Is Children's Literature 'Easier' To Write?

I simply adore children’s books, not just because of the illustrations, but because of the characters and the journeys they go on. Even today, I can name characters I read as a kid that impacted my childhood. It was Meg Ryan’s character in You’ve Got Mail who said, “When you read a book as a child, it becomes part of your identity in a way that no other reading in your life does.” The books I read as a kid inspired me to want to be a writer.

You might believe that because you are writing for kids, it should be easy to come up with a story. Although, the themes can be quite simple, it’s putting that story together in a readable way for kids that is the real challenge.

You are working with a small word count, saying more with fewer words while showing emotion, organizing a plot, and revealing your character’s intent. Plus, you got to make it all look effortless.

So, how do we get there?

I surveyed a group of SCBWI members on their experience with writing children’s stories, and similar answers kept popping up. I’ve organized them below, while also adding a few of my own based on my own experience.

Balancing simplicity vs. depth

Many of my group members agreed that writing for children is much harder than it might seem, especially when it comes to writing about big emotions. Kids do have the capacity to handle big feelings, just not with heavy complexity. You don’t want the story to be too overwhelming, but you also don’t want it to be too simple. So, how do you balance it out? Here are a few tips that some the writers suggested:

· Repetition creates clarity and emotional rhythm

· Using humor to help balance out the difficult themes

· Picture books especially rely on the interaction between text and meaningful illustration

· Focus on one central emotional journey/idea rather than a few

A good example of this balance is in the Big Bright Feelings books written by Tom Percival. These books work on showing emotions in a meaningful way without watering it down.

Another good example is The Velveteen Rabbit, by Margery Williams, which is a beautiful story that balances the complexity and depth of love with heart-warming characters.

Matching a child’s perspective

A couple of weeks ago, I had written a draft of a story and was sharing it in my SCBWI critique group when someone pointed out that I had used a phrase that no child would use. I hadn’t realized that I was writing in an adult-like perspective.

Writing from the viewpoint of a child can be difficult for adults, but you were once a kid, right? Children’s books tend to focus on concerns that matter deeply to them including friendship and family, fear, imagination, and discovery. Many of the writers I spoke to agreed that using sensory details like sounds, food, and weather descriptions can assist in getting into the viewpoint of a kid.

Some suggestions from my survey were to keep the stakes emotionally large, even when it feels small to an adult. Dialogue should also sound natural and age-appropriate.

Alexander the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day, by Judith Viorst, is one example. Written more than 50 years ago, this story is a written in a child’s perspective making ordinary frustrations feel significant.

Illustrations pay a huge role

Illustrations, of course, can play a major role in driving the story. Some stories rely so heavily on the illustrations alone, there’s very little written words, and there’s nothing wrong with that.

I would argue that the illustrations might be just as important, or even more important, than the storytelling itself. Kids are drawn to the visual aspect of books and they will 100% judge a book by its cover. That’s why I fell in love with the Angelina stories by Katharine Holabird, illustrated by Helen Craig. Craig’s immense details in her illustrations are what drew me to the story.

When your book is traditionally published, you as the writer have little to no say in the illustrations. If you are a writer/illustrator like myself, look for publishers that encourage both submissions of your manuscript and illustration sketches. It’s possible they might accept both.

Many new writers either over-describe a scene or the visuals don’t match up that well with the text. If you aren’t a writer/illustrator, try to leave room in your written word for visual storytelling.

Rhyming and reading aloud

These of course go hand-in-hand. Strong rhyme creates musicality and read-aloud appeal. “I do not like green eggs and ham. I do not like them, Sam-I-Am” from Dr. Seuss’s well-known story is a good example. It serves as a masterclass in repetition and controlled vocabulary.

Some of the group members agreed that predictable sound patterns help young children participate in the storytelling but that the rhyming itself shouldn’t feel forced to fit a particular pattern. It needs to come naturally.

Just be aware that rhyming books are not always what publishers are looking for as they can be very common or difficult to translate into other languages. In fact, back in March I had written a rhyming story that I had planned to submit to a local publisher but later changed it to prose. This is a decision you will have to make as a writer if you want to submit your stories to publishers.

Publishers

It’s important to remember that not all publishers are the same. Many have different guidelines for submissions. Several, in fact, would rather you avoid writing a story that is ‘teaching-focused’. Kids want to be entertained, not lectured at when reading a book. This isn’t to say that you can’t have your character go through a challenge that they then learn from. Even if you plan on self-publishing, it’s good to remember that kids want to find comfort in their books and not feel like they are doing something wrong.

Instead, make your story character-driven. Readers want a character they can either see themselves in or champion for. I saw myself in the quirky, doodle-drawing character that was Marissa Moss’s Amelia stories. I would read those books over and over again and have kept them even through adulthood. My books are heavily character-driven as I wanted my readers to follow on in my character’s journey.

One of the best ways to learn how to write children’s book, other than reading them, is by joining a critique group with other writers who can provide feedback on your work. I had originally joined the Society of Children Book Writers and Illustrators because publishers prefer that you are a member, but I have come to appreciate the value of other writers’ input. If you are serious about writing children’s books, consider joining a group in your area (I’m not being paid to tell you this by the way. This is just my own opinion).

As always, thank you for reading and happy writing!