4.1 Introduction

There are specific categories that all children's literature falls into, and before starting to write your book you will need to decide which of these you are aiming for.

As a new author, publishers are unlikely to accept your manuscript unless it fulfils the needs of a given readership, and books that straddle age brackets are much less likely to be accepted. Plus, a book written for a five year old will hardly be appropriate for a 13 year old and vice-versa. You must consider language, style, tone, format, length, subject matter, plot, and illustrations in your decision.

Before you even begin to write your plan, consider the elements of your story. If you have an idea of your story, write some character descriptions and a brief outline of the plot. Then use the descriptions of each age bracket below to decide which your story would sit best in.

If you have not got any ideas about the outline of your story or your characters yet, don't worry; we will discuss those things later. Think about the type of books that have inspired you to write children's literature, and research online which age range they are aimed towards. Write some descriptive passages or short stories in the style that comes easily to you and gauge who your writing is likely to be suitable for. If you are still not sure, which is fine, just read through this information and let it start to help you have ideas about your intended readership; it is always here for you to refer back to later.

Here are the categories normally followed by publishers. These will vary slightly from one to the next and have the frustrating habit of being constantly in flux, so make sure you research the recent publications of each company you send your manuscript to before specifying your target age range in your submission. You will also see that there is some overlap in the ages specified for each; this is partially due to differing levels of reading ability and individual maturity, and also because a child could be having a fairly complex picture book read to them by an adult at age six, as well as tackling an early levelled reader.

4.3 Picture Books: 3-8 years old

As you can see from the age range, picture books can vary massively in complexity.

The defining characteristic of this category is the emphasis put on illustration, which creates visual appeal for the child and gives information about plot, setting, theme, and character. These books will generally run from 200-1,000 words, have a simple plot and often a central character, although sometimes just a theme.

The more complex of these books can be quite involved, as they are often designed to be read by an adult to a child. An example of a successful picture book is The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson, whose combination of fear and security have drawn children to it across the globe.

Another are the Dr. Seuss books, whose whimsical rhyming and off-the-wall subject matter make them great fun for adults and children.

4.5 First Chapter Books: 6-9 years old

These generally come into their own when children have a basic grasp of how to read and area able to concentrate for a longer period of time.

Generally running between 5,000-10,000 words, they are split into chapters (hence the name) and always have a plot. They are usually illustrated, but unlike picture and early reader books do not rely on these for comprehension of the story. The tone of these books is often quite external, with little self-reflection on the part of the characters, and they focus mainly, but not exclusively, on positive and hopeful themes.

4.7 Young Adult Books: 12-18 years old

This bracket is often split into two.

The first is usually 12-14 years old and avoids graphic descriptions of violence and keeping sexual scenes vague. The 15 and over bracket usually treats these topics with a bit more freedom, although if you want to see your book on school reading lists and in the library, you will avoid using these gratuitously (as you should in any literature).

Having said this, the difference between young adult and adult fiction lies less in subject matter and more in perspective. Young adult readers wish to empathise totally with the lead character or protagonist, and more adult perspectives are less welcome. Pace and language are also important in defining young adult fiction; a slower pace and stylistic language are often likely to put off a younger reader.

By this stage readers are often seeking a depiction of the challenges of reality, in perhaps a darker and more complex backdrop.

4.9 Points of View

Before you start writing you need to consider the point of view that you will tell your story from.

There are quite a few options, some easier than others:

First Person

This is where you are telling the story from the point of view of a character, usually the lead. An example would be:

'I walked up the stairs into the darkness. I could hear the thudding growing louder with every step.'

Not many new authors manage to pull this off successfully. It requires a very strong voice and some handling of the tricky situation of not knowing anything other than what the lead is actually experiencing. Some authors even manage to pull off multiple points of view, writing a section of the book from the perspective of one character, then the next. It can produce a strong empathy for the lead character, but is pretty disastrous when done badly.

 

Second Person

A book written in the second person would sound like you were speaking to somebody directly; for example:

'You walked up the stairs into the darkness. You could hear the thudding growing louder with every step.'

This is rare in any published fictional literature and incredibly difficult to do well.

Third Person

By far the most common of the points of view available to authors, the third person version of our example sentence would be:

'He walked up the stairs into the darkness. He could hear the thudding growing louder with every step.'

This point of view can be split into three categories:

Third Person Limited

This is similar to the first person point of view, as the narrator or author sticks with the lead and follows the plot with them. Although the narrator still describes things from a 'he' or 'she' perspective, they do not disclose the future and generally cannot get inside other characters' heads to narrate what they are thinking and feeling.

Third Person Omniscient

This is where the narrator is all-powerful, floating above the story with the plot spread below them. They can see into the future and into the mind and intentions of every character.

Third Person Multiple

This is similar to the third person limited, in that the narrator sees the story from the character's perspective, but instead of moving alongside only one character, they leap from one, to another, multiple times. This can be complex and difficult to utilise while keeping clarity of plot and movement.