Writing for Children

GETTING DOWN AND DIRTY WITH PLOT

Today we're continuing our conversation around plot. Our IFW blogger Jamie K. Schmidt contributed to a great article on plotting. Every good story, whether picture book, middle grade, YA, or adult, needs an excellent plot to get your manuscript past the slush pile. If you're starting a new book, it's helpful to have a plot outline in front of you when you're stuck as to what to write next. When you're revising, it can be helpful to pull out a plot outline to make sure your manuscript is hitting all the right beats.

Let a one-on-one mentor help you get that book out of your head and onto the page. Get started here!

INTERVIEW WITH WANDA BRUNSTETTER

Wanda Brunstetter is an award-winning romance novelist who has led millions of readers to lose their heart in the Amish life. She is the author of over 100 books with more than 11 million copies sold. Many of her books have landed on the top bestseller lists, including the New York Times, Publisher's Weekly, CBA, ECPA, and CBD. Wanda is considered one of the founders of the Amish fiction genre, and her work has been covered by national publications, including Time Magazine and USA Today.

We talk about:

• Wanda starting her writing career as an ICL student!
• What were the best lessons she learned at the start of her career?
• Creating outlines and happens when you veer from your outline.
• What she puts in detailed character sketch

Let a one-on-one mentor help you get that book out of your head and onto the page. Get started here!

INTERVIEW WITH EMMA DRYDEN

Over the course of her twenty-five year career (including as Vice President and Publisher of imprints at Simon & Schuster), Emma D. Dryden has edited nearly 500 books for children and young readers, ranging in format from board books and picture books to poetry, novelty books, non-fiction, middle grade fiction, and young adult/teen fiction and fantasy. As a publisher, Emma oversaw the annual publication of over 100 hardcover and paperback titles, many going on to win prestigious awards in the publishing industry.

We discuss:

• What's the best way to help your reader feel like they're in your world without "telling" and creating prolonged descriptions?
• How to use the weather to tell you story and build your world. – what if it rains? Are you in a desert?
• What are key pieces of the world to never forget?
• High fantasy tends to be created from the top down
• And more!

Get a one-on-one mentor to help you write publishable work that publishers are looking for! Get started here!

SETTING AS A CHARACTER

Today's episode comes from Jamie K. Schmidt, a regular blogger for us on the IFW Blog focusing on writing for adults. We're talking about stories where the setting is a character itself. In books where worldbuilding plays a factor, the setting can often feel like a character— someone we're getting to know and someone who is integral to the action in the story. We'll have many examples from classic adult books. Their familiarity makes it easier to grasp the concept but we'll also add some more recent kidlit examples for you to explore as well. Let's get started.

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200th EPISODE

When you're about to begin revising a piece of writing, it can seem so daunting you may be tempted to bury the darn thing at the bottom of your sweater drawer, then go hide somewhere (say, at the beach) for a few weeks. But, you're listening to this podcast, so you're in luck! Author and IFW Guest Blogger Rita Reali is also a freelance editor and today we bring you her advice on why you should get fresh eyes on your manuscript once you're ready to revise.

Let a one-on-one mentor to help you hone your revision skills and polish your work so it shines in your submissions to agents and publishers! Get started here!

INTERVIEW WITH CHARLIE N. HOLMBERG

Charlie N. Holmberg is the author of the Numina series and the Wall Street Journal bestselling Paper Magician series, which has been optioned by the Walt Disney Company.

We talk about building worlds through:

• Senses
• Clothing
• Language
• And how language can support the world
• Plus, how to help your reader feel like they're in your world without "telling" and creating prolonged descriptions?
• And lots more!

ELEMENTS OF SETTING

If you're going to build a whole new world in your story, you have got to get the setting right. Today's episode explores the elements of setting with contributions from Jan Fields.

POETRY FOR THE VERY YOUNG

Poetry for very young children has a lot in common with poetry for older readers. It's built word by word, as poetry has no room for extraneous words. It sounds good to the ear. It gives the reader a different way to look at the world by drawing attention very closely to something. Still, when writing for the very young, some things must be kept in mind.

Let a one-on-one mentor help you get that book out of your head and onto the page. Get started here!

POETRY-BASED REVISIONS

Today we bring you a special episode from our favorite lyrical wordsmith Renee LaTulippe. If you write for kids, you and Renee probably have a lot in common, including the same target audience, the same writing struggles, the same desire for publication, and probably similar writing processes. Like poetry, picture books are meant to be read aloud, which means you need to create engaging language that transports children into a world of imagination. And, like poetry, you have to do it in as few words as possible.

Let a one-on-one mentor help you get that book out of your head and onto the page. Get started here!

HOW NOT TO GET REJECTED

Perhaps the most common question from new picture book authors is, "Why do agents and editors say they hate rhyme when so many rhyming picture books get published each year?" These authors aptly observe that kids love rhyming books, many of them are bestsellers, and Dr. Seuss's books still sell millions of copies. Here's the truth. Agents and editors don't hate rhyme. They hate poorly written rhyme. Inspired by an article from 12 x 12 Writing Challenge Founder Julie Hedlund, let's talk about strategies for developing well-written rhyme.

Let a one-on-one mentor to help you hone your revision skills and polish your work so it shines in your submissions to agents and editors! Get started here!