Writing for Children: What Drives a Children's Story?

If someone were to ask you what it is about some of your favorite books that you find most compelling, you may be inclined to answer with something like, "It has an exciting plot," "It's fast paced," or some other answer about the storyline. However, upon deeper reflection, you may come to realize that what's often the most compelling about certain stories is the emotional drive behind the primary storyline. Sure, an interesting plot line is essential for a good story, but what's behind the steering wheel of that plot? What's really driving the story?

For many readers, a strong emotional connection to the characters and their situations is what keeps them reading. After all, if you don't care about the characters, you're much more likely to stop turning the page and instead turn to a different book altogether. This concept, of finding ways to allow the reader to connect to the character, is used throughout literature and movies. It's how authors make you care about the "bad guy" in some books and movies. This idea is not limited to adult literature, however. Compelling children's stories also allow the reader (or listener) to enter the story and connect with characters and situations.

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Think about some of your favorite childhood stories. What was it about those stories that made you want to read them over and over? Even stories for the youngest child can create a connection. "Goodnight Moon," the classic board book by Margaret Wise Brown and Clement Hurd is one such example. Initially, the story seems very simple. A young rabbit boy says goodnight to the various things in his room before going to sleep. However, in doing so, the story depicts a safe and comforting environment for the child, an atmosphere that resonates with young children--and a reason why this story has remained popular for so many years.

Stories for older readers can accomplish the same thing. The idea is to keep the story and concepts age appropriate, as is done in "Goodnight Moon." Judy Blume's "Blubber" addresses issues that many kids can relate to, such as feeling like an outsider and being bullied. More recently the Harry Potter books deal with an assortment of issues that resonate with young readers, such as feeling different, finding one's inner strength, and facing one's fears.

Effective stories for children often appear to be simple stories; however, a closer look reveals that these stories address complex issues that many young people can relate to on an emotional level--and this is what keeps readers coming back for more. How do you do this in your own writing? To drive your story, think about what drives your character. What does he or she want? Why is he or she acting in a particular way, or going to a particular place? What does your character hope to achieve? By asking yourself a few questions about your character's motivation, you can find your own in writing the story--and this will help motivate children to read your story.

Writing for Children: What Drives a Children's Story?

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Saptaparni - Children's Activities in Hyderabad

What you see A sense of calm prevails at here, a cultural activity center cum book store for kids. There is free flowing space and greenery all around and right there in front of the entrance is a thriving Periwinkle tree in full bloom.

Pleasant and helpful staff behind a reception desk covered with pamphlets, brochures and magazines greet you inside. Across the walls are notice boards announcing the various workshops they hold. Further inside is a large dance hall with ceiling to floor mirrors covered with a couple of curtains on one wall and a corner bookshelf against the other. This room leads to four other rooms for music, conversations and books. Atop a few stairs (you are asked to leave your shoes below) is where you will find pictures of Goddess Saraswathi and Thyagaraja - it is a place where music lessons are taught. The place even houses an amphitheater.

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What you get -This Hyderabad Resort was founded on November 14th (Children's Day), 2003, by Anuradha Reddy. It is a unique concept to bring art and culture to kids, all under one roof.

Let's start with the bookstore. It has a wide assortment of children's books, spanning picture books like Grandpa's Stories and Birbal to adventure books from Enid Blyton. Educational books on vowels and math and Quiz books by Derek O'Brien and Siddhartha Basu are available too. So are Do It Yourself books like How to make Puppets and How to make Masks. Kids will love the range of comics here - from Tintin and Asterix to Amar Chitra Katha's Tenali Raman and Jataka Tales. And for art lovers there are even books for sketching and coloring.

That's not all. Music books, Bible stories, a large collection of Indian authors like Rabindranath Tagore, Mahasweta Devi, Satyajit Ray and Ruskin Bond and complete collections of RK Narayan's books find space here too. Murder and thriller mystery novels from Robert Ludlum, Agatha Christie, Dan Brown, Ken Follett and Jeffrey Archer and self-help books from Dale Carnegie eye for attention.

There is a range of traditional games as well, like Parama Pada Sopanam (Steps to the Highest Place), which is similar to Snakes and Ladders. It is played on a cloth instead of a board with squares up to 132 and against each snake are names of notorious characters from Hindu mythology like Ravan, Duryodhana and Bakasura. At the beginning of the ladders are virtues like honesty, hard work and courtesy. Talk of learning with fun.

Some of the other games here are Goli (marbles) at Rs. 50, Bambaram (top and string) at Rs. 75 and Kattam Vilayattu (the square game) at Rs. 80 to name a few.

Other bits and pieces available here are cloth bags, Bhagavat Gita, boxed wisdom cards, pretty notebooks, boxes of agarbatis and a limited range of stationery.

Carnatic Violin, Tabla, Mridangam, Piano, Carnatic Vocal, Shloka Chanting, Kuchipudi, Pottery, Yoga, Scrabble, Odissi Dance and Vedic Chanting are some of the classes and workshops offered by Saptaparni to students of all ages. Some of these classes even allow students as young as four years. Qualified and experienced instructors conduct all of the classes.

The open-air auditorium (seating capacity of 150) is let out for book readings and music concerts at Rs. 5,000 for five hours and the dance room at Rs. 2,500 for five hours.

Our verdict - This Hyderabad Resort for children seems like just the place for parents to take children to get them away from those computer games and television sets. It has books and activities for both children and parents, giving them more time to spend together while also learning art and music. There is plenty of parking space around.

Saptaparni - Children's Activities in Hyderabad

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Lesser Known Washington DC & Northern Virginia Children's Museums

National Building Museum-

A fantastic museum for children! The building itself is beautiful. There is a wide open Great Hall, where kids can run free. Kids can attempt to build a 7-foot tall arch using numbered foam blocks (MUCH harder than it looks). A favorite of the toddler crowd is the Building Zone, designed for children aged 2 to 6. There are many types of building materials, such as giant legos, magnetic tinker toys, and cardboard blocks. There are also dress-up costumes, a large scale play house, building focused books, and much more. There can be a line to get into the Building Zone, as there is a capacity of 40 children. There are also "Family Tool Kits" that help to bring the building to life for school-aged kids.

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Gadsby's Tavern Museum

Family Programs- Swordsmen's Rendezvous, Tea with Martha Washington, Easter Tea, Tavern Toddlers

Toddler Taverns-: A special program for toddlers (walkers through 36 months) and their caregivers! Tavern Toddlers features a weekly open playtime in Gadsby's historic ballroom Mondays, excluding Federal holidays, any time between 10:30 a.m. and noon. Themes change monthly. for a group of three, which must include one adult, or purchase a 5 week pass for . Mondays, 10:30am, 12:00pm, Ages: 1 to 3 Cost: /group of three

National Children's Museum- Launch Zone at National Harbor

While the National Children's Museum is being built (to open in 2013), the NCM opened the Launch Zone at National Harbor on Waterfront Street. Open seven days a week, the Launch Zone is a place where children can participate in fun and educational programs related to the Museum's core content areas.

Through the use of images, table-top interactive exhibits, and computer kiosks, NCM introduces select areas of the Museum, while soliciting feedback and input from constituents. They also have a class focused on children ages 2-3- Wee Wonders' Out of This World on March 9, 16, 23, at 10:00am- 11:15am. According to the website, children will blast off into outer space in a rocket ship to explore the solar system like astronauts. Activities typically include stories, games, art, music, experiments, drama, and movement. Fee: per child. Pre-registration and advance payment (by check or credit card only) is required by the Friday prior to the event. Please call 202-675-4120 or email RSVP@ncm.museum to register.

Mount Vernon
Mount Vernon has many fun things families and kids love to do. There are baby animals in spring and summer, a 4-D theater with falling snow and rumble seats, and a hands-on history area where kids can play dress-up in 18th-century clothing, read books, and explore activity boxes and games. Mount Vernon is open 365 days a year and offers daily programs and special events throughout the year.

National Gallery of Art

Although the National Gallery of Art is not going to be very appealing to young children, kids will also enjoy the lighted underground concourse between the West Building and the East Building (with a huge suspended Calder). Along the concourse, is a great cafe, a museum store with children's' section. There is a waterfall sculpture against the glass wall. There is also a class for children ages 4-7- Stories in Art. This series of programs uses storytelling to introduce children to works of art. Led by museum educators, each program includes reading a children's book, looking at one work of art in the galleries, and completing a simple hands-on activity. This class is a free drop-in program is designed for individual families, first-come, first-served basis. For information, call (202) 789-3030.

International Spy Museum

The Spy Museum has many programs, workshops, demonstrations, and action-packed missions for mini-spies. There are workshops on disguise, gadgetry, spy science, codes and ciphers; Spy Magic performances; Spies on Screen; Operation Secret Slumber overnights; and Spy camps are offered on a monthly basis.

Lesser Known Washington DC & Northern Virginia Children's Museums

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A Dozen Ways to Get Your Career Started As a Freelance Children's Writer

Chances are, you won't be the next J.K. Rowling. After all, she's the only children's writer on the planet who makes over a billion dollars from her work.

But that doesn't mean you can't make a living as a children's writer. Here are a dozen ways to get your freelance career started:

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1. Make sure you learn the basics of writing for children. If there aren't any courses in children's writing available where you live, take a correspondence course (through the mail) or enroll in an online workshop in children's writing. There are many good correspondence courses and online workshops available. Go to Google.com and type in the words "writing for children."

2. Read, read, read - all the children's magazines and books that you can - from a writer's viewpoint. Study these articles and stories for structure, rhythm of language, a child's or teen's voice, and the type of content that appeals to young readers (and that editors tend to buy).

You might find a limited number of children's magazines at your local bookstore, so get a current market guide to find out about other magazines for kids, then write for sample copies of these publications so you can read and study them.

3. Develop an appropriate resume to submit to publishers. You might not have many (or any) writing credits at first, so list any work you have done that was writing related. It doesn't have to be only work you did for pay. Also list any volunteer work you have done that involved writing.

4. Join a critique group, or start one, and subscribe to at least one publication for children's writers.

5. In addition to your critique group, network with people who already do what you want to do - one way to do this is to join your local chapter of the SCBWI (Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators), or sign up for an online listserv of children's writers. Go to yahoogroups.com and search for groups for children's writers. You'll find several.

6. Learn to write a great query letter and how to correctly format a manuscript. There are many good books available that explain (in detail) how to write an effective query and how to format a manuscript for submission to a publisher. You can also Google "writing a query letter" or "formatting a manuscript" to find various articles that should help you.

7. Once you're comfortable with your skills as a children's writer, spend at least one day a week on marketing - looking for new opportunities and writing assignments. You'll find job ads for children's writers in those newsletters you start subscribing to and also on online job boards for writers.

8. You MUST learn to use the Internet effectively. Also, learn how to transfer your work electronically. And, if you don't have one already, get an email account.

9. At least once a year, attend a children's writer's conference or workshop. This is will give you more networking opportunities, plus you'll learn, firsthand, the current needs of many children's magazine and book publishers.

10. Be dependable and professional. Freelancing is a business. Learn the business. For example, don't expect to submit a handwritten manuscript and have an editor read it. Also, don't expect to ignore submission guidelines and have an editor read your manuscript (see next step).

11. Study the markets and write for guidelines for the publications you wish to write for. Today many publications have submission guidelines (and even current needs) available on their website, so search these websites first to save yourself time and postage.

12. Give yourself time to succeed. This is one of the most important steps. If you're just starting to write for children, don't expect to make a living at this for awhile.

As you learn more about the business of writing for children, and continue to improve your craft, more opportunities will become available to you. You should also realize that it will take more than writing magazine stories and articles to make a living as a freelance children's writer, so you must actively seek work ALL the time. But follow the steps outlined above, and your freelance writing career will be off to a good start.

See you in print!

A Dozen Ways to Get Your Career Started As a Freelance Children's Writer

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Benefits of Receiving a Grant For Writing Children's Literature

I recently receive a "Jackpot Grant" from the Nevada Arts Council to attend a writing workshop presented by the Society of Children's Bookwriters and Illustrators. Having attended the conference, I realized that there were benefits, to myself and the community. In this article, I'll briefly recap some of those benefits. I'll go over some of the objectives that I submitted when I applied for the grant.

Objective 1: Improve Writing Skills and Open Creative Horizons

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I attended several workshops run by Bruce Coville, who writes middle-grade fantasy novels. As a result,  I started work on a series of books that are primarily aimed at boys, with a cross over appeal to girls. I discussed a picture book on potty training, and created a draft of it. The manuscript has been well received on the Society of Children's Bookwriters and Illustrator's Manuscript Exchange discussion forum. I am refining it, and will soon submit it for publication.
Objective 2: Establishing Networking Contacts for future projects.

I met a number of illustrators, and have established contacts with them. These may lead to future collaborations, or at least to preferred introductions to publishers. (It is possible that a well-established illustrator will suggest a manuscript that they will enjoy illustrating to a publisher.) I met a number of writers who may be interested in writing teacher's guides to accompany my existing books. I listened to presentations by various editors and submitted a manuscript for a children's book to a major publisher. If they do not like the manuscript, I'm confident that another publisher will like it.
Objective 3: Provide a long-term benefit for the Nevada Arts Council and for children who reside in Nevada.

I have begun a publicity campaign that will help children become more literate by using the book and CD, which contains several different languages. Since the Nevada Arts Council paid for my travel expenses to the SCBWI workshop, I will have some available to provide free copies of the book to libraries in Nevada, and fully intend to make donations. Also, the book will be made available to literacy programs. The prestige associated with receiving a grant from the Nevada Arts Council is making it more attractive for a teacher who home schooled her child to evaluate whether she is interested in bring the book/CD/website to the attention of other home-schooling parents. One of the illustrators that I met is enthusiastic about preparing a teacher's curriculum for my existing books. To build self esteem in children I will launch an internet radio show where children can discuss my books and CDs with their teachers, parents and other children. I have already implemented a service that displays pictures that children draw and a service that allows them to make digital tape recordings of stories.

If you're a writer, I encourage you to apply for grants.  You may be surprised at the benefits that you, and others, receive from the process.

Benefits of Receiving a Grant For Writing Children's Literature

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How Sesame Street Became the Most Popular Children's Show of All Time

The emergence of Sesame Street changed the landscape of children's television program forever. It brilliantly brought forth education in a fun and entertaining way. It debuted in the 1960's, during a time where quality children's program was lacking.

The use of television as an educational tool was a new and unpopular concept back then. Today however, children's educational shows are a common sight in television. It can be said that Sesame Street pioneered a generation of fun and informative children's television programs. A look into the history of Sesame Street depicts the rise and transformation of this show into a historical landmark.

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The show premiered on November 10, 1969 and featured Jim Henson's Muppets as main characters. Produced by a non-profit organization known as Sesame Workshop (previously known as Children's Television Workshop, CTW), the show was made possible thanks to Joan Cooney (a documentary producer), Lloyd Morrissett (an executive in Carnegie Institute) and Lewis Freedman who decided that television could make a better impact on children through informative programs. Jim Henson was also given credit because his involvement added a unique sense of fun to the show.

Sesame Street recorded a first in history by becoming the first children's television program to include a learning curriculum. Prior to Sesame Street, there was limited knowledge regarding incorporation of research in television production. The show was a hit from the start, and displayed strong intercultural and life values understood by children. The history showed that the popularity of the show continued to soar in the 1970's and was even broadcast in other countries. This marked the globalization of a children's television program. In the 1980's, the deregulation of advertisement fuelled greater profit generation for CTW, as more children advertisements were aired during the show.

The history of Sesame Street holds a dear story to the creation and rise of a humble children's show. A clever combination of animation, puppets, and live actors enables the stimulation of young children's minds. It is undoubtedly one of the best children's television shows and still relevant today, four decades after its inception.

How Sesame Street Became the Most Popular Children's Show of All Time

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Austin Children's Museum

Austin families are lucky indeed to have a facility such as the Austin Children's Museum. With 7,000 square feet of interactive and educational permanent exhibits, inventive traveling features, story-times and public events, this museum serves as a hub of Austin's family community.

Upon entering, kids are delighted to board a scaled down Austin Metro bus. Sitting in the driver's seat or holding a strap in the passenger section, this exhibit is cleverly planned to distract the kiddos as the adult pays admission and learns about the day's events. Other permanent exhibits include the dairy cow, an oversized milk-cow statue with a looping video about dairy farming, with a doll-house sized barn and toy cows to play with. The Rising Star Ranch provides a wonderfully varied sensory experience especially designed for the under-two set, while the Tinkerer's Workshop allows older kids to experience creating their own structures by inventing, designing, building and testing their ideas.

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This being Austin, music is emphasized in the amazing Austin Kiddie Limits. Fun for all ages (including adults), this room is a kid-oriented interactive version of the acclaimed live music television show Austin City Limits. With toy instruments, cowboy hats and other costume pieces, a stage and a video monitor, kids can play along with their favorite Austin musicians including Willie Nelson, Lyle Lovett, Miss Lavelle White, Asleep at the Wheel, Kelly Willis, Flaco Jimenez, and Toni Price. The best part is that the kids can see themselves on the video monitor, making it a real rock-star experience.

Their program offerings include something for every age group. Baby Bloomers is a weekly opportunity for kids under three to explore the entire facility with only toddlers and their caregivers in the museum. Discovery Time offers daily, hands-on activities that enhance the permanent and changing exhibits. Storytime, held in their large foyer, is offered for different age groups, and often includes music making, bubble blowing, and other interactive elements.

Gallery programs include the popular Wednesday Community Night, featuring different performances, storytelling, music and activities, and Science Sundays, featuring hands-on activities led by real honest-to-goodness scientists. Checkout the Childbloom guitar program for a cacophonous and hilarious take on combining story telling with accompaniment by the kids, or the Austin Keyboard Orchestra program to learn how to build and play an instrument.

Located in downtown Austin the Austin Children's Museum is centrally located for people in different areas of the city. It is also located close to other Austin attractions like Zilker Park the famed bat bridge so that visitors can see a number of fun Austin attractions in an afternoon.

The Austin Children's Museum offers camps during the summer and spring break, for ages 4 to 10. They offer seasonal programs including the popular Gingerbread House workshop in December. The facilities are available for birthday (and other kids of) parties, including sleep-over parties. Special events can also be held on the premises.

With a stated goal to help Austin's kids and families become more creative, more inventive, and more competent, the Austin Children's museum combines fun and education in a world-class facility.

Austin Children's Museum

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Author Visits, Presentations and Workshops by Children's Writers - Part Three

No examination of author visits to schools and libraries would be complete without some mention of fees and honorariums. In Canada, fees naturally vary from one author to another and while writing organizations have recommended rates, usually calculated by the hour, its still wise to do your own research. Are other authors in your area charging by the hour, by the day, half-day or even per head? Prices also vary greatly from one province to another. What may be considered a fair rate for your time and services in Toronto or elsewhere in Ontario may appear expensive to a school in Alberta or British Columbia, or even in Calgary, Edmonton or Vancouver. It may also be completely out of the range of a school in the Atlantic provinces, Manitoba or Saskatchewan. The same differences in pricing and affordability apply to the United States, the UK and other countries where there are always going to be significant regional variations, between both urban and rural areas or simply when comparing different areas of the same country.

Make sure you always check that the school is in agreement about all financial matters well in advance. This is particularity true of mileage, which may not be possible to calculate until you arrive at the school. Yet you should attempt to give the school at least a rough estimate, since this will be an additional charge on top of your agreed fee. Should meals and accommodation be required and the school is expected to foot the bill, make sure this is all discussed beforehand as well. Some schools require invoices before they can release a cheque for anything, while others don't. It's important to remember too that not only do provinces vary in their policies and procedures, often school boards within the same province have different regulations about paying authors. Some require forms to be filled out for the payroll department, others require social insurance information. Authors fees are most likely to be paid from casino funds, parent associations, bank accounts used for school fields trips and so on, but it's still advisable to determine exactly what information the school may require to pay you at the end of your visit. Just as you need to be fully prepared for your audiences before arriving at a school, with the financial aspects of an author visit, planning and preparation in advance is always advisable.

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Author Visits, Presentations and Workshops by Children's Writers - Part Three

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Author Visits, Presentations and Workshops by Children's Writers - Part One

Unlike those writing for an adult audience, children's authors have far more opportunities to secure speaking engagements. Many teachers and librarians at elementary, junior high and, depending on the age range of your books, senior high schools, like to host artists every school year. They know that an author visit can be inspirational, boosting student creativity and encouraging them in their own writing. And from your own point of view, meeting your readers can be one of the most enjoyable elements of a school visit. Younger students especially are almost always thrilled to meet a published author, especially if they have read your books.

I am always pleased to receive e mails from children who enjoyed my visit to their school and here are just a few examples.

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"Thank you for coming to our school. I really enjoyed your presentation and your books are FANTASTIC! You're the greatest author ever!"

"Thank you for coming to our school to share your ideas for your books. I learned that being an author is really hard work. I think you are a great author and hope you finish all your books"

"It was an honour to see you at our school. You are very nice and funny. I think I might try to become an author like you because it sounds challenging and very much fun"

"I really enjoyed your presentation. I learned a lot about how fun it can be to write a story"

"Thank you for coming to visit our school. Most authors just come in and talk about their book, but you told us how many drafts you had and we made characters together."

"I thought it was really neat to meet a real author because someday I want to be an author as well. Thank you for coming to my school. I will never forget it."

"I enjoyed your performance very much. You have a very interesting imagination. You are the best author that has come to our school."

School and library visits offer a invaluable opportunity to connect with your readers on a personal level and in some cases you can make a real difference in children's lives, stimulating their imagination or simply getting them more interested in books and reading.

Author Visits, Presentations and Workshops by Children's Writers - Part One

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Author Visits, Presentations and Workshops by Children's Writers - Part Four

Author visits can be a lucrative source of book sales, but it's wise to ask if such activity is even allowed at the school ahead of time. Most schools are delighted that you will be bringing books to sell and sign for the children while you are there. If you send order forms or other paperwork prior to your arrival, teachers often collect the money for you and everything can be extremely well organized. However, some schools do have very strict policies about selling anything to the students and prohibit promotion for commercial purposes. Make sure you always ask in advance to avoid any uncomfortable situations when you are at the school.

Once a visit is confirmed, I send out order forms for the books, which most schools send home with the students just prior to my arrival. Consequently, parents can see what sort of books are available, even visit my my website, so that those children interested in getting signed copies remember to bring the correct payment while I am at the school and so avoid disappointment. However, I make it very clear that this is entirely at the discretion of the school. I do not expect to have a firm number of orders for books before I travel and always take a good supply of each title with me.

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At the time of writing, I have five titles in print, but there are still no guarantees in terms of book sales during school visits. Sometimes your sales may be in the hundreds and on other occasions you may only sell ten copies or less. As a result, book sales during author visits should often be considered a nice bonus, rather than expecting them to be highly successful every time.

Author Visits, Presentations and Workshops by Children's Writers - Part Four

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Author Visits, Presentations and Workshops by Children's Writers - Part Five

While its very important to do your own homework in terms of discussing schedules with the teachers, organizing your presentations, planning your topics to fill a week or more as an author in residence, selecting subject matter appropriate to each audience, ensuring that all financial matters are in order and so on, before embarking on a school visit, the experience is usually very rewarding for children's authors. School visits allow you to talk about your own work, your inspiration, your future projects, answer questions, sell some autographed copies of your books, and present yourself to a entirely new audience or geographic area. Writing in any discipline can be a solitary, even lonely profession, but children's authors do have the opportunity to visit to schools and libraries, allowing you to connect with your readers on a personal level. Children are also thrilled to meet an author, especially if they are familiar with your work, and if they are not, you will most likely gain a whole new set of readers as a result of your visit to the school.

An author visit can also be very beneficial to the school, inspiring the students and encouraging them in their own writing or just getting them excited about books and reading. You may also help them to explore their own artistic creativity, whether this involves writing, illustration, painting, poetry, sculpture, photography, film or another discipline altogether and ultimately, you may even make a real difference in the lives of some of your readers.

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Author Visits, Presentations and Workshops by Children's Writers - Part Five

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