Читать книгу Writing Children's Books For Dummies - Peter Economy - Страница 3

1  Cover

2  Title Page

3  Copyright

4  Introduction About This Book Foolish Assumptions Icons Used in This Book Beyond the Book Where to Go from Here

5  Part 1: The ABCs of Writing for Children Chapter 1: Exploring the Basics of Writing Children’s Books Knowing Your Format, Genre, and Audience Getting into a Good Writing Zone Transforming Yourself into a Storyteller Polishing Your Gem and Getting It Ready to Send Selling Your Story Promoting Your Book Improving Your Chances of Getting Published Chapter 2: Delving into Children’s Book Formats Dissecting the Anatomy of a Book Grouping Types of Children’s Books Illustrated Books for All Ages Working through Wordy Books Chapter 3: Exploring the Genres Going Out of This World Getting in on the Action (and History) Writing About Real People Giving Stories a Message Keeping Them Laughing with Humor Chapter 4: Understanding the Children’s Book Market Getting Insight into Book Buyers’ Needs Recognizing What Reviewers Offer Discovering What Librarians Add to the Mix Taking a Look at How Teachers Use Books in Their Classrooms Considering Parents’ Perspectives Thinking Like a Kid

6  Part 2: Immersing Yourself in the Writing Process Chapter 5: Setting Up for Success: Finding the Time and Space to Write Finding Time to Write Optimizing Your Writing Environment Chapter 6: Starting with a Great Idea Once Upon a Time: Coming Up with an Idea Stumped? Break through with Brainstorming Fighting Writer’s Block Chapter 7: Researching Your Audience and Subject Hanging Out with Kids Dipping into Popular Culture Researching Your Nonfiction Topic

7  Part 3: Creating a Spellbinding Story Chapter 8: Creating Compelling Characters The Secret Formula for an Exceptional Main Character Getting to Know Your Characters through Dialogue Compiling a Character Bible Writing Stories with Two or More Main Characters Choosing Supporting Characters Calling All Character Arcs Character Don’ts — and How to Avoid Them Developing Characters through Writing Exercises Chapter 9: The Plot Thickens: Conflict, Climax, and Resolution Plot: It’s All about Action Centering on the Story Giving Your Story a Beginning, Middle, and End Propelling Your Story with Drama and Pacing Outlining to Structure Your Plot Preventing Plot Problems Writing Your First Draft Chapter 10: Can We Talk? Writing Effective Dialogue The Fundamentals of Good Dialogue Listening to Real-World Dialogue Adding a Speech Section to Your Character Bible Testing! Testing! Reading Dialogue Out Loud Avoiding Common Dialogue Mistakes Improving Dialogue by Using Writing Exercises Chapter 11: Setting the Scene Giving Context to Your Story and Its Characters with Scenery Creating a Context Bible Knowing When to Include Scenery and Context Providing the Right Amount of Setting Engaging Your Readers’ Senses Knowing When Not to Make a Scene Exercising Your Nose through Smellography Chapter 12: Finding Your Voice: Point of View and Tone Building a Solid Point of View Having Fun with Words through Wordplay, Rhyming, and Rhythm Using Humor to Your Advantage The Mojo of Good Writing: Exploring Voice, Style, and Tone Knowing When You Need a Voice Makeover Helping Your Voice Emerge by Playing Pretend Chapter 13: Writing Creative Nonfiction Books The Nonfiction Children’s Book World at a Glance Writing Toward a Nonfiction Masterpiece Choosing a Great Nonfiction Topic Testing Your Topic Outlining Your Creative Nonfiction Common Creative Nonfiction Mistakes (And How to Avoid Them) Writing Exercises for Creative Nonfiction

8  Part 4: Making Your Story Sparkle Chapter 14: Editing, Revising, and Formatting Your Way to a Happy Ending Your Revising Checklist: Getting Major Story Elements in Order Fine-Tuning Your Text: Editing Important Areas Formatting Basics: First Impressions Matter Not to Put Too Fine a Point on It: Checking Basic Grammar and Style Hiring Help: Working with an Editor or Editorial Service Chapter 15: Creating Pictures from Your Words: The World of Illustrations To Illustrate or Not to Illustrate Recognizing Why You Shouldn’t Hire an Illustrator Following the Hand-Drawn Illustration Process with Artist Tim Bowers Exploring the Digital Art Process with Author/Illustrator Barney Saltzberg Getting Your Art Seen by the Right Folks Handling Art When You’re Self-Publishing (and Not an Artist) Chapter 16: Finding and Incorporating Feedback Deciding When to Seek Feedback Getting Help from Friends and Relatives (or Not) Calling on Topic Experts: Beta and Sensitivity Readers Attending Conferences or Retreats Participating in a Workshop Working with a Writing (or Illustrating) Group What Feedback Should You Expect During the Publishing Process?

9  Part 5: Getting Published and Promoting Your Book Chapter 17: The Traditional Route: Signing with an Agent or Publisher Identifying the Right Publisher Drafting Query Letters and Proposals Joining Forces: Working with an Agent Copyright: Protecting Your Work Success! Reviewing Your Publishing Contract Dealing with Rejection Chapter 18: Considering Hybrid Publishing The Good and the Bad about Hybrid Publishing Identifying the Right Hybrid Publisher for Your Book Getting the Biggest Bang for Your Hybrid Buck Chapter 19: So You Want to Self-Publish? Weighing the Pros and Cons of Self-Publishing Exploring Your Self-Publishing Options Setting a Price for Your Publication Distributing Your Self-Published Book Chapter 20: Donning Your Publicity Cap Understanding How Your Publisher Promotes Your Book Publicizing Your Own Book Promoting Your Work in Person Hiring a Publicist Chapter 21: Getting Savvy with Social Media Influencing the Influencers Knowing Where to Create a Social Media Presence Making a Splash: Launching a Social Media Campaign Measuring the Effectiveness of Your Campaign

10  Part 6: The Part of Tens Chapter 22: More Than Ten Great Sources for Timeless Storylines Tales of Yore: Fairy and Folk Tales, Fables, and the Like Mythology and Mythological Heroes Nursery Rhymes Bible and Religious Stories Family Issues and Changes Sibling Issues First Experiences Common Childhood Fantasies Friendship and Social Issues Growing Pains (Emotional and Behavioral) Bodies and the Brain: Their Functions and Changes History Makers and History in the Making Nature, Science, Technology Chapter 23: Ten Children's-Author Recognitions to Dream About Newbery Medal Caldecott Medal Coretta Scott King Book Award Printz Award Pura Belpré Award Theodor Seuss Geisel Award ALA Quick Pick & ALA Notable Books for Children Stonewall Book Award Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Medal State and Local Book Awards

11  Index

12  About the Authors

13  Connect with Dummies

14  End User License Agreement