What Makes a Successful Book?

1. What Makes a Successful Book? • Guidelines for writing your own storyline • It’s not as hard as you think!

2. Definition: What Makes a Great Children’s Book? Richard Robinson, President and CEO of Scholastic Inc., has been quoted as saying, a great book is… • One that contains a simple and original idea presented with clarity and great power. • One that connects with the reader, asserting its world directly into the reader’s mind. • One that makes the world seem larger and more interesting. • One written with humour and a light touch. • One that is a realization of a complete but very different world.

3. Age • All story books for children under 12/13 would benefit from Illustrations. • The younger the age group, the more illustrations usually required. • Books containing pictures should be about 25 -35 pages long. • For younger audiences it’s good practise to have an illustration approx. every 300 words.

4. Theme / Plot • Children usually prefer fiction to non-fiction. • Involve children in your ‘brainstorming process.’ Show them books available online, talk to them about what would be a funny or even a scary situation…and what would be their best/ scariest outcome. • Whilst there is no excuse for shoddy writing, the success of your story will not ultimately be judged on your literary prowess, but rather on your ability to make the world inhabited by the key characters… …‘come under threat.’

5. Theme / Plot cont… • The ability to turn a normal existence upside down is a winning formula; so clearly illustrated in the Harry Potter series. • Children have mental and protective layers woven around them, and a story which strips away those layers allows a young reader to take tentative mental footsteps to test out the real harsh adult world for a short while. • When good finally conquers evil, towards the end of the book or series, that allows them to return to their protective safe environment once more.

6. Theme / Plot cont… • There should always be an element of tension running through your narrative. Take for example the hero being chased by evil forces, and only by escaping the villain can they save their home / friends from impending doom…time is running out! • The plot does not have to be logical, as long as it appeals to their imagination. • Children like storylines that revolve around specific events…the more bizarre the better.

7. Theme / Plot cont… • A good child’s book will include moral lessons such as right or wrong and bravery. Use the ‘show don’t tell’ method i.e. don’t preach. • The most successful themes concentrate on people / animals and events, but not on social issues and problems. • Wherever possible keep curiosity aroused.

8. Humour • A book should be fun to read. If you are not enjoying the process of creating the book, then this dullness of thinking will transfer to the child. • Always include an element of humour – kids love to laugh & giggle. • This can be achieved by using funny characters, amusing situations and dialog, along with a series of funny illustrations. • Toilet humour e.g. poo, wee, burps and strange names are considered funny by children.

9. Pictures & Illustrations • Pictures make a book magical. • Pictures can convey the message; factual or emotional, sometimes far better than basic text. • The younger the age group, the simpler the images required. • Avoid over-cluttering an image. Simple lines and colours may seem boring to an adult, but are perfect for children under the age of four.

10. Pictures & Illustrations cont… • Upwards from four years old, the pictures can become vibrant and sumptuous. • Rather strangely, when we reach the age of eight or nine, images are considered ‘cool’ if they are minimalistic. This can be achieved by the use of icons, avatars, cartoon characters and sketch drawings. • Pictures should complement or even replace the text. There is no need for the text to repeat the message of the picture, unless it’s for a very young child, using learning picture books e.g. “This is an Apple.”

11. Character Development • Good story books contain hero's and role models for young readers to imitate. • The characters can be human, drawn from the world around them e.g. School, or imaginary, or even an animal. • The world inhabited by your hero should be colourful and cheerful, even if it comes under threat e.g. The Shire firm the Hobbit. Either that or their world, through a resolution of conflict, eventually becomes a more cheerful and happy environment.

12. Character Development • The characters must be clearly defined; it’s ok for the hero to be more neutral, as this allows the child to mentally take assume this character. • The villain must be described in much greater detail, and must be defeated by the end of the book, especially with a younger audience. • A book can also end in such a way that offers clues, pointing to a follow-up sequel, giving the reader the chance to follow or even assume the identity once more of their favourite character.

13. Character Development • It’s important that the hero’s character and personality has grown and developed by the end of the book

14. Structure • A good book should have a defined structure, with a clear beginning, middle & end. • Start a book with the very basic information about the hero’s, villains, main characters, events & setting. Too much information at this point may discourage a child to read further. • By the end of the book the plot, mystery, danger should all be resolved…happily.

15. Writing Essentials • Give your characters different voices. This helps to define their personalities. • Keep the pace of the story moving quickly from scene to scene and from chapter to chapter. • Keep your tenses consistent e.g. present or past tense.

16. Writing Essentials • If your main character talks a lot in their own mind, give them a sidekick or animal friend to talk to. • The hero always wins, never the villain. • Never be mediocre in your descriptions of events. Children are captivated by extremes.

17. Writing Essentials • Both the hero and villains can have good and bad aspects to their character. • Whilst it’s ok for a villain to be scary, he should never physically touch the hero. • It’s ok for children to perform extraordinary feats, or attempt supposedly unwinnable challenges.