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Writing for Children

Do you want to learn how to write a children's book? Make money writing for children's magazines? Since 1969, The Institute of Children's Literature has taught over 470,205 aspiring writers. Listen to the director of both The Institute for Writers and The Institute of Children's Literature and bestselling children's author Katie Davis host the show as she focuses on the craft of writing for children. She talks about how to write a children’s book, how to write for children’s magazines, how to get paid for your writing, and how to get published in the world of kidlit. There are hard-to-find resources, tips, and links included in every week's show notes. And, don't forget to check out the Institute of Children's Literature where you can be paired with a one-on-one mentor and learned to create polished and engaging projects that publishers are looking for in today's children's market.
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Now displaying: Category: general
May 21, 2021

AN INTERVIEW WITH HANNAH HOLT

In this rebroadcast, we talk with Hannah Holt, a children’s author with an engineering degree. Her books, The Diamond & The Boy (Balzer+Bray) and A Father’s Love (Philomel) weave together her love of language and science. When not reading or writing, you can find Hannah running marathons and hiking mountains.

We talk about

  • Biggest misconception writers have about getting an agent and/or a book deal
  • Advice for prepublished writers
  • Hannah’s surveys: what she learned, how she used the input.
  • How she created and researched a picture book about her grandfather
  • Questions about “bare bones” publishing, indie, and traditional publishing.
May 7, 2021

FOUR WAYS TO LEARN TO LOVE NONFICTION

Many writers view nonfiction as less: less creative than fiction, less fun than fiction, less interesting to kids than fiction, and definitely something they want to do less often. Some will accept the possibility of writing a little nonfiction to break into publishing, but do not like the idea of doing it steadily. For many, they want to do the important work of fiction.
 
But nonfiction is important. Especially now. Kids love nonfiction, and it's an important teaching tool in support of school curriculum. And nonfiction can offer children something that can help them long after the book is closed: an appreciation of the value of well-researched, accurate facts. That's why we're bringing this rebroadcast to you today.

 

Apr 23, 2021

LAUNCHING A STORY FROM A TITLE

Chances are you fall into one of two camps when it comes to titles: You either love creating them or you dread trying to think up something clever that will catch a reader’s eye. Thanks to Jan Fields, today we’re going to have some fun creating titles. So much fun your new titles just might launch a new story.

 

Apr 16, 2021

TOP THREE NARRATIVE NONFICTION MISSTEPS

Nonfiction is basically broken into two broad types. Expository nonfiction describes, explains, and informs. Narrative nonfiction uses story elements to convey a factual experience. Narrative nonfiction tells a story through carefully researched, factual recounting. Not all nonfiction books are strictly expository or strictly narrative. Some in fact contain both, but for now, Jan Fields has given us a lead on common missteps when writing narrative nonfiction.

Apr 9, 2021

INTERVIEW WITH A CONTEST JUDGE

In this rebroadcast, we interview frequent ICL contest judge and longtime instructor Nancy Coffelt. As well as being a multi-published picture book author and illustrator, Nancy is a fine artist and has been showing in galleries across the country since 1984. Her work is included in personal, public and corporate collections around the world.  Nancy also writes and illustrates books for children. Her books include Catch That Baby, Fred Stays with Me, and The Big Eclipse

Apr 2, 2021

TIPS FOR YOUR WRITER WEBSITE

Every author needs a website—yes, even if you're not published yet. In the Internet age, your website acts as your online business card for readers and even prospective agents and editors.

In this rebroadcast, we discuss tips for keeping your website user friendly and keeping them coming back for more.

 

Mar 26, 2021

5 QUESTIONS ABOUT AUTHOR PLATFORM

A while back I sent out a one-question survey. Writers could submit any one question about author platform and marketing. I learned a ton from reading all the questions that were submitted, but there were definitely some common themes. Today, we’re diving into the five most common questions writers have as they start building their platform.

Jan 23, 2021

THINGS THAT MAKE EDITORS CRINGE

Nobody wants to make an editor (or anyone) cringe when they read your manuscript. Inspired by a post from Jamie K. Schmidt, we’re covering 10 things that make editors cringe with tips to avoid them. Be sure to head to writingforchildren.com/231 to download the show notes because many of these tips will be easier to see in writing.

Everybody knows to use spellcheck or Grammarly when going over their writing. However, the following mistakes aren’t generally caught by these two programs. And if you want to stop an editor’s eyes from rolling to the back of her head, you should check your writing for the errors we're talking about today.

 

Oct 9, 2020

INTERVIEW WITH KATE MILFORD

Kate Milford is the New York Times bestselling author of The Thief Knot, as well as Greenglass House (winner of the Edgar award for juvenile literature, long-listed for the National Book Award for Young People’s Literature, and a nominee for the Andre Norton Award and the Agatha Award for Children’s/YA).

We talk about:
• What makes a good mystery?
• Do you write a mystery differently than any other kind of novel?
• What are 3 things every mystery should have?
• What are 3 things every mystery writer should avoid?
• Self-aware ironmongery
• Here’s a mystery: 9 books and two kids - how?

 

Get a one-on-one mentor to help you write publishable work that agents and publishers are looking for! Get started here!

Sep 26, 2020

FOR THE LOVE OF GENRE

Anyone who has been writing for children for any length of time knows that folks have a tendency to see writers for children as dabblers and writers for adults as real writers. In fact, many children's writers have flatly been asked when they're going to do a real book. And within children's writing, book authors are definitely given more respect than magazine writers. And if you write books, well, writing the more action oriented, plot driven genre are definitely seen as less valuable than the character-driven, deeply emotional novels. But like any class system, this one is unfair, and just because other people have bought into it, doesn't mean we have to. Let's look more closely at our love of genre in this week's episode.

 

Join the Institute of Children's Literature Community! Get our weekly newsletter with articles on the craft of writing, hot markets looking for your work, and cool resources for your writer toolbox: www.instituteforwriters.com/icl-news

Sep 18, 2020

REAL SPEECH FOR REAL PEOPLE

Today’s episode is adapted from one of our lessons in the Shape, Write, Sell Your Novel course. This course will work with middle grade and YA novels as well as adult novels. You can check out more details at:

https://www.instituteforwriters.com/novel-writing-course-online/

Dialogue is an essential component of creating distinct character voice, but of all aspects of writing, dialogue gives novice writers the biggest challenges. Once you understand what good dialogue is and train yourself to listen for it, you’ll find it’s one of the most enjoyable things to write.

 

Aug 21, 2020

BECOME YOUR OWN EDITOR

Today’s episode is an excerpt from our Writing for Children and Teens course at the Institute of Children’s Literature. The course consists of 10 assignments designed to help you develop submission-ready work by the time you complete your course. You get the benefit of one-on-one instruction and critiques throughout the process. It’s a course like no other. Learn more at https://www.instituteforwriters.com/course-catalog/

It may be that you’re a whiz who’s able to produce error-free prose without even thinking about it. But if you’re like most people—including many professional writers—you have at least a few failings when it comes to punctuation, grammar, usage, and spelling. Today, we thought it might be helpful to include a list here of the most common errors made by new writers —and how to fix them. We’ve mentioned some of these on the podcast before, but these errors are so common, that a little reminder is good for everyone.

 

Aug 7, 2020

INTERVIEW WITH EDITOR PAULA MORROW

Although Paula Morrow has written more than 70 books and hundreds of magazine pieces (fiction, nonfiction, and poetry), she considers her main talent to be editing. Paula honed her skill editing for fifteen years with Cricket Magazine Group and Cricket Books, then with several book, magazine, and educational publishers. Most recently she edited at Highlights. Paula is the judge for the ICL Nonfiction STEAM Article contest.

We talk about:

  • What STEAM is, why it's important, and how it differs from other nonfiction writing.
  • What she will be looking for in ICL STEAM contest entries
  • What is structure
  • How structure differs between genres, between books and magazine stories, and between age levels
  • Why a writer should never use more than one exclamation mark at a time
  • An editor’s pet peeves
  • Good examples and/or good sources
  • And lots more!

 

Jul 10, 2020

PLAYING FAIR WITH PLOT

Good stories have lots of moving parts. Inspired by an article from our own Jan Fields, this episode challenges us to get all the parts to come together in a way that works.

Many writers understand that a good plot requires giving your main character something to want or need, and that the character then needs to do stuff. A story without action of any kind isn't much of a story and most writers get that pretty early in the process of learning to write fiction.

We also realize early on that a good story eventually fulfills the want or need for the main character. But there's a bit more to it than that, and one additional element is that you must play fair with the reader. Let’s look at what that means.

 

Get a one-on-one mentor to help you write publishable work that agents and publishers are looking for! Get started here!

Jun 26, 2020

PACING 101

You hear the word all the time from teachers, critiquers, and editors. “Nice brisk pace.” “Kind of slow, pick up the pace”. “I like it, but the pace is a bit slow in the middle.” So what the heck is pace and how do we make that slow middle faster or create that brisk pace in the first place? Today, I share a fantastic article on pacing from my old friend Mary Rosenblum.

 

Let a one-on-one mentor help you get that book out of your head and onto the page. Get started here!

Jun 19, 2020

VOICE

You may feel like you are struggling to find it. The first step in succeeding is realizing that it isn’t as far away as you might think. “Relax. Know that you already have a distinctive voice,” says author Kristi Holl. “Your voice is the product of your personality and your life experiences, both good and not so good.” The trick is to set this voice free in your writing and consistently sound like yourself—not your favorite author, critique buddy, or high school English teacher. Let's dig in on voice in today's episode based on an article from Sue Bradford Edwards.

 

Join the Institute of Children's Literature Community! Get our weekly newsletter with articles on the craft of writing, hot markets looking for your work, and cool resources for your writer toolbox: www.instituteforwriters.com/icl-news

May 8, 2020

INTERVIEW WITH CHARLIE N. HOLMBERG

Charlie N. Holmberg is the author of the Numina series and the Wall Street Journal bestselling Paper Magician series, which has been optioned by the Walt Disney Company.

We talk about building worlds through:

  • Senses
  • Clothing
  • Language
  • And how language can support the world
  • Plus, how to help your reader feel like they’re in your world without “telling” and creating prolonged descriptions?
  • And lots more!
Apr 24, 2020

POETRY FOR THE VERY YOUNG

Poetry for very young children has a lot in common with poetry for older readers. It’s built word by word, as poetry has no room for extraneous words. It sounds good to the ear. It gives the reader a different way to look at the world by drawing attention very closely to something. Still, when writing for the very young, some things must be kept in mind.

 

Let a one-on-one mentor help you get that book out of your head and onto the page. Get started here!

Mar 13, 2020

TRUTH, OPINION, AND 4 WAYS TO LEARN TO LOVE NONFICTION

Many writers view nonfiction as less: less creative than fiction, less fun than fiction, less interesting to kids than fiction, and definitely something they want to do less often. Some will accept the possibility of writing a little nonfiction to break into publishing, but do not like the dea of doing it steadily. For many, they want to do the important work of fiction.

But nonfiction is important. Especially now. Kids love nonfiction, and many young readers prefer it over fiction. Nonfiction is an important teaching tool in support of school curriculum. And nonfiction can offer children something that can help them long after the book is closed: an appreciation of the value of well-researched, accurate facts.

 

Ready to write nonfiction? Let us help! Our one-on-one mentors can help you discover new ideas and develop your work for publication. Get started here!

 

 

 

Feb 21, 2020

MISUNDERSTOOD VERBS

When you’re polishing and perfecting your work, one big thing to pay attention to is your verbs. Inspired by an article from Jan Fields, we’re going to come to a greater understanding of these action words.

Verbs are the powerhouse of the sentence. Because of that, understanding how verbs work will help you tremendously in the revision process. It's only by knowing what verbs are all about that you can make them do their tricks. So with that in mind, let's look at some of the most misunderstood verbs.

 

Join the Institute of Children's Literature Community! Get our weekly newsletter with articles on the craft of writing, hot markets looking for your work, and cool resources for your writer toolbox: www.instituteforwriters.com/icl-news

Feb 8, 2020

INTERVIEW WITH ANDREA LONEY

At the end of January, the American Library Association announced their annual awards. DOUBLE BASS BLUES illustrated by Rudy Gutierrez and written by Andrea J. Loney was named a Caldecott Honor Book! Andrea was our guest last year, so in honor of her book's big win, we're rebroadcasting her interview with some bonus audio as she shares her tips for getting from unstuck to success.

 

Let a one-on-one mentor help you hone your revision skills and polish your work so it shines in your submissions to agents and publishers! Get started here!

Dec 20, 2019

FAILURE IS PROOF OF EFFORT

As the end of the year creeps ever closer, it can be a good time to take stock of how your writing life is going, as long as you do that examination wisely. Having a successful writing life can seem impossible sometimes, especially if we look predominantly at the times we've tried something without success. Virtually every writer has stories that didn't work, books that didn't sell, and efforts that didn't bear fruit. Let's look at those efforts in a different way today.

 

Let a one-on-one mentor help you hone your writing skills and polish your work so it shines in your submissions to agents and publishers! Get started here!

Dec 14, 2019

5 TIPS TO REV UP YOUR OPENING

When a reader picks up your book, you don't want them to put it down. Here are five tips for energizing your opening sequence and pulling in your reader.

 

Let a one-on-one mentor help you hone your revision skills and polish your work so it shines in your submissions to agents and publishers! Get started here!

Nov 30, 2019

BROWBEATEN INTO SUBMISSION

Sometimes, the most well-meaning folks can do the greatest harm to an aspiring writer. For a writer, there can be a lot of pressure to get published or prove you can get published. Our friend and frequent blogger, Rita Reali shares some of her story with us today.

 

Get a one-on-one mentor to help you write publishable work that agents and publishers are looking for! Get started here!

Nov 22, 2019

BREAK INTO PUBLISHING

Writing is a noble proposition, in and of itself. Published writing is something else entirely. And paid published writing—whoa, Nellie, that’s just glorious!

In order to get published though, you need to put yourself “out there” in the world, and get your writing in front of people who are in charge of accepting items for publication … preferably in places that will pay you for your work. Inspired by an article from Rita Reali, let’s look at different ways to break into publishing today.

 

Get a one-on-one mentor to help you write publishable work that agents and publishers are looking for! Get started here!

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