No-Nos in Writing Children’s Books

Just as writing children’s books has a unique set of rules to follow (you know that the good guy or gal always wins), some things you should never do — never! Don’t even consider doing any of the following in a book for children:

• Write books that preach or lecture.

• Talk down to children as if they are small, idiotic adults.

• Write books that have no real story (nor a plot with beginning, middle, end).

• Use art that is totally inappropriate for the story or vice versa.

• Pack picture books with text.

• Pack nonfiction books with too much text and too few visuals.

• Create characters who are boring or uninteresting.

• Create main characters who have a problem they don’t solve or who don’t change throughout the course of the story.

• Tell instead of showing by using narrative as a soapbox.

• Anthropomorphize animals and use alliterative names (Squishy Squirrel, Morty Mole — Wretched Writer).