If you want to write for children, you may want to consider the graphic novel format. Freshdaily's Toronto blog, BlogTo, recently carried an interview with author Liam O'Donnell, who has two new kids' graphic novels coming out from Orca Publishers. Here's what he says about the versatility of this type of book:
“It's all about finding a topic that connects with the reader. And because graphic novels are a format and not a genre, they can cover just about any topic imaginable, from super hero action to non-fiction topics like the inner workings of electricity or photosynthesis. With an open range of topics and genres, chances are you can find a comic that will engage the particular interest of the reluctant reader in your life.”
The need to get reluctant readers hooked on reading is a big theme with teachers and parents (and publishers) these days. O'Donnell adds, "Both traditional book publishers, like Orca and OwlKids, and educational publishers, like Capstone Press in the US, have caught onto this and are producing graphic novels covering a wide range of topics. As more adults struggle to get kids engaged in reading, they are realizing that graphic novels are a great way to get young minds hooked on reading. Once the love of reading is there, young readers can springboard onto longer, more traditional texts of the same topic.”
He adds a warning that I also have made to people who think they can just dash off a children's book because it's short: “If anything, successfully writing for kids can be a lot tougher than writing for adults. Adult readers will often forgive an author for a tedious bit of writing, flat characters or less than perfect plotting and continue reading the book just to see how it all ends. Kids have so many demands for their attention from TV, video games and other great books that at the first sign of anything tedious, flat or poorly plotted, they'll drop your book and move onto something else without another thought.”
PS: The movie I wrote, "The Real Howard Spitz" was about a failed detective writer who thinks it must be easy to write a children's book, but then has to hook up with an actual child (a species he detests) in order to get it right. It's available on DVD and also includes my entire 30-second acting career...
