by Pat McCarthy
Have you thought about writing an article for a children’s magazine? Maybe you have an idea, but you’re not sure how to go about it. Here are some tips.
Step One. Choose a topic. It should be something that many children will be interested in. But it should also be something you know about or are interested in learning more about. Animals, sports, famous people, science and how-to articles are all popular choices.
Step Two. Narrow your topic. Concentrate on just one aspect of it. I wanted to write an article about birds. I’d just returned from Florida, so I decided to concentrate on the birds I saw in one place, Ding Darling Wildlife Refuge. This was still too broad a topic, so I honed in on how different birds there eat. The article, “Dinner at Ding Darling,” was published by Children’s Digest.
Step Three. Research your article. Use both online resources and books and articles. Editors like a mix of print and Internet sources in a bibliography. Look for interesting little tidbits that will appeal to kids. Find facts with wow appeal and yuck appeal. Kids like the amazing as well as the gross.
Step Four. Organize your research. Jot down the main points you want to make, then go through your notes and plug them into your outline. It doesn’t have to be a formal outline. It just needs to get your thoughts in order. I love outlines. Once my outline is done, the article seems to almost write itself.
Step Five. Write the article. Decide what age you are writing for, then try to keep your writing on that level. Don’t talk down to kids but try to use words that age child would know and understand. Keep your sentences simple and fairly short. Use short paragraphs. Children are intimidated by large blocks of type.
Step Six. Revise and edit your article. To make sure it flows smoothly, read it aloud to yourself. That will enable you to notice the rhythm and to find repeated words. Be very sure there are no errors in spelling or grammar.
Step Seven. Research the markets. Get a copy of Children’s Writer’s and Illustrator’s Market or research children’s publishers online. Make sure your article is the right length, for the right age, and on a topic the magazine uses.
Step Eight. Submit your article. Then get busy writing another one.
Sound simple? Try it! With a little work and practice, you can be successful at writing articles for children.
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About the Author: Pat McCarthy is an instructor for the Institute of Children’s Literature and the author of over a dozen books for children.
Learn more about her books at her blog. If you have a question about writing for children, e-mail Pat at [email protected]. More resources for children’s writers will soon be up on her blog.
Pat McCarthy, Secrets Of Writing For Children, The Secrets Of Writing For Children, writing an article for children, writing for children, Writing For Kids, Writing Tips, YA Nonfiction
I love that video! I hope your time with you mom was good and she didn't wear you out too much (smile)
I love the video, too. There's a whole series of You Tube videos by Geriatric1927. He's very popular, the rage now. He's been on TV, NPR and in the print media, all because he loves You Tube and started posting videos, at age 79.
My mom is 90. She disdains the computer, but loves television, books and going to all the various senior centers in a 20 mile range from her house. She doesn't wear me out because I don't go with her!
She has a busy schedule, something to do with different people every day. And she's reconnected with a school chum from grade school (in the early 1920's!). They call each other every day, check what activities they're going to do, what they're wearing, when they're going to arrive. Sounds just like my 13 yo!
I sit home now. Writing on my script, Boni, for SCRIPT FRENZY. Remember? It's not too late. A few more days, you could get in several thousand words in that time. (That's what I'm hoping to do. Right now I'm just over 6,000 words. Although winner status takes 20,000, I'm hoping just to make 10,000 by the 30th.)