Writing Stories Kids Want to Read

Over at Nerdy Book Club, there's a wonderful post this week by the author of the middle grade novel, Malcolm at Midnight:  Why Talking Rats Matter by W. H. Beck.

She wrote about why it's important to her to write stories that encourage kids to wonder, to get them dreaming, or to find a friend. And to write stories that kids want to read so they'll become bettter readers.

"Because the more kids read, the better readers they become. And the better readers they become, the more choices they have in their futures."

Beck's post reminded me that it isn't enough to think about how to create unique characters and plots. Or how to use realistic dialogue to keep the story moving. Or even how to raise the stakes to build tension. Of course, these things are part of writing a novel and they are skills to learn and develop.

But besides all of that, there are the deep-in-my-heart reasons why I'm writing and my hopes for my stories. It's these reasons and hopes that tell me what kinds of stories I really want to write and what kids will want to read.

• Why do I read? What do I get from a story -- is it just entertainment or something deeper?
• Why did I read as a child? What kinds of stories did I like and why?
• What do my children read? What kinds of stories do they like and why?
• Am I writing what I really want to write?
• What do I really want my story to be about? Is that what it's about? Why or why not?

The next time I'm struggling over how to put together a scene or what direction to take my story, I'm going to remind myself of the real reasons why I'm sitting in my chair for hours every day, typing on the keyboard.

Building a Story: Character

As I work out ideas for a new novel, thoughts about the characters emerge fairly early in the process. I don’t usually create detailed character charts or summaries. I find I don’t know enough about the character—or even what characters will be in the story— until I get into writing it. But as I read more about plot, I’m getting a better picture of what I really need to know about the characters to make the story work. Some recent advice that is shaping how I think about my new characters:

Creating Two-Word Characters, Guest post by Nick Thacker at K.M. Weiland’s Wordplay. 

I like this idea, because it gives a quick “tag” for thinking about the character and keeping in mind a key trait as I’m working with them for the story. It also forces me to think about what the most important thing is about each character that I want readers to know.

Quote from the post:  “The Two-Word approach lets me hone in on the two most important, overarching qualities of my characters that will truly bring them to life for my readers.”

From the Intern: Reasons Editors Pass (Part 3) by Nicole Steinhaus on YA Stands.

This is such a useful post to review if you’re working on developing a character. I’ve read a lot of middle grade books where there are evil villains because kids can relate to it easily. But I think there’s still room for “layers of gray” and characters that are a little more complicated and less clear cut. For example, I’m sure “mean popular girl” has feelings too.

Quote from the post:  “See what types of characters are out there. Then do something different.”

Agent Jill Corcoran on “What Makes a Book Sell” offers important advice about thinking about the “whys” for including each character in the story. 

I often automatically include a friend for my main character because friends are so important for middle grade readers, but this post reminded me that every character needs to have role in moving the story forward. The friend character can’t just be there to showcase some quality of the main character.

Quote from the post: “Be absolutely mindful of every character you put in the book.”

 What have you learned recently about creating characters?

Friday Fun: Children's Book Writing Genuis At Work

Is it just me or did this week seem to last for a month? The whole back-to-school transition always takes some adjustments (Hello, Mom Chauffeur?). But yesterday I decided to have a little fun while I was writing my blog post for MiG Writers about Debbie Ridpath Ohi's book celebration.  And this is what I ended up with:


A potato party! [There's a potato joke too -- if you dying to see it,  check out Day 4: I'm Bored Celebration at MiG Writers]

I can only imagine what my daughter thought when she came home from school and saw the countertop scattered with potatoes, tiny party hats and speech bubbles, because of course I had my brilliant idea for the MiG blogpost right before I had to leave for work.

But then again, since I write children's books, my kids are used to some of my crazy ideas and the sometimes weird things I end up doing to test them out.

I don't think you'll be seeing any spud stories from me in the near future. But it was fun to play around with them.

It reminded me how a tiny spark can grow into a bigger idea.