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Reading list
We've selected 24 books
that we think will supplement your
learning. Use these to
develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a
deeper understanding of the topics covered in
Children's Book Writing.
Highly recommended resource specifically for aspiring picture book authors. It offers detailed guidance on crafting stories for the youngest readers, covering everything from generating ideas and creating characters to understanding word count and using poetic techniques. It's a practical guide filled with exercises to help writers hone their manuscripts.
This handbook is designed as a comprehensive guide or a self-paced course for writing picture books. It covers essential topics like building drama, finding your voice, creating memorable characters, and writing in rhyme, offering practical tips and exercises. It includes industry insights through interviews.
Authored by a former literary agent, this book provides invaluable insights into the middle grade and young adult markets. It delves into the specifics of writing for these age groups, including character development, plot, and industry expectations. It's highly recommended for writers focusing on older children's fiction.
Offers an easy-to-follow, step-by-step process for writing a marketable picture book. It breaks down the writing process into manageable steps and includes a companion workbook, making it particularly helpful for beginners focused on this specific format.
Written by an experienced editor, this book provides a deep dive into the craft of writing for children and young adults. It explores essential elements like theme, character, and plot with insightful analysis and examples from successful books. It's a valuable resource for writers seeking to elevate their storytelling.
Considered a must-have by many in the field, this guide covers the essential elements of storytelling specifically for children's literature across different age groups. It provides a solid foundation in craft and offers exercises to help writers develop their skills.
Focuses specifically on the young adult genre, providing insights into writing compelling stories for teenage readers. It covers topics such as character development, voice, and themes relevant to YA literature. It valuable resource for those targeting this age group.
Based on the popular screenwriting method, this book adapts the Save the Cat! beat sheet to novel writing, including for young adult fiction. It provides a structural framework that can be incredibly useful for plotting and pacing a children's novel. While not solely focused on children's books, its principles are widely applicable to longer-form narratives for young readers.
A focused guide on the art of writing picture books, this resource offers practical advice and techniques for creating engaging stories within the unique constraints of the picture book format. It's a good supplementary resource for those concentrating on this area.
Emphasizes the importance of visual storytelling in children's literature. It provides techniques for writing in a way that sparks the imagination and complements illustrations, which is crucial for picture books and early readers.
Offers practical advice on the business side of being a children's author, covering topics such as submitting manuscripts, dealing with publishers, and understanding contracts. It valuable resource for writers looking to navigate the professional aspects of the children's book industry.
A comprehensive guide to the children's book publishing industry, this book covers everything from manuscript submission and working with editors to marketing and حقوق (rights). It is an essential reference for anyone serious about getting published.
Provides a solid introduction to the craft of writing for children. It covers fundamental aspects such as finding inspiration, creating characters, and structuring plots specifically for a young audience. It's a good starting point for beginners.
Character development is key in children's literature. provides a detailed guide to crafting compelling character arcs, showing how characters can change and grow throughout a story. This is particularly relevant for middle grade and young adult fiction.
Understanding story structure is fundamental to writing a cohesive and engaging novel. offers practical guidance on different structural approaches, which can be applied to planning and writing longer children's books and young adult novels.
Focuses on creating fiction that deeply resonates with readers on an emotional level. Understanding how to evoke emotion is crucial in children's literature, and this book provides techniques for achieving that. It's suitable for writers looking to add emotional depth to their stories.
Theme crucial element in children's literature, often conveying important messages and lessons. helps writers identify and weave theme effectively into their narratives, ensuring a deeper impact on young readers.
Delves into the neuroscience behind storytelling, offering a unique approach to developing compelling plots and characters. While applicable to all fiction, its focus on understanding character motivation and internal conflict can be particularly useful for creating relatable characters in children's and YA books.
Aimed at helping authors write novels that stand out in the market, this book offers advanced techniques for developing compelling plots, characters, and themes. While not specific to children's books, the principles can be applied by those writing for older children and young adults aiming for publication.
While not exclusively about writing for children, this classic writing guide offers timeless wisdom on the creative process, overcoming writer's block, and the emotional aspects of writing. Its encouraging and down-to-earth advice can benefit writers of all genres and experience levels, including those writing for young audiences.
A seminal work on screenwriting that offers deep insights into the principles of storytelling. While aimed at film, the concepts of structure, character, and theme are universally applicable to narrative writing, including for older children and young adults. It's a challenging but rewarding read for those wanting a deep understanding of story craft.
Part memoir, part masterclass on writing, Stephen King shares his insights into the craft. While his genre is not children's literature, his practical advice on writing mechanics, discipline, and the writing life is invaluable for any aspiring author.
A visually rich and inspiring guide to writing speculative fiction. While not strictly for children's books, its exploration of worldbuilding, idea generation, and creative approaches can be particularly inspiring for those writing fantasy or science fiction for young adults.
This workbook offers a practical, step-by-step approach to writing fiction. While not limited to children's books, the exercises and guidance on craft elements like character, dialogue, and revision are highly applicable. It can serve as a useful tool for developing fundamental writing skills.
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