DO YOU HAVE A STORY TO tell? A tale for children or young adults burning inside that needs to be written down and yearns to be shared? Well, now is your chance to get your story published. Here are a few things I’ve learnt in my 17 years of writing – some good advice I’ve received in my time and some mistakes I’ve made along the way.

First of all – read. Writing for children is more than just remembering the books you enjoyed as a child. It’s about reading contemporary children’s literature, about doing your homework. And don’t confuse simple with simplistic. Writing for children isn’t just using “easy vocabulary”.

So you have an idea that will make a great story? Then go for it. It sounds obvious but I’m going to say it anyway – don’t write what you feel is in fashion now because you reckon it’ll stand more chance of getting published. What’s hot today might be ice-cold in six months’ time. And if your heart isn’t in it, then it will show. Write your story, your way. Your voice is unique, so use it.

If you can just sit at your computer with a vague idea and begin to type, all power to you. I can’t. I need to plot my books. I write a synopsis of the main points, sketching out my beginning, middle and end. Then I work on a more detailed outline. That way I know my story won’t run out of steam. It’s like starting a journey with a map. The map is no substitute for the sights, sounds and smells you will encounter on your journey, you’ll fill in those along the way, but it will get you to the end of your story.

Start at a moment of change or conflict. That way you’ll grab your reader. Don’t use the first 20 pages to establish character before revealing your plot. Many young readers will have given up long before then.

Know your main characters. I write mini-biographies of them, maybe a page or two per character. I get to know what they look like, the kind of music they like and loathe, the foods they love, the friends they admire. When you really know your characters, you’ll know how they’ll react in any situation you create.

Decide from the onset who will be telling your story. Will the story be told from only one person’s point of view or will you have more than one? Will the story be told in the first person or the third? These are all important decisions that will affect the tenor of your story. Beware of multiple viewpoints. It’s very hard to pull off.

Decide on the form of your story. Will it be a prose narrative, a journal or letters? Don’t just pick a form because it’s “different” – it has to suit your story. But don’t be afraid to experiment. When writing your first draft, don’t spend too long polishing up the first chapter or you might find you never have more than the first chapter. I’m a great believer in getting the first draft finished.

But a first draft is not the finished product. Now you have to rework it. This is the hardest part but the most essential. When I first started, I sent my work out too quickly once the first draft was complete. I received rejection after rejection. Only when I acquired the discipline to edit my work did my rejection letters improve.

Editors began to tell me why they were rejecting my stories rather than sending me a standard letter. So my advice is go through every word, and if you can make it better, do so. Let a family member or a friend read your story back to you. Listening to someone else reading your work is very instructive. If you’re shy, read it out loud. It really does provide a sense of narrative flow. And last but not least, don’t give up. Good luck!

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