1. Every agent is different, but for the most part, they have similar wants 

From ghost stories to heartfelt contemporary school stories, agents all have different wants for what they would love to represent. Sometimes it can be intimidating to know if your work will appeal to an agent, but here’s what I’ve learned, as long as your agent is open to the type of manuscript you are sending in (ex: they take middle grade high fantasy and you have a middle grade high fantasy manuscript), there’s really one thing you should focus on before you submit to them: voice. 

Agents and editors are aware that a story isn’t perfect when it is submitted to them. There may be plot points that are still rough and will change before the book makes it to publication, but one thing you absolutely must focus on is the voice of your character. It’s the voice that captures an agent. If they fall in love with the voice of your manuscript, the rest can be worked on as you work together.

2. Each author’s path to publishing is different

No author has the same path to publishing. Though the methods may be similar, each author’s journey is unique, and yours will be too, so don’t waste time comparing yourself to another author. Focus on your strengths and fall in love with your writing. This is your journey.

3. Diverse books MATTER

I can’t stress this enough. I’ve listened to many authors of color talk about how much they would have loved to see books representing themselves as children. At the end of the day, children’s books are for children, and children deserve to see themselves as the heroes with boundless potential.

4. Take advantage of consultations for your MS

Many kid lit conferences, especially in the SCBWI, offer consultations for an extra fee. You can meet with an author or agent who will review your work. Take advantage of these consultation opportunities. But, here’s the caveat, only do it if you can choose an author or agent who will be able to offer the best feedback on your work. If you write contemporary YA, don’t choose a middle grade fantasy author to look at your work. They might not be able to offer the depth of feedback that will help your work the most.

5. Children’s book writers are a fun group of people

Honestly, I’ve made so many wonderful friends in the children’s book community, and conferences are a great place to hang out and talk kid lit with an equally passionate group of people. There’s just something fun and relaxed about children’s book writers and authors.

6. Take good notes and write down thoughts you have

My notes from each conference have become a treasure full of insight. Since you can’t go back and watch or relive the conference, having good notes is a must! But be sure to also write down ideas you have for your manuscript and things that inspire you.

7. Conferences are a great way to connect with other writers and find a critique group too

Again, conferences are a great place to meet wonderful writers. Don’t be afraid to ask to form a critique group with people you hit it off with. They may already have a group or not be available, but there’s no harm in asking. I’ve met countless authors who talk about the great help their critique group was in their writing journey.

8. Attending conferences gives you a special chance to meet agents and an advantage at sharing your manuscript

Meeting an agent at a conference not only gives you a chance to submit your work to them, it also lets you get to know the agent and their personality. Do you like their personality? Do you feel you could work with them? Conferences give you a special chance to learn about agents and hear them speak.

9. Do your homework on the speakers BEFORE you attend so you can get the most out of the conference

Conferences are so much more meaningful when I’ve looked up the authors, agents, and editors attending before the conference. It also helps me choose what sessions to attend that might be helpful for the manuscript I’m working on. Do your homework on what the authors write, who and what the agents represent, and who an editor has worked with.

10. Have a plan for after the conference and make sure to take a rest

Even as I type this, my brain still feels like mush from the conference. Every time I attend a conference, I get so loaded up with passion and creativity. I often crash after the conferences, even though I’m also looking forward to pounding away at my manuscript. It’s 100% okay to take a short rest after a conference and give yourself a few days before diving back into your writing. You’ve just sponged up a ton of information. Just don’t let your break last too long.

Those are my top 10 things I’ve learned from kid lit conferences. Tell me in the comments, have you ever attended a writer’s conference before? What was something you learned?

Olivia Fisher is a children’s lit writer and freelance editor with an English degree from BYU-Idaho. When she isn’t dreaming about living in a treehouse or chasing down her two young boys, she enjoys curling up with a book, watching Star Wars, writing her next adventure, and trying to live in the state of child-like wonder that we all secretly, or not so secretly, miss. Follow her adventures on Twitter or Instagram, or hire her for your next editing escapade on Fiverr.

The post 10 Things I’ve Learned from Kid Lit Conferences appeared first on DIY MFA.

Instagram: @domwritesbooks
Twitter: @domwritesbooks
TikTok: @domwritesbooks

About Kaela Rivera

Kaela Rivera is the award-winning author of the Cece Rios series. She grew up reading the folktales of her Mexican-American and British parents in the forests of Tennessee, but now she writes about them from the soaring mountains of Utah. When she’s not crafting stories, she’s working as a managing editor for a marketing company—or secretly doodling her characters in the margins of her notebook. One of her greatest hopes is to explore the beauty of cultural differences—and how they can bring us all closer. Visit her at kaelarivera.com.

Instagram: @domwritesbooks
Twitter: @domwritesbooks
TikTok: @domwritesbooks

About the Cece Rios Series

Living in the remote town of Tierra del Sol is dangerous—especially in the criatura months, when powerful spirits break free from their home in Devil’s Alley to threaten humankind. But Cecelia Rios has always believed there was more to the criaturas who roamed the desert, much to her family’s disapproval. After all, it’s common knowledge that only brujas—humans who capture and control criaturas—consort with the spirits, and brujeria is a terrible crime.

When her older sister, Juana, is kidnapped by El Sombrerón, a powerful dark criatura, everyone in town believes she’s lost forever. But Cece is determined to bring Juana back. To get into Devil’s Alley, though, she’ll have to become a bruja herself—while hiding her quest from her parents, her town, and the other brujas. Thankfully, the legendary criatura Coyote has a soft spot for humans, and agrees to help her on her journey. With him at her side, Cece sets out to reunite her family—and maybe even change what it means to be a bruja along the way. 

Book 2 Cece Rios and the King of Fears will come out on September 27, 2022!

Instagram: @domwritesbooks
Twitter: @domwritesbooks
TikTok: @domwritesbooks

Interview with Kaela Rivera

Olivia Fisher: Kaela, what made you want to write for kids?

Kaela Rivera: I think I’ve always sort of been a kid, even as I got older and more mature, and I’ve always written for myself first. I revise to be understood by other people, but the writing process itself has always been to entertain, heal, and explore with my inner child. 

Of course, I adore children, so that’s made me all the more excited and motivated to share stories with them. I used to tell stories to my friends, little sister, and younger kids as I was growing up—I have more than four nephews, so you can probably see how that came into play. And I find myself still writing for that little-me, those little nephews (before they had the audacity to grow up), because in childhood I’ve found we have such a greater willingness to learn, to experience, to understand, and to hope. We start losing that as we get older, but children are ready for adventure. They’re ready to grow. And that’s what I want to explore most in my writing.

OF: How did you develop your writing craft? 

KR: I started by writing a lot, reading a lot, and doing both frequently. Where some kids watched TV, I always ended up sitting down to write because I wanted to be on the next leg of whatever adventure I was currently weaving. That gave me the pretty stable foundation I needed as a writer—instincts for pacing, dialogue, structure, character,  and even grammar. 

I reached a pretty solid intermediate writing level once I’d finished about three/four novels, and that’s when I felt I needed a better level. I was in college at this point, and I could write well by that point, but my voice wasn’t distinct. I’d practiced emulating authors I loved in order to get a feel for their skills. I’d read a lot. I studied books on writing, practiced over and over. But I knew it was time to develop the way I wanted to write. 

Markus Zusak, the author of The Book Thief and I Am the Messenger, ended up being key for me in that way. There was an interview he gave where he talked about wanting to write so much like himself that no one could ever doubt it was him. That’s when I went to work. And I should say, that led to some really rough experimenting. I pushed my language, my descriptions, my internal exploration pretty far. Not far from me—I was digging down into myself and pulling up all kinds of stuff from the mines of my mind. Sometimes, when I ran that writing by people, they were totally confused by my descriptions, the blocking, the idea. That was the next step: learning how to polish up the rocks I was digging up from inside myself, so other people could recognize, connect, and understand what I was saying.

Toward the end of my college years, I grew more and more confident in my writing. I submitted novels to agents and editors, and I learned from that that my worldbuilding and plots were still weak points. So, for the first time in my writing practice—I tried to revise. And I should point out that learning to revise is a huge, important part of the writing process that I had completely neglected in favor of moving on to the next project. I don’t recommend this route, but it did mean I avoided over-editing and not finishing projects, at least. Different writers encounter different difficulties, though, so mine became figuring out how to revise—how to get a sense for when something needed to change, when something could be better, what exactly needed to change, and how to make all those changes a cohesive part of your image for the story. And, well, how to change your image of the story to be truer to your actual intentions. 

Writing is exploratory, I believe. And revising is about cohesiveness and focus. You need both to create a good book, in my opinion—both exploration and focus. Magic and clarity.

I finally worked out my plot issues with my next project, which became Cece Rios and the Desert of Souls. That was about my tenth book I think, and that was the book that got me my agent. Working with her and my editor really helped me nail down my understanding of revision—but of course, like all writers, I’m still working on it!

OF: Tell us a little about your first book! What was the publishing process like for you?

KR: Cece Rios and the Desert of Souls is my first published book—and it turns out to be the first book in the Cece Rios series! The second book comes out September 27, 2022! So close!

Cece’s publishing journey was an interesting one. I actually had an R&R on a previous book out with my current agent, who was then not yet my agent, while I was finishing Cece. I submitted Cece’s first draft to PitchWars (R.I.P.), and when all the feedback came back as “I can’t help you make this better; it’s already complete besides adjusting this one scene”—a response I’d never gotten before—I had a feeling it would be the one to get published.

It turned out I was right! Just a month or so later, I submitted Cece (with that one scene adjusted) to the PitchAmerica contest (also R.I.P.). I was pretty good at contests, since I have a decent knack for pitching and marketing, so I thought I’d try it out. I got into the agent showcase, and my not-yet agent, Serene Hakim, saw Cece’s pitch and opening chapters. She already had my R&R as I mentioned, and she loved what she saw in Cece. She made an offer, along with two other agents, and I went with Serene because her editing resonated with me, and she felt both approachable and capable.

After Serene and I signed our contracts and officially started working together, we went through revisions and then went out on submission. After that, my editor at HarperChildren’s reached back out to us, and we were off on our publishing adventure!

OF: Did that process change after you published your first book?

KR: Publishing feels very different since Cece Rios and the Desert of Souls launched. For one, I’ve learned that what people say about publishing timelines is true: there are two speeds, 1) forever waiting and 2) go, go, go everything’s happening now! I’ve had to learn how to revise faster and better, how to clean up my process, and how to make my writing a bit more consistent—all while balancing online presence, in-person appearances, and behind-the-scenes writing and deals for future books.

So, publishing after my first book has been stressful, but it’s also been exciting and fun. I really enjoy the variety and constant set of new opportunities and new learnings that come with publishing, even if challenges come alongside them.  

OF: What’s the hardest thing about writing a book?

KR: Revision still feels like the hardest part of writing for me. It’s the beautiful, painful, wonderful, terrible process of slowly and precisely going through your book from high to low levels and bringing it together. It’s what turns a good book into a great book, and a nice experience into a fully moving, satisfying one. I should know, as I’m a managing editor in my day job. I have over eight years’ experience editing other peoples’ work (think copywriting, though—not the creative side). And yet, revision is also the part where I doubt myself, question everything, and balance the needs of what I want the story to be and how the story can be accessed by others. 

Revision is absolutely worth it and oh-so important. But it’s difficult for me. Of course, that’s just another example of how some of the hardest things in life are the most worthwhile.

OF: What’s the best thing about writing a book?

KR: I adore the free, dauntless exploration of the rough draft. If you asked my writers group, they’d tell you I write quickly, and I write a lot. Every book I write requires cutting at least twenty thousand words. But I think that’s because I need to spent time in the world. I need to sit in the quiet moments with my characters, the breath between plot points, and explore the full impact of my character’s internal experiences and thoughts. I need to explore all the many interesting things the plot could conduct, and I need to sit in the world and breathe in its smells and touch its leaves and watch its sunsets. Some people may consider that a lot of wasted words, but that travel experience gives me the backbone, the anchor, the foundation of the story, so I can always go back to those feelings as touchpoints when revision. That’s how I don’t lose the essence of the story (or at least, how I hope I don’t). 

In that rough draft period, I work out all of what I want in a book. I teach myself what the characters need, and I explore and ask questions, and I experience the things I need. That’s why that first write-through is so important to me. It’s freeing and exciting and confusing and interesting. Revision, as it comes later, turns all of that into something cohesive. It’s the distilled version of my experience, the one I want to share with others, so that hopefully, the good I got out of it, and what I learned, and the healing I received, might get passed on to anyone who knows or needs it. 

OF: What do you hope readers will take away from your books? Or what experience have you had interacting with your young readers?

KR: The biggest thing I want to leave with people is probably hope. Hope in the difficult times, light at the end of the tunnel, healing in and through and after pain and hardship. To me, hope is the only true realism. Pessimism and cynicism I find naïve, since both usually come from disappointed optimism, where, when you were looking for only joy in order to be happy, you found hardship, and decided that joy no longer was. But hope bespeaks light even when darkness surrounds. Hope knows exactly how hard life is and can be, and reaches for the joy and the contentment and recovery and healing that can still be as well. I want to offer that to readers, so they can go on adventures that heal and reaffirm their lives.

OF: What’s next on your author journey?

KR: The third book in the Cece Rios series is next up on the list! I’ll be starting revisions for it within the next month or so. I’m also working on a horror MG book duology—and a secret project I can’t talk about yet. So many exciting things to come!

Thank you for this wonderful interview Kaela! If you want to follow along with Kaela’s writing journey and read her books, visit her at kaelarivera.com.

Tell us in the comments: What were your big takeaways from my interview with Kaela Rivera?

Olivia Fisher is a children’s lit writer and freelance editor with an English degree from BYU-Idaho. When she isn’t dreaming about living in a treehouse or chasing down her two young boys, she enjoys curling up with a book, watching Star Wars, writing her next adventure, and trying to live in the state of child-like wonder that we all secretly, or not so secretly, miss. Follow her adventures on Twitter or Instagram, or hire her for your next editing escapade on Fiverr.

The post Kid Lit Craft: Interview with Kaela Rivera appeared first on DIY MFA.

Now you might be getting chapter books mixed up with middle grade or independent reader books, which I’m also going to briefly mention here. Or maybe you already knew that they were their own category. Who knew there were so many different types of children’s literature, right? 

Until this past year when I joined the Society for Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI), I didn’t know that chapter books were their own category. Though, I was aware that they were much shorter and simpler than a middle grade book. I attended a workshop at an SCBWI conference in my own region of Virginia that was all about chapter books from a published author who, surprise, writes chapter books. I learned so much from her, and hopefully, I can share that and some other research I’ve done on chapter books in this article. 

A Quick Note on Independent Reader Books

While I’m not going to do a separate article for independent reader books, I will make a brief nod to them here. Independent reader books (also called leveled readers) are much shorter and closer to a picture book with the idea that a new reader will be reading them independently. The language is very, very simple, and the illustrations are full-page much like those in a picture book. Writers work with a limited vocabulary list they can choose from. Chapter books differ in many ways from independent reader books.

Examples of Independent reader books:

• I Want to Be a Doctor (I Can Read Level 1) Written by Laura Driscoll and Illustrated by Catalina Echeverri
• Big Shark, Little Shark (Step into Reading) Written by Anna Membrino and Illustrated by Tim Budgen
• Ice Cream Soup (Step into Reading) Written by Ann Ingalls and Illustrated by Richard Watson

A Broad Look at Chapter Books 

Chapter books are a child’s first real experience connecting with characters and building their imagination by themselves as they begin reading independently. Chapter books are short…. well…chapter books for readers ranging from ages 7-10. These heavily illustrated little books help engage readers and make facing a wall of text less intimidating by using illustrations to break up text. The illustrations also show what is happening in the story, making it easier for young readers to create strong mental pictures. 

Chapter books contain short chapters which give a strong feeling of accomplishment for young readers and allows them to take a break from reading easier.

Unlike middle grade, characters in chapter books never age past 3rd or 4th grade (matching the age of the reader) because they are only meant for a small group of children who will eventually deepen their love of reading and move up to middle grade where they are able to experience more. Chapter books also tend to be written in series because young readers often consume them quickly, wanting more adventures with their favorite characters.

The length of a chapter book varies. While some publishing houses, like the Branches division of Scholastic, aim to publish books with only 6,000 words total, making very simple stories for readers who might be intimidated by longer chapter books, other publishing houses publish longer chapter books.

Word Count/Page Count: 5,000-13,000 or 40-60 typed pages (According to SCBWI. Word count varies largely depending on the publishing house you go through)

Age Range: 7-10

Chapter Book Examples: Magic Tree House Series by Mary Pope Osborn, Captain Underpants by Dav Pilky, Ivy + Bean by Annie Barrows, and the Definitely Dominguita Series by Terry Catasus Jennings 

Good Resources for Chapter Book Writers

So, where can you go to learn more about chapter books and refine your craft? Here are a few great places to get you started!

• The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI). This international organization provides so many resources for both new and experienced children’s book writers and illustrators. From virtual conferences, regional critique sessions, and The Book (a book created by the society full of agents, query suggestions, and manuscript formatting guides). I’ve personally attended conferences with whole sessions dedicated to the craft of chapter books!
• Highlights Foundation. Highlights, a popular publication in the kid lit space, hosts a variety of workshops for writers. In the past, they hosted specific courses on writing chapter books. Check out their resources and workshops to see more on chapter books.
• Visiting your local library and reading lots of different chapter books. There is honestly no better way to learn about chapter books than by reading them! Read lots of chapter books. Find a variety of lengths and genres and get a feel of what kind of chapter book story you want to tell. I can guarantee reading is one of the quicker and more enjoyable ways to improve your craft and get a feel for how your story must be structured.

As I mentioned in my last article, while I have outlined the general information about chapter books, this article is in no way meant to be a comprehensive guide to chapter books! But, hopefully, this will get your chapter book research off to a strong start and give you resources and basic structures to start telling your story! Knowing what kind of book you are crafting for young readers is so important as a kid lit author.

Next up, I will be covering my absolute favorite genre and the one I’m personally familiar with writing: middle grade!

Tell us in the comments: Are you a chapter book writer or interested in writing chapter books?

Olivia Fisher is a children’s lit writer and freelance editor with an English degree from BYU-Idaho. When she isn’t dreaming about living in a treehouse or chasing down her two young boys, she enjoys curling up with a book, watching Star Wars, writing her next adventure, and trying to live in the state of child-like wonder that we all secretly, or not so secretly, miss. Follow her adventures on Twitter or Instagram, or hire her for your next editing escapade on Fiverr.

The post All about Chapter Books appeared first on DIY MFA.

Now, I’m sure we are all familiar with picture books. Big illustrations, short stories, lots of heart, and humor are sometimes packed into the briefest story. But what really makes a picture book? What’s the word count range? What is the audience’s age range? Is there a difference between board books and regular picture books? Don’t worry, we will be tackling all of that and more! 

I have recently (within the last two years) gotten into writing picture books, and man, it. Is. Hard. 

I would say it is harder than writing a novel. With so few words to work with, your idea has to shine, your prose has to glow, and above all, your manuscript needs to be so refined that it begs to be illustrated. 

I’ve attended a couple of wonderful conferences recently where picture book authors and agents have shared with me the details of what makes up a picture book, so let’s get started. 

Remember, this is not necessary a post about how to create a picture book or how to get to the point where your prose glow, but it is a post about knowing what type of manuscript you intend to create, learning who your audience would be, and providing you with more resources to advance your picture book writing career!

Types of Picture Books

If you are looking to write picture books for children, it’s important to know the different types of picture books before you start. Determining what type of picture book you are aiming to create will greatly impact how you tell the story and vice versa. Sometimes an idea takes shape on the paper or laptop screen first, and then in the revision process, you need to determine what kind of picture book it is in order to pitch it to the right agent who will scoop it up and love it as much as you do! 

This overview is in no way meant to be a comprehensive look at picture books but more of a broad look at the elements that typically make up a picture book. Honestly, the more you delve into the world of picture books, the more you will see how different each picture book can be.

The Standard Picture Book

Okay, I’m using the word standard here, but it’s worth noting that there are literally so many different types of picture books. But for the sake of simplicity, I’m just going to call this section standard and group together all fictional picture books aimed at toddlers through kindergarten. 

A standard picture book text can take many forms: rhyming, lyrical, narrative, concept, humor-based, simple storytelling with lots of onomatopoeia, etc… 

Picture books also come in many forms and tackle many different subjects such as emotions, school, family, STEM, fantasy, and racism. But at the heart of every book is a child’s story. These books tell stories for children, especially those who cannot read. The illustrations play a crucial role in the book by showing the young reader the meaning behind the words they are hearing (maybe for the first time!). 

Picture books are also typically large to accommodate both the illustrations and the parent who is holding the book with the child typically seated in their lap. All in all, they are designed with the child in mind!

Word Count: 400-900 (Although this can fluctuate depending on the story you are writing)

Age Range: 2-7

More Examples: Saturday by Oge Mora, There’s a Dragon in Your Book by Tom Fletcher, Mustache Baby written by Bridgett Heos and Illustrated by Joy Ang, and Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus by Mo Willems.

Board Book

These little cardboard books with few words and a large focus on the picture or illustration are great for little ones who might be more inclined to gnaw on the book than listen. 

Board books range widely from concept books about things like numbers, letters, and colors to simple stories. Touch and feels books are popular in the board book format for babies who are exploring senses. 

Some board books are republished from bigger picture books. For example, we have a copy of The Little Mouse, the Red Ripe Strawberry, and the Big Hungry Bear by Don and Audrey Wood in both board book form and regular picture book form in our house. At some point, the original picture book was reprinted into board book format although it wasn’t initially intended to be a board book. 

Some popular board books include the hundreds of board books by Sandra Boynton, Sock and Shoe by Frida Bing, and Big Red Barn by Margaret Wise Brown. These little books are created to be short for babies and toddlers, who typically have short attention spans. They are a great way to introduce children to books from an early age and help build a love of literacy and reading.

Word Count: 10-200 words (although typically they are far less than 200)

Age Range: 0-2

More Examples: The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle (board book version), Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown, Huggy Kissy by Leslie Patricelli, and Baby Touch and Feel: Animals by DK

Wordless Picture Book

Wordless picture books are only really done by illustrators, but they are beautiful! The illustrations guide the story, and the reader is free to determine what is happening. Though as a parent, sometimes I have to get creative with the story I craft from the pictures when reading to my sons. 

Wordless picture books often carry strong emotional weight despite the lack of words. One of my favorite wordless picture books is 2007 Caldecott Medal winner Flotsam by David Wiesner. The book depicts underwater life in the ocean and a child’s interaction with it via a camera he finds on the beach. The gorgeous illustrations vividly depict all sorts of creatures, making it a beautiful piece of art as well as an open-ended story.

Word Count: 0

Age Range: 4-7 (though remember that these are just suggestions and not absolutes)

More examples: Journey by Aaron Becker, Door by Jihyeon Lee, and Bye, Penguin! by Seou Lee

Nonfiction

Nonfiction picture books can cover a variety of topics from people to science and in-between. These books are typically longer and aimed at older children. 

One thing that sets nonfiction apart from fiction picture books is research. I’ve heard nonfiction picture book authors at conferences talk about how much research they did to craft their picture book. Since you are telling a real story or presenting information on a real-world topic, it is important to research accurate information because if you don’t, I guarantee you an editor will, and you want to make sure you’ve done that work yourself ahead of time. 

Nonfiction picture books are fantastic for sharing history, people, and places with children who are taking all of these concepts in for the first time.

Word Count: 500-2,000

Age Range: 5-8

More Examples: Bones in the Whitehouse: Thomas Jefferson’s Mammoth by Candice F. Ransom and illustrated by Jamie Christoph, Teatime Around the World by Denyse Waissbluth and illustrated by Chelsea O’Byrne, and Digging for Words: Jose Alberto Gutierrez and the Library He Built by Angela Burke Kunkel and illustrated by Paolo Escobar

What Type of Picture Book Creator are You?

A few important questions to ask yourself if you are interested in creating picture books are are you an author? An illustrator? Or an author-illustrator? 

In the publishing industry, there are different approaches to how you can create a picture book and find the right agent for it. If you are an author, you will only write the manuscript with sparse illustrator notes, leaving a lot of flexibility for an illustrator to come in and work their magic. 

If you are an illustrator, you might be contracted through a publishing house or through your agent to illustrate for a manuscript that is being published. Illustrators typically have portfolios that display their various artistic pieces and their distinct style. 

If you are an author-illustrator, you write the story and illustrate it. This is typically done by creating a story dummy that shows an agent or editor what the story and art will look like. 

Whatever you are, always make sure you are putting your best work forward!

Now that you know all the different types of picture books, as yourself what kind of picture books are you interested in writing? If it’s nonfiction, that will require more research and a unique angle from which to tell the story, which is different from writing a fictional picture book with lots of humor. Determine the type of book you want to write and learn more about the type of picture book as you work on your draft.

Good Resources for Picture Book Writers

So, where can you go to learn more about picture books and refine your craft? Here are a few great places to get you started!

• Writing Picture Books: A Hands-on Guide from Story Creation to Publication by Ann Whitford Paul. I love this book. It has been my guiding light as I navigate the world of picture books writing. Ann Whitford Paul, a well known children’s picture book author gives all sorts of great exercises and seasoned advice on how to craft, draft, revise, and then query your manuscript.
• The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI). This international organization provides so many resources for both new and experienced children’s book writers and illustrators. From virtual conferences, regional critique sessions, and The Book (a book created by the society full of agents, query suggestions, and manuscript formatting guides).
• 12×12 Challenge. I just learned about this fabulous challenge this year from a critique partner of mine! 12×12 is a year-long challenge where members try to write a complete picture book each month for the entire year. Believe me, it’s way harder than it sounds!
• Reading lots of different picture books. There is honestly no better way to learn about picture books than by reading them! Read lots of picture books of different kinds. Read some by author-illustrators. Read some by authors and a separate illustrator. Read funny picture books, sad picture books, rhyming picture books. Just read. I can guarantee it’s one of the quicker and more enjoyable ways to improve your craft.

Now, while I’ve outlined for you things like word count ranges, types of picture books, etc. know that in writing, a lot of things are flexible, such as word count. I’ve been to conferences where agents and editors have reminded me that just because a certain type of picture book has a word count range doesn’t mean you can’t bend that a little to tell your best story. Hopefully, this gives you a jumping-off point for your writing!

Next up, I will be covering chapter books!

Tell us in the comments: Are you a picture book writer or interested in writing picture books?

Olivia Fisher is a children’s lit writer and freelance editor with an English degree from BYU-Idaho. When she isn’t dreaming about living in a treehouse or chasing down her two young boys, she enjoys curling up with a book, watching Star Wars, writing her next adventure, and trying to live in the state of child-like wonder that we all secretly, or not so secretly, miss. Follow her adventures on Twitter or Instagram, or hire her for your next editing escapade on Fiverr.

The post All about Picture Books appeared first on DIY MFA.

You’re in luck! I’ve compiled several key questions into a survey and asked parents, grandparents, and teachers for their input. Based on their responses, I’ve summarized the top five best tools recommended for writing a children’s story.

I asked those in the survey what their favorite picture book was of all time and why they loved it. In asking my participants to recall their favorite picture books from their childhood, their responses came from a time when they were children and from that warm, cozy place of reading bedtime stories with their own children and grandchildren. That’s the feeling all children’s book authors want to invoke in their readers.

1. Characters and Their Interpersonal Relationships

Magical, resilient, powerful, clever, and sometimes hilarious characters, and the friendships between them are an integral part of creating a beloved children’s story. Every person surveyed mentioned character development. It was that important.

But how do we create these types of characters? My best advice is to get out into the world, look around, and listen. Don’t forget to bring a journal so you can write your observations on how children interact with each other and their world. 

Write down how they speak. I find children have such rich dialogue and a lot of it is worth writing down. Write down how they resolve conflict with each other and the adults in their lives. Write down the wonder of discovering new things. So much in this world is new to children. 

2. Rhyming and Repetitiveness

While I’ve read from many professionals that writers should ditch the rhyme, parents in the survey disagree. They adore stories with rhyme and repetition. Those books from their childhood are imprinted upon their hearts and minds.

Writing in rhyme is complex. You’ll need to make sure it has rhythm and meter, and this is done by understanding syllables and where they are stressed in the words you’re creating to tell your story. When writing rhymes for children, avoid near rhymes because at a young age, children should first learn the predictability of rhyming words through their phonetic relationships.

Don’t be afraid of repetition or redundancy in children’s picture books. Just think about how young children watch their favorite movies over and over and you’ll learn that children enjoy and need repetition in order to make connections and remember patterns. Repetition is simple; and, according to those surveyed, it’s an important element in a children’s story.

3. A believable Plotline

Parents and teachers commented that a believable plotline was also key to determining their favorite children’s story of all time. Let your story draw from real life and identifiable characters from which they can learn something about themselves. 

Many in the survey said their favorite children’s book taught a moral, and they felt that was important. As a children’s writer, study folk tales of various cultures and then consider writing one of your own. There are so many great morals for children to learn. Weave a moral into your story.

4. Great Artwork

It’s important as an indie author to collaborate with an artist who shares your vision and captures in their art your voice, uniqueness of the characters, and the story setting. Your readers rely on a balance between text and illustrations to develop their story comprehension skills. 

That brings me to another point.

When I skimmed the pages of the favorite picture books of all time listed in my survey, the illustrations had one thing in common: they were realistic. This might be just as important as a believable plot. Consider colors and lines when collaborating with an illustrator, and keep it realistic.

5. Give your reader an adventure

The final tip I gleaned from the survey: your reader is looking for an adventure. You’ve developed unique characters and outlined a believable plot illustrated in captivating colors and lines. Now, through concise, repetitive, and perhaps rhyming words, take your reader by the hand and lead them on a wondrous adventure to a place they’ve never been before. 

Tell us in the comments: What’s your all time favorite children’s story? What did you love about it?

S.J. Rosson is releasing her first children’s picture book, The Lamb, in May 2022. She believes this story comes at a time when children need to hear a positive message about unconditional love and its redeeming work. She weaved in math counting concepts for fun. To learn more about pre-orders and exclusive, limited-time rewards, visit her website at: www.sjrosson.com.

The post #5onFri: Five Tips for Writing a Children’s Story appeared first on DIY MFA.

Whether they influenced my childhood or made me smile during my latest hours of reading time, they gave me joy, wonder, and mental stimulation at some point. We all need those things no matter our age, especially right now.

Without further ado…

My Favorite Children’s Mysteries…

The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin

When Sam Westing dies and names most of the residents of Sunset Towers apartments as heirs, he sets them a task. They must solve a complicated set of clues with another heir as partner in order to win his fortune. They do not get to choose their partner. It turns out that Sam Westing knows exactly who needs whom in their life. 

This book contains problematic elements (such as the stereotypical portrayal of the Hoo family and the characters’ ableist treatment of Chris Theodorakis, who is physically disabled), but is also somewhat forward-thinking in terms of race (shown through the skewering of Grace Windsor Wexler’s bigotry) and feminism. 

It is one of the best children’s mysteries ever, maybe the best. TWG is smart, twisty, and has just enough danger to be exciting, but not too scary. I never tire of reading it. I sometimes even forget all the ins and outs of the very clever, twisty solution. If you’re a mystery lover and you haven’t read it, go do it now. Even if you’re not into children’s mysteries. 

There is a movie adaptation from 1997 called Get a Clue. It’s a decent adaptation (even though they changed a lot) and fun to watch. I’m super excited for the HBO Max series that is on the way. 

This is the first of many puzzle mysteries on this list. If you’ve read this column regularly, you know I love puzzles and code-cracking, especially if literary references are involved. 

From the Desk of Zoe Washington by Janae Marks

Zoe Washington lives in Boston with her mom and dad, right next door to her best friend Trevor. Her dad is technically her stepdad, but he has raised her since she was 5. She doesn’t have a relationship with her biological dad, Marcus. 

This is because Marcus is in prison for murder. Her mother does not want them to have contact and Zoe has always been fine with this. Zoe also loves to bake and is very talented at it. Her summer would be shaping up well, except for two things. She and Trevor are on the outs and a letter from Marcus suddenly arrives on Zoe’s 12th birthday. Zoe decides to answer without telling her mother and soon finds out that Marcus says he is innocent. 

This is not exactly a mystery, but Zoe does some detecting to figure out if her biological dad really has an alibi witness for the time of the murder. Plus, it was nominated for the Edgar Award for Best Juvenile Mystery. If the Mystery Writers of America count it, I will, too. 

Zoe is an ambitious and determined character with her baking and even invents her own flavor of cupcake. Also, the book highlights the number of innocent people in jail, especially Black men, and the Innocence Project. This book warmed my heart and put a smile on my face. It also made me hungry. 

An adaptation is forthcoming with Kerry Washington producing. That sounds like a great combination to me. 

From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg (author and illustrator)

One of the most famous books on this list, From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler probably needs no introduction or description. It won the Newbery Medal in 1968 and several generations have read and loved it and shared it with their kids. 

I first encountered it when one of my teachers read it to our class. During a recent reread with my kids, I was instantly hooked by Claudia and Jamie Kincaid and their repartee. Claudia is delightful and complex. She longs to be an individual, to be special and “different,” not realizing she already is. She sees the world a little differently and wants dreadfully for people to notice. One of my favorite scenes is where she tries to get Jamie to say the little Angel statue they’re researching looks like her. I’ve felt that before, longing to be special by being like something special. 

Jamie is a precocious child, keenly aware of money, but still quite naive about the world. Also ignorant of proper grammar and speech to Claudia’s never-ending frustration. Some of Claudia’s nitpicking is just plain silly, though.

The two come up with a remarkable plan to run away from their home in Greenwich, Connecticut, and live in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in Manhattan. Claudia thinks this will make her “different” and make her parents appreciate her. Jamie just wants an adventure. Claudia needs him for money and company. 

Soon after they move in, a special exhibit arrives—a little statue that might have been sculpted by Michelangelo. Claudia falls in love with the statue and determines to find out for sure whether it is one of Michelangelo’s works. 

One of the joys of this book is seeing the relationship between the two develop and deepen. They become a team as they learn more about Michelangelo and each other. 

There are two adaptations—one from 1973 starring Ingrid Bergman (called The Hideaways) and the other from 1995 starring Lauren Bacall. (Talk about A-list talent.) I hope they both do justice to that relationship. 

Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library by Chris Grabenstein

This book is so fun. I think practically any reader could enjoy it, but if you like games and are a book nerd, you are all set. I was in heaven. I so wish this library was real.

Kyle Keeley loves games. His favorites are by Luigi Lemoncello, who just happens to be from Kyle’s hometown of Alexandriaville, Ohio. Mr. Lemoncello funded and designed a fabulous new library to replace the old one torn down twelve years ago. Twelve 12-year-olds who write the best essays about what most excites them about the new library get to attend a lock-in and see the new library before anyone else. Kyle is determined to be one of them and meet his hero. 

Oh, my literary puzzle-loving heart. This book is jam-packed with literary references (mostly children’s books, but not all) and employs rebuses and several other kinds of codes to challenge the characters and readers. I read this book for the first time this week. I just finished a second reading, to my kids this time. It is that good. I can’t wait to read the rest of the series. 

I just found out there is a Nickelodeon movie adaptation from 2017.  Heading off to watch that now.

Greystone Secrets #1: The Strangers by Margaret Peterson Haddix and Anne Lambelet (illustrator)

This book was not what I expected, but I loved it. It is a page-turner, almost like a thriller for adults, but still appropriate for kids. It’s over 400 pages and I finished it in two days! 

The narrators are adorable, smart, and fun. They are the Greystone kids, siblings Chess (short for Rochester), Emma, and Finn. Their father is dead and they adore their mother Kate, a graphic designer who raised them on her own. 

But one day after school, everything is different. Three siblings with the same names and ages as the Greystones have been kidnapped. And Mom is not acting like Mom. 

You are plunged into this story in the very first chapter and it barely lets up. It is exciting, intriguing (more code-cracking, but getting into the hard stuff with Vigenère ciphers), heartwarming, and kept me guessing more than many books written for adults.

Winterhouse by Ben Guterson and Chloe Bristol (illustrator)

This is the most magical book I’ve read in a while. Between the amazing hotel, the snowy winter setting, and the Christmas celebrations, I wanted to move right in. 

Elizabeth Somers doesn’t know what to expect when she is invited to spend Christmas away from her aunt and uncle at the Winterhouse hotel, while her aunt and uncle vacation, thanks to a mysterious benefactor. Despite the unpleasantness of living with Aunt Purdy and Uncle Burlap, she would rather spend Christmas alone than brave this new place with strange people. 

But Winterhouse is a place of magic and fun. Puzzles (both word and jigsaw) abound, there is a huge library, and the intriguing Falls family, proprietors of the hotel, are full of mysterious secrets. Elizabeth even makes a friend named Freddy, who helps her discover the secret behind the sinister couple who seem to be stalking Elizabeth at the hotel. Between enjoying the snow and food, especially Flurschen, a special candy made only at Winterhouse.

In addition to the magical environment, this book is also full of word games and ciphers. Elizabeth and Freddy initially bond over their mutual love of word ladders, one of which starts off every chapter, connecting both to the chapter title and its events. I never thought much about word ladders before I read this book, but I think I’m a fan now. 

The cover and illustrations are gorgeous, definitely adding to the magic of the storyline. I first wanted to read this book because the beautiful cover caught my eye. I don’t usually care if a book has pictures (although I do buy beautiful picture books at times, even with my kids outgrowing them), but I wouldn’t want this book to be without them. 

The writing is vivid with some unique turns of phrase. The beauty and the menace leap off the page. As soon as I finished the first one, I bought the next one to read. 

Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh (author and illustrator) 

WARNING:  I don’t usually include spoilers, but there are some mild ones in this entry. I needed them to make a point and the book has been out for decades. You have been warned. 

We don’t see books like Harriet the Spy anymore. In some ways that’s good. Talk about fat phobia. Every unpleasant person in this book is described as fat and it’s not meant as a compliment. 

But people seem to have forgotten that the world of children can be ruthless and unforgiving. That children themselves can be ruthless and unforgiving. And that back when parents were a little less involved, kids learned to work things out. Obviously, it’s good for parents to be involved, but I regret that kids don’t have their own world to learn to navigate as much anymore.

This is a much darker story than I remembered from reading it as a child. Harriet M. Welsch wants to be a writer. Her nanny Ole Golly told her she needs to observe people and write down everything. Harriet takes this to a bit of an extreme by developing a regular “spy route” where she watches people in her neighborhood and writes down her thoughts about them. 

She also does that with her friends and classmates at school. They find her notebook. And read it. And they are not happy. Harriet suffers the consequences of her actions, but she is one against many, who, by the way, haven’t paid for reading her private notebook. Except in embarrassment maybe.

Harriet rallies and fights back. She learns what she did wrong, apologizes, and fixes it. That’s why I love her. I think that’s why people still love her. She stands up for herself and learns to admit when she’s wrong and change. 

Harriet is a very compelling book. The writing is smart and nuanced and the characters very realistic. Fitzhugh isn’t trying to make these kids lovable or even likable. She wanted to show what life could be like for all kids, but especially kids who are different. Especially kids whose parents are indifferent or caught up in their own lives. This is one of those books where the sheer act of reading it is satisfying. It’s not a mystery, but I think it works to call it a spy novel for kids. It’s also more than that, though. 

I was surprised to find out that Harriet the Spy is the first book in a series. There are 4 books, including Harriet. The second, The Long Secret, is a mystery. This is a very strange book that couldn’t be more different than its predecessor. It’s worth a read and could probably fill a whole column on its own. The story is told from Harriet’s classmate Beth Ellen’s point of view. The third is about her best friend Sport. And the fourth is another mystery. There are also several companion books.

If you want even more Harriet, there is a new Harriet the Spy cartoon series on AppleTV+. I’m very excited to try it. The Michelle Trachtenberg movie from 1996 is cute, maybe a little too cute at times. I do think it is a better adaptation than it is given credit for. The film stayed true to Harriet’s rebel spirit and the dark parts of her conflict with her friends and classmates. 

The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart

Like Greystone, this book was very different than I expected. It has an apocalyptic, 1984 aspect to it. The characters are complex and heartbreaking. I expected them to stay at Mr. Benedict’s house and be detectives. I didn’t realize there is an astounding worldwide threat (the “Emergency”) or that the kids would be undercover alone on such a dangerous mission.

Reynard “Reynie” Muldoon has spent his entire life at the Stonetown Orphanage, without close connections, except his teacher Miss Perumal. One day she tells him about a notice in the paper looking for gifted children to take a test to be eligible for “special opportunities.” She wants him to take it and Reynie agrees. 

The tests are weird and difficult, but Reynie makes it through, along with three other special kids—George “Sticky” Washington, Kate Wetherall, and Constance Contraire. Together, they meet the mysterious Nicholas Benedict, along with his colleagues Number Two, Rhonda Kazembe, and Milligan. They discover that the “Emergency” that has all the adults worried is more serious than any of them realize and it’s up to them to stop it. 

Besides the interesting plot and excellent writing, the strength of this book is the team of four children. Reynie, Sticky, Kate, and Constance are tough, intelligent, resourceful, and able to trust each other and become a team, despite all of the abandonment and solitude in their lives up to this point. They work through their trauma to become this team, so they can hopefully save the world. In the process, they save themselves, which sounds very cliché, but Stewart renders it in a way that most definitely is not. 

I liked the first season of the TV show on Disney+. Everyone was well cast, despite the fact that Kristen Schaal is older than Number Two is in the book and I pictured Mr. Benedict as an older man. Now that I’ve seen Tony Hale play him, I can’t imagine anyone else in the part. 

Greenglass House by Kate Milford

This is a wonderful, intricate puzzle mystery bound up with the history of the house and its previous occupants. The house itself is a character and part of the mystery. Many of the clues are hidden in and around it, some actually built into it. I loved the descriptions of the beautiful stained glass.

Twelve-year-old Milo is excited for winter break to begin. During the holiday, there are usually no guests at the old smuggler’s inn in which he and his parents live and work called Greenglass House. But on the first night, the arrival bell begins to ring and doesn’t stop until five guests are ensconced in Milo’s living room telling stories, all of which end up connecting to the history of his home. 

Milo doesn’t appreciate this intrusion into his family holiday. He does end up befriending Meddy, the daughter of the cook, and they work together to solve the mystery when guests’ possessions disappear, which causes trouble for Milo’s parents. 

I appreciated that Milo is Chinese-American and the adoptive child of white parents (I am white and have a son adopted from China). Both the joys and difficulties of this situation were portrayed from Milo’s point of view. He loves his parents very much but still struggles with identity, belonging, and curiosity about his past. He is solving the mystery of himself as much as the one in the narrative. 

As a person who is neurodivergent, I appreciated the portrayal of Milo and his parents coping with that as well. It is difficult for them all, but he’s not stigmatized or criticized for it. He seems to have sensory sensitivities and anxiety, two conditions that really don’t mix with encountering strangers in your space all the time, especially when you weren’t expecting them. This is handled with sensitivity and realism. Milo isn’t put under a burden to change. He and his parents work to accommodate each other in the conditions of their lives. 

Greenglass House has been optioned by Paramount, but no adaptation has appeared as yet.

While we’re waiting, let me know—what are your favorite children’s mysteries?

Sara Farmer lives in Austin, TX, with her husband, three kids, and two cats. When she’s not chasing kids and cats, she reads and writes mysteries. You can find her at www.kittymomma.com and on Twitter @avonlea79.

The post Cozy to Cold-Blooded: My Favorite Children’s Mysteries (So Far) appeared first on DIY MFA.

This problem is not unique to kidlit. Traditional publishing is an inherently political industry. It amplifies certain voices and narratives, and not others, which is a political choice. You’re chosen, or you’re not. Your perspective is valued and shared widely, or it’s not. 

As this column has discussed before, young readers are particularly sensitive and vulnerable to negative depictions of themselves and others in books. It’s imperative that books for kids be welcoming and inclusive. That’s why we need to talk about DEI in kidlit publishing.

You may be under the impression that these issues are better in kidlit than in other areas of publishing. You may be aware of data like The Ripped Bodice’s survey of diversity in romance publishing, which shows dismal numbers, and contrast it with the existence of organizations like We Need Diverse Books, which specializes in children’s’ publishing and advocates for wider inclusion. You might want to pat kidlit on the back and say, “Great job being better than those other genres and categories!”

Here’s the thing… better does not mean good.

More and more visible work has been done to broaden kidlit. There have been slight improvements, but still way, way too far left to go. 

Where We Stand

The Cooperative Children’s Book Center (CCBC) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison has been assessing diversity statistics in children’s books since 1985. Each year they “receive most but not all trade books published by the ‘Big 5,’ as well as books from some smaller trade houses, smaller independent presses, and self-published books.” The books are primarily from the US, but they do receive some from other English-speaking nations. The CCBC determines if a book was by a BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) author, and if the major characters featured in the book are BIPOC. 

The CCBC survey primarily focuses on race every year, but has done some work around LGBTQ+ books and authors. It’s also important to note that how they defined BIPOC varied over the years. For instance, there are statistics for Black authors going back to 1985, but Latinx statistics only go back to 1994. They continue to expand the categories over time. 

You can find raw numbers here. Also, here is a more detailed analysis of 2019, which is the most recent data available.

The infographics below illustrate the proportionate distribution of books depicting BIPOC characters in a given year. 

2012 – Only 7% BIPOC

Original Graphic via CCBC illustrating 2012 Statistics || Tina Kügler, Illustrator, https://tinakugler.squarespace.com/

Of the 3,600 books CCBC received in 2012, 3,329 were primarily about white characters.

Houston, we have a major problem.

2015 – Slightly More BIPOC than Animals

In 2015, BIPOC made up 14.2% of the 3,400 books CCBC received. To quote the infographic, “About a quarter of the total children’s books published in 2015 were picture books, and about half of those depict non-human characters like animals & trucks. … The remainder depict white characters.” 

Houston, I smell smoke. Like a lot of smoke.

2018 – More Animals than BIPOC

In 2018 CCBC received 3,653 books, half of which were about white characters. That’s quite a decrease from 2012, no? But: across these three graphics we can see that when the percentage of white characters decreases they are primarily replaced by animals and other non-human characters–not by BIPOC characters. 

Houston, the wing is on fire.

2019 – “Alternatives” Continue

Data from 2019 was released in June 2020 and there’s no infographic for this year (thanks, COVID!). This year’s data drew from 3,716 books, and was broken down into a few extra categories, most notably “Brown Skin.”

From the blog post: “‘Brown skin’ indicates books in which the primary character clearly has brown skin (indicated by illustrations or text), but there are no specific racial or cultural signifiers in the illustrations or text.” This is problematic because it lumps all brown-skinned characters into an undifferentiated mass. 

The decrease in white characters between 2018 and 2019 is 8.2%. Which is handily exceeded by the “Brown Skin” category at 9.2%. As with the Animal/Non-Human trend, we see between 2018 and 2019 that published books would rather give space to vaguely “Brown Skin” characters than give BIPOC characters actual identities. 

Mayday, Houston, mayday! 

The Lost Books

Reflection Press is a small publisher focused on diversifying children’s lit. They used CCBC’s 2017 data to do their own infographics and analysis, which you can read in full here.

Their work compares the character breakdowns to the US population’s racial makeup. For instance, African Americans make up 13% of the US population, but were only 3.3% of characters that year. 

Then they calculated how many books would have to be published featuring African American characters to fill that gap between the population and the represented characters. In 2017 it would’ve taken 524 books to bring about parity! 

They ran these numbers using CCBC’s data for the last 12 years, and reckon we’re missing some 6,000 books that should have featured African American major characters.

Who’s Writing Whom?

But it’s not enough to look at the characters. We also need to look at the authors. 

In 2019, CCBC determined that 11.9% of books featured African American major characters. But of the 3,716 books received, only 5.8% were written by African Americans. Less than half of all books featuring Black characters are written by Black authors. 

The characters are fictional. The authors are real people. These authors have a tiny fraction of the publishing landscape, and as we saw with #PublishingPaidMe, they aren’t treated fairly even when included. 

What do we do now, Houston?

A recent academic study titled “Rethinking ‘Diversity’ in Publishing”, which focused on kidlit, genre, and literary fiction in the UK (which has its own diversity problems!) assessed how diverse authors and books are handled throughout the publishing process. They interviewed everyone: authors, agents, editors, publishers, book sellers, and so on. And they had some recommendations about how to support these books and authors. 

Publishing professionals need to question their biases, reckon with the privileges they have within the industry, and not only open up space but truly provide support by giving institutional resources–especially money–to the people doing this work. The system needs to demonstrate where its values lie through resources.

We need to build a more fair industry through anti-racist work. It’s especially important that we do this within kidlit where our readers are having formative experiences through books. 

Bronwen Fleetwood writes fiction for young adults, and nonfiction for writers. Bronwen studied creative writing at Eugene Lang,The New School for Liberal Arts, has acted as leader of the Princeton Writing Group, and as a Municipal Liaison for National Novel Writing Month. Bronwen currently lives on the Whale Coast of South Africa, between the mountains, the sea, and a lake. You can connect with her at bronwenfleetwood.com.

The post Diversity in Kidlit: Better Isn’t Enough appeared first on DIY MFA.

I think everyone will agree that it’s important for children to read. But what about the value of the stories themselves?

Before we dive in, let me give you a quick rundown of what I mean by Kid Lit. It’s a general term encompassing books for babies, toddlers, kids and teens. It includes board books, picture books, early readers, chapter books, middle grade, and young adult books. Check out this Introduction to Kid Lit from the DIY MFA archives for some examples from each of those categories.

I devoured children’s books as a kid, but by the time I was in high school, I started exclusively reading adult fiction. (No, not the dirty kind! I mean the books you find in the Fiction section of a bookstore.) That’s because as a teenager in the late 90’s/early 2000’s, young adult literature was only starting to become popular, and it didn’t explode until I was in college. By that point, I was an English major, reading a ton of classic literature. I was also writing literary short stories in my creative writing classes.

But then in my senior year, I saw a class on the roster called “Girls’ Books.” I was intrigued by the title—and frankly, tired of reading so many classics—so I enrolled. Not surprisingly, the class was full of ladies, and we spent the semester reading and discussing familiar girls’ books from our childhoods. Little Women. The Secret Garden. Harriet the Spy. We also read some more contemporary books like Weetzie Bat and The Golden Compass. We talked about themes like femininity, cultural values, and diversity. I hadn’t read some of those books in a long time, and others I hadn’t read before. It was the first time that I thought about children’s books as something more than a literacy tool or entertainment for kids. They can have a much bigger purpose.

That class was life changing, as it steered me toward my passion: reading and writing Kid Lit.

So, why does Kid Lit matter?

It creates community

Reading may be a solitary activity, but it brings people together. This is especially true for Kid Lit. Just look at the Harry Potter fandom. Each time a new book in the series came out, kids (and adults) everywhere dressed up as their favorite characters and went to the midnight releases. Now there are movies, fan sites, and festivals. Kids are writing Harry Potter fan fiction and joining Quidditch teams. There’s even an entire Harry Potter theme park, and all of this stemmed from a series of children’s books! What a time to be alive, right? Most kids want to feel like they belong somewhere, and books are a great way to make friends. Not only within their own towns, but with the help of social media, they can connect to other book lovers around the world.

It introduces young readers to how the world works

These days, you can find picture books about every topic imaginable. Parents don’t only want their kids to learn to read and build their vocabulary; they also want them to learn how to navigate the world around them. Children’s books aren’t as preachy as they used to be. Through stories and illustrations, they show kids little snippets of life, and help them understand how things work. One great example is Llama Llama Red Pajama by Anna Dewdney, which I’ve been reading with my toddler. In it, Mama Llama puts Baby Llama to bed, but then he wakes up crying. Mama Llama, who’s in the middle of something downstairs, doesn’t hear him right away. When she finally makes it up to him, he’s very upset. She tells him that sometimes mamas are busy, but assures him that even if she’s not right there, she’s always nearby. That reassurance helps Baby Llama go right back to sleep.

It gives young readers a safe space to process their thoughts and feelings

This is especially true for middle grade and young adult books. Adolescents go through so much change, and experience a lot of firsts. First crushes. First periods. First kisses. First heartbreaks. Even if they aren’t experiencing all of those milestones yet, books are a safe space for them to explore what it will be like—in stories that are appropriate for them, with characters they can relate to. Kids this age also witness and experience a lot of hardship (family troubles, death, addiction, etc.) and books can help them cope. Reading about characters just like them overcoming these obstacles can inspire them to do the same.

It reinforces their identity

When you’re able to read a book about a character who looks like you, you can take so much more out of the story. The bad news is that unfortunately, a lot of kids aren’t seeing themselves in enough books—namely, people of color, the LGBTQIA community, people with disabilities, and religious minority groups. But the good news is that the We Need Diverse Books organization has brought awareness to the problem, and it’s starting to change. One recent success is The Hate U Give, a young adult novel by author Angie Thomas that’s received a ton of media coverage, and has held the #1 spot on the New York Times Bestseller List. It features a black main character, with a story inspired by recent police shootings and the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement. Written by a black author herself, this book has given a voice to a lot of teens who haven’t felt represented in children’s literature. This particular novel is helping all kids process what they’ve seen in the news or in their own communities.

There’s so much more to be said about this amazing category of literature, and I’m thrilled to launch this monthly Kid Lit column. It’s not only for children, as I’ll be discussing some more in my next article! In the meantime, I’d love to hear from you. Do you read or write Kid Lit? What are some of your favorite books?

Janae Marks writes contemporary fiction for kids and teens. She has an MFA in Creative Writing from The New School, and is an active member of the Society of Children’s Books Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI). She lives in New England with her husband and daughter.

The post Why Kid Lit Matters appeared first on DIY MFA.

I’m so glad you can join me for today’s interview with YA and middle grade author Jen Calonita. In this episode, she and I talk about writing what you know (and what you don’t know) and also how to make the shift from one writing niche to another. We dig into the various twists and turns of her writing career and discuss Charmed, the next installment of her Fairy Tale Reform School series and her new contemporary middle grade series,VIP. The first book, I’m With the Band, is out now.

In this episode Jen and I discuss:

• How she landed an amazing job writing for magazines.
• Making the career switch from the magazine world to writing fiction.
• Why it’s so important to connect with other authors, and how to do it right.
• Why she loves writing series, and how series work differently for middle grade books versus YA.
• How to keep your stories fresh.

Plus, Jen Calonita’s  #1 tip for writers.

About Jen Calonita

It’s no secret how Jen knows the inside scoop on Hollywood. As a former entertainment editor at a teen magazine, she started her career chronicling backstage life at Justin Timberlake concerts and interviewing Zac Efron on film sets. This work inspired her first series, Secrets of My Hollywood Life which has been published in 9 countries.

Jen tackles worlds she finds familiar, from summer camp stories like Sleepaway Girls and Summer State of Mind (she was a camp counselor as a teen), to reality TV (which she also covered in magazines) in Reality Check. But it wasn’t until she wrote Belles (about two polar opposite girls who share one life-altering secret) that she entered a world different from her own. It was so much fun creating a new world that Jen jumped into the fairytale world and wrote middle grade novel, Flunked.

To find out more aboutJen Calonita follow her on Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, GoodReads, Pinterest, and Facebook, or visit her website: jencalonitaonline.com.

(Right-click to download.)

If you liked this episode…

Head over to iTunes, leave a review, and subscribe so you’ll be first to know when new episodes are available. Also, if you know anyone who might enjoy this podcast, please share!

Until next week, keep writing and keep being awesome.

The post Episode 87: Multiple Paths of a Writing Career – Interview with Jen Calonita appeared first on DIY MFA.

Here are five picture books we’ve found to celebrate Halloween with your little one. What I love most about Halloween picture books is how they empower children to take charge of the scary things in their world. In this round-up you’ll discover:

• a  little werewolf who sends the monsters in his room packing,
• a rabbit who conquers his fear of creepy carrots,
• a collection of poems that brings humor to the macabre,
• a problem-solving skeleton and his friend a ghost,
• and a wiener-dog who doesn’t let the other dogs’ taunts keep him from saving the day.

Five Picture Books That Go Bump in the Night

Goodnight Goon

Written and Illustrated By: Michael Rex

There was a period of time when this was my son’s favorite goodnight book. In this “petrifying parody,” a little werewolf tries to go to sleep while a silly goon wreaks havoc. In the end, the little werewolf sends the goon under the bed and they go to sleep.

What I love about this book is that while it’s a little more scary than the classic Goodnight Moon, it depicts a child who takes charge of the monsters instead of letting them take charge of him. For my son it has become a bedtime routine to read this book, then send all the monsters under the bed where they stay for the rest of the night. If, like me, you were sick of reading and re-reading Goodnight Moon every single night to your child, this is a great alternative that is entertaining for both parents and kids.

Creepy Carrots!

Written by: Aaron Reynolds
Illustrated by: Peter Brown

I discovered this book at Book Expo a few years ago and it is now one of my son’s favorites. In this story, a young rabbit thinks that creepy carrots are following him every where he goes. He finally takes charge by building a fence around the carrot garden, trapping the carrots inside. Little did he know that this was the carrots’ plan all along: so they’d be safe inside the fence from rabbits that might try to eat them. I love the black-and-white illustrations offset by the bright orange carrots.

Last Laughs: Animal Epitaphs

Written By: J. Patrick Lewis and Jane Yolen
Illustrated By: Jeffery Stewart Timmins

The short poems in this book recount the lives of animals who passed on to the other side. While a bit macabre for the very young set, older kids will enjoy hearing about the cat that was just a little too curious, the chicken who never quite made it across the road, and many others animals who saw a bitter end.

On a side note: Jane Yolen, who co-authors this book, is a wonderful speaker as well as a writer and we’ll be featuring her in a podcast interview next week!

Skeleton Hiccups

Written by: Margery Cuyler
Illustrated by: S.D. Schindler

In this sweet story, a skeleton gets the hiccups and it’s up to his friend Ghost to help him get rid of them–but none of the traditional remedies like drinking water or eating sugar help much when you’re a skeleton. This adorable picture book is perfect for a little one who might be a little scared of all the spooky Halloween decorations!

The Hallo-Wiener

By: Dav Pilkey

This story is about Oscar, a dachshund who is “…half-a-dog tall and one-and-a-half dogs long.” All the other dogs make fun of him, until one Halloween a pair of mean cats scar the other dogs into the lake and Oscar comes to the rescue. This is a hilarious Halloween-themed picture book and many kids will relate to the little dog who never quite seems to fit in with the others.

There you have it: five spooky stories that are sure to entertain readers both young and young-at-heart. Now I’d love to hear from you: which Halloween-themed books do you love? Please share in the comments below.

 What’s your favorite Halloween story or picture book?

The post #5onFri – Five Spooky Picture Books appeared first on DIY MFA.