values and children must be acquainted with them to give them a better future ahead.
When writing a children’s book, you must keep in mind that you are writing for an age group that is not yet familiar with the established norms and the ideals of the bigger world. Hence, the language must be as simple as it can be and the content as easy as possible. But at the same time, that doesn’t mean that the book has to be plain and bland. Children have an extremely inquisitive mind and they yearn for imagination and creativity, and your book must give them that.
To get to know everything about writing a children’s book, read the article till the end!
Phases of writing
Children’s books can be of two categories- fiction and non-fiction. Be it fiction or nonfiction, both the categories require the writer to go through the following stages:
- The idea
Begin with an idea about what you are going to write about. You must remember that fact is often stranger than fiction, so observe and let yourself be inspired by the things around you. Cross-pollinate different ideas together and finally work on the idea that stays.
- Writing
Include everyday observations in your writing. Observe people, their habits and characteristics, travel to places, notice the trends in people’s clothes, their behavior, food choices, etc. Observe the setting and research as much as you can about the topic you’re writing on.
- Editing and Rewriting
Editing is of two types- the one that is done while writing and the other that is done after the entire piece has been written, which leads to rewriting. It depends on you what you find adequate. Be it any way, you need to take care of grammar, flow, and consistency throughout your piece. We will come to the editing stage later in the article.
- Setting aside
No matter how perfect your first draft looks to you, it will still have some inaccuracies that will be detectable only after you leave it aside for a while and then check it again.
- Revisit with a fresh mind
Have a cup of coffee, go for a walk or leave your writing through the night and revisit with a fresh mind the next morning(if you have enough time at hand). You will notice a whole new set of areas where you can make your writing better.
- Re-edit
Re-editing is the phase where your writing develops. This is the phase that helps you to furnish your writing and make it the best you can as you tackle it with a fresh mind and new ideas.
Fiction Books
Fiction is all about imagination and creativity. Children love magical lands and fantasy worlds and fiction is the category that provides them with just that. There are several genres or types that you can write a fictional story on:
- Detective fiction
- Romance
- Horror
- Science fiction
Types of Fiction
- Literary Fiction
This kind of fiction focuses more on language and imagination. The plot is driven by complex characters. It is impressive, realistic, and thought-provoking. The plot is largely character-driven and ambiguous.
Example- ‘Midnight’s Children’ by Sulman Rushdie.
- Popular Fiction
This kind of fiction concentrates more on the story and entertainment. The plot is driven by the story. It is easy to interpret and is solely for entertainment purposes.
Example- ‘Princess Diaries’ by Mia Thermopolis.
- Upmarket Fiction
This kind of fiction combines the elements of both literary and popular fiction.
Example- ‘Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn.
Fiction Based on Word Count
There are many categories of fiction based on word count. It is important to write according to the prescribed word limit as it is beneficial from many perspectives like:
- Writer’s perspective
Writing according to the word count helps the writer to control the story, align various parts of the story’s structure, and decide goals to make sure the project is finished on time.
- Reader’s perspective
It helps the readers(in this case, children) to know how much time it will take them to finish the piece.
- Publisher’s perspective
It helps the publishers to calculate the cost of production and ensure how many copies would come in a box to be transported and decide on the price tag.
- Translator’s perspective
It helps the translators to decide the cost of translation as it is based on word count.
Fiction based on word count is categorized as:
- Novel: Written in more than 40,000 words.
- Novella: Written in 17,500-39,999 words.
- Novelette: Written in 75,000-17,499 words.
- Short stories: Written in 7500 words.
- Flash Fiction: Written in 500-1500 words.
Structure of a Story
There are two types of story structures. They are:
- The Three Act Structure
- This structure was given by Aristotle.
- According to him, every story can be split up into three parts: the beginning, middle, and end.
- This structure divides the story into three parts:
- ACT- I: SETUP
It consists of an inciting moment which is followed by plot point one.
- ACT- II: CONFRONTATION
It consists of a midpoint followed by plot point two.
- ACT-III: RESOLUTION
It consists of the climax and the ending.
SETUP CONFRONTATION RESOLUTION
Inciting Plot Point Midpoint Plot Point Climax
Moment I II
- The Five Act Structure
According to this structure, a story can be divided into five parts:
- Exposition: Revelation of the characters and backstories.
- Rising action: The basic conflict is revealed. It is a significantly longer part.
- Climax: Tackling of the problem.
- Falling action: Result after the problem is tackled.
- Denouement: Giving an overall conclusion.
Elements of a Story
There are five main elements of any fictional book. But many authors extend them to seven. Here, we give you a glimpse of all seven of them:
1)Characters
Characters are the people or elements around whom your story revolves. Characters are important because:
- Children identify with the characters.
- Characters have a recallable value.
There are three types of characters in any story:
- Protagonist
This is the main character of the story. It could be a dynamic character who is likely to change through the course of the story or a static character who remains the same throughout the story.
- Antagonist
This is the villain who opposes the protagonist. The antagonist does not need to be human. Sometimes, circumstances can act as antagonists.
- Supporting Characters
These are the characters who have very brief roles. They have one-time or recurring appearances.
How to Write Engaging Characters?
- Avoid creating characters that are larger than life.
- Make the character compel the reader to the extremities of human emotions.
- Readers should not feel pity for the character rather they should root for it to win.
- Make sure to focus on:
- Physical aspects
- Psychological aspects
- Behavior
- Reaction to situations
- Emotional aspects
- Ambition
- Characteristics
- Motivation
- Secrets
- Sensitivity
- Social behavior
- Desire
2)Plot
A plot is a sequence of events that make up a story. It captures all the essential events of a story. A plot can have a three-part or a five-part structure. It is created solely for the author to follow and develop a story and is not shared with the readers.
Theme
The central message of any novel
It has a universal appeal
There can be more than one theme in a novel
Represents the book
Examples- love, revenge, motherhood, betrayal, war, etc.
Genre
A style in which a story is written
Represents a category
Examples- detective, romance, horror, science fiction
Blurb
- A short description of the book used for promotional purposes
- Written on the back cover of the book
- It’s just a teaser
How to create a fascinating plot?
- Use one or more themes
- Expand to write 2-3 meaningful sentences
- Fatten further into happening events
3)Setting
It describes the place and time of a story and establishes the mood for a place. It tells the reader about the food, weather, culture, sights, sounds, dialect, etc about a place and sets the social, cultural, and historical aspects into context.
4)Conflict
A conflict is a challenge, problem, or obstacle that the protagonist faces to achieve the goal.
Why have a conflict?
- Creates tension and interest
- Reveals the character
Are conflicts overcome in a story?
Conflicts are not always overcome in a story. Sometimes they are but sometimes they are not.
- When overcome, we call it a closure which may have a happy or a sad ending.
- When not, we call it open-ended.
Types of Conflict
Internal Conflict
- It is a conflict between man and himself.
- A character, part of whose mind wants to do something and the other part is stopping him from doing so.
External Conflict
- Man v/s Man: Antagonist opposing the protagonist
- Man v/s Nature: Nature creates an obstacle
- Man v/s Society: The protagonist challenges the norms set by the society
- Man v/s Machine: A man-made machine provides hurdles in the protagonist’s journey to victory.
- Man v/s Unknown: Conflict between extraterrestrial beings, ghosts, invisible force, supernatural entities, and the protagonist.
How to sustain the conflict throughout the story?
- The combination works best. It is ideal to have a combination of internal conflict and at least one external conflict.
- Escalate the problems progressively.
- Keep the reader guessing what will happen next.
- While choosing the conflict, think of the emotional connection with the audience. For children’s books, create a conflict with teachers, parents, friends, etc.
Narrative Tense
This is the tense in which the story is written. The narrative tense can be either present or past tense.
Present Tense
- Stories written in the present tense have a sense of immediacy.
- Describes something that is happening right in front of you.
Past Tense
- Stories written in the past tense are easier to read.
- Creates an impression that something happened and now the reader is being told about it.
5)Point of View
In any story, the author is not the one who tells it. Rather, they create a narrator who narrates the story to the readers.
What is a Point of View(POV)?
- It is the perspective of the narrator.
- It could be of the following types:
First-person POV
The story is revealed through the narrator who is a character in the story. The pronouns used are ‘I’ or ‘we’.
Second person POV
The reader is made one of the characters and is pulled into the story. The pronouns used are ‘you’, ‘your’, and ‘yours’.
Third-person POV
This is the most commonly used point of view. The voice belongs to different characters in the story. The pronouns used are ‘he’, ‘she’, ‘they’, or the characters’ names themselves.
6)Description
The description transmits the mental image of the story to the readers. A writer should know how to describe characters, places, and actions to give a good description.
The skills required for writing a good description are:
The vocabulary of appropriate words.
Knowledge of indoor setting, outdoor setting, and sometimes both.
Use of 5 Senses to show the reader what action is going on instead of directly telling him.
7)Dialogues
Dialogues take place between the characters. The purpose of writing dialogues are:
They advance the plot
- Dialogues help you to lack a lot of information in a short span using few words, thereby advancing the plot.
- Dialogues provide critical information.
- Dialogues can be cleverly used to eavesdrop on an important conversation.
They reveal character
- Every person speaks differently so dialogues reveal a person’s characteristics.
- Dialogues reveal character traits.
They add drama
- Dialogues create a fantastic atmosphere.
- Dialogues reveal if the situation is happy, sad, tense, etc.
Basic Rules of Writing Dialogues
- Dialogues should be written in inverted commas.
- A quote within dialogue is enclosed inversely.
- Each dialogue should be started in a different line.
- Dialogues should be shorter than descriptions.
- The language of the dialogue should be practical and conversational.
What not to include in dialogues?
- Speeches or soliloquies should be avoided unless they are very important.
- There should be minimum use id identifying tags such as ‘he said, ‘she said.
- Small talk should not be included in dialogues as it dilutes action.
The right balance between description and dialogues
- Dialogues should be preferably used to describe the action.
- No rule of thumb. See what fits your writhing best.
- Read it out loud. If it is getting over-descriptive, I include some dialogues
Tips for writing amazing dialogues
- Keep it conversational, informal, and practical.
- Give a distinct voice to each character which makes it stand out.
- Give each character a catchphrase that is unique to them.
Literary Devices
Literary devices are an author’s weapons that help him make his writing more engaging and effective. They are also known as ‘narrative techniques’. They are a play of words that help in making the writing more interesting and gripping as they add texture, energy, and excitement to the prose.
How to use Literary Devices in your book?
Stage I
Use the devices that come naturally to you while you are writing.
Stage II
During revision, see if any of the devices can add special effect to your writing, making it more intriguing and alluring
Some literary devices are mentioned below:
Metaphor
It is the direct comparison of two things that are not related to each other.
Example: ‘Her cheeks are roses’, ‘He has a face of the moon’, etc
Simile
It is the comparison between two things with the use of words ‘as’ or ‘like’.
Example: ‘Her cheeks are like roses’, ‘His face is as the moon’, etc
Personification
Applying human descriptions to non-humans for creating imagery is called personification.
Example: ‘The shadows danced on the wall’
Irony
The expression of one’s meaning by using language that naturally signifies something opposite, typically for humorous or emphatic effect is called irony.
Example: ‘He drove his car to the park, which was about 100 meters from his house, for his daily walks.’
Juxtaposition
The placement of two or more things side by side, often to bring out the difference between the two is called juxtaposition.
Example: ‘A butler spends his day in a beautiful mansion dressed in a tuxedo, but returns home to a closet-sized apartment in a run-down part of the town.’
Anthropomorphism
Giving human traits in terms of their behavior to animals or inanimate objects is called anthropomorphism.
Example: ‘ He slammed the phone down, looked at his dog, Suzie, and raised his shoulders, expressing resignation. Suzie barked and it sounded like, “Hey, go pour yourself a drink and it will all be okay.” ‘
Magical Realism
Describing events in a real-world setting but with magical happenings, often incorporating local customs and inverted beliefs is called magical realism.
Example: ‘I think I am alone at the table until the fish talk, “Hello there, talk to me! It’s Twinny.” This fish is red snapper, grilled whole, and presented on a large oval plate. Am I imagining this? But when I hear the fish speak again, I jump from the chair.’
Oxymoron
A pairing of seemingly contradictory terms, when used to convey emphasis or tension, is called an oxymoron.
Example: (a) His room was a fine mess.
(b) She said, ‘Act naturally’
(c) They had a love-hate relationship.
Non-Fiction
The kind of writing that reports the truth is known as non-fiction. Non-fictional writing is also known as content writing. Books for children that pertain to the nonfiction category can be of the following types:
- Academic books
- Exercise books
- Biographies
- Memoirs
- Diaries
- Personal essays
How to write a non-fiction book?
- Think of an idea. Identify the niche you want to write about. Discover your area of expertise.
- Research and gather facts and knowledgeable, helpful content.
- Write and refine.
- Make the content reader-friendly by including bullet points, tables, and pictorial representations of theories or complex phenomena.
- Include graphics
Editing
This is the most crucial stage of writing any children’s book. Editing is the process where you go through your writing once again, discover the flaws and work on them to make your writing better and better. Editing is done in two phases- author editing which is done by the author himself and publisher writing which is done by publishing houses. In this article, we will only focus on author editing.
Stages of Author Editing
- While writing
The writer goes back and forth while reading sentences for clarity, grammar, and previous portions for references.
- After the writing is complete
This is done to bring attention to inconsistencies(when characters’ behavior in the story is improper), inaccuracies(spellings, grammar, facts, etc.), incoherence(confusing timelines), etc.
The Three Rounds of Author Editing
Round I
Look at your manuscript at a macro level. Ask yourself the following questions:
- What does my story represent?
- Is it really impressive?
- Is my opening interesting?
- Is the prose slowing down?
- Does the writing have a sensory description?
Round II
Examine if the chapters relate to each other. Ask yourself the following questions:
- Is there adherence to the theme?
- Is the pace of prose and its tone consistent throughout?
- Is the conflict sustained throughout?
- Can anything be added to strengthen the conflict?
- Is every chapter leading to another chapter?
Round III
Carry detailed editing through your content. Ask yourself the following questions:
- Have I used an active voice throughout?
- Have I deleted all the cliches?
- Have I simplified clunky sentences?
- Have I avoided the repetition of words?
- Have I replaced difficult words with simple ones?
If your answer to all these questions is negative, you need to rewrite it.
Conclusion
This is how you write a children’s book from scratch. The writing journey begins with an idea and ends with the final rewriting. Be it fiction or nonfiction, you need to think of an idea, develop on it, edit and rewrite it. And that is how you will have the perfect book that children are gonna love reading. Happy writing!
