Writing Children’s Books: Secrets of Thinking Like a Kid
One of the toughest tasks for writers is to get inside the brain of a child. Sure, we all have our own childhood memories, but those can be spotty at best. And even accurate recollections reflect a different time and a different mindset.
The standard advice is to observe and interact with children. Being around kids can give a window into the language and interpersonal dynamics of today’s kids. But even this is far from foolproof. Youngsters are thoroughly aware of an adult’s presence and may simply be trying hard to be on their best behavior. There is another way, however, that is remarkably efficient and is a surefire way to get an accurate picture of the likes, dislikes and passions of kids: read some magazines.
As the periodical market has become more niche-oriented, editors and publishers have become–by necessity–geniuses in understanding their slice of the audience. The people who put out Boys’ Life, for example, spend a great deal of time and money working to master the mindset of the grade school boys in whose life Scouting and outdoor adventure play a vital part. Page after page of the magazine reflects this understanding. The vocabulary, pacing, subject matter, article length and design are all tailored specifically to suit this audience. If you hope to write for this niche, becoming familiar with Boy’s Life is as valuable as attending a dozen Scout Pack meetings–and probably a lot more peaceful.
So here’s the plan–for whatever age, gender or special interest group you hope to write for, find their magazines and read them, cover to cover. When you do, consider these points:
* Note how the magazines target a narrow age group and sometimes just one gender. Compare a magazine for early elementary readers to one for ages 9-12, and see how the tone, humor and attitude of the writing changes.
* Some magazines have an educational focus, and others are for entertainment. Notice how the educational publications still capture readers’ interest by using jokes or making the topics relevant to kids’ lives. On the other hand, the entertainment magazines also strive to profile people who are good role models, to showcase activities that are worthwhile, and to work within age-appropriate boundaries of good taste.
* Notice how the slant of magazines for girls is different from that for boys. Girls’ publications often feature more fiction and poetry; boy’s magazines might contain jokes or comic strips. As an exercise, read some “boy” magazines and “girl” magazines for the same age group, and pinpoint their differences. This will help you in creating boy and girl characters for your fiction.
* Peruse some of the actual articles in recent issues. Many magazines have excerpts on their web sites, so you can easily get a sense of what kids are reading (look in the magazine market section of Children’s Writer’s & Illustrator’s Market published by Writer’s Digest books for lists of magazines and their web sites), though there’s no substitute for thumbing through a hard copy of each publication. This will help you understand not only what kids care about, but what they’re learning at school. Educational magazines in particular want articles that can be applied to what children are reading in class. And if you’re writing fiction that centers around a character’s school experience, you want to get the teacher’s lesson plans right.
As a fiction writer, reading children’s magazines can help you zero in on what your characters care about, what’s going on in their world, and even what they find funny. If you’re writing nonfiction, magazines will show you the breadth of interests enjoyed by your target audience, and perhaps point you toward a niche you can fill. So visit your local newsstand and start your research. You may get some funny looks when you’re reading Jack and Jill at Starbucks, but the publishing contracts will be worth it.
This article excerpted from Children’s Book Insider, The Newsletter for Children’s Writers. Visit now for more info and a special offer.
June 5th, 2008 at 12:59 am
It came natural for me to write for children. After three published books and a few hundred poems- I’m happy with my self. Many more stories to come. As a school custodian I have the rare chance of having my books and stories reviewed by children first hand.
Before they came out..
I love this site http://www.write4kids.com
keep up the great work
And have a great year to all you that write and to those who read too your children.
William sawyers
“Daring To Make A Difference In Todays Youth-One Page At A Time”