Have you checked for everything your stories need?

Extra bonus for ICL Students: Each item in the checklist is keyed to your course material
in the Writing for Children and Teenagers Course.

CM = Course Manual
EE = Essentials of English
TA = Talk Abouts IP = From Inspiration to Publication

A. ORGANIZATION

__________ My story has the three-part structure: beginning, middle, and ending

• The key to organization is planning. Link the three parts.
• CM: p. 32-33; TA: Plot

__________ I use specific details rather than generalizations

• Kids will learn new concepts with precise information.
• CM: p. 59-61

__________ I have an enticing opening

• Catch your readers early or you will lose them.
• IP: p. 71-75; CM: p. 189, 232-235; TA: Win

__________ My conclusion links to my opening or title

• A story is like a gift - it's more significant when you wrap it up.
• IP: p. 82-88; CM: p. 237-238; TA: Close

__________ I use a variety of story components

• Use analogy, hyperbole, onomatopoeia, etc. with dialogue, narration, thoughts, and description.
• IP: p. 82-88

__________ My story is age-appropriate

• Make sure both theme and content would interest your target group.
• IP: Chapter 2; CM: p. 176-177; TA: Age, Kid, Sensibilities

__________ The title entices the reader to continue

• Have an interesting title, but don't give away the ending.
• CM: p. 18; TA: Titles

__________The plot contains a significant conflict and strong obstacles

• Insignificant conflicts and obstacles do not maintain youthful interest.
• CM: p. 180-184; TA: Conflict, Mysteries

B. CHARACTERS AND SETTING

__________ I show, rather than tell about my characters and setting

• Telling a story sounds like a lecture to a child.
• IP: p. 37-38; CM: p. 35, 44, 55-59, 70; TA: Show

__________ I present a single point of view

• Only write what your main character can see, hear, feel, say, do, and think.
• IP: Chapter 5; CM: p. 15-16, 46, 184-186; TA: POV

__________ My characters have unique personalities

• Readers should be able to easily distinguish between characters.
• IP: Chapter 3; CM: p. 172-173; TA: Characters

__________ My characters' dialogue moves the story along

• Each word a character says should reveal plot or characterization.
• IP: p.79-80; CM: p. 156-161; TA: Dialogue, Speech

__________ My character(s) grow throughout the story.

• Readers will not identify with characters who do not learn from their mistakes.
• CM: p. 192

__________ The adult characters hover in the background

• Kids want stories about kids solving their own problems.
• IP: p. 53

__________ I use sensory imagery

• Use all five senses to develop setting and characterization.
• IP: p. 77-78; CM p. 64-65

C. SENTENCES

__________ I use complete sentences

• Model proper English for young readers.
• EE: p. 56-58; TA: Sentence Frag

__________ I use a varied sentence structure

• Vary sentence length and configuration.
• EE: p. 36-48; TA: Run-on Sent

__________ I use active, rather than passive voice

• Passive voice can cause characters to disappear.
• IP: p. 207; EE p. 19-20; CM: p. 72; TA: Verbs: Active

__________ I use consistent tenses

• Pick a tense and stay with it throughout the story.
• EE: p. 20-23; TA: Tenses

__________ My subject, verb, and object agree

• Singular words never agree with plural words.
• EE: p. 61-70

__________ My pronouns agree with my verbs

• Be aware of which word your pronoun replaces.
• EE: p. 70-79

__________ I maintain first, second, or third person throughout the story

• Never switch between I and she in your story.
• IP: Chapter 5

__________ I use transition words to show time or location change

• Young readers appreciate gentle shifts between paragraphs.
• EE: p. 158-161; CM: p. 243

__________ I pruned weedy words from my literary garden

• Every word should advance your story.
• EE: p. 190-192; CM: p. 245; TA: Words

D. MECHANICS

__________ Spelling

• Don't trust spell-check to interpret your connotation. Use a dictionary.

__________ Capitalization

• Know the rules and obey them.
• EE; p. 2-3, 134-135

__________ Punctuation

• Avoid overuse of commas and exclamation points. Properly punctuate dialogue.
• EE: p. 119-139; TA: Punct Dialogue, Apostrophe

__________ Manuscript properly formatted

• Editors appreciate a double-spaced manuscript with one-inch margins.
• CM: p. 22