Having identified my potential hobby I was now confronted with the challenge of finding out what writing for children actually entails. I began as any 21st century person might...by hitting the world-wide web – not literally of course!
Initially I searched my local online book stores for THE MANUAL on how to write for wee little darlings. Needless to say there are tons of books on the subject.
In order to narrow down my options I turned to my old friend Google Books. For those of you who haven’t tried it out yet, it’s great! I searched each book, taking note of the ones with good reviews and reader star ratings, as well as having a good old nosy through the ones with previews of the inside pages.
Eventually I settled on You Can Write Children's Books by Tracey E. Dils - namely because it had good reviews and I could purchase it in e-book format (They're generally much cheaper than than hard copy versions).
Fortunately the book has proved a good starting point...but it is just that. While How To... books are great for setting you on the right track they're no substitute for a healthy dose of getting stuck into coupled with continuing research on craft and process.
After a lot more web-surfing I discovered that there are a few must-see websites on children's writing that continually crop up. They're packed with great resources and are fantastic for networking with other children's writers - novices and experts alike.
http://cbiclubhouse.com/http://www.cwcoachingclub.com/ An awesome, must-see site for children's writers.There are plenty of free resources available for those not wishing to join, but membership is really cheap. It's definitely the one to go for when on a tight budget.
http://www.cwcoachingclub.com/ A membership based website, but still plenty on offer for those not wishing to join.
http://www.institutechildrenslit.com/ They offer great children's writing courses - haven't had an opportunity to take one myself yet, but they come very highly recommended from multiple sources. There are also plenty of free articles available under the RX for Writers heading.
http://www.childrenswriter.com/ A membership based site with free monthly newsletters for non-members too.
http://www.savvyauthors.com/vb/content.php A site for writers across all genres and age groups . This site has some fantastic and very reasonably priced workshops. There are 2 levels of membership: basic (free) and premium ($30/year).
Take a look :)
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