Sunday, November 24, 2013

Writing a Chapter Book, part 8/Calls for Submissions

     This article is the eighth in the series: Writing a Chapter Book.

Try these tips:

Humor reigns supreme. The humor doesn’t have to occur on each page or paragraph. Text that is scattered with bits of humor surprises the readers and holds their attention. If you make the readers laugh, they’ll keep turning the pages and want another book just like it. Comical characters are a hit as are funny situations and witty dialog. Humor makes the book fun to read and hooks a kid into a lifelong passion for reading.

Conveying humor through text on a page can be challenging. What’s funny to one person is just plain silly to another so how does a writer deliver a humorous story to the readers?

Chapter book readers find mixed-up language funny. They love jokes, riddles, and puns. These kids are independent readers. They are developing a good grasp of the language and enjoy the wordplay.

If a character has lost his/her two front teeth and talks with a lisp, this age group will enjoy the strange sounding speech.
 
Always keep the audience in mind when writing humor. What works for a seven-year-old may fall flat for a ten-year-old. 

Call for submissions for young writers:

Zamoof! Hey, everyone! This is Oay here at Z! Headquarters. How would you like to be published in an upcoming issue of the magazine? It is easy to do and a lot of fun. I'll give you some ideas of what you could do, and you might even ask a parent, older brother or sister, or even your teacher to help you! Submissions are welcome from youth readers or their parents/care givers.

Submission guidelines at http://zamoofmag.com/for-grown-ups.php?bp=3165

Call for submissions for adult writers:
 
Timeless Tales is an ezine that exclusively publishes retellings of fairy tales and classic myths.


Check out more contests on my blog: http://nancykellyallen.blogspot.com/

2 comments:

  1. Humor is so difficult. It takes a really deft touch, but you're right. Kids really eat that up.Thanks for another good post.

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  2. I agree, humor is difficult to write. I'd rather scatter a few bits of humor throughout the text than try to write a series of humorous antics with dialog. Surprising the reader with unexpected humor works well.

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