© 2003, Janet Lorimer I don't own many "how to write" books, but only because of budget constraints. Let's face it, there are so many good ones out there, a person could go broke trying to make money. Before I open my wallet, I usually try to find the book at the library and give it a thorough read. If it's a book I know I'll refer to over and over, it's a good investment. If I can't find it at the library, I spend a bit of time with it in the bookstore before I buy, scanning to see how helpful it will be. One of the best investments I ever made is How to Write for Children and Young Adults by Jane Fitz-Randolph. I don't own the latest update (it's been updated at least three times) but one of my students became so enamored of the latest edition, she insisted that I force all my students to buy a copy. I haven't gone that far, but I do highly recommend it. My edition was published by Harper & Row in 1980, but the book was originally published by Funk & Wagnalls in 1969. Fitz-Randolph's approach to writing for children is unique, I think, because she prefaces the book with the story of a teacher who discovered five patterns in successful children's stories. Fitz-Randolph calls them plot patterns and in successive chapters describes each one, such as the Single Incident Story, appropriate for very young readers, and the Story of Decision, which appeals to teen readers. These are not formulas. The writer supplies plot, characters, and dialogue, and one Story of Purpose Achieved won't be like another. But identifying the basic ingredients in each story can be extremely helpful to the writer. Fitz-Randolph also introduces steps that lead the writer to success in plotting. She begins with "the story in a sentence." She maintains that you should be able to state your story in a single sentence, that your sentence be reasonably short, and that it be complex, rather than compound. Try it! You will be challenged. In an impossibly small book, Fitz-Randolph covers the main points of character, viewpoint, dialogue, and other elements of fiction. She even touches on various genres, on non-fiction writing and much, much more. The book, in paperback, is reasonably priced and a highly useful tool. If you want to concentrate on non-fiction, you might want to investigate Ellen E.M. Roberts' Non-Fiction For Children: How to Write It, How to Sell It (Writer's Digest Books, 1986). Roberts has edited over 500 children's books (many of which have won prestigious awards), and taught courses in children's literature. Clearly she knows of what she writes. This is a practical guide that starts off with what's successful for each age group and carries the reader through the steps to getting published. A word of warning: The book is now twelve years old. Some information may be outdated. For example, Roberts maintains that picture storybooks are a good way for a new writer to break into print. Although it's true that editors seek more non-fiction than fiction story picturebooks, the recession has tightened everyone's pocketbook. Be sure you do some up-to-date marketing research before you begin writing. For years, the children's markets were jumbled up with the adult markets in marketing guides like Writer's Market. In 1989, the folks at Writer's Digest Books remedied that by publishing the 1989 Children's Writer's & Illustrator's Market (CW&IM). They have published a new guide each year since. Like WM, CW&IM is full of book and magazine markets, helpful hints, and lists of agents, workshops, contests and awards, all geared specifically to children's writers and illustrators. A word of warning. CW&IM, in paperback, is much less expensive than WM, and if you're only looking for markets for children's materials, you may think this will solve all your problems. Not necessarily so. I bought the 1989 CW&IM but was disappointed to discover that it was not as thorough as I had hoped. For example, Scholastic, a well-known publishing house, was not included in the specialized CW&IM. It's possible that Scholastic didn't wish to be listed, but further investigation showed me that some markets listed in the big guide weren't in the "little" one. I haven't checked since to see if WD Books has changed that policy, but you might want to do some comparisons before you buy. Or, better yet, keep your GQGM subscription up to date; now that information is really fresh!
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