Bringing Out Your Characters

Previously I have touched on how to find your characters, how to describe them and how to give them personality.  I am going to expand on this a little more.

You have to be aware of every facet of your character's personality, because if you don't know it all, you won't believe in the character enough to present them as a rounded, credible person.

You can't go into a full physical description and personality evaluation of each character as they appear as this would be most tedious.  Instead, you need to work out what the readers need to know and when they need to know it. Then you can introduce other information during the story without making it obvious.  The correct method of describing characters is best summed up by the phrase, "Show, don't Tell."  Here is an example:

Example of Telling the Reader

Mary was a voluptuous red-head, but she wore too much make-up for a seventeen-year old.

Example of Showing the Reader

Mary added another layer of lipstick and powder, preening in front of the mirror and thinking "I knew this shade would go well with my hair. I hope Mum doesn't realise I pinched her 'Coppernob' rinse. Perhaps I should take another tuck in the waist here, just to nip me in a bit more."

I hope that you agree that the second example reveals far more about the character and delivers the detail in a subtle yet interesting way.

I hope that you find this and my other tips useful.  Good luck with your writing!

Tips on Finding a Children's Book Theme

So what is a theme? Is it really important if I have a storyline and a fantastic plot?

Well... the answer is YES. A resounding YES when writing books for children. Plots and sub plots will carry content to engage the reader, but the journey must be one that the reader can relate to. I mentioned this earlier in my previous posts.

The fact is that when writing books for children, it is important to define characters, scenes and surroundings that the reader can relate to. So, I doubt you would be shocked to here that when writing books for children - especially those between 10 and 14, the most popular theme, or sub-theme, for teenage books is..... wait for it.....handling relationships!

Sure it sounds basic, but lets make it clear. This is NOT easy. Children are complex people. A relationship theme that does not reflect on something the reader relates to, will have the writer dismissed as a fraud by chapter two.

In romantic stories for girls, go for boy/girl relationships - but appreciate how they develop. By starting with two opposites that do not communicate, which by some reason or another they are forced to communicate, you are on your way. You can now slowly draw these opposing characters together using your plots, characters and settings that you have planned for your children's book.

The same is said for adventure stories - but in this case, I suggest the relationship develops through the challenges that face a group of friends.

But relationships are not restricted to boy meets girl. School stories, for example, could concentrate on peer-group relationships in which two or three peer characters demonstrate stark differences in their nature which has influences on your main character.
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As a guide, here's a tip list of relationship themes just to give you an idea that relationship contexts can come from any situation:

Father & son or father & mother relationship, family, distant family, school friends, bully, bullied, older brother & younger brother or older sister & younger sister, split families, adoption, geeks, academic failures & achievers, bold & shy relationships, different background relationships, family history relationships, community, sport, music, holidays, art and drama, long distance relationships etc...

Until next time... Happy Writing!

How Long Are Children's Story Books

Anybody that is starting out for the first time will soon be hit by this very question. As an author, your book must be pre planned and the complete narrative is governed by some unwritten rules.

Clearly, the younger the audience the shorter children's story books become. But, children will follow the same rule of thumb as their reading skills develop which is that any children's story book must be readable in two or three sittings.

To achieve this, consider readers under 9 can read 10,000 words in three sittings, and children over 9 will read about 30,000 words in three sittings. These numbers change over time, so I recommend that before setting out on your own children's story book, do some research. Buy some of the best sellers, read them and analyse the following:

How many chapters are there? How many pages between chapters? How many plots? How many characters? This will give you a guide to the depth of your story book, how many chapters the story book should cover and the overall length.

If you do not follow the current book length trend dictated by publishers, you can assume your children's story book is headed for the trash can. Of course there are exceptions, but why take the risk?

For a detailed break down of story book lengths and how to pre-plan the structure, visit write for children which covers this issue as part of a complete course for the novice children's author.

Building The Personality Of Your Characters

Writing a children's book does not mean writing a simple book.  To create a real page turner you need to  fuel your readers imagination.

Previously, I have given some tips on how to develop interesting, believable characters.  This is key to writing a good story.  If you haven't seen my earlier post, "Building Characters The Easy Way" have a quick look at it now.  Today I am going to expand on this theme a little.

Once your reader has a clear image of the character in their minds eye, you need to get the personality of the character across to your reader.  If you choose your verbs with care, you will be able to achieve this without labouring the point.  Let me explain:

You should avoid verbs like 'walk' or 'looked'.   For example, "Colin walked into the room," is a waste of a sentence because it conveys little more than the (boring) transportation of a person from one place to another. "Colin strutted into the room," says far more (if appropriate to the story-line, of course!).

Similarly, 'Michelle looked at her teacher,' is a waste, because it conveys little. 'Michelle glared fiercely at Mr Jeffries,' says far more.

This applies not just when you introduce each character, but at regular intervals throughout your story. It reinforces the reader's first impression of the character, and serves to keep his interest engaged.

You can find more information on this in the course Writing For Children.  The website address is shown on my previous post.