Wednesday, December 03, 2008

Tuesday Writing Tip: Be Childish (or is it childlike?)

I'm sorry this week's tip is one day late. Last week I was out of town and this week I just plain forgot! I guess I just gotta get into this weekly tip groove. Bear with me!

My writing tip for you this week is: Be childish!

I believe that our best writing stems from experiences, so if you are writing for children you need to write from your experiences as a child. I'm not just talking about childhood memories. We all have childhood memories--both good and bad--and we can get some good stuff from them. But to be a good children's writer, you need to allow your adult self to be a kid now and then.

As a children's writer, plenty of my poems and stories stem from my own childhood. But even more come from times spent being a kid (or as close to a kid as a responsible adult can get) with them.

So here are a few suggestions for you aspiring children's writers:

When you bring your kids to the park, don't just sit on the bench. Get out there and play, especially if there's something awesome like a tire swing. I never miss a chance on the swings!

Jump in the leaves!

Dress up for trick-or-treating (Oh, come on, at least put on a funny hat!).

Spend an afternoon building Lego houses or blanket tents (even better--spend the night in a blanket tent).

Play dress-up.

Tell scary stories in the dark.

Read kids' books and watch kids' movies.

Color, draw, paint with your kids.

Spend time with kids other than your own. Volunteer to teach Sunday School or help at your kids' school.

These are just a few suggestions, so get out there and have fun bein' a kid!

2 comments:

  1. Anonymous8:41 PM

    These are some great ideas, Becky. I especially like the night in the blanket tent one.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Funny, we made a blanket tent yesterday. But we didn't go so far as to sleep in it :)

    ReplyDelete

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