write a book online for kids
When you are writing a book for children, where should you get your ideas? Should you draw on the experiences of your own children -- or is that mining their private lives to tell a very public story? We talked to successful author and creative writing teacher Libby Gleeson to find out how you can craft compelling stories that engage and entertain young readers.
write a book online for kids
Libby has published over 30 books for children and teenagers. The Hannah series - Skating on Sand, Hannah Plus One and Hannah and the Tomorrow Room -- are award-winning junior fiction titles.
write a book online for kids
Getting inspiration and ideas
write a book online for kids
"In the early stages when the first Hannah's was first created, there was no question that it was definitely based on the experiences of my younger two daughters," says Libby. "Hannah is a feisty, determined bright, capable little kid and it really grew from a time when one of my daughters taught herself to skate on a holiday after having been told not to take her skates, blah blah blah, and she did and she was successful. And I had a lot of admiration for her because you know she decided she wanted to do something and she went ahead and she stuck at it until she did it."
write a book online for kids
When you write for children and teenagers, this can pose some interesting challenges. After all, the interests of a five-year-old child are vastly different to that of a 14-year-old teenager. So the ability to switch hats as an author - in order to write for different audiences -- is important.
write a book online for kids
However, Libby points out that writing for younger readers isn't necessarily easier than writing for older readers. "I certainly enjoy all the different age groups and it's a case of just getting your head back into that particular age level," she says. "I've just written a new picture book text which I'm sure will be directed at the very young and I realize what a pleasure it was to do that. But at the same time I've started working on a big novel for the older kids again and the challenge of that is exciting as well. So I'd be lying if I said any one group is either easier or satisfying."
write a book online for kids
Research the age group you are writing about
write a book online for kids
When you are writing for particular age groups, it's vital to be able to get into the world and understand the lingo used in that age level. Libby says this involves a lot of consideration and research. "[You need to be concerned] about the authentic voice of a particular character so that if you do want to try and write about what it's like to be a six year old in kindergarten... then you've really got to spend a lot of time trying to remember what it felt like when you were there," she says. "But it's also about trying to observe and to talk to kids who are there now because clearly education's different now than it was in the 1960s. It's not just a case of just sit down and out it comes. There's a lot of preparation."
Waiting for inspiration to hit is a myth, according to Libby who suggests that a more disciplined approach to writing is needed. "I think if you wait for the muse to hit then you're going to wait an awful long time," she says. "I think you have to go out there; you have to determine what your idea is; and then you have to start working at it."
In an increasingly internet-enabled world and with people's changing attitude to books, Libby also points out that books now have a much shorter shelf life than they ever did. "The print runs are much smaller," she says. "This is not necessarily the publisher's fault I might add; it's the way of the world. The new technology I think is an issue in that there's vast competition from video and from handheld computer games and so on."
Is writing for children easier than writing for adults?
write a book online for kids
One of the most common misconceptions in the world of publishing is that writing a children's book is easier than writing for adults. Libby is keen to dispel this myth. "Give it a try and see and find out for yourself," she says. "A lot of people look at a picture book text and think, 'Oh look at that there's only 200 or 300 words there; it must be a cinch.'
"Well in fact it's incredibly difficult to balance the development of a character of a story with rhythm and language and emotion and you know all of the qualities that any of work of literature has to have and to do it all in so few words is in fact incredibly difficult. And my advice to anyone who says they are going to write books is give it a try. So many people say to me, 'Oh look, I'm going to write a book when I just -- when I retire or when I do this or when I do that,' and I think, 'You know, you're not'. If you want to be a writer, you have to be prepared to write and you've got to do it now."
If you think you have a children's book in you, remember that it's much more than just telling a simple story your own kids would enjoy. To be a truly successful children's author, you need a clear understanding and appreciation of children's books today -- not just the ones you read when you were a child.
"I'm always struck by the number of people who want to write for children and who don't read children's books, so they don't know what's being published now," says Libby, who also adds that it's essential for any aspiring writer to write constantly. "It isn't easy to publish but it is possible and you know only commitment and hard work are going to get you there."
Valerie Khoo is director of the Sydney Writers' Centre -- one of the world's leading centres for writing training. You can learn in person or online here: http://www.sydneywriterscentre.com.au/ To find out more on how you can learn about how to write children's books through our online courses, visit here: http://www.writingchildrensbooks.com.au/
write a book online for kids
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write a book online for kids
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