Crafting Connections: A Guide to Meaningful Children’s Storytelling

Writing for children requires a deep understanding of developmental stages, audience-specific expectations, and technical craft. Beyond matching the age of the character to the reader and ensuring an authentic voice, authors should remember the following key principles:

1. The Concept of “Invisibility”

The primary goal of children’s book writing is to achieve “invisibility” in technique. This means the story should be so compelling and well-written that the writing itself “disappears,” allowing the story to shine rather than individual words or awkward phrasing. Authors are encouraged to remove “Filter Words” to avoid unnecessary distance between the reader and the character by cutting phrases like “he saw” or “she felt.”

2. Character Development and Empathy

Children’s literature relies heavily on the reader’s emotional connection to the protagonist.

• Believability: Characters must feel real and have flaws or quirks that increase their individuality. Generic or “perfect” characters are less effective.

• Active Problem Solving: The main character must have a clearly delineated problem. Every scene should either present an impediment to a solution or show progress toward one.

• Growth: By the end of the story, the character must have grown or changed in a meaningful way.

3. Managing Content and Intensity

While guidelines vary by genre, Middle Grade (MG) and younger categories have specific expectations regarding intensity:

• Middle Grade Sensitivity: MG is typically less scary and violent than Young Adult (YA) literature. Romance in this category should rarely be more than a “crush.”

• Authentic Modern Tone: Dialogue and situations must ring true to modern-day children. Authors are encouraged to volunteer at schools or watch popular shows to stay current with how today’s kids interact.

4. Sensory Grounding 

Sensory Grounding is a technique used by authors to anchor a reader in a specific moment, location, or emotional state by using the five senses. In children’s literature, this technique serves as the essential antidote to “white room syndrome.” It prevents the jarring experience where characters exist in a void, allowing readers to clearly visualize the setting and feel the surrounding environment. By using sensory details, you ground the reader, so they feel physically present in the story.

5. Professionalism and Polish

A manuscript is only ready for submission when it is “one of the best things you’ve ever read.”

• Peer Review: Authors should utilize critique groups to gain the necessary distance from their work that they cannot achieve alone.

• Standard Formatting: Manuscripts should always be submitted in 12-point Arial or Times New Roman, double-spaced, with 1 to 1.25-inch margins.