The Biggest Mistake Youll Ever Make as a Childrens Author

The Biggest Mistake Youll Ever Make as a Childrens Author Every so often, a friend will hand me a childrens book manuscript and ask if I would review it and offer an honest opinion. Im always delighted to do so, but, over the years, Ive discovered that almost every one of those potential book projects suffers from a critical and quite frequent mistake. When I ask them about it, they will often hang their head and sheepishly admit that, yes, they are guilty of breaking this rule: If you are going to be a successful childrens author, you MUST read childrens books on a regular basis! Interestingly, many novice writers think that just because theyve raised some children or read a book to their grandchildren, they are ready to write their own childrens book. Unfortunately, that alone does not adequately prepare one for writing juvenile literature. Prospective authors need to soak themselves in the culture of childrens literature, regularly! They need to know the language, the themes, the concepts, the tenor, and the presentation of childrens literature. And, the ONLY way to do that is to read childrens books on a regular basisevery dayevery weekevery month. If you are not reading childrens books, then you are putting yourself at a severe disadvantage in the marketplace. The books you read as a child are not the same books kids read today. Todays books have a certain flavor, spark, and presentation. You need to experience that unique culture if you are to write equally compelling and engaging books. Reading current childrens literature on a regular basis has enormous benefits for you as a beginning childrens author. Â  Here are a few: 1) Introduces you to a wide range of authorial styles. If you want to get a sense of what good writing is all about, you need to sample many different kinds of writing the good, the bad (and the ugly). In so doing, you are getting a full picture of what writers can do (or, what they are unable to do) in terms of characters, conflicts, and settings. 2) Shows you language patterns that resonate with readers. When you read the stories and books of other authors, you can get a sense of the language appropriate for different age groups. Youll also immerse yourself in the semantics and syntax of different genres. 3) Gives you the opportunity to compare good stories with bad stories. To know good books you need to experience bad ones. The bad books give you a frame of reference necessary to your compositional efforts. That diversity is essential to your writing success. 4) Allows you to see how different authors handle similar themes. If you want to write childrens books you have to read childrens books! One without the other is like vacationing in Maui without going to the beach. Its only half-done! Read, and keep reading, lots of childrens books. and you will notice a decided improvement in your own ability to craft stories for a new generation of readers.