Audience. The
adage Know your audience is true in
any genre of literature. Is this story a read-aloud for a three-year-old or is it geared for a six-year-old beginning reader?
When we meet someone on the street and talk face-to-face, we adjust our speech
and language to suit the audience. As writers, we have to recognize and
understand the reading and interest level of our readers before we begin
writing. A read-aloud story may have more complicated words and sentence structure than a beginning reader for an older child.
What if. What if it
rained marshmallows. What if everyone grew horns.
Probe your character and plot with the What if question to develop your
story idea. When your story comes to a screeching halt and you don’t know where
to go with the plot ask what if. You may be surprised at the turn your
story takes and the new ideas you will explore.
Perspective/Point of
view. These are not the
same. Perspective refers to the strategy a writer uses to tell the story. Is it
first person (I) , second (you), or third (he/she)? Keep the same perspective throughout in
books for younger children.
Point of view refers to
who is telling the story? Is the big dog, the friendly dog, or the neighbor’s
cat? Try different characters to determine which could tell the story in the
most compelling way. The single-character perspective is the most common viewpoint used
in children’s literature. If you change the viewpoint, do it with a new chapter
to enhance understanding for the reader.
Call for Submissions for Adult Writers:
Young
Rider. Short stories (approximately 800-1,000 words) for about $150. They
have to be “realistic” stories and not too sugary sweet. We only use 4 to 5 of
these a year. We get a great deal of “children overcoming the odds to win
things or struggling to buy or get a horse of their own” so we don’t encourage
these types of stories. We would prefer funny stories, with a bit of conflict,
which will appeal to the 13-year-old age group. They should be written in the
third person, and about kids. The story should have a definite plot, some sort
of conflict (humorous, serious or not-so-serious) and a resolution. No
“childhood memories” please.
Submission
guidelines at http://www.youngrider.com/writers-guidelines.aspx
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