WRITING FOR CHILDREN
Spring cleaning PART 2
Amy Sparkes offers five more ways to add the final polish that will make your children’s story shine
Sometimes it is the little things which can make the biggest difference. Relatively small changes can help transform a story and take your writing to a new level, helping it stand out in the slushpile.
In this mini-series we look at ten areas you can develop to make your story shine. Last month we looked at hooks, character voice, visualisation, colour and smell. This month, we look at maps, tension, laughs, food and drink, and endings.
1 MAPS
Maps are hugely popular in children’s fiction and tremendous fun to create. When maps are included in the pages before the story begins, they can help stir up excitement for the adventure ahead. Maps can also help young readers navigate an unfamiliar area or a completely new world which you have created.
When you are planning your storyworld, especially if it is a fantastical or alternative world, creating a map can be hugely helpful for you as a creator. Maps can keep your geography on track, expand your vision of your world and its possibilities, and also help inform and direct your storyline.
If you have drawn a map to help plan your world, and think it would work well included in the beginning or end of your book, why not share this when you submit your story? A professional illustrator will be used to create a map in a published book, but there is no harm in submitting your own hand-drawn map to share your vision.