The Kidlitter

Don’t you just love it when a writer makes you feel like you’re right inside the story? You are THERE, in the scene with the characters. Next time you read something that transports you, stop and take a look at how the writer practiced the skill of SHOW DON’T TELL. Telling, instead of showing, comes out flat. For example: It was a windy afternoon with a dark and threatening sky. The clouds were thick and grey over the canyon and soon it began to thunder. Showing makes it more alive: The wind roared up the canyon that afternoon, whipping dry cottonwood leaves into dancing whirls of yellow. Dark clouds rolled in soon after, bringing deeper and deeper rumbles of thunder.   Here are some ways to SDT (Show Don’t Tell): USE VIVID, ACTIVE VERBS: Notice in the second selection the verbs: roared, whipping, dancing, rolled. See how they replaced the weak use of the “to be” verbs? You can’t always avoid using ‘was,’ ‘were,’ ‘is’, ‘are,’ in your writing, but watch for...

Get lost.       Adios.            See ya later.  It’s a common practice in children’s stories to shove the parents out of the picture or at least keep them way in the background. With those protective, nosy, hovering parents out of the picture, your young character is free to go off on adventures. Kid readers love how this empowers them. In real life, they're stuck with guardians keeping them away from danger and preventing risky behavior. But through a story your readers will identify with the characters, allowing them to fly off into space, fight dragons, solve mysteries, conquer the school bully, or become a powerful wizard. None of this can happen if parents are around to keep them “safe.” Children could be separated from parents by death, as is Harry Potter. Even his aunt and uncle are tossed aside so he can go to wizard school. In fact, dead parents are quite common. Roald Dahl’s Matilda is an orphan. The Boxcar Chil...

Here more links to info about writing for children: To apply for a scholarship to the 5-day Unworkshop sponsored by the Highlights Foundation: https://www.facebook.com/AnneMariePace To learn about other workshops with the Highlights Foundation: http://www.highlightsfoundation.org/upcoming-workshops/ To enter the Pockets Magazine Fiction Contest: http://pockets.upperroom.org/write-for-us/annual-fiction-contest/ To order magazine or book market guides: http://www.writersbookstore.com/Books_on_Writing_for_Children.htm To test the readability level of your writing: http://read-able.com (click on "Test by Direct Input" then enter your text in the box)

He said, she said…Dialogue makes your story sparkle! It will help make your characters and your story come to life. The trick is, doing it right. Leave out the small talk. You want it to sound natural, but not EXACTLY how we talk. In real life our conversation if full of small talk. But in written stories, don’t waste you reader’s time with fluff: “Hi, how are you?” “Fine. And you?” “So-so.” “What’s up?”  "There's someone following me." Cut the unimportant chatter and get right to the point. Someone is following the character? Let's hear about that! Dialogue is your chance to advance the plot, add information, and flesh out your characters.  Use dialogue tags to help the reader keep track of who is talking in the scene. These can either be verbal tags: “I haven’t the faintest idea,” Bill said . Or action tags: Bill shrugged . “I haven’t the faintest idea.” Notice the verbal tag uses a comma and the action tag is a completed sentence with ...