The Untold Secrets of Writing Best Selling
Children's Books
BY CATERINA CHRISTAKOS
Ever wondered how the most successful
children's book writers get their ideas? The answer may surprise you.
Most children's books are
based on the same exact story - good versus evil.
Ex. Harry Potter vs. Voldemort.
Cinderella vs. her wicked stepmother. Pinnochio's conscience
vs. outside influences.
Next we add a protagonist and
an antagonist.
Ex. Don't we love it when
Harry Potter and Malfoy get into it? Or when Hansel and Gretel
turn the tables on the witch?
Finally a best selling story
needs conflict and a big problem that the main character needs
to overcome.
Ex. If Harry lets Lord
Voldemort come back without a fight, the fate of the magic
world could be at risk.
Ex. If Violet, Klaus, and
Sunny Baudelaire don't outsmart Count Olaf then their fortunes
and their lives might be at risk.
Most inexperienced writers
spend so much time thinking about the setting, the scenery and
the color of their character's hair that they forget that the
plot is what editors and their audience is looking for.
Hogwarts is a wonderful
school. But who would care about it without Harry Potter and
his friends.
The castle in Sleeping Beauty
would just be another castle in the middle of nowhere without
the princess and her prince.
And the three little pigs
houses could have been made of snow, cotton or peanuts for all
we would care without three clever little pigs and a wolf.
Kids love it when good
triumphs over evil. Give them a story they can cheer over.
Also spend time really getting
to know your characters. Create a history for each character,
even if most of their histories will never see the inside of
your book.
Your characters must seem
real. Your audience must be able to relate to them and really
care about what happens to them.
That in a nutshell is how you
write a best selling children's book. The editing, minor
scenic details and hand wringing anxiety can come after you
finish the book.
Caterina Christakos is the
author of
How to Write a Children's Book in 30 Days or Less.
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