My primary focus on this blog has been adult fiction (since that's what I write), but I wanted to branch out today and offer a GREAT LINK for children's fiction: 5 Articles on Children's Books (from Chuck Sambuchino's awesome blog).
My mom writes children's poetry/stories, and so I know a little bit about that genre/age group from watching her work. Lest anyone think that writing for children is "easy" because it's a younger audience, be warned. Writing for children is a complex endeavor. In fact, so much so, that I've told my mom it's too hard for me to attempt. The crafting of poetry and toning down of complex ideas to fit small spaces is so much harder than it looks.
So today, I salute childrens writers. They have a special gift, and an even more important goal than I do (as a writer of adult fiction). I write to entertain. They write to teach and inform our children. A weighty, wonderful responsibility.
This seems my speed and something I've considered doing. Hmmmmm. Time to research.
ReplyDeleteI don't know what I want to do. :p
Awesome post, though I'm not interested in writing a children's books but I can appreciate fantastic links!! You are correct, they have a very special talent!
ReplyDeleteI found myself with 12 hours of electives left to take in my last semester at a small college as a biology major. One of the classes I chose was a senior level poetry class with a professor that I had enjoyed for a sophomore lit class. The class proved to be one of the most useful courses I took, relative to preparing me for graduate school. The majority of the class focused on two main points: the difference between ambiguity and obscurity, and tightening the writing.
ReplyDeleteThe first point made me a better critical analyst of my own writing, and the second made me a ruthless editor. Though it was a difficult skill to learn, I found the time I had spent in my poetry class learning to cut out the extraneous proved to useful in all manners of writing. My entire thesis, four years of work, is contained in 33 double spaced pages. And I can assure you, every word is critical and earned its right to stay on the page.
I admire poets.
Very true...it 'looks' simple, but is not. Also, sometimes kids like to be entertained too....and really creative pop-ups or funny stories do just that. Some kids have short attention spans...so a book has to grab them from the start. Hope to write one someday!
ReplyDelete