IT'S AS EASY AS A...B....C....
In theory, all writing is easy. Put pen to paper, fingers to keyboard and let the worlds flow.
It always amazes me how many people, that don't write, do imagine it is that easy. And so many people think that writing for children is the easiest form of writing, because it is for children.
I mean how hard could it be?
Use very simple language, talk down to them of course because they are children and won't understand any highly dense vocabulary. There should always be a lesson learnt, why else would you write for them?
Never, ever write anything controversial or with any serious content. It is always best if it rhymes, no matter how bad the metre or rhythm...remember they are children and won't know.
Add a few talking animals, of the cute variety and remember there should always be a HAPPY EVER AFTER ending. Complete with rainbows, sunshine and unicorns spewing forth sprinkles.
Or that is what a lot of people think.
In reality...it is so much more difficult.
Yes children do enjoy animals...
but children also enjoy throwing mud, sticking strange things up their noses and all kinds of fart jokes.
What I love most about children, and therefore writing for them, is they believe. In everything and anything. They have this capacity for imagination that unfortunately for us as adults, we loose too quickly.
If I throw mud pies at Storytime, there are always children throwing them back at me. If I go fishing on the carpet, someone will always tell me how big a fish I caught. If I come to work dressed as a fairy...they know I'm a fairy.
Not all children's writing has to be quirky and full of humour. A lot is, and lot is very very good at making a child laugh out loud. Frankly for me it's my bees...
they always make me smile...with their happy little faces and their fast spinning butts.
Every child that has wandered out to the veggie garden has liked our 'bees'. And of course our raspberries, strawberries, tiny tomatoes.....
We put fairy lights in the garden for my daughter's engagement party...some adult must have mentioned how good they looked...we had two small ones running and running around the garden. Front yard and back. Then they came to me and asked 'where were the fairies?' In their minds there were fairy lights, therefore there had to be fairies.
Simple. And so beautiful.
Children have a great power of belief...but they still need good writing. Language that sometimes pushes them, subjects that make them think.
The best thing though is to have fun, enjoy what you are writing. Celebrate what it is to be a child. Recall your imagination...think back...and enjoy.
Vicki
http://vickithornton.weebly.com/
It always amazes me how many people, that don't write, do imagine it is that easy. And so many people think that writing for children is the easiest form of writing, because it is for children.
I mean how hard could it be?
Use very simple language, talk down to them of course because they are children and won't understand any highly dense vocabulary. There should always be a lesson learnt, why else would you write for them?
Never, ever write anything controversial or with any serious content. It is always best if it rhymes, no matter how bad the metre or rhythm...remember they are children and won't know.
Add a few talking animals, of the cute variety and remember there should always be a HAPPY EVER AFTER ending. Complete with rainbows, sunshine and unicorns spewing forth sprinkles.
Or that is what a lot of people think.
In reality...it is so much more difficult.
Yes children do enjoy animals...
but children also enjoy throwing mud, sticking strange things up their noses and all kinds of fart jokes.
What I love most about children, and therefore writing for them, is they believe. In everything and anything. They have this capacity for imagination that unfortunately for us as adults, we loose too quickly.
If I throw mud pies at Storytime, there are always children throwing them back at me. If I go fishing on the carpet, someone will always tell me how big a fish I caught. If I come to work dressed as a fairy...they know I'm a fairy.
Not all children's writing has to be quirky and full of humour. A lot is, and lot is very very good at making a child laugh out loud. Frankly for me it's my bees...
they always make me smile...with their happy little faces and their fast spinning butts.
Every child that has wandered out to the veggie garden has liked our 'bees'. And of course our raspberries, strawberries, tiny tomatoes.....
We put fairy lights in the garden for my daughter's engagement party...some adult must have mentioned how good they looked...we had two small ones running and running around the garden. Front yard and back. Then they came to me and asked 'where were the fairies?' In their minds there were fairy lights, therefore there had to be fairies.
Simple. And so beautiful.
Children have a great power of belief...but they still need good writing. Language that sometimes pushes them, subjects that make them think.
The best thing though is to have fun, enjoy what you are writing. Celebrate what it is to be a child. Recall your imagination...think back...and enjoy.
Vicki
http://vickithornton.weebly.com/
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