How To Write Children's Books

Do you dream of being the next Dr. Seuss or maybe writing a classic picture book like "Goodnight Moon?"  Writing children's books may not be as easy as it seems.  Here are a few steps to take in order to write a publishable children's book.

1. Choose your audience.  There is nothing worse than a book that is too far above or too far below the level of your audience.  Try sticking to a specific age and matching your story to that age.  By choosing too broad of a range of ages, you are more likely to lose the oldest and youngest children's attention with your story.  For instance, if you want to write a picture book, cater to the younger child's interests.  If you want to write more of a story-based novel, you will need to design that for an older audience.
   
   
2. Research reading ability for that age level.  This goes with knowing your audience.  If you choose words to describe things in your story that are too advanced or too elementary, you are not going to keep the children's attention.  There are books available that outline words and phrases at each age level that they should be able to read and understand.  One such book that is a good resource is called Children's Writer's Word Book by Alijandra Mogilner.
3. Read as many children's books as possible.  Reading books at the same level you wish to write is probably the best way to get a feel for how your book should be.  Notice the length of sentences, phrasing, size of the book, and descriptions.  You should not copy these books, but get the feel for how a children's book should be written and in what style.
4. Brainstorm ideas.  Once you get a feel for the right level of children's books, sit down and brainstorm ideas for your own story.  Think about plot, setting, characters, and any lessons to be learned.  Start with a rough outline and go from there, adding in more details and specific nuances.  If you are also an artist, it may be helpful to sketch any pictures that go along with your story.  By drawing it or imagining it in picture form, you may pick up some details that should be described that you may not have originally thought of when writing it out.
5. Write a draft.  Now it's time to write!  A rough draft is a good place to start.  Get into as much detail as possible in this draft.  You can always cut out unnecessary parts when you edit.  It is usually a lot easier to cut things out than to insert ideas later to make your story longer or more complete.  After you write your draft, set it aside for a day or two and then come back to read it again and edit or fill in any missing details.
6. Let a child read the story.  Sit down with a child in your target age group, if you know one, and read the story to her or let her read it.  Ask for ideas to make it better.  Think of this as a "test market" of sorts for your product.  If it doesn't hold her attention, try again!