Peter Economy - Writing Children's Books For Dummies

Writing Children’s Books For Dummies®, 3rd Edition

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Published simultaneously in Canada

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Library of Congress Control Number: 2022934334

ISBN 978-1-119-87001-2 (pbk); ISBN 978-1-119-87003-6 (ebk); ISBN 978-1-119-87002-9 (ebk).

1 Cover

2 Title Page

3 Copyright

4 Introduction About This Book Foolish Assumptions Icons Used in This Book Beyond the Book Where to Go from Here

5 Part 1: The ABCs of Writing for Children Chapter 1: Exploring the Basics of Writing Children’s Books Knowing Your Format, Genre, and Audience Getting into a Good Writing Zone Transforming Yourself into a Storyteller Polishing Your Gem and Getting It Ready to Send Selling Your Story Promoting Your Book Improving Your Chances of Getting Published Chapter 2: Delving into Children’s Book Formats Dissecting the Anatomy of a Book Grouping Types of Children’s Books Illustrated Books for All Ages Working through Wordy Books Chapter 3: Exploring the Genres Going Out of This World Getting in on the Action (and History) Writing About Real People Giving Stories a Message Keeping Them Laughing with Humor Chapter 4: Understanding the Children’s Book Market Getting Insight into Book Buyers’ Needs Recognizing What Reviewers Offer Discovering What Librarians Add to the Mix Taking a Look at How Teachers Use Books in Their Classrooms Considering Parents’ Perspectives Thinking Like a Kid

6 Part 2: Immersing Yourself in the Writing Process Chapter 5: Setting Up for Success: Finding the Time and Space to Write Finding Time to Write Optimizing Your Writing Environment Chapter 6: Starting with a Great Idea Once Upon a Time: Coming Up with an Idea Stumped? Break through with Brainstorming Fighting Writer’s Block Chapter 7: Researching Your Audience and Subject Hanging Out with Kids Dipping into Popular Culture Researching Your Nonfiction Topic

7 Part 3: Creating a Spellbinding Story Chapter 8: Creating Compelling Characters The Secret Formula for an Exceptional Main Character Getting to Know Your Characters through Dialogue Compiling a Character Bible Writing Stories with Two or More Main Characters Choosing Supporting Characters Calling All Character Arcs Character Don’ts — and How to Avoid Them Developing Characters through Writing Exercises Chapter 9: The Plot Thickens: Conflict, Climax, and Resolution Plot: It’s All about Action Centering on the Story Giving Your Story a Beginning, Middle, and End Propelling Your Story with Drama and Pacing Outlining to Structure Your Plot Preventing Plot Problems Writing Your First Draft Chapter 10: Can We Talk? Writing Effective Dialogue The Fundamentals of Good Dialogue Listening to Real-World Dialogue Adding a Speech Section to Your Character Bible Testing! Testing! Reading Dialogue Out Loud Avoiding Common Dialogue Mistakes Improving Dialogue by Using Writing Exercises Chapter 11: Setting the Scene Giving Context to Your Story and Its Characters with Scenery Creating a Context Bible Knowing When to Include Scenery and Context Providing the Right Amount of Setting Engaging Your Readers’ Senses Knowing When Not to Make a Scene Exercising Your Nose through Smellography Chapter 12: Finding Your Voice: Point of View and Tone Building a Solid Point of View Having Fun with Words through Wordplay, Rhyming, and Rhythm Using Humor to Your Advantage The Mojo of Good Writing: Exploring Voice, Style, and Tone Knowing When You Need a Voice Makeover Helping Your Voice Emerge by Playing Pretend Chapter 13: Writing Creative Nonfiction Books The Nonfiction Children’s Book World at a Glance Writing Toward a Nonfiction Masterpiece Choosing a Great Nonfiction Topic Testing Your Topic Outlining Your Creative Nonfiction Common Creative Nonfiction Mistakes (And How to Avoid Them) Writing Exercises for Creative Nonfiction

8 Part 4: Making Your Story Sparkle Chapter 14: Editing, Revising, and Formatting Your Way to a Happy Ending Your Revising Checklist: Getting Major Story Elements in Order Fine-Tuning Your Text: Editing Important Areas Formatting Basics: First Impressions Matter Not to Put Too Fine a Point on It: Checking Basic Grammar and Style Hiring Help: Working with an Editor or Editorial Service Chapter 15: Creating Pictures from Your Words: The World of Illustrations To Illustrate or Not to Illustrate Recognizing Why You Shouldn’t Hire an Illustrator Following the Hand-Drawn Illustration Process with Artist Tim Bowers Exploring the Digital Art Process with Author/Illustrator Barney Saltzberg Getting Your Art Seen by the Right Folks Handling Art When You’re Self-Publishing (and Not an Artist) Chapter 16: Finding and Incorporating Feedback Deciding When to Seek Feedback Getting Help from Friends and Relatives (or Not) Calling on Topic Experts: Beta and Sensitivity Readers Attending Conferences or Retreats Participating in a Workshop Working with a Writing (or Illustrating) Group What Feedback Should You Expect During the Publishing Process?