A Note from Carol McAdams Moore Do you remember the saying that a picture is worth a thousand words? Sometimes that is difficult for authors to embrace. We are used to painting pictures with our words. Using an actual picture to communicate an idea makes us stop and reroute our creative process. If you are an author, or an aspiring author, it is important to take that “reroute” to capture the attention of your readers. Why? Pinterest is a growing avenue of social media. The savvy author will have a well-planned presence on Pinterest.
Tag: Crystal Bowman
This is our archive pageSeven Tips on Writing for Children
Hello from Crystal Bowman! I have been writing for children for over 20 years. Before writing my first book, I spent 5 years as a preschool teacher and 12 years as a full-time mom. From my twenties to my forties, young children were part of my daily life. I am now in another decade with grandchildren, so I still have little ones in my world. When I teach at writers’ conferences, or when someone wants advice on writing for children, I always remind them that they have to know kids in order to write for them. They need to understand…
What Kind of Children’s Book — Part 2
In my last post titled What Kind of Children’s Book? I explained that it’s important for writers of children’s literature to know what subgenre they want to write for. When presenting a proposal to an agent or editor, writers need to know where their book will fit in the market. I discussed three of the primary subgenres: boardbook, preschool picture book, and the standard 32-page picture book.
Writing for Kids’ Magazines by Crystal Bowman
I meet a lot of writers who want to write for children. They come to writers’ conferences with high hopes of making a connection with an editor from a publishing house who is looking for children’s material. Many of the writers I meet have written good stories. Some are short stories written in rhyme, others are slightly longer stories written in prose. But even though they may be good stories, well written stories, and stories with a strong, age-appropriate message, most of these stories will not be published as books. The hardcover premium picture book is getting harder and harder…
Can Bunnies Pray?
Children’s authors often use animals as the main characters in their stories. Anthropomorphism, also known as personification, is attributing human characteristics to anything other than a human being.
Tips from the Pros: Crystal Bowman
A warm greeting from sunny Florida, where fall means cooler days, shorter nights, and (as my teenage daughters say), choosing the flip-flops with the wider straps. Today, I have the privilege of sharing an interview with fellow Florida author Crystal Bowman. I first met Crystal when we taught together at the Florida Christian Writers Conference, and I’m delighted to share her words of wisdom today. How did you get into writing, Crystal? I started writing when I was 10 years old. I loved writing…
Tips on Writing for Young Children
Writing for young children is much harder than many writers realize—that is until they try it! As a children's author and freelance editor, I reveiw children's stories that writers hope to publish. I often see the same mistakes being made by different writers, so in today's blog, I will address those common mistakes in order to help writers avoid them.
Writing for Children Part 2–Preschool Picture Books
Last time, I posted a blog on Writing for Children (Part 1), and addressed the challenge of writing boardbooks. The next sub-genre in the genre of children’s literature is what I call the preschool picture book. This is not the 32-page picture book with a full plot and story (i.e. beginning, middle, and happy ending). The books in this category are books that consist mainly of word play. What do I mean by "word play"? Glad you asked.
Crystal Bowman’s The Best Thing About My Birthday! 2 New Releases
Two new books by Crystal Bowman are a part of Standard Publishing's Happy Day Series for beginning readers. The Best Thing about My Birthday (based on 1 Timothy 6:17) — Celebrate with Bunny as she discovers what really is important about birthdays. Thank You, God, for This Day (based on Psalm 118: 24) — Spend the day with Kitty as she learns to be thankful for each part of her day. Crystal Bowman is a best selling author of more than 70 books for children. She is also a lyricist, poet, and freelance editor for children's writers.Visit her website: www.crystalbowman.com…
The Challenge of Writing for Children–Part 1: Boardbooks
Many writers want to write a children’s book because they think it would be fun. Writing for children is fun, but fun does not mean easy! In fact, the more you learn about writing for children, the harder it gets. Most writers think of the standard 32-page picture book when they consider writing a children’s book, but there are other sub-genres within the genre of children’s literature that writers need to be familiar with.
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