Categories of Children's Books - Young Adult & Children Writing Month - Sunday Topic Chat
Published: Sat, 04/24/21
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Board Books, Story Books, Early Readers
We are doing our last Topic Chat for Children & Young Adult Writers Month.
In May our Topics will center around Memoir Writing, but no worries, we will include other things that spring to mind. May is for
Marketing. May is for Mature Audiences Only. May is for Making it Up as We Go Along.
The last topic includes Categories of Children’s Books.
Picture Books
Early Readers
Young Readers and
Young Adult
While I was looking into the Topic for Sunday, I read an article about marketing.
For the youngest readers, we are actually marketing to Parents. They have the money, they make the choices. I can tell you from experience, parents wish writers
would lean into their plight as readers and make Board Books, Picture Books, and Early Readers far more interesting.
This article does a nice job of exploring the different types of books for children. Go on over and give it a read. Bookmark it for future
reference.
While I am holding you captive.. how does a writer, decades past their first childhood, but at least five years from entering those golden years of our second
childhood, entertain contemporary children and the adults who read to them?
Part of writing, no matter your genre or audience is marketing.
Some say you begin marketing as soon as you stand up before a Social Media Platform and Declare your Intention to Write.
Before you begin your Submission Process it is imperative for you to have an Internet Presence. This may be a blog, a website, social media, group memberships,
some kind of personal outreach from you.
The mere mention of Marketing strikes a feeling of dread.
It doesn’t have to be dreadful. It simply needs to be approached with understanding. Writing may happen in isolation and most reading is done from the comfort of a
bed, window seat, armchair, coffee shop, airplane or other intimate setting. You’d think in such a solitary activity of writing and reading would suggest if you write it, they will read.
Drop by The Writer’s Chatroom on Sunday, 7PM EDT and talk to us about Marketing during our Children and Young Adult Writing Month.
You’ll find the article I chose for the chat is interesting and worthy of a bookmark.
Something to be conscious of as a fiction writer is the market for which you write. Young Adult (or YA) fiction isn’t a genre,
but it’s a defined label in publishing, typically considered for readers aged 12-18, though this too is fluid.
Step 1: Write Your Own Trendsetter
Step 2: Read, Read, Read Ya Fiction
Step 3: Know Your Subject (And Write Sensitively About
It)
Step 4: Know Your Audience (And Keep Prose
Authentic)
Age Levels for Children's Books
Once upon a time...
In the very early 90s, I explored writing for Children. I took a course by mail. I studied, I wrote. I observed.
The thing that held me back in my writing kids' books turned out to be all of the rules.
The only rule I could go all in with was that if you word could not be found in a middle grade dictionary it should not be used in a story, book or article.
Let's talk about the Rules, the Age Levels, Subject Matter and all the things we need to consider when writing for Children.
Do you think too many rules, or guidelines, can take the joy out of Writing for Children or for that matter, Young Adults?
This article is an example of what stole my joy and good intentions when I signed up for that class to learn about Writing for Children.
April is Children & Young Adult Month
It is officially springtime up in the Northern half of the Globe.
We are going to explore topics about writing for Children or Young Adults. I remember being a Young Adult, I have certain bizarre memories of spending time as a Child.
Let’s talk about various aspects of both genres, one at a time or together, we will see what happens as we go along.
Chat begins at the top of the hour on Sundays at 7PM EDT and Wednesdays at 8PM EDT
How Do You Know When You're Done Editing?
When do you quit? When is it time to put your manuscript into your submission packet and begin sending it out and about?
We are going to refer to this article to help us decide when enough is enough.
Here is one, "The thought of touching your novel makes you sick. This one is obvious. If you’ve gotten to the point where you have edited, reworked, and thought about this novel for so long that you’re sick of it, well, that probably means it’s time to be done."
Much like the penrose stairs in Inception, a writer can trudge up and down the steps of editing their novel, never realizing that they’re not going anywhere.
If you aren't sure about the Penrose Stairs, be sure to click on the link. You'll be glad you checked.
Join us for our last Revision/Editing Topic Chat.
7PM EDT Sunday
Self-Editing is Always a Good Thing
It is a little like self-control - A little goes a long way.
“To write is human, to edit is divine.” – Stephen King
My search for simplicity for Sunday's Topic Chat led me to an article in the Independent Book
Review.
Finishing your novel is only the beginning. Check out what you can do before beta readers and editors in IBR's latest, "5 Tips for Self-Editing for Fiction
Writers" written by Holly Tri.
Take a Break
Get Rid of Excess Text
Break Your Mindset
Do Multiple Rounds of Editing
Read It Backwards
Use the link and check out the article. Even if you can’t make it to the Chatroom, the article is a good read and worthy of a
bookmark.
Let's talk Revisions
Daylight Savings Time is upon us. Spring Forward - Fall Backward. I like the whole concept of setting our clocks ahead. Most of my clocks go ahead without my input.
Let's talk about revisions.
How many revisions do you do before putting on your Editing hat? Or do you do both at the same time?
What exactly is a Revision? I think it is different things to different writers, so drop in on Sunday's Topic Chat and share your take on Revision and Editing.
