WRITING "LITTLE BOOKS" by Penny Dolan

HAPPY MAY THE FIRST!

Last week, something very cheering dropped through my letterbox: my author copies of two early reader titles! I was particularly pleased and surprised because I feared these titles might have lost their place in the publishing process by now.

Though they might not be world class literature, they are bright and colourful and satisfying to see, mostly because of the work of the editors, illustrators and designers.

Consequently, today on ABBA, I’m posting a few random tips about writing “little books” like these.

1

Spend years hearing young children read. Sorry, that’s my joke. Seriously, do listen to children as they read and as they interact with books. Get used to the rhythms of their language, what they can and can’t understand. Be aware of the words they use and the kinds of words that interest them.

2.

This is a big one. Write from what young children know, not from what you as an adult find amusing. I think of it as “looking upwards from below”, not looking down from your knowledge head.

3.

No ideas? Walking and thinking about children’s interests is a good way of letting ideas rise to the surface, Watching and listening to children when possible. What matters to them? When you can – ha ha hollow laugh right now – look at any reading book collections in local children’s library. Note the changes in sentence length and layout.

4.

Got your idea? Jot 13 numbers down along a page. These are your spreads. Scribble two or three words beside each number noting what the progression of the idea might be. Get the span of your story spread across the pages.

5.

Then write your story according to that pattern. Read your work aloud, then improve it. Leave it alone. Go away. Come back later. Repeat process over a few days. Your eyes and ears will get dulled to the process if you sit too long so do something different.

6.

Don’t be afraid to speak – there may be a fact that you know but that the editor or illustrator does not. However, don’t be too precious over your work. The editors and the consultants know the series house style and fomat better than you do.

7.

Structure your story so that something slightly different visually can happen on each page spread – obviously within the context of the story. Also , save any criticism of the illustration for those things that matter. (And, by the time you see the pages, it may be too late. You may not win.)

8.

Is your proposed story actually interesting? Look at the range of titles within any particular levels in a library or online. Remember, a publisher is unlikely to want another story on the same subject. Yes, one can have too many puppies!

9.

Think of each page turn as a chapter, or a new scene in a drama. How does “this spread” progress the plot? How can I build in some tension or surprise, a big reveal?

10

Finally, don’t expect riches. This work is not well paid and often only for a fee, but can be fun to do while struggling over something “bigger”. And never forget to register for PLR! Come February, my “little books” bring me quite a lot of joy! 

nb. These images are earlier titles.  I think my new books are too new to exist! 

Wishing you good health and happy words

Penny Dolan