How do I ace it?

[The Mad Geek]

Hi! I'd like to write a children's book: What makes a great children's book and how do I craft one? Please help!! Thanks.:Shrug:

[Momento Mori]

The Mad Geek:
What makes a great children's book and how do I craft one?

What sort of genre do you want to write in? What age group are you interested in writing for?

Personally, I think the best thing you can do is to actually read children's fiction, particularly fiction in the genre you're interested in writing in. As you read it, you'll work out what works, what doesn't work and how other authors have approached particular subjects.

Without more of a clue as to what you want to write, it's difficult to give you specific advice, although I've set out below the steps I think need to be taken to craft a solid children's book (whether it's great is up to the readers).

1. Get an idea (whether for a character, situation or set of circumstances).

2(a). Develop the idea on paper until you get a story that goes from A to B to C, with outlines for what needs to happen; or

2(b). Start writing from your initial set-up and see where it takes you.

3. Keep writing until you've finished the story that you want to tell.

4. Leave your manuscript alone for a couple of weeks.

5. Go back and take another look at your manuscript. Look at it critically. Work out if it tells the story that you wanted to tell, whether there are problems with that story that need to be fixed, if there are any areas that could be improved. Edit your manuscript accordingly.

6. Leave it for another week or so and repeat step 5.

7. Repeat step 6 until you've got to the point where you don't think you can spot anything else that needs changing, either:

(a) find a good critique group - either in RL or on-line; or

(b) post bits in the SYW Forum.

Listen to what people tell you. You don't have to like their advice or even agree with it, but you should listen to it because if nothing else, it might spark off ideas.

8. Edit your manuscript in line with any advice received pursuant to step 7 to the extent you think it improves your story.

9. Leave it to stew one more time before taking a final look at it, making any final amendments you think are necessary.

10. Start querying agents and begin work on your next book.

MM

[The Mad Geek]

Thank you, Momento!