A Few Writer Tips to Cheer Up Your Day

As many of you know, I love writing for children and will one day publish my books. But, how do I know anyone out there will want them?

Here are a few tips that have helped me:

1. First of all, banish all worries that nobody else will like your writing.  Somebody out there will. Even if it’s just one man called Bob who lives in Texas.

However…

2. Be sure of your objective – if you need to get published to pay the mortgage then you don’t have the luxury of writing stuff you (and Bob) like. You MUST know your target market. Otherwise, get a job at Tesco to tide you over until you hit the jackpot.

3. Once you’ve completed the first draft (actually, draft 22, if you’re me), test it on some readers but don’t test it on family. If your family is anything like mine, they will agree to read it immediately but never get around to it. OR, if they do, you will get a one-liner – “Yep, it’s good.” Not very helpful. 

4. Write a list of all potential beta readers. This may include: other writers; friends who love reading, particularly your genre; or people who specialise in your area (e.g. if you’re writing a book about saving money, an accountant friend might give you some advice). If you’re writing for adults, perhaps try out your novel in a small group. (I’m thinking of church groups here – some may welcome you as a guest writer to hear and critique your first chapter). However, should your genre be horror or a similar theme, be mindful.) 

5. If you write for children (as in my case) then children are the best beta readers. Luckily I have a class of 30 children to test my story. However, if you write for children but don’t know many, make friends with a teacher – they can be very useful.

6. Be warned. Children are painfully honest. You cannot afford to be offended if someone does not like your story. Currently, I’m reading my novel to my class of year 5’s and this is a typical analysis of a session:

• One child is plating another’s hair (but hopefully they are listening and enjoying the tale)

• A small group is passing notes to each other.

• During the entire 20 minutes of reading time, five children ask to go to the toilet.

• One child has lost his shoe and spends 15 minutes wandering around the classroom trying to find it, disrupting many of his peers.

• Eleven children get up to fetch their water bottles.

• At exactly 3.25pm a child raises their hand and points out that it’s home time in 5 minutes and perhaps they should gather their bags.

Well, that leaves approximately 17% listening attentively. It’s a start!

I hope you’ve enjoyed these invaluable tips! Happy writing!