5 Common Mistakes Made By New Writers of Children's Books

THE 5 MOST COMMON MISTAKES MADE BY NEW WRITERS:

• Poorly conceived Talking Animals. Editors are sick of Sammy Squirrel and Max Mosquito. The same goes for Claude the Cloud, Billy the Button or any other inanimate object. Talking animals aren't completely taboo, it's just that most writers don't do them very well. What's important is that your animals have completely developed, unique personalities and characteristics. You need to develop these characters just as carefully as if you were creating human characters. And give your readers some surprises. For example, a rabbit might not be cute and cuddly; he may be absentminded, selfish, or cunning. "Charlotte's Web" by E.B. White (a middle grade novel) is an excellent course on how to create unique animals characters.
• Single-spaced Manuscripts. Manuscripts should be typed, double-spaced, and sent with a brief (less than one page) cover letter. No exceptions.
• Treating Kids Like Babies. Don't talk down to your readers. Use rich and interesting language that evokes strong visual images, not baby talk.
• Preaching.  If your story has a moral, don't go on and on about it.  It's not even necessary to state the moral, but building the story around it is a better approach.
• Weak Beginnings. Grab the reader in the first two paragraphs or you're doomed. Begin fiction with an action scene, nonfiction with an event or interesting facts. Don't start your book with Chapter 2, wasting the first chapter with character description and background, setting, time period, etc.