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.
