Several months ago a woman with the Institute of Children's Literature contacted me and asked if I'd like to be in the Winner's Circle on their website. The ICL is where I started my writing journey. My desire at the time was to learn to write for children who were in the middle grades. I applied and took the course which consisted of ten lessons to be done through correspondence over 18 months to 2 years.
The lessons were sent by snail mail, and I had to wait a few weeks to receive my personal instructor's comments, which she mailed to me via snail mail, as well. Now, I'm sure it is done through email and far speedier.
If you would like to read the interview, you will find it here. The ICL likes to feature one of their graduates who has been published. I felt very honored to have been asked since I had graduated quite some time ago.
I took the course around twenty-five years ago and loved learning and doing the lessons. My earliest publications were stories for children. One of the magazine covers in which my stories have appeared are above. I've also had stories in several other children's' magazines and on ezines in the USA and Canada as well as a children's magazine titled Red Squirrel published in China.
Is it worth taking a course from someplace like the ICL? I think it is, especially if you are at the beginning of your writing journey. The ICL has been in business since 1969. That's 50 years which should say something about the quality of the lessons they offer. I'm sure there are other places where you can take a course to learn to write for children and some that offer lessons for those interested in various kinds of writing for adults--fiction, memoir, essays, poetry etc. Have your old friend, Google, help you find them. The Institute for Writers is a partner of the ICL but geared to adult writing.
Do some checking as to the quality of the course, how satisfied the graduates are, length of time the courses have been offered and what kind of help they give in helping you to become a published writer.
There are people in this world who think writing for children is easy. Believe me, it's not. You have a lot to cover in a minimum number of words. Adult fiction can be thousands of words, but most children's magazine publications max at 800-1000. Even so, you are to tell a story with a beginning, middle and ending and solve whatever problem your protagonist might have. Writing for very young children allows for an even smaller word count. Each word holds importance. Nothing wasted here.
Write for teens or YA as it is termed, and your word count will increase considerably. Plots must be more involved, and those who write for this age group must write with all the same requirements as those who write for adults but need to gear it to their age group. The cardinal rule is to not write 'down' to kids. They nab it every time and quickly move on.
I am the perfect example of a writer who learned to write for children, then expanded her horizons to include essays, memoir, nonfiction articles, fiction for adults and poetry. And blogging! If you learn the basics for any kind of writing, you can move into other genres.
I still enjoy writing for children on occasion, although it is not my main thrust now. I recently started a new story called Henry and Boomer. I managed to get Henry into a nasty situation but haven't figured out the ending of the story yet. A half-finished first draft is simmering in my files. One of these days, the end will come to me, and I'll pull out the draft and work on it again.
Have you ever walked through the children's section in your library or local bookstore? You should take some time and browse the collection. It's a big part of the publishing world. Getting a children's book or story published is not easy. It is every bit as competitive as the adult writing world.
Again, I hope you'll take a couple of minutes and read my interview.
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I write in English but it is my second language and thus hardly 1% of reading population. I have written adventure stories for ages 10-14 but no way of marketing or publicity forget about publishing...alas blogging is not much help either ..is there an easy way to reach the common public
ReplyDeleteI am afraid there is no 'easy' way. Are you on social media? If all you are seeking is publication (not payment) you could post your stories there (unless they are extremely long). Meanwhile, keep searching markets in your own country and abroad. I hope you find the right place. Sadly, there is nothing 'easy' about the writing world. It is a challenge but one to keep pursuing if you can be patient and persistent.
DeleteI was glad to read that you too started your writing journey with the Institute o Children's Literature. I started my English writing journey with them 2011. I had written a few books in Swedish though I live in Finland, a bilingual country. I self-published my first English book with https://booklocker.com/books/8211.html. I found an editor through FaithWriters.com who worked with me to meet a deadline 2015. I follow your blog with interest, though my own blogging journey has been rather bumpy. I block my writing myself not knowing where to start, which (memoir) stories to share, through which sites. Health issues, both mine and my husband's, are hurdles along the way.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your regular and inspirational blogs.
Lisa. I appreciate your comment. I am always in awe of people who write and publish in a second language. Some interesting information here re your self-published first book. Thank you for sharing.
DeleteNancy. Thanks for your comment. Strange though it may seem, Swedish was never my first language. Neither was English. As a missionary kid to Finnish parents, I learned to talk in China. I received my education in Ceylon/Sri Lanka, and nurse's training in England. Our home language was Finnish. My father's mother tongue was Finnish, my mother's was Swedish, but we never spoke her language while I grew up. I never went to a Swedish class, yet that language became the language of my heart (long story). Some stories are easier to express in Swedish, others much easier in English. I thankful for the enriching bonus of different languages.
DeleteLisa, what an interesting life you have lead. Have you considered writing a memoir about your growing-up years? It would be most interesting, I think.
DeleteThanks for sharing ICL on your blog, Nancy! It's our pleasure to have you in the Winners' Circle and to see your consistent success throughout the years. We're proud to have helped you build a firm writing foundation.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Kelli. That 'firm foundation' has served me well all these years.
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