If you’re thinking,
“I’m interested in writing for children. What do I need to succeed?”
My short answer is:
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PRACTICE
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(read—a lot, write—a lot, revise—a lot)
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PREPARATION
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(study your craft, get critiques, research agents, learn about the industry, find your community)
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POSITIVE ATTITUDE
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(there will be rejection and hard times, but also times to celebrate; try to celebrate even the small achievements)
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PERSISTENCE
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(you’ll only achieve your goal if you do the work; it only takes one “yes,” and you won’t get that “yes” if you quit)
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If you're asking yourself,
"How do I get started?"
I suggest you:
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WRITE!
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The more practice you get writing, the better writer you'll become. You'll start to learn who you are as a writer, what your writer voice is, what you like to write and what you don't.
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REVISE!
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You've written a book--congratulations! But the real work comes when you revise. Not sure where to start? Try with the big things (structure, plot, theme, ) and move your way toward the smaller things (voice, language, word choice). Share your work with your critique partners! Find a few writers (preferably who write in the same format/genre) and exchange work. They will be able to point out the strengths and weaknesses of your stories. And the more you give and receive critiques, the better writer you will become.
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READ!
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Go to the library or bookstore and read in the category/genre you think you want to write. Read newly published books. Look at what kinds of stories are being published now. The more you read in your genre, the more familiar you'll be with how these books are written, what sells, what you like, what you don't like, etc.
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CONNECT
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with other children’s writers/illustrators
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LEARN
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about your craft
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