Fiction Writing Resources
The children’s books genre is probably the most complicated, most technical and most difficult genre to break into. Children’s books tend to be both an art as well as a business. Along with the normal book publishing information like manuscript negotiation and submission strategies, this handbook covers every other aspect of writing childrenís books. Not really sure what questions you need to ask about writing childrenís books? Thatís just fineÖthis book is going to answer even those questions…and tell you what they are! Myths, book categories, successful story development, career building within the genre it’s all there for you to absorb and use. Donít miss out on this one if you are even thinking about writing a childrenís book.
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Imagine for a moment that writing is not an intellectual function but rather an emotional function. What we write then becomes an honest, inspired interpretation of what our hopes, dreams and goals are. Robert Olen Butler, experienced Pulitzer Prize winning author and even more experienced teacher takes his students to just that place; a mind space where writing is emotional rather than intellectual. He encourages an honest exploration of
the human condition and helps writers find the place in their hearts where they can spill forth these feelings and emotions into written form. His masters level writing classes are offered at Florida State University but rather than submit yourself to classes and all that they entail, get this book and learn his concepts at your own pace and with your own guided and inspired interpretation. Re-awaken your own dream space, craft your work into the world’s next fictional masterpiece!
Creating illustrations for children’s books is an entirely different ballgame than in any other genre. The pictures must enhance the text in a manner that is gripping, entertaining and meaningful as well as age appropriate.If you are new to the childrenís theme industry, this book is a must read. The author helps you sort out the differences in the various children’s themes, classic children’s fiction and basic storytelling. She also helps the new author develop a zone that he can be comfortable with. With input from famous writers, illustrators, editors, librarians, and educators every aspect of writing, illustrating and producing children’s books is covered.
The author of this extraordinarily helpful writer’s guide has been teaching writers classes for years. Jerry Cleaver has obviously listened for many years to the obstacles, road blocks and difficulties encountered by his students, carefully planned detours around the road blocks and thoughtfully put them in an easy to navigate straightforward format. This book may say you many closed publishers’ doors, many ‘no’s’ before even opening your transcript and many unnecessary mistakes. Generally regarded by many ultra famous authors as the ‘How to’ guide for fiction writers, Cleaver has struck a chord with his useful yet refreshingly not flowery manner of writing straightforward, useful, updated material that gets a writer what he truly needs-just the facts, ma’am! My favorite part of this book is the section on re-writing and how to tell when you are finished. Many times I have written, re-written and kept right on going not really sure when it was truly a finished product. If you deal with the same, don’t miss out on this book. Don’t let your creativity get the best of you…buy this book and learn when to let the creativity flow and when to keep it well edited.
Do you have one of those children who is constantly creating something or someone new? Do you have an endless number of invisible friends as dinner guests or perhaps one too many monsters in the dark closet at night? Well, here is a way for you to battle those monsters and learn how to communicate with you interesting dinner guests – creative writing! Creating an imagination is certainly not something that children need any help with but channeling all of that artistic and creative energy into a tool like creative writing that they can use now and in the future is something that only an educator and artist could achieve. The creative presentation of this book/packet
helps maintain the immediate interest of the child without creating an incredible mess. However, it is the coaxing to use their imagination without constraint that keeps the child truly interested. Using what it is they do best, fantasize, she helps children find their inner voice and put it on paper. If you have a child in your life that enjoys journalizing or storytelling then this is definitely a book that will do much more than keep him entertained for a few hours.
The huge difference between writing and plotting for commercialization of a book versus literary fiction is a huge difference. The author, James Scott Bell clearly, distinctly and explains the differences and why an author would want to write with one or the other in mind. Write Great Fiction discusses how to re-track a plot gone off track by an overly enthusiastic writer who gets ahead of his plot planning. He also addresses how to approach the plot and structure of a novel like an experienced professional to make your first work of art feel like a novel by a well experienced novelist who never hurts to fool the editor just a bit. The author, James Scott Bell writes with conviction and experience. As a lawyer turned writer, he knows what he is talking about when tells the reader about their rights and copyright laws. In addition, you will also enjoy the thought provoking exercises at the end of each chapter. They are thoughtful, helpful and very on the point.
The world around you – it just comes and goes and drifts on as a softly flowing river. This book will re-teach you to wake up and pay attention. Often we forget to look around us, use all of our senses and consider them when writing down our feelings. This guide to writing about the world around you is designed for young people aged 8 to 12. This is the perfect coming of age gift along with a fabulous journal and a nice pen. I remember my first one – if you think back, you will probably have fond memories of yours.
Make some other young persons memories equally as special and pass along this book. Kids often need a little help organizing their feelings so that they can write them down. Very few gifts in life are as wonderful as the gift of writing given to a young person – teaching a young person how to successfully journal. Don’t let this alarm clock get away from you and the young people in your life.
Are you an established, published author wishing to break into the world of children’s books but just don’t really know where to start? Or don’t have the time to put into the intense research required to learn all there is to know about the world of children and teen’s books? This genre of writing is the most difficult, requires the most research and can be the most complicated to break into. This book lays out everything you need to know in a precise, readable format that allows you to choose what you need to read first without punishing the reader for not reading the book in its entirety. This book provides step by step ideas on creating characters for children that speak to and like children. So often we forget that children are not just mini adults. This book helps the adult who has long forgotten child-speak how to get back to that concept and place in a childís mind. I would highly recommend this book for the experienced writer or the want-to-be writer who is interested in breaking into the world of children’s books.
Dialogue, dialogue, dialogue – yes, it is the single most important character builder in your hands. Mold the characters into people that your readers really know, really relate to and will be sorry to see leave their lives at the end of the book. Dialogue that pulls readers in goes beyond just correct grammar and sufficiently getting a point across. Make it feel authentic, as if the reader is eaves dropping on a conversation. Learn to write toward a specific genre, age group, cultural diversity or even language level. Regardless of when your characters lived (decades ago, centuries ago and even back to biblical times), you can design conversation fit to the situation. Don’t make the mistake of including a sore thumb in your conversation (a washing machine before electricity). Whatever you do, get prepared by reading and using this guide to Writing Fiction.
Award winning children’s book author, Tracy Dils knows from where she writes. Her award winning kids books have been under our children’s arms as favorite bring along books for years. Having been an childrenís book editor as well, she gives new writers the benefit of her experience. The various topics covered in this “how-to” book are: getting started, various children’s book styles, how to look like a pro even if you aren’t, getting published, self editing, and breaking in. Covering every aspect of the business, the author gives a new writer a fighting chance.
Writing for children is particularly difficult and surprisingly technical. Tracey E Dils gives the aspiring children’s book writer a fighting chance with her book, ‘You Can Write Children’s Books’ and its workbook companion, ‘You Can Write Children’s Books Workbook.’ Used along with the book or as a stand alone, this workbook walks you through everything from the aspiration of your book to the publishing. Concrete exercises and instruction will help you bring together all the ideas you have floating around in your head in a manner that will get them to print. With years of experience and many children’s projects to back up her writings, you will find that Tracey Dils really knows her art and has a knack for sharing it via this book and workbook.