The Nitty Gritty of Children’s Writing – Page 53

13 Dialogue Tips

Posted on April 28, 2009March 4, 2023 by Susan Uhlig

speechbubbles

Don’t get wild with attribution lines.
USE he said, she said / she asked, he asked
NOT she explained, he blurted
It’s not that you can’t use the latter, but if they are overused, they take away from the dialogue. Also, sometimes new writers use a word in place of said that isn’t even possible. Have you ever laughed or chortled words? Said and asked don’t slow the reader down. Readers are used to overlooking them.
Avoid adverbs in your attribution lines.
Again it’s not that you can’t use them, but your dialogue should be clear enough that for the most part adverbs are unnecessary.
No talking heads.
Dialogue should not be in a vacuum. Readers need some sense of setting–some idea of what is around the speakers and/or of what they are doing, which leads into the next point.
Use tag lines which incorporate action.
Brian leaned against the front door.
Sarah threw her backpack onto the couch.
These replace the said or asked. Don’t combine them, i.e. Brian said as he leaned against the front door, or Sarah asked as she threw her backpack onto the couch. The word “as” is a warning signal that you may be doing this.
Make each character sound unique.
Is she wordy? Or does she use short tight sentences? What’s his pet word? Is the language age appropriate? Is all his talk serious or hardly ever serious? Often, people’s speech is not grammatically correct. One trick to check the sound is to highlight each character’s speech in different colors. Then go through and just read one color. Does it sound like the same person? If anyone could say all of it, it isn’t unique enough.
Avoid or limit dialect.
Don’t make your readers have to guess what the characters are saying. Yes, I know many older books did it, but readers today aren’t as patient.
Avoid filler words.
You don’t need uh, um, well, etc. Often you can skip greetings and parting phrases, too, as they don’t really add.
Keep it age appropriate for realism.
A five-year-old saying, “I think it would be beneficial if I had an animal companion of my own,” would not be believable. But how about, “Can I keep him? I don’t have a pet.” Yes, that’s more realistic. This may seem obvious, but often beginning writers use adult language with child characters.
Dialogue should put readers on scene.
It should make your readers feel they are there listening and watching these characters, yet not be like a recording of an actual conversation. We don’t need to know all the inconsequential things that people often say in real life. “How are you?” “Fine.”
Dialogue should move the story forward.
No lectures. No here’s all the info you as a reader need to know about this character. It should not contain content that no person would say to another, i.e. “Remember how my mom died when I was a baby and I was raised by my aunt?” Another warning sign is when one person’s speech goes on a really long time.
Add internal dialogue.
The main character is the one whose internal dialogue we are usually privileged to hear. It won’t be in quotes. Some publishers use italics; if it helps you to see the thoughts, go for it. Sometimes the aid of “he thought” or “I thought,” is necessary, but not always. The contrast between spoken dialogue and internal dialogue can really make your character come alive. Often we don’t say out loud what we really think. Letting your readers get a glimpse of that will add interest to your story.
Start a new paragraph when the speaker changes.
This helps signal readers that someone else is talking.
Using the above tips, takes this:
“Molly,” Trevor exclaimed impatiently. “Where are your gloves?”
“Um, I don’t know, Twevor,” Molly lisped softly.
“Well, you can’t go outside without them,” Trevor complained loudly. “Your fingers will freeze and Mom will blame me.”
“But I want to go,” Molly whined. “I want to slide.”
“Sled,” Trevor corrected.
To this:
Trevor glanced out the entryway window at the falling snow. If I didn’t have to wait for an annoying little sister, I’d already be flying down Hawkins Hill. He sighed, and knelt to zip up Molly’s coat. “Where are your gloves?”
Molly shrugged.
Trevor frowned. “You can’t go outside without them. If your fingers freeze, it’s me Mom’ll yell at.”
“But I wanna go,” Molly said. “I wanna slide.”
“Sled,” Trevor corrected. He dug through the heap of clothing on the closet floor.
See how we know Trevor is impatient? Trevor more realistically talks about Mom yelling instead of Mom blaming him. We get some setting and some action, and know that Molly is a lot younger.
Finally, listen to kids talk.
Your own are good, but even better are kids you don’t know. Go to a public place and pay attention to the children or young adults talking. Not only can you hear the rhythm of their speech, but you’ll be reminded of what they are interested in. Taking notes on what they say–not what they look like–can help you practice dialogue.

Viewpoint in Children’s Fiction

Posted on April 21, 2009 by Susan Uhlig

Image by Herbert Aust from Pixabay

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Should I write my book in 3rd person
or first person point of view?

Look at the books you like. If they are mainly written in third person (he said, she said) versus first person (I said), write them in third. Either way, the camera eye view of the story should be from the main character’s point of view.
Think of a camera riding on your main character’s shoulder. The camera goes where he goes. It can’t record his facial features or what other people think of him. It can’t record what’s behind him, unless he turns around. We only know what the main character thinks, experiences, sees, hears. No bouncing from head to head.
Switching viewpoints can be done, but is usually done chapter by chapter, or scene by scene, so as not to confuse the reader. And, of course, is more difficult to write and keep straight.

Help! I have trouble keeping the story
in my main character’s viewpoint.

Try writing the story in first person. Doesn’t mean you have to keep it that way, but it can help you focus. I have frequently take a story I’ve written and switched it from third person to first or vice versa.
Perhaps you are telling the story from the wrong person’s viewpoint. If you keep wanting to be in the boy’s head instead of the girl’s, try writing the story with him as the narrator, not her.
Or if both are needed to tell the story, can you have them tell the story chapter by chapter, switching off between the characters?

Should I write my story in past tense
or present tense?

Most books are written in past tense, but some are written in present tense, though it is probably harder to do and keep consistent.
Whichever way you go, keep your story as chronological as possible. Lots of flashbacks confuse readers.

Viewpoint Resource on the Internet
collected April 09

“Characters and Point Of View” by Laura Backes

Examples of Viewpoint

1st Person Viewpoint
“Today’s the last day of school, the only day of school I look forward to. I grab my basketball and head to Mr. Glick’s class.” Stanford Wong Flunks Big Time by Lisa Yee
3rd Person Viewpoint
“If Gil Goodson was to have a chance, any chance at all, he would have to run faster than he was running right now.” The Gollywhopper Games by Jody Feldman
Multiple Viewpoints
3rd person – Criss Cross by Lynne Rae Perkins
1st person – Remembering Raquel by Vivian Vande Velde
1st & 3rd person – If a Tree Falls at Lunch Period by Gennifer Choldenko

Craft, The Nitty Gritty of Children's Writing

Making Friends: Character Development

Posted on April 8, 2009August 20, 2026 by Susan Uhlig

The hardest thing for me about character development is what my character is like inside. Yes, of course I know her plot problem. But, what is most important in her life? I can’t just randomly assign this. Same goes for character and personality traits, bad and good habits.

I have to learn who my main character is, like when I meet a new person.

ACQUAINTANCE

First, we’re introduced. I see his exterior. I may learn: his manner of speech, his job, and where he lives. Nothing very deep. But what I learn hints to who he is. I’ll probably recognize him when I see him next.

In books, we get to choose how to introduce our character. We can’t depend on a visual, since we’re not dealing with pictures. Whatever we write should help our reader recognize this person again. However, we have the advantage that we can start with something deep which will quickly push the relationship closer.

CASUAL FRIEND

We meet again and I learn: her interests, pet peeves, maybe about her family. I may experience her sense of humor; or hear about the current crisis in her life. We find what we have in common. When we see each other we enjoy the time, but may not make special effort to seek each other out. I often only think of this casual friend when I see her.

In a story, staying at the casual stage doesn’t do it. If a reader doesn’t desire to seek your character out, to see what is happening, the book can be easily set aside and forgotten.

NON-FRIEND

A person who never goes beyond the acquaintance or casual stage with me may be a loner, too different, or perhaps we just didn’t click.

Book characters may be loners, but can’t shut the reader out. The reader must learn some of their secrets, their foibles, their dreams.

If there is nothing in a character a reader can relate to, why read on? That doesn’t mean a character has to be exactly like you or me–for one thing that would be boring–but something must give the reader some sense of familiarity or connection. It may be common values, the way the character thinks, talks, or finds interesting.

Not all characters will click with all readers, of course.

FRIEND

She and I like each other, so mutually agree to be friends, although this is rarely stated openly. Instead we choose to spend time together. I enjoy talking with her and finding out what she has experienced.

Main characters in books need to be likable or intriguing, so the reader will keep going long enough to make friends. Readers must want to spend the time it takes to finish the book. They need to enjoy discovering what is going to happen next.

CLOSE FRIEND

If the two of us hit it off, we may jump deep into friendship, skipping some stages along the way. But often it’s more a gradual wading in–the more she and I learn about each other, the closer friends we become. (Unless the relationship is interrupted by a big disagreement.) When we are together, it’s usually a good time, even if the circumstances aren’t good. This also doesn’t mean we won’t learn each other’s weaknesses.

If the reader is drawn close to a character, the attachment strengthens, and the reader will care enough to stick through tough spots, weaknesses, and even shocking revelations.

APPEARANCE

Our friendships are rarely based only on a person’s appearance.

Neither is a reader’s connection to a character.

MY MAIN CHARACTER, MY CLOSE FRIEND

How do I get close to my character? For me, I think about her or him a lot (without putting pen to paper or fingers to keyboard).

I ask questions. Big questions and small questions:

Why is this problem important to her?
Who does he depend on or confide in?
Who are her friends? Her enemies?
What does he want to be when he grows up?
What does she dream about?
Does he hate dogs? Why?
Does she adore a sport or local team? What, who and why?
How does he spend spare time?
What chores is she required to do at home?
What’s his worst class at school? What’s his best? His favorite?
What extracurricular activities, clubs, or groups does she belong to?
How does he feel about all of the above things?!

I try to remember to take her with me and think about her participating in what I’m experiencing.

How would she most likely react to this situation?
What is she likely to say in this circumstance?
Would she like this or hate it?

When I go to bed at night I imagine him on scene.

What will he do?
What will he say?
How will he try to solve her problem(s)?

How do other writers do it?

Some use charts or do character interviews. Some writers are more organic–they start writing about the character and as they write they discover things about their characters. Some of what they write is only back story and will not make it into the finished book.

Of course, we all at some level borrow from what we’ve
seen. Not usually a real person’s entire personality, looks, habits, experiences, but that annoying habit of his, her pattern of speech, his way of thinking, her talents, etc.

Whatever method works for you, you’ll probably find it is work. But hopefully you’ll also find it was worthwhile spending this time with your character.

Character Development Resources

Online Articles

A Step-By-Step Plan to Create Compelling Characters

Top Ten Questions for Creating Believable Characters

Books

Fiction is Folks by Robert Newton Peck
Creating CHARACTERS: How to Build Story People by Dwight V. Swain
The Secrets of Successful Fiction by Robert Newton Peck
Creating Characters Kids Will Love by Elaine Marie Alphin

Before You Begin, The Nitty Gritty of Children's Writing

Glossary of Publishing Terms

Posted on March 3, 2009August 20, 2026 by Susan Uhlig

ABA: American Booksellers Association

ADVANCE: Money paid to an author or illustrator by a publisher after the book contract is signed. Advances are paid against royalties. Usually, the author or illustrator won’t receive any additional payments until the royalty earnings have surpassed the amount of the advance.

AGENT: Person who sells an author’s work for them, negotiating any contracts, etc. for a fee, however, no fees should be paid up front. Also known as Literary Agent.

ALA: American Library Association

ALL RIGHTS: Sale of material where the publisher becomes the owner of the material. The author may not sell the material again.

ALSC: Association for Library Service to Children

ARC: Advanced Reader Copy – a bound galley sent out to reviewers.

BACKLIST: Books still in print from previous seasons.

BELPRÉ MEDAL: An award for outstanding children’s literature and illustration that celebrates the Latino/Latina cultural experience.

BOOK DOCTOR: Someone who will examine your manuscript and critique it for a fee. These vary greatly in quality.

BOOK REVIEW: One person’s opinion of a book, printed in a newspaper, magazine, newsletter or online.

CALDECOTT MEDAL: An annual award to the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children. Administered by the Association for Library Service to Children.

CBC: Children’s Book Council – nonprofit national trade association for children’s trade book publishers. Awards and book lists.

CLIP: sample of a published work

CONTRACT: Legal agreement between author or illustrator and agent or agency or a publisher. The latter lays out details of how and when the material will be published, what rights are sold, payment, etc.

CORETTA SCOTT KING BOOK AWARD: Presented annually by the Coretta Scott King Task Force of the American Library Association’s Ethnic Multicultural Information Exchange Round Table (EMIERT). Recipients are authors and illustrators of African descent whose distinguished books promote an understanding and appreciation of the “American Dream.”

COVER LETTER: Brief letter to introduce your manuscript.

CRA: Christian Retail Association

CRITIQUE GROUP: Group of writers or illustrators who help each other hone their work.

CRYSTAL KITE MEMBER CHOICE AWARDS: Peer-given award to recognize great books from fifteen SCBWI regional divisions around the world.

E-BOOK: A book only published electronically.

EDUCATIONAL MARKET: Book publishers whose purpose is to sell to schools and libraries.

ELECTRONIC RIGHTS: The right to print a work in an electronic form (i.e. via the Internet.)

ELEVATOR PITCH: The term given to a book pitch that could, in theory, be delivered in the space of a short elevator ride.

FIRST RIGHTS: Or First Serial Rights. The right to be the first to print a work in a magazine.

FLAT FEE: The author or illustrator is paid one lump sum for their work, and receives no royalties.

FRONTLIST: The books being published in the current season.

GALLEY: A collection of unbound signature pages of a book. A bound galley is bound into book form. A galley is an uncorrected proof.

GENRE: Writing category, i.e. romance, children’s, nonfiction, mystery. Often have subcategories.

GOLDEN KITE AWARDS: The only children’s literary award judged by a jury of peers. Given by the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.

HARDCOVER: Books bound with a hard, cloth-over-cardboard cover and covered with a paper dust jacket.

HORN BOOK: Well-known magazine about children’s and young adult literature. This page has categories of awards.

ILA: International Literacy Association, a nonprofit network committed to worldwide literacy.

INDIE PUBLISHING: self-publishing

INDEPENDENT PUBLISHER: A monthly digital publication for independent publishers, booksellers, and authors.

INSTITUTIONAL SALES: Books sold to schools and libraries. Both trade and mass market books can have institutional sales. Institutional sales often makes up a large portion of the sales for Children’s books.

KIRKUS: Kirkus Reviews, a well-known magazine that reviews books prior to publication. A starred review indicates a book of remarkable merit.

LOGLINE: A one sentence summary of your story or book. A one sentence pitch.

MANUSCRIPT: An author’s unpublished work.

MANUSCRIPT WISH LIST: A website for agents and editors to post what they wish they had in their inbox.

MASS MARKET: Your standard-sized paperback book aimed at a wide audience. Smaller than a trade paperback, usually with a different cover illustration than the hardcover edition, and considerably cheaper.

MASS MARKET PUBLISHERS: Companies that produce paperback books inexpensively and in large quantities. Book titles may follow trends and sell high volume in a short amount of time. Some may be reprints of hardcover books.

MICHAEL L. PRINTZ AWARD: An award for excellence in young adult literature.

NET PRICE: The money the publisher actually receives from each book sale after discounts are given to book stores or buyers. Some publishers base the royalty paid to the author or illustrator on net price.

NEWBERY MEDAL: An award for the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children. Awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association

NON-EXCLUSIVE RIGHTS: The right to print and reprint it, but others may print it as well.

ONE SENTENCE PITCH: See logline.

ONE-TIME RIGHTS: The right to print a manuscript one time. i.e. one issue of a magazine.

OOP: Out of Print. Not printed anymore.

OVER THE TRANSOM: Unsolicited submission. See Slush Pile.

PUBLISHERS MARKETPLACE: An industry news website that can help authors connect with agents and editors. Their newsfeed tracks publishing deals, agents, editors, submission calls and more. Full membership is $25/month.

QUERY LETTER: A letter to gain interest in a manuscript or idea.

REQUESTED MANUSCRIPT: A manuscript an editor personally requests either in response to a query letter or at a conference, retreat, webinar, or workshop.

REPRINT RIGHTS: The right to print a manuscript that has already been printed.

RETAIL PRICE: Cover price of the book. Most larger publishers pay royalties based on the cover price.

RETURNS: Books that booksellers return to the publisher.

ROYALTIES: The percentage of the proceeds from the sale of each copy of the book that the author or illustrator receives. Royalties vary depending on the publisher, the type of book, amount of experience author has, etc. Authors and illustrators are both paid in royalties unless a flat fee arrangement has been made.

SASE: self-addressed stamped envelope.

SASP: self-addressed stamped postcard.

SCBWI: Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.

SCHNEIDER FAMILY BOOK AWARD: This award honors an author or illustrator for a book that embodies an artistic expression of the disability experience for child and adolescent audiences.

SECOND RIGHTS: The right to print a work that has been printed once before.

SELF-PUBLISHED: Author has a book they feel strongly about and pays to have it published themselves, with or without the help of a company who does this.

SIDE-BAR: An additional piece of information accompany8ing an article or story–often printed to the side.

SIMULTANEOUS SUBMISSION: Manuscript submitted to more than one publisher at the same time.

SLUSH PILE: Term for unsolicited manuscripts received at a publishing house.

SPARK AWARD: An annual SCBWI award that recognizes excellence in a children’s book published through a non-traditional publishing route.

SUBSIDIARY RIGHTS: Sales of a book to other outlets such as book clubs, foreign publishers, magazines, or movie studios.

SUBSIDY PUBLISHING: Author pays part of all of book publication, promotion and sale.

SYNOPSIS: A summary of your book. Lengths requested vary, but a one page single-spaced synopsis is common.

TEXAS BLUEBONNET AWARD: Awarded by the students of Texas** through a voluntary reading program.

TRADE PAPERBACK: A book bound with a heavy paper cover, either larger than the standard-sized paperback or the same size and with the same cover illustration as the hardcover edition.

TRIM SIZE: The outer dimensions of the finished book.

UNSOLICITED MANUSCRIPT: A manuscript not specifically requested by the editor.

VANITY PRESS: Publisher who requires author to pay all costs of producing the book. Often these manuscripts are not edited.

WILLIAM ALLEN WHITE CHILDREN’S BOOK AWARD: Award for books for children in 3rd through 5th grade and for children in 6th through 8th grade, voted by the students.

YALSA’s BOOK AWARDS & BOOKLISTS: YALSA, Young Adult Library Services Association, reunifying with ALSC.

FOR FURTHER INFO:

100 Common Publishing Terms

(This page updated August 2026)

Before You Begin, The Nitty Gritty of Children's Writing

Children’s Book Categories

Posted on March 2, 2009December 30, 2022 by Susan Uhlig

Image by Kidaha from Pixabay

read-2841722_1280 Children’s books are often broken up by age categories. Age ranges may vary by publisher. There are, of course, word length and manuscript pages exceptions to the generalizations below.

Picture books — In its broadest definition, a picture book is a book in which the illustrations play a significant role in telling the story. Under this umbrella are several types of books:

Baby books — For infants and young toddlers, these books are generally lullabies, nursery rhymes, fingerplays, or wordless books. The length and format varies with the content.

Toddler books — Very simple stories for ages 1-3 (under 300 words) familiar to a child’s everyday life, or concept books (teaching colors, numbers, shapes, etc.) Books are short (12 pages is average) and the format can be board books (sturdy paper-over board construction), pop-ups, lift-the flaps or novelty books (books that make sounds, have different textures, etc.)

Early picture books — A term for picture books geared toward the lower end of the 4-8 age range. These stories are simple and contain under 1000 words. Many early picture books have been reprinted in the board book format, thus widening the audience.

Picture books — Traditionally, picture books (also called “picture story books”) are 32-page books for ages 4-8 (this age may vary by publisher). Manuscripts can be up to 1000 words, but many publishers are looking for 500 words or less. Plots are simple (no sub-plots or complicated twists) with one main character who embodies the child’s emotions, concerns and viewpoint. The illustrations (on every page or every other page) play as great a role as the text in telling the story. Occasionally a picture book will exceed 1000 words; this is usually geared toward the upper end of the age spectrum. Picture books cover a wide range of topics and styles. Illustrators should check out the Caldecott Medal winners. Writers should look at the Charlotte Zolotow Award winners.

Nonfiction in the picture book format can go up to age 10, 48 pages in length, or up to about 2000 words of text.

Easy readers — Also called “easy-to-read” or “rookie readers,” these books are for children just starting to read on their own (age 6-8). They have color illustrations on every page like a picture book, but the format is more “grown-up” — smaller trim size, sometimes broken into short chapters. The length varies greatly by publisher; the books can be 32-64 pages long, with 200-1500 words of text, occasionally going up to 2000 words. The stories are told mainly through action and dialogue, in grammatically simple sentences (one idea per sentence). Books average 2-5 sentences per page. See “I Can Read” books. (http://www.icanread.com/)

Transition books — Sometimes called “early chapter books” or “beginning chapter books” for ages 6-9, they bridge the gap between easy readers and chapter books. Written like easy readers in style, transition books are longer (manuscripts are about 30 pages long, broken into 2-3 page chapters), books have a smaller trim size with black-and-white illustrations every few pages. See the “Stepping Stone Books” published by Random House.

Chapter books — Sometimes called “early middle grade” or “early chapter books” for ages 7-10, these books are 45-60 manuscript pages long, broken into 3-4 page chapters. Stories are meatier than transition books, though still contain a lot of action. The sentences can be a bit more complex, but paragraphs are still short (2-4 sentences is average). Chapters often end in the middle of a scene to keep the reader turning the pages. Look at the “Amber Brown” books by Paula Danzinger.

Middle Grade — This is the golden age of reading for many children, ages 8-12. Manuscripts suddenly get longer (100-150 pages), stories more complex (sub-plots involving secondary characters are woven through the story) and themes more sophisticated. Kids get hooked on characters at this age, which explains the popularity of series with 20 or more books involving the same cast. Fiction genres range from contemporary to historical to science fiction/fantasy; nonfiction includes biographies, science, history and multicultural topics. Check out some middle grade novels from the list of Newbery Medal winners.

Young Adult (YA) — For ages 12 and up, these manuscripts are 130 to about 200 pages long. Plots can be complex with several major characters, though one character should emerge as the focus of the book. Themes should be relevant to the problems and struggles of today’s teenagers, regardless of the genre. The Printz Award list contains many worthy titles.

Notes: I don’t know where I got this info originally–it was something typed up with no author reference. I have seen variations online as if solely written by that person. I have updated some of the information. -Sue