As a writer of children’s fiction, I often find that people don’t think it’s a real job. That’s why I thought I’d use a guest columnist this month—not because I’m lazy, which indeed I am, but because Liz Hill wrote such a good article as a response to that notion . Her article was originally published in the Rocky Mountain Writer, the newsletter of Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers. You can find out more about Liz Hill on her website.

Writing for Kids is Serious Business

By Liz Hill

Years ago when I was marketing my first book for teens, it was a challenge to find an agent who’d represent the YA genre. That’s not true anymore; children’s book sales are the fastest growing segment of the book market and many agents are actively seeking good books for kids.

In St. Paul MN, where I live, I attend a critique group exclusively for children’s fiction writers. The group is led by Jane Resh Thomas, a well-known reviewer of children’s literature and author of 15 books. Jane has mentored many children’s writers, including Kate DiCamillo, and my group includes authors Loretta Ellsworth (In Search of Mockingbird), Stephanie Watson (Elvis and Olive), and Eileen Beha (Tango: Tale of an Island Dog) plus others from Hamline University’s MFA Program in Children’s Lit.

I admit that our concerns may be somewhat unique to our craft, discussions around whether the teddy bear’s motives were clear, or whether the voice of the hero, a rodent, was distinctive enough from the rest of the animals in the barnyard. But this group has taught me that writing for young people is serious business. I thought I’d share some of the top reasons I’ve heard about why writers want to write for kids, and use them to explain some of the lessons from my group.

1. I had a childhood, therefore I can write for kids. It might be true that if you loved to read children’s literature, and still do, you might be able to write it well. Most of us write the stories we wished we could have read as kids. Your own childhood experience may not play into your story directly, but your emotions and memories will affect your themes and deeper meaning, often in surprising ways.

2. I have kids so I know what’s hot. It helps to hang around kids to hear what matters to them. But your story has to strike a balance between trends and timeless emotions. The more timeless your story, the more likely it is to become a classic.

3. I want to teach kids a moral lesson. Good books do have “moral weight,” but there’s a difference between a lesson and a sermon. Entertainment first, then lessons, and only if they spring from character growth and the story itself. “Children want to be the heroes of their own lives, says Resh-Thomas. This means they have to solve their own problems and learn their own lessons.

4. I have a great plot idea. Absolutely critical, but it can’t live without a heart. From the opening, the book has to zoom your hero toward his heart’s desire and keep him twisting and turning throughout the story. Kids have no tolerance for draggy expostion, and they won’t keep reading unless there is a strong emotional thread to pull them through. If you’re not sure where the heart of your story lies, pay attention to the scenes you have trouble writing. That’s usually where the emotional energy is.

5. Kids books are short and simple, therefore easy and fast to write. Puh-leeze! If you write short stories you know fewer words force you to be very, very selective, including only the necessary scenes with just the right details and backstory. Short does not mean simple. My group considers the first draft a sort of test to learn what the story is really about, its theme and deeper meaning, so that can be explored in subsequent drafts. This process takes time.

If you have a YA writer in your critique group, or if you’re writing a YA, remember that most of the elements of good novel writing apply to this genre as much as any other. Children’s writers need sharp skills to do their important work. As with any genre, the best way to develop those skills is to read very widely and write, write, write. Doesn’t it always come down to that?

Liz Hill is the author of four mysteries for young adults (co-authored with Anne Wolfe) including Dead Asleep, Web of Death, Raven’s Blood and The Newfie Ghost. She is currently at work on her seventh novel, a near-future YA. She’s been a member of RFMW for 18 years.