The Kidlitter

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 ...

 A rebus story is written for the beginning reader using pictures to help decode the meaning of the words. Some magazines use the picture and the written word, some use only the picture in place of the written word. A good rebus story is constructed like a well-told joke, complete with punch line at the end. When planning a rebus story, you must think of a simple story with few characters and lots of picturable nouns. 1.      Focus on a small anecdote, one event. Don’t waste words on setting up the situation. You don’t have the luxury of describing the scene, what the characters look like, or giving background information.  Start your story where the problem or action begins. Example: “Mouse had the hiccups.”  In four words we have the main character and his problem. The rest of the story will be how his problem is solved. 2.      Tight writing is the key. Your story must have engaging characters, a “si...

Did you know there are over 500 magazines for kids and families? And they all need material: stories, nonfiction articles, crafts, games, puzzles, poems, devotions, poems, recipes, action rhymes and short plays. Writing for a magazine is a great way to break into publishing. You get a faster response, some income, and a publishing credit you can "crow about" in your next cover letter. It's even helpful to publish in a non-paying market if you get a credit. I've published in a a dozen different publications over the years but most of my work has been in Highlights for Children and their preschool magazine, Highlights High Five. They have even pitched me work I didn't solicit once I was part of their stable of regular writers. It's been a great source of income AND my work is read by millions (yes, millions) of readers...even in China and Thailand where Highlights does special editions. But before you rush to send off your work to a magazine, take time to st...

I've been to five of these fabulous workshops. Lovely setting, great food, and top-notch presenters.They have workshops on picture books, novels, fantasy, science, character development, plotting, poetry, educational markets and much more. Scholarships are also available. Check it out: http://www.highlightsfoundation.org/upcoming-workshops/