I recently opened my email and found this message: “Can I get published as a children’s book author if I’m not a good writer?” At first he puzzled me, but the more I thought about it, the more I appreciated the question. The submitter knows his limitations, but dreams of being published anyway. She’s not suffering under the illusion that she’s the next Dr. Seuss, and I admire that. She will look at her work with a critical eye and look for ways to improve it. This is assuming that it is possible to learn to write well. I think it is.

Very few writers have the innate ability to create vibrant, relevant, and compelling stories from the start. Most have to work at it. And those who see writing as a skill that is never fully mastered, requiring a lifelong devotion to the learning process, will be the most successful. Where this gets tricky is that unlike other skills, like baking a cake, there is no foolproof way to learn to write. So while I can’t give you a one-size-fits-all method, I can give you some ideas on how you can find the path that works best for you.

Read read read. Why do publishers always tell aspiring authors to read lots of children’s books? Because they give you a concrete representation of what works. Be sure to read good books (check reviews or ask a librarian or teacher for recommendations). By simply reading, you will learn about the ebb and flow of a story, how a character is introduced and developed, the types of conflicts appropriate for each age group, how to build tension in scenes and chapters, the relationship of subplots to the main story, how the dialogue advances the plot and much more. You’ll experience firsthand how a skillful author uses sensory imagery to fully immerse the reader in the story. When comparing various authors who write for the same age group, you will hear different literary voices.

I suggest reading books like the ones you want to write, as well as books one level younger and one level older. So, if your goal is to write a middle grade mystery for ages 8-12, read mysteries for ages 7-10 and 10-14 as well. In this way, you will learn exactly what constitutes a middle grade novel and how it differs from fiction for older and younger readers. You might even learn that your story isn’t really for the intermediate grades after all.

Another reason to read a lot of quality books is that you need a yardstick by which to judge your own work. You will learn which “rules” cannot be broken and which ones have more leeway. For example, you’d be hard-pressed to find a 60-page picture book in stores, even by a well-known author. If your picture book is that long, you’ll have no choice but to rethink the story and fit it into 32 pages. However, you can experiment with unconventional characters and unexpected points of view. And the older the reader, the fewer rules apply. But no matter what you do with your plot, characters, or writing style, make sure you know why you’re doing it. Don’t write the story in the present tense unless it needs to unfold in real time for the reader. Do not incorporate flashbacks unless they are vital to understanding what is happening in the story now.

Find a system that works for you. The first step in learning how to write a book that will engage your readers is figuring out how you learn best. Some authors I know are very leftist; they love tables, graphs and lists. They love tracing their scenes and plotting their book through all the levels before they start writing. Leftists will analyze published books and count the words per page, look at which scene contains the catalyst for the plot, chart where the tension rises and falls in each chapter. Others prefer to learn more intuitively. They read books, absorb different styles of writing, and maybe write a few notes with general impressions or key points they want to remember. They have a general idea of ​​where their own story is going and aren’t afraid to experiment and take detours along the way.

If you don’t know where you are on the spectrum, try different approaches and see which one feels right. Remember that there is no one way to do this, and each method has its pros and cons. Charting out your story beforehand can keep you from getting off track, but lists can become an evasive technique to keep you from actually writing the book. Letting words spill onto the page without a grand plan feels very creative, but it usually results in big first drafts that have to be significantly trimmed and shaped. If you write enough, you will discover your weaknesses and ways to fix them. Maybe you make an outline first and then save it while you write your first draft. Maybe design your scenes into a plot after each chapter, then revise as needed before moving on to the next chapter. If your dialogue tends to wander in circles before getting to the point, you’ll learn to put it down on paper and then tweak it in the second draft.

Acknowledge your strengths. Some authors are brilliant nonfiction writers but can’t sell a fictional story. Others write wonderful picture books but feel overwhelmed by all the layers of a novel. Instead of trying to force a style that isn’t yours, start with what you’re naturally good at. You don’t have to publish fiction to be a successful author. You may dream of writing picture books, but if you have a knack for relating to teens, young adult novels may be your future.

Discovering your strengths means experimenting with various writing styles and age groups. If you don’t know where to start, think about the kinds of children’s books you like to read the most. Then play around writing dialogue or scenes for the same age group. If you are naturally drawn to nonfiction, make a list of topics that excite you. Start by writing about one of the topics in the style of some of your favorite children’s magazines.

Practice. Over the years, I have worked with writers who have published through sheer force of will. They have reviewed manuscripts over and over again, taking them from mediocre to polished. They have shelved ideas that just didn’t work and turned into something new. And they never sent the first or second draft to a publisher, because those manuscripts could always be improved. They weren’t very good writers when they started, but they learned. And you can too.