Rx for Writers

Writer's Support Room - Satisfying Editors

Donna Marie West is a graduate of the Institute of Children's Literature's Basic Writing course for Children and Teenagers and the advanced Writing and Selling Children's Books course. In the past six years she has published some seventy fiction and non-fiction pieces in a variety of magazines including What If?, Horsepower, Stories for Children and Our Little Friend, as well as here on the ICL website. She hopes to publish her first teen novel sometime in the near future and is currently working on the sequel.

"Tailor Your Writing to Your Reader's Age"

by Donna Marie West

As a horseback riding coach, I have taught students of every age, from five to about seventy-five. As a writer, I have published stories for young readers, middle readers, teens and adults. I truly believe that by tailoring your approach and your language accordingly, you can communicate anything to anyone.

Vocabulary:

For beginning readers: use simple words of one to three syllables that beginning readers can sound out and recognize. Introduce new or longer words sparingly, in sentences filled with easier, more familiar words.

Middle readers (usually about nine to twelve years of age) can handle more syllables and less familiar words. You might add words from other languages or cultures, as long as they are in a context that will help the reader understand them.

Vocabulary for teens is much the same as for middle readers. You may, however, want to use metaphors or figures of speech that younger readers would not understand. The occasional use of an obscure word rather than a common one will make your writing more interesting, but go easy. Too many unusual words will slow reading down and might put the reader off, altogether!

Use a book such as Alijandra Mogilner's Children's Writer's Word Book to find words appropriate to the age level for which you are writing. A thesaurus is a good idea, too!

Sentence Length:

Keep sentences short for beginning readers, from only a few words to ten or twelve, with an average of about six words. Paragraphs should be no longer than three or four sentences.

Sentences for middle readers and teens can be as long as twenty words. Paragraphs may contain up to ten sentences for middle readers, and a few more for older readers. Do, however, avoid long paragraphs that look like impenetrable bricks on the page. Fifty word sentences and half-page paragraphs worked for J.R.R. Tolkien, but they're not likely to work for you and me!

Use the 'readability statistics' feature in your word processing program to check letters per word, words per sentence and sentences per paragraph, as well as the grade level attributed to your text.

Fiction:

In general, the main character in children's fiction should be the same age or slightly older than the readers for whom you are writing. Dialogue should be realistic, but age-appropriate.

Fiction for young readers should reflect childhood experience and stimulate imagination. Most publishers are not interested in young reader stories that are gory, violent or overly frightening. Use description to give your reader a sense of each scene, but keep the pace fast and avoid big chunks of description. Dialogue should be simple and clean, with no dirty words and little slang. It should be written from a single, clear viewpoint. You may use first person or third but if you use first person, be sure your narrator acts and sounds like a child his or her age.

This excerpt comes from my story, "The Bed Bug," written for young readers and published in Our Little Friend and Story Friends:

'The thing in the bed moved.
Something soft touched Larissa's big toe.
Larissa pulled her knees up to her chin.
"Mommy!" she wailed. "Mommy!"
In a minute, her mother came into the room.
"What is it, Larissa?"
"There's something in my bed!"'

Fiction for middle readers should have lots of action, lots of dialogue and enough description to allow the reader to imagine every scene. (Remember to write with your five senses.) Most publishers are leary of dirty language, unnecessary or extreme violence, derogatory humour, or sex (though some publishers do push the envelope on language and humour in some books). A single point of view is still best, but you may include more secondary characters and a more complex plot than you would for younger readers.

Fiction for older readers often deals with more mature subject matter (peer pressure, romance, life-changing choices, even catastrophic or life-and-death situations). It can be written in first person or third, dual or multiple points of view. Journal entries and flashbacks can give the reader insight into the protagonist's thoughts. Dialogue and descriptions can be graphic, as long as they are appropriate to the context and not overly explicit. Stay away, however, from the kind of contemporary slang that will be outdated in six months, or from positive portrayals of negative subjects such as drugs, alcohol, smoking, crime and sexual activity.

This is an excerpt from my teen story, "Too Good to be True," published in What If?:

As winter melted into spring, I felt the pressure mounting. If I found nothing, I would be riding my dad's horses all summer. Again. If I chose poorly, I would have to suffer the consequences: an empty bank account, no show jumper this year and the humiliating prospect of having to admit to my dad that I'd made a mistake. Reselling the horse might get me my money back, but it would be like rubbing salt in an open wound.

Finally, the phone stopped ringing and a man said,

"Allo. Bonjour!"

For a second I considered trying out my high school French but before I knew it, my words came out in stuttering English.

"Um . . . hello, I . . . I'm calling about the horse you have advertised in the newspaper?"

Non-Fiction:

Non-fiction for young readers should focus on one aspect of a topic relevant to the reader's life. It should have a clear beginning, a middle and an end, in that order. Holidays, traditions, animals, nature, sports and other activities are popular with this age group. Avoid controversial or sensitive subjects here.

History, culture, science, nature and profiles of extraordinary people are among the subject matter for middle readers. Keep your writing lively - you don't want to sound like a text book - and use quotes, subheadings and sidebars to break your material up into digestible pieces.

This example comes from my article, "Get That Itchy Spot!" published in the 2004 Canadian Horse Annual.

If you've ever brushed a pony, you probably enjoyed making his coat clean and shiny. But did you know you can make the experience just as much fun for him?

Horses and ponies are social animals. Ponies kept in a field engage in mutual grooming, scratching themselves or each other with their teeth, especially along the neck and withers. Sometimes, they even scratch behind their ear with a hind foot, just like a dog!

Keep teens engaged by writing about someone or something that affects their worldview, their past, present or future. Controversial and sensitive material may be introduced, if presented in an appropriate way. Begin your article with a quote, an anecdote or a recent scientific finding to lead your reader in, and wrap it up with a strong conclusion.

Word Count:

The last step in tailoring your writing to your reader's age is, of course, word count. Look up publishers' guidelines on their web sites or in a book like the ICL's Markets for Children's Writers. The following is a general rule:

FOR MORE ON READER AGE:

Institute of Children's Literature. FROM INSPIRATION TO PUBLICATION. Institute of Children's Literature, West Redding, Connecticut, 2000

Mogilner, Alijandra. CHILDREN'S WRITER'S WORD BOOK. Writer's Digest Books, Cincinnati, Ohio, 1992

Return to Satisfying Editors

To avoid missing a single article, transcript, or important news announcement, sign up for the Institute’s free weekly e-mail updates. Simply go to this link, type your e-mail address, press SUBMIT, and you’ll be subscribed! http://www.institutechildrenslit.com/rx/email_updates.shtml.
93 Long Ridge Road, West Redding, CT 06896
Phone: (203) 792-8600 (800) 243-9645
Fax: (203) 792-8406
E-Mail: WebEditor@institutechildrenslit.com

Home | Writing Course | Short Story  | Full Story | Aptitude Test 
 Send Me Info | Enroll | Our Instructors | Our Credentials | Sample Lesson
College Credits | Tax Deductibility | From Overseas | Writer's Bookstore 
Newsletter | Writing Contests | Write for Adults | Free Writer's News
 Rx for Writers | Chat Room | Open Forum | Writing Tips  | Scheduled Events | Transcripts
Writer's Retreat | Writer's Support  | Student  Center |  Privacy Policy | Web Editor | Comments

Copyright © The Institute, Inc., 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008
No part of the electronic transmission to which this notice is appended may be reproduced or redistributed in any form or manner without the express written permission of The Institute, Inc.