I myself am somewhat of a perfectionist so my first thought was not to start writing until I knew EVERYTHING about each genre of children's literature. I didn't want to appear to be totally ignorant and out of my depth...even to myself!
Luckily an opportunity to participate in a picture book workshop, hosted by Mayra Calvani, arose - and it was just too good an opportunity to miss (it was through Savvy Authors - see my last post). Feedback from someone with experience in the field is a dream :) At the time of starting the workshop a couple of weeks ago I didn't know everything...and still don't. The good news is neither does everyone else - writers are always learning!
Anyway, the workshop was just what I needed to focus my efforts because, as you'll find when you start to delve into the world of children's writing, each age category of book has it's own very unique set of rules. Far too many to absorb all in one go!
In the end a huge 100W light bulb went on for me...research and writing go hand in hand.
Consequently I've come up with a new (well new for me!) plan of action, and so far it seems to be working:
1. Thoroughly read up on the 'rules' for the age category.
2. Devour lots of children's books in the genre that you intend to write - not literally ;)
3. Write something every day...even if it's just jotting down some possible ideas; a brainstorm; or a blog entry.
4. Don't be scared to put pen to paper/fingers to keyboard and make a start. It doesn't matter if it's 'dreadful', you can always go back and edit to perfection once you've got your basic ideas down.
Next time: Tips on keeping focused, and how to find people who'll give you constructive feedback (critique groups).
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