Writing
children's stories

For the beginning children’s writer it is sometimes hard to decide what to write. Once you have an idea, you then have to figure out what form you want it to take. These are the three basic choices and how you can tell which best suits your idea.

1.The Short Story

This is the shortest form of fiction. A short story has very few characters and tells the story in a short time frame. If your idea is about a lost dog, the dog should probably be found by the end of the day; the next morning at the very least. There’s really not much time or room to fit a dog snatching mystery into the span of a short story’s word limits. Remember to start off with a catchy lead, which should almost instantly let you know that the dog is lost and why it is so important that the main character get it back. And, of course, by the end the little lost pup should be safely back home.

2.The Book

Books are the prefect form for the longer fiction ideas you may have. They can have more characters, more scenes and can take place over several days and sometimes months. They can have a more complex plot also, so this is the perfect form for the dog snatching mystery we mentioned earlier. There is room for a bad guy or two and even room to explain why the bad guy isn’t so bad after all. Anything can happen in a book, because you have more room to fit it all in and still have space for a satisfying ending.

3.The Article

Articles are a favorite way to tell a nonfiction story. They are full of facts on a specific subject, but have to have a narrow focus because of the limited word count. For instance, you might take the lost dog idea and write an article about keeping your dog safe at home. But, there wouldn’t be room to discuss all the aspects of a dogcatcher’s day. That would, however, make an interesting nonfiction book for young readers.

Whatever form you choose, make sure you have tied up any loose ends when you are through. For fiction you should have fixed the problem you presented in your lead. For an article, make sure you have told them what you promised you would in the beginning.

With these simple tips your writing should take shape in no time, whatever form you choose.