'The best books, reviewed with insight and charm, but without compromise.'
- author Jackie French

Wednesday 30 September 2020

Guest Post: Elizabeth Schultz on 5 Children's Book Writing Misconceptions

Children’s books are fun and imaginative. Perhaps there is no better way to teach kids all things in this world than letting them read a children’s novel. From picture books to novels, there are definitely a lot to choose from! Hence, you can already finish one in a short span of time as an adult. How much more writing one? You might or might not knock it out of the park, who knows?

However, there are many misconceptions about writing a children’s book. These myths exist perhaps because of the fact that children’s books are intended for kids; thus, they do not need a lot of work. That said, listed below are the common 5 misconceptions about children’s book writing.

Writing a children’s book is a piece of cake

Allocating your skills and time on writing a tale for kids is not a piece of cake. People should know that every piece of literature has the same importance and difficulties regardless of their genres and readers. Hence, writing some children’s books is as complicated as writing stories for adult readers. They have the same elements and complexities their only difference is that they have varying targets.

The pictures will do the job

There are many types of children’s books and picture books are among the most popular kind. As a writer, this is one of the biggest misconceptions. Yes, you can make your story more appealing to the readers by making use of pictures; but, you cannot rely too much on the images. Your goal is to send a message by telling a story not creating a photo album.

Rhyming lines are the key

Sure, rhyming lines can add to the wit and charm of a children’s book. But, you shouldn’t be reliant on the rhyming scheme because not every reader will appreciate it. Take note that every person has different taste; so, the efficiency and beauty of your story will always depend on the readers and not on the rhymes. Also, bear in mind that rhyming is not the key to arrive at a successful story because it will  be measured on the whole elements of your tale — from setting to plot.

Illustrating the images personally is a must

There are two types of people in the literary world, which are the authors and author-illustrators. The former are those individuals who are committed to only write the story while the latter are those who write the story and personally illustrate the illustrations embedded in the tale. Whether you are the former or the latter, there is totally nothing wrong with it as long as you create a story and you are proud of your work. Being the illustrator of your tale is not mandatory because there are a lot of children’s book authors who hire illustrators to create wonderful images for their novels, like Dr. Seuss. So, worry not!

It’s humorous for me then it’s definitely funny to them

Humor definitely makes a story more interesting. But take note that your target audience is not as old as you! Also, remember that not everyone has the same taste in humor as you do. So, make sure that you put into consideration the age and interests of your readers. Craft your story into something that doesn’t only warm the hearts of the readers but also evokes a good amount of laughter from them. Just make sure that you put into consideration not only those that is funny to you but also what is funny to them, so you can produce a wonderful whole.

Elizabeth Schultz gets to experience the best of both worlds because she is not only a professional content writer but also an amateur illustrator. She writes articles from morning to afternoon. But the moment that the moon rises, Liz starts to create wonderful illustrations which she posts in her newly established art blog or keeps in her recently emptied archive. Her love for literature and art inspire her to produce even more writings and art. 

Get in touch with Elizabeth Schultz via:
https://twitter.com/BethsWritings
http://www.readersmagnet.com/

 Please note: the views and opinions expressed in this  (Guest) post are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect nor ignore those of Kids' Book Review.