Editors can say it over and over, writing instructors can give you prompts and exercises to practice it, but sometimes it takes a seasoned writer to really make the point: every work of fiction has to begin with conflict. I don't care if you're writing a picture book, a middle grade novel, or a thriller for adults. Without conflict, you just don't have a story.

Thomas W. Young, who writes military thrillers for adults, articulated this beautifully in a recent post on the Guide to Literary Agents blog. My favorite excerpt:

In any fiction, from a war novel to a romance, you have to begin by asking questions like these:

– In my character’s world, what’s wrong that needs to be put right?
– What does my character want, and what’s keeping him from getting it?
– What has messed up my character’s life and sent him on some kind of journey?

That pretty much sums it up. But if you're still not convinced about the importance of conflict, read the rest of his post. Then think about how you can mess with your character to create a first-rate story.

Many newcomers believe it's simple to write picture books, but it actually requires a lot of skill to pack a story into a few words. If your dreams include writing a picture book, here are some tips to consider before you begin:

 
* Keep it simple. You should be able to sum up the plot of your picture book in three sentences. Not every detail, of course, but the broad strokes. Create one sentences to capture the beginning (naming your main character and the problem or conflict he’ll face in the story), one for the middle (describing the gist of the efforts your character makes to solve his problem), and one for the end (how he finally resolves the conflict and reaches his goal). If three sentences doesn’t capture the essence of your plot, then it’s probably too complex for a picture book.

Note: You’re concerned here on plot (the action of the story), rather than theme (the underlying message). Don’t get into describing theme while you’re summarizing your plot. The theme shouldn’t even be an issue at this point. You want to construct the story so the character’s actions, and how he transforms because of those actions, presents a lesson to your readers.

 
* Think in pictures. The term “picture books” says it all: the illustrations are equally as important as the words. The average picture book is 32 pages long, with about four pages of front matter (title page, copyright page, etc.) So you have 28 pages of text and illustration. If you aim for 1000 words to tell your story (the average length of picture book text), that gives you about 36 words per page (some pages will have more words, some less, depending on the pacing of your story). While you don’t want to obsess over precise word counts when you’re writing early drafts of your manuscript, do keep in mind that every page of your book needs to inspire a different illustration. So count out 36 words from your manuscript and note how large a chunk of text that is on the page. That’s about how many words you can devote to each illustration. After that, your characters have to do something— move around, change locations— so the illustrator will have a new picture to draw.

One way to think visually is to convey the character’s problem, and her efforts to solve that problem, in concrete, visual terms. If your character is having trouble memorizing facts for school, that all takes place inside her head. But if she’s embarrassed because she can’t swim, then her attempts to learn are easily illustrated.

Note: Some illustrations will span two facing pages, called a two-page spread. In this case, you’ll have about 70 words for that one illustration. But picture books are a mix of single page illustrations and two-page spreads, so keep the action moving at a good pace.

 
* Maintain a childlike outlook. Picture book characters can be children, adults, animals or fantasy characters. But all main characters must embody the sensibilities of a child between the ages of 4-8. As a result, the problem your characters faces needs to be relevant and important to your target audience. The way your character tackles that problem must fit with the way a child would tackle it. Don’t create an adult main character just so you can impose some adult wisdom on your readers. Grown-up characters using the emotional, illogical and sometimes messy coping strategies of children can be a very effective, and funny, storytelling technique. Above all, the character must be the one to solve the problem, using methods that are accessible to children. If readers see themselves in your main character, then they’ll understand the underlying message of your story.

* Get the Right Advice.  We've got a free eBook mini guide that can really help separate fact from fiction. It's called "Getting Started Writing Children's Picture Books" and you can get a copy right now by going to http://cbiclubhouse.com/free-ebook/

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Laura Backes is the Publisher of Children's Book Insider, the Newsletter for Children's Writers.  For much more about writing for children, visit Laura at http://cbiclubhouse.com  To learn more about writing picture books, visit http://cbiclubhouse.com/free-ebook/ to get your free copy of "Getting Started Writing Children's Picture Books".

If you're the parent of a teenage boy, or you want to write for this book-adverse group, you must read Robert Lipsythe's essay in the New York Times Book Review, "Boys and Reading: Is There Any Hope?" Finally, someone in the know (Lipsythe himself is one of a handful of authors who has routinely been a male favorite) gets to the heart of why so many teen boys fall into the "reluctant reader" category. And it has nothing to do with their reading skills.

Read it, pass it on to the parent of a teen boy, and then go write something for these kids.

Editors talk a lot lately about the almighty hook, that central idea that defines your story, makes it stand out from the competition, and can be described in a couple of sentences that are ready-made for the book jacket. But according to Traci Borum, a college-level creative writing instructor, some hooks quickly disintegrate into flimsy gimmicks, leaving the reader feeling cheated. In her article Does Your Story Have a Hook or Merely a Gimmick? she explains the difference, and uses popular movies as examples. Get more of Traci's valuable tips on her blog, Writer's Corner.

No matter how successful you get, writing a book is a humbling experience. Even Stephen King starts with a blank page. So when I read articles from published authors that talk about what they've learned along the way, I'm reminded of how small the gap from "aspiring" to "published" can be. The experienced are a little wiser, but they're still sweating it along with the rest of us.

In 7 Things I've Learned So Far, bestselling young adult author Carrie Vaughn offers two pieces of advice that I especially agree with: plot and character are the same thing (if you've been a CBI subscriber for very long or attended one of my Children's Authors' Bootcamp workshops, you know this is my mantra), and go big or go home. I love the latter — with thousands of new books published each year, why wouldn't you focus your energies on your most original, wacky, weird or provocative idea? Writing's hard work; spend your time with something that will get noticed. Discover your own genius and break new ground. Life's too short to play it safe, and kids will appreciate that quirky book that makes them see the world in a new way.

What are the qualities that cause some books to become classics, and others just beloved for one generation? This is the topic of a recent post on the blog for Lemuria Bookstore in Jackson, MS. To me, a classic infiltrates the consciousness of a culture in a way that it becomes a common reference. The other day, I referred to boisterous twins in a coffee shop as Thing One and Thing Two, and my friend immediately channeled Dr. Seuss. But classics also have to be timeless enough that they're kept alive and passed down to each new group of readers. Some wonderful books are such a product of their time that they're only meant to exist for 10 years or so, and then disappear. And that's fine too.

What are your favorite classics?

Here's yet another innovative way authors are using the Internet to explore their writing and connect with their readers. Dear Teen Me is a blog featuring published and unpublished young adult authors writing letters to their former teenage selves. The posts — some funny, some poignant — show how the details of teen life may have changed, but the angst remains the same. The blog is dedicated to modern teen readers, but it's also a treasure trove for aspiring authors wanting to reconnect with their adolescent voices. Check it out.

Are you a plotter or a pantser? (For those of you who don’t know, pantser refers to those authors who write by the seat of their pants.) This is a common discussion among writers. Those who are plotters defend their position of outlining complete with Roman numerals and letters and writing out thirty page synopses. Pantsers feel equally strongly about their more free-wheeling techniques and love the spontaneity of writing whatever comes into their mind at any given moment.

Where do you fall? Are you a logical and precise plotter or an emotional and intuitive pantser? Or do you fall somewhere in between?

Not sure what you are? Let’s examine the differences between plotters and pantsers:

You are probably a plotter if you:

• Like to plan out most aspects of your life. You like to schedule your day down to the hour or even the half hour. Your vacations are planned a year, or at least six months, in advance.

• Don’t work well with distractions.

• Tend toward linear or step-by-step learning.

• Zero in on details rather than the overall pattern. (You see the trees rather than the forest.)

• Like a structured environment.

• Make decisions based on logic, facts, and reason.

• Like to do one thing at a time.

• Enjoy learning when facts and numbers are presented.

• Learn best when new information is presented in sequential form.

You are probably a pantser if you:

• Have only the most general of ideas of where your story is going.

• You are spontaneous in how you live your life as well as in how you write. Read more

Effective introductions in writing function very much like marketing a package. They need to inspire the reader's interest and confidence in the writing that will follow. They need to grab the reader's attention. And they need to deliver what they promise. You are unlikely to buy cookies if the packaging is plain. However, if the wrapping shows the product inside as tempting and delicious, you will be attracted to it. The same goes for a piece of writing. Agents and publishers demand to see a synopsis and the first few chapters of a work, and this is where you can either intrigue or turn them off. Remember that your opening is your ‘packaging’. So here are some tips to keep in mind as you write.

Good openings don’t always begin at the beginning. Instead they take the reader right into the action. Good openings are immediate, emotionally involving and make the reader want to read on. Start at some interesting point in your story. The same tip goes if you are using your story as a trigger for fiction, nonfiction or faction.

Establish your major character, the problem or conflict facing that character and clue the reader into the time and setting of your story. Avoid using a minor character in your opening paragraphs, as that can be confusing. Use description subtly and try to avoid clichés and too many adverbs and adjectives. Use dialogue as often as you can and establish your tense (past or present) at the beginning. Depending on the age of the audience, make sure your vocabulary and sentence length is appropriate.

Establish in your mind and on paper very early on why you are writing this piece so you and your reader will be on the same track. One of my favorite exercises with my creative writing students is to request a short synopsis right from the start so they will know exactly what their story is to be about.

Some writers prefer to write their openings last. These are the most difficult pieces to write and demand much editing and re-writing. Remember that your opening will either capture your reader’s attention or turn him/her away.

You can either intrigue or lose your reader with your first sentence. The opening words can immediately create dramatic situations. Words such as ‘unfortunately, fortunately, luckily, unluckily and unlike’ can suggest something different which will intrigue the reader.

Avoid beginning with a date unless it is absolutely integral to the rest of your story.

Keep it simple. It is very important to avoid flooding your reader with too many names and characters. Do your best not to confuse.

When you are writing for a young audience, avoid lengthy paragraphs of prose which might turn a more reluctant reader away. Break up your story with dialogue. The most important hint is always SHOW DON’T TELL.

Highlight a unique characteristic of your protagonist. Is your character ‘different’ from his/her family or peer group? In what way? Does s/he have some interesting and ‘different’ characteristic?

Start with tension. Can you establish your character’s major conflict right from the start?

Remember that your opening is the most important part of your story. This is where you keep or lose your reader. Here are two of my own openings:

Children’s novel, Bridging the Snowy:

Roan stood quite still. Straight ahead was a bridge. But this bridge was only a few handheld ropes and footholds. The bridge connected one side of a deep gully in the Snowy Mountains to the other. Twenty meters under the footholds, frothy water gushed over jagged rocks.

Roan turned slightly. He saw his cousin Zach smile, heard him yell, “Bet you’re too sissy.”

“Who says?”

“Yah… Cos you’re woos…”

Roan cried “Sez you…” but his voice came out as a squeak, Not that it mattered. Hands clinging onto the side ropes, Zach was already halfway across.

YA novel, Mavis Road Medley:

When the Falconers moved to fifty-four Mavis Road, all the family, apart from Didi, was pleased.

One Saturday Tom appeared in the kitchen doorway to announce, “Remember that old metal trunk in the cellar? You'll never guess what's inside.”

“It's about time you cleared up the mess down there,” Jane said without looking up. “Wait till I've balanced these figures.”

Kate kept on reading. Only Didi was curious enough to ask. “What are you talking about, Dad?”

“The old trunk. I prised off the lid. It's filled with blankets and clothes. I thought you might find them interesting.”

Goldie Alexander is a children's author who writes from Australia. Visit her website and blog.

Editor's note: Audrey is a 13-year-old student from California who is currently working on her own novel between school, sports and choir. She's also a Contributing Editor to Write4Kids, focusing on middle grade and young adult literature. If you have writing-related questions for Audrey, or want to suggest a topic for a future column, please contact Laura at Laura@write4kids.com.

Visit Audrey's blog, Audrey Reads and Reviews, for more of her insights into YA lit.

Hello, people! I have two topics that I’d like to address today.

First off, something that I don’t like.

I’ve been reading lots lately, more than usual (which is saying something). I’ve also been reading different genres—I’ve picked up some paranormal, high fantasy, and lots of literary contemporary.

Throughout a bunch of the paranormal and high fantasy that I read, there was a recurring theme (not so much in the literary-contemporary):

Those perfect little people who talk like they’re from the Victorian Age (i.e. very smart and formal) and always look super pretty! even after some intense battle scene. In fantasy/paranormal, they usually have powers that are super epic! or they’re the Chosen One. In realistic fiction they’re always super popular! or super misunderstood!

OK, so they annoy me for two reasons:

One, on a more technical level: relate-ability. I mean, who looks completely gorgeous and/or devilishly handsome (a common description of the male characters of this persuasion) all the time? And sorry, authors, but everyone uses contractions. You shouldn’t, can’t, and hopefully won’t have a character who says “should not” “cannot” and “will not” all the time.*

Also, am I the only one who thinks the Chosen One is a little…you know…cliché? I mean, there are a lot of books out there about someone who is the special-est…

Also, if your character is popular, that’s okay. If your character is misunderstood, that’s okay too. But if your character is misunderstood because she is so beautiful, it’s a complete curse, like, you know?! we might have a little problem, and I suggest you read My Immortal by Tara (Google it).

Two, on a completely personal level: they. are. everywhere. It’s the attack of the clones, people!

I recently read a series of books, paranormal mystery-romance. These weren’t little books, they were like 600-700 pages each. I liked some parts of it a lot—the action/battle scenes were well written, and the world nicely developed. But every single character in it was super perfect, beautiful, either a sweetheart or sexyevil. Very Mary-Sue like. So I stopped reading about halfway through the second book.

I mean, even the character who is supposedly is so evil, you guys! is oh-so-sexy and devilishly handsome.

It really bugged me. You know, a friend of mine said that you should kill off a character that gets WAY too much physical description compared to the other characters.

Well, if this extremely popular series killed off the overly-described characters, there would be no story. **

Just a tip: describe your character once. You can reinforce it, if you like, with “she flicked her pink hair” or something like that, but you do not need to remind us that Elaina has luscious blonde hair or Damien has devilishly handsome black eyes every single page.

Be creative. Your character should have a great personality, not just a beautiful exterior, because… shallow, much?

Now the good:

I just finished reading Will Grayson, Will Grayson, and I absolutely loved it! I strongly encourage you read it.

I liked it because it was bubbly. One of the Wills was a normal teen; the other one was severely depressed. But, somehow, the two authors (John Green and David Levithan) managed to make it…light. It dealt with heavy subject matter at times (self-identity, self-harm, depression, lying, revenge), but it retained a nonchalant tone throughout.

That’s not to say that you should write a novel with a suicidal main character, and have her sound all breezy and offhand. But it’s a nice juxtaposition that the two authors did well.

Another thing I liked about Will Grayson, Will Grayson was that it was smart. The narrators were both intelligent, and I am sick of reading books with narrators who sound dumb or have no interesting insights. You don’t have to write a SAT Vocabulary book to make your main characters sound smart, however. Just have them talk like normal intelligent human beings—witty retorts, irony, and sarcasm are always a plus.

I also read Marcelo in the Real World, and I absolutely loved it!

The main character, Marcelo, had Asperger’s Syndrome. However, he was a very real, engaging, interesting character to read about. His struggles weren’t ones that teens would face every day, but I grew to relate and care about Marcelo.

Also, the voice (written by Francisco X. Stork) was amazing! It had interesting wordplay, humor, and was really touching. During most of the novel, I could feel Marcelo’s passion for his cause.

I really enjoyed the cast of characters, too. I liked how the main characters were so different from each other, and disliked each other from the start, but grew to be friends. I liked how everything didn’t work out perfectly. And I especially liked how, in the end, you could see exactly how the characters grew as people and as friends.

Audrey

*unless they’re geniuses, or something like it.

** no, I did not read Twilight. What kind of person do you think I am?

****disclaimer: I have no problem reading about characters with exceptional looks. Just don’t make their looks the only exceptional thing about them, and give them at least one physical flaw. Just 'cos nobody’s perfect. ****