Book Review - Writing Irresistible Kidlit: The Ultimate Guide to Crafting Fiction for Young Adult and Middle Grade Readers by Mary Kole

Although the Kidlit market is hale and hearty, competition is fierce. How then can emerging writers gain a foothold? In Writing Irresistible Kidlit, former literary agent Mary Kole presents an overview of both the children's book market and the finer elements of craft. She offers valuable advice from well-known authors and publishers, and couples this with a collection of excerpts from contemporary works. Kole has impeccable credentials; previously an associate agent at the Andrea Brown Literary Agency, she later became senior literary manager and head of the children's department at MovableTM.com, before going freelance.

Kole covers all the relevant issues - such as reading habits and expectations of the middle grade and young adult fiction reader - and takes us into the minds of our audience, focusing on their motivations, beliefs, hopes, and fears. We discover how to tailor our work to suit the age range, by finding themes, characters, and plots that resonate, so that the novel strikes the right emotional chord and avoids the blunders and clichés that are commonplace in children's fiction.

Kole reminds us to think big and be fresh, even if the story is somewhat familiar, 'What makes every story unique in today’s market place is execution. That’s what you bring to the table. As a writer it’s not the story itself per se, it’s how you express it, the theme you project upon it, the characters you create, and your own unique voice'. As French film director Jean-Luc Godard said, 'It's not where you take things from. It’s where you take them to'.

Kole examines loglines, sales hooks, and the vagaries of success. She describes how modern commercial children's books are an American innovation, primarily attributed to Ursula Nordstrom, an editor at Harper and Row (now HarperCollins) in the 1950s. At the time, most children’s books were written for adult approval and not necessarily to engage the child; they were often patronizing and moralistic, too afraid to be authentic lest they be controversial – and Nordstrom set out to change that.

Nordstrom once wrote, and this is Kole’s touchstone idea throughout the book: 'The writer of books about the real world has to dig deep and tell the truth'.

Kole discusses story beginnings, conflict, stakes, and the importance of keeping readers invested by developing authentic characters with recognisable motivations, backstories and emotions. Kole also touches on story structure, dialogue, tense, point of view, and the delicate balance between action and information. We learn how to use imagery and setting, and cultivate an individual voice by making varied choices over syntax, rhythm, and mood. Kole then delves deeper into the mechanics of plot, covering the inciting incident, rise, fall, climax, and evening out of the protagonist’s journey.

Writing Irresistible Kidlit is a comprehensive, user-friendly addition to the writer’s bookshelf, with both an excellent analysis of the children’s book market, and a concise overview of elements of the writing craft. Kole’s delivery is crisp, friendly, and good humoured, if a little self-indulgent. 

Kole shows us how to develop story, plot, and characters using real details and emotional depth, rather than off-the-peg traits and timeworn plot contrivances. Her work is comparable to Robert McKee’s Story, Donald Maass’ Writing the Breakout Novel, and Blake Snyder’s Save the Cat, although it may not be suitable for new writers who will probably need more guidance on the basics.

An Interview with Holly Jahangiri

Title: A New Leaf for Lyle

Author: Holly Jahangiri

Illustrator: Carrie Salazar

Genre: Middle Grade Picture Book

Published: May 1, 2014

Lyle's heart is in the right place, but his habit of lying about everything from whether he's brushed his teeth to why he's missed the bus makes it hard for people to believe him when he does tell the truth. He doesn't want to be known as "Lyle the Liar." Can Lyle ever regain the trust of family and friends?

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

                        

Tell us about the books you enjoyed as a child.

I don't remember being all that picky about it - I loved books and devoured them. I did shy away from the books that had award seals on them; probably only because my mom was taking a course in Children's Lit and I got the sense that those books were like vegetables - supposed to be "good for you." There were no books I wasn't allowed to read, or that were deemed "too old for me," other than books that dealt with sex, drugs, and little girls whose heads swiveled 360 degrees before they spewed obscenities at priests. I remember the school librarian challenging me to read a passage aloud from Ben Hur and discuss it with her before she allowed me to check it out of the school library. But she did let me check it out, in the end. My mom was more disturbed by my reading The Exorcist when I was 12 or 13 than I was with the book, itself. But some of the books that I enjoyed enough to want to share with my own kids were Bedtime for Frances - you can probably spot the influence that book had on Trockle, all of the Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle books - I reread a few of those while raising my own kids, as much for the parenting advice as to entertain them, anything by Madeleine L'Engle (especially A Wrinkle in Time), The Chronicles of Narnia (I've read every one of those at least twice). 

What inspired you to become a children’s author?

I've never outgrown my inner child. Writers are advised to write the books they want to read. I think I'm just writing to my own inner child, and I want to share the stories with other children. Writing fiction, particularly for children, is as much play as it is work. That's how reading should be, but too often, it's not. I think that turns off a lot of young readers way too early. 

Describe your path to publication.

Good things often come along when you are not expending a huge effort towards making them happen. I am notoriously bad at submitting my work for publication. I can't even pretend I'd be better at that if my financial survival depended on it. I've had non-fiction published because I was able to fill in at the last minute for a writer who couldn't meet deadlines; I've had fiction and poetry published by people I knew before they worked for, or started their own, publishing companies. I've been very lucky, really. And I've self-published. That, to me, is very different from "vanity press," by the way. Vanity press is the business of selling flattery for top dollar. I honestly don't believe anyone should pay money to give away their product for free - or worse. That said, I don't see a problem with paying artists, print providers, distributors, and others involved in book production to do what they do best. And with providers like CreateSpace, where you don't have to bear huge - or even any - up-front costs, but rather a portion of the cover price for books sold, it's a great option for writers who have faith in themselves and their work. 

Tell us about your latest book.

A New Leaf for Lyle is based on a charming story that I heard from a friend, a creative and really awesome mom, and when I asked her if I could use it as the basis for a children's book, she readily agreed. The illustrator, Carrie Salazar, is a mutual friend, and she agreed to illustrate the book. You can read more of the back-story in the dedication.  

What are the main themes?

It's about a good kid - really - named Lyle, who has a big problem. He lies about everything, to the point where lying is as much a habit as it is naughtiness. He just can't seem to tell the truth about anything - from brushing his teeth to why he missed the school bus. His mom's frustrated - but Lyle's hurt that no one believes him or trusts him, so he runs away. Mom's reaction surprises him, and together they figure out a way for Lyle to turn over a new leaf.  

What do you like best about your main characters?

Any character should be someone the reader can relate to. I think we can all relate to Lyle (and parents reading this to or with their kids can probably relate to Lyle's mom, as well).  

Do they have any peculiarities? 

Define "peculiar"? Unlike Trockle, Lyle has two eyes and five fingers on each hand... One of the kids who read and critiqued the story before publication pointed out that Lyle looked a little older than they thought he was in the story. But I suspect it was a girl who said that, because neither my husband nor my teenaged son thought he looked too old to play in a blanket fort with toy trucks, video games, or action figures. 

How does your main character evolve?

Children are the perfect characters to grow and to evolve, don't you think? Like any kid, Lyle learns about trust, love, and honesty - and he's lucky enough to have an understanding, compassionate - and, dare I say, clever? - mom to guide him. Their real-life counterparts inspired me to write this, and I think kids and adults, alike, will enjoy it. 

What’s the principal message you want to send to your audience?

That love, trust, and honesty go hand in hand. And...don't sleep in trees with tigers.

What’s the nicest thing anyone has said about your book?

Everyone has said such wonderful things about it, but one review that really touched me came from Dave Michaud, who wrote, "Jahangiri's ability to impart traditional lessons and experience to children from their own point of view is unmatched in my opinion. She always tells a story and that's what kids dig rather than "lectures and shoulds". My kids are grown and I purchased her latest book for myself because I enjoyed her first two." Remember what I said about steering clear of the books with the little foil award seals? I don't want young readers to be bored or feel lectured or preached to. I think good fiction always has a point - if not a moral, then at least a message. We writers are trying to communicate something - but it's just as important, to me, that readers be engaged and have fun while they're reading. I want them to come back, again and again, whether it's to my books or other books.

Where can we purchase it?

It's available on Amazon & Barnes & Noble.

Tell us about your other children’s books.

Well, there's Trockle - that was my first children's book. I wrote Trockle for my son, who was going through that stage every kid goes through, thinking there's a monster under the bed or in the closet. I set out to write something for him to practice reading, if he insisted on laying in bed, wide-eyed, with the lights on. When I sat down to write, that adorable little monster who lived under my son's bed followed me and demanded to tell HIS side of the story. When people ask me how I came up with the book's title, I can only say that the little monster told me his name. It turns out that he was even more afraid of the great big boy who slept on TOP of the bed!

Do you have any other children’s books in the works?

Of course. But I'm not ready to talk about any ideas or works in progress just yet - it seems that every time I do that, I end up going in a different direction!

What advice can you offer new writers?

Read voraciously. 

Write whenever you get some spare time. I even wrote while watching television, during NaNoWriMo. It sounds so counterintuitive, but I told myself, "No excuses!" and challenged myself to write through what might otherwise have seemed to be distractions. Music, TV, different locations in the house - I finally got a laptop PC! I think the most important thing is to make it a habit, and one you can do anywhere regardless of the tools and time at your disposal. 

Get out and get exercise; clear your head and move your body. 

Remember back when you were a child and everything was possible.

Don't quit the day job and don't wait until everything is absolutely PERFECT before submitting your work for publication, or self-publishing. The world doesn't need "perfect," it needs good stories. We want to be lifted out of our own heads and our own day to day routine for a few minutes or hours. It only has to be good enough to suspend our disbelief, and to not have any glaring flaws that pop the bubble and yank us out of the daydream a good book can create.

Holly Jahangiri is a professional writer with decades of experience in technical writing, freelancing, fiction, poetry, and editing. On a really good writing day, she claims (tongue-in-cheek) to be channeling the spirits of Edgar Allan Poe, Erma Bombeck, and O. Henry – all rolled into one. On a really bad writing day, she claims to have poured every last ounce of her creative ability and energy into childbirth, and points to her two amazing children – young adults, really – as proof. Regardless of whether it’s a good day or a bad day, she’s grateful for the love and support of her husband, who has put up with her for more than half their lives.

Social Links: Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest 

An Interview with Stacey Graham

Title: The Boxcar Children Guide to Adventure

Genre: Non-Fiction

Age Range: 7 - 10 years

Grade Level: 2 - 5

Series: The Boxcar Children Mysteries

Publisher: Albert Whitman & Company (September 1, 2014)

The Boxcar Children have long been known for being creative and resourceful. This hardcover book is filled with fun how-to guides for everyday adventures. It includes tips and tricks for mystery solving (how to make invisible ink and create secret codes), travel (how to pack a suitcase; how to take great snapshots), and enjoying the great outdoors. Each of the four Boxcar Children has their own section--practical advice from Jessie, a "roughing it" guide from Henry, crafts and art projects from Violet, and recipes from Benny! A great gift for Boxcar fans.

Tell us about the books you enjoyed as a child.

I loved any book with humor -- the more outrageous the story, the better. I also loved spooky stories, I think a lot of that influence has followed me into my own writing. Not only do I love the delicious shiver of a well-crafted ghost story, I wanted to know the back-story – why did the ghost stick around?

What inspired you to become a children’s author?

I love the freedom of working with children. They’re very honest, telling you what you need to hear about a story instead of trying to tell you what they think you want to hear. If a story isn’t working for them, they’ll wander off. I’m also very curious. My children’s books are nonfiction and how-to: I wanted to learn how to find a ghost or bait a fishhook, and figured my readers would as well.

Describe your path to publication.

My first published story was a very short zombie romance. After that, I sold the Girls’ Ghost Hunting Guide and The Zombie Tarot within a week of each other. A year and multiple short stories later, I sold Haunted Stuff: Demonic Dolls, Screaming Skulls, and Other Creepy Collectibles, and was asked by Albert Whitman and Company to write a companion book to the Boxcar Children series: The Boxcar Children Guide to Adventure (written under Gertrude Warner Chandler).

Tell us about your latest book.

The Boxcar Children Guide to Adventure is written from the POV of Jessie Alden, the eldest sister in the series. As she is constantly writing notes in the novels, I transferred some of her tips into a how-to for kids to learn how to set up a tent, sofa forts, go on night hikes, how to tell scary stories, how to pack a suitcase and say hello in 14 languages, among other things. It was a great book to write! There are also sections on crafts and recipes to round out the guide.

What are the main themes?

Self-reliance, adventure, and fun.

Who or what inspired your story?

The Boxcar Children.

What do you like best about your main characters?

The children are involved in mysteries in each novel but their core message stays the same: family.

Do they have any peculiarities?

Each child has his or her own strength and weakness. Benny is gregarious but can be scared easily while Violet is artistic and shy.

How does your main character evolve?

In the Boxcar Children Guide to Adventure, each child has a section devoted to their strengths so you’ll see Jessie discuss her interactions with her siblings as well as how to problem-solve.

What’s the principal message you want to send to your audience?

With preparation and curiosity, anything is possible.

Where can we purchase it?

Thanks for asking! BCGtA may be found at your local bookseller or online at Albert Whitman, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and at Books-a-Million.

Tell us about your other children’s books.

My first children’s book was the Girls’ Ghost Hunting Guide. It is a combination sleepover book and guide to research the paranormal in a safe way using deductive reasoning with adult supervision. I’ve been researching and writing about ghosts for over 25 years. My five daughters have packed my ghost hunting kit and waited up to hear the stories I’d return with. The Girls’ Ghost Hunting Guide helps kids cut through the fluff of what they’ve seen on television and dip a toe into the mystery of ghost hunting.

Do you have any other children’s books in the works?

I am currently working on pitching a children’s series to a network this spring.

What advice can you offer new writers?

It’s okay to try different styles and explore genres. If one writing site tells you to stay in your lane and only write one type of book, it’s a good indication that they’re afraid to branch out. Their story isn’t your story. Also: read. Read nonfiction and fiction that makes you uncomfortable, study the author’s style and dissect what works and what falls flat. Those who succeed in being published approach it two ways: getting the words down and following through with the business side. Research both until your eyeballs fall out. Writing is hard work. Editing and submitting and rejections suck but it’s what we do. It’s our job. And we can do it without pants. That has to count for something.

Stacey Graham is the author of four books and a rag-tag collection of short stories. You may currently find her scaring the pants off of readers with her latest book, Haunted Stuff: Demonic Dolls, Screaming Skulls, and Other Creepy Collectibles. She intends on returning the pants at a later date. 

Social Links: Website | Twitter | Facebook

An Interview with Sarah Dalton

Title: Possess

Author: Sarah Dalton

Genre: Paranormal, Young Adult

Note: This book is best suited for children over the age of 15 as it contains some bad language.

Mary Hades is drawn back into the world of the macabre as she moves with her family into the mysterious old house, Ravenswood. The mere mention of Ravenswood induces terror among the locals, and when strange things begin to occur, Mary and Lacey decide to get to the bottom of the secret hidden in the historic house once and for all. 

As a dark power gathers, Mary finds her life becomes interconnected with the disturbing events that transpired in 1847 to eleven year old Liza Blair. The more Mary is drawn into Liza’s story, the more she realises someone close to her is in grave danger from the sinister energy at Ravenswood. 

Set in the backdrop of an unsettling forest, and with strange neighbour Emmaline Delacroix obsessed with death and séances, Possess will take you even deeper into the murky depths of Mary Hades’s unusual life. 

Book two in the Mary Hades series.

Tell us about the books you enjoyed as a child.

I loved Enid Blyton books, particularly Mallory Towers, The Secret Seven and the Famous Five. The mysteries were great, and I loved the action and adventure. It’s a shame that they are so ‘of their time’ when it comes to gender stereotypes, I would love to read them again or recommend them to children, but I feel that they are too old fashioned now.

I also loved the Little Vampire, the Worst Witch and lots of Point Horror books. I think that’s where I get my love of the supernatural from. I’m quite a practical and rational person (and was as a child I think) that I love my escapism to be completely out of this world. 

What inspired you to become a children’s author?

I don’t think it’s anything I really planned on becoming. It just happened! I knew I wanted to do something creative and I had always loved writing, and in my mid-twenties I just went for it. Hunger Games was a big kick for me. It had so much emotion and social commentary that I realised teen books are very different now than they were when I was a teen. It’s okay to be experimental and hard hitting. Teen books are as important as adult books, just told in a different style. The books I read as a teenager didn’t have as much to say. It made me want to write for teenagers.

Describe your path to publication.

Well, as a self-published author it is probably a little unconventional! First, I submitted short stories to publications like Apex Magazine, PANK and some smaller places. I was surprised to find that quite a few of my stories were accepted. At the same time, I was writing The Blemished and had high hopes of finding an agent. But, The Blemished took longer to write than I anticipated, and by the time I was ready to query, the market had already become saturated. I didn’t realise how long it took for a book to be published after getting an agent. It can be years, and I knew the YA dystopia trend meant I needed to publish my book now. It was the same sort of time that Amanda Hocking had major success and I began reading the Kindleboards forum, which gave me a ton of insight into how to release your own book. After a few rejections from agents I decided to go for it. I found willing beta readers to help me with the editing, I found an awesome cover designer, the first wave of reviewers loved the book, and then suddenly I was a published author. A year down the line it was my career.

Tell us about your latest book.

Possess is the second novel in my Mary Hades series. It’s hard to describe this series as it began from a novella, and I have a habit of writing short stories to fit into the world. So far there is one novella, two novels and two short stories in the series. They are all horror books for older teenagers. I wanted to write something more grown up than the Blemished and White Hart series, I wanted more scope with language and themes. I like quiet horror and Gothic mysteries, so these books are scary but not gory. They should make you tense and creeped out, but not squeamish.

What are the main themes?

Possession is about losing control, it’s the fear of being controlled by someone else.

Family is a huge theme in the book. Mary’s Mum has been sceptical of her abilities and that has put some strain on their relationship. In this story, we see the two characters forced to deal with their issues.

Who or what inspired your story?

Nothing specific, except that I love to write about issues that affect teenagers in real life. My Daylight Monsters – the prequel novella – is about mental health issues amongst teens. Mary Hades is about trust, friendship and that moment when you learn the world is a dark place. Possess is about the moment when you realise your parents don’t have all the answers, that they are as vulnerable as you are.

What do you like best about your main characters?

Well, Mina from The Blemished is someone who cannot accept the world as it is, and someone who needs to fight for the needy and vulnerable. But I think I love her faults the most. She lets love blind her and leaves herself vulnerable to manipulation. Some readers disliked her for that, but I loved her all the more.

Mae from White Hart is a diamond in the rough. She’s a girl who dresses up her insecurities with arrogance and rudeness. But she has a heart of gold and a thin skin. I’m looking forward to finishing her story arc because I already see the woman she is set to become.

Mary from Mary Hades is brave but scared. Despite her connection to ghosts, she never stops being afraid of death. Yet she faces death to help others. Being scared and doing it anyway is the bravest of all actions.

Do they have any peculiarities?

Mary sees zombies when something bad is about to happen. They are usually silent and do nothing except look at her. We don’t know if they are real or are something her mind conjures to tell her the environment isn’t safe.

How does your main character evolve? 

It really depends on the story. For The Blemished, Mina has to become someone physically and mentally stronger. She has to fight her natural instinct to run away when things get tough. She has to see things through to the end. There is quite a strong curve for all the characters in the Blemished series because the storyline is so huge.

But with a series like Mary Hades, the changes are more subtle. In the first novella Mary has to face her fears, but as the series goes on, she becomes more compassionate to ghosts and the dead. It’s a long series, and each book helps to develop her bit by bit as a character.

What’s the principal message you want to send to your audience?

Oh, goodness. So many! I hope to send many messages through my books.

A huge one for me is about choice. As humans we have rights, and we should live by standards that do not violate other people’s rights. I don’t mean the right to have a gun or drive your car really fast, I mean the right to have a voice, to express ourselves, to love who we want to love and be who we want to be. The Blemished is all about choice and what happens when it’s taken away.

What’s the nicest thing anyone has said about your book?

I love it when people are excited about the next book, or tell me that reading my books has helped them through something difficult.

One thing that made me smile, and I see as a big compliment, was when an ARC reviewer thanked Harper Collins for the copy of the book. I’ve always wanted my books to be as professional as a publisher, and that mistake had me grinning for the rest of the day.

Where can we purchase it?

All over the place! It might be easiest to check out my website for all the buy links. 

Tell us about your other children’s books.

The Blemished series – a YA dystopia series set in the near future. It explores the ‘what ifs’ of genetic engineering without boundaries. Those with faulty genes are labelled Blemished and live a life of poverty while the GEMs take every advantage in life.

White Hart – a fairy-tale-esque story for younger teens. Mae Waylander is forced to travel through a dark forest, fighting off the monsters that hide amongst the trees. Mae is the craft-born of her generation, the one true wielder of the magic of the realm. But she has to keep the secret so that she is not married off to Prince Casimir, the very same person who ends up on the journey with her…

Do you have any other children’s books in the works?

The White Hart series should end next year with the final instalment – Black Crown.

The Mary Hades series is ongoing, with at least two more books to add to the series.

What advice can you offer new writers?

The best advice is read and write, read and write, keep repeating.

Sarah grew up in the middle of nowhere in the countryside of Derbyshire and as a result has an over-active imagination.

She has been an avid reader for most of her life, taking inspiration from the stories she read as a child, and the novels she devoured as an adult.

Sarah mainly writes speculative fiction for a Young Adult audience and has had pieces of short fiction published in the Medulla Literary Review, PANK magazine and the British Fantasy Society publication Dark Horizons. Her short story ‘Vampires Wear Chanel’ is featured in the Wyvern Publication Fangtales.

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