Whenever we think of children, several things come to mind. Sometimes, we think of innocent human beings who have absolutely no way of doing any wrong. Other times, we think of them as akin to demons, and do our absolute best to avoid them. And even still, we think of them as semi-developed human beings that are still trying to learn the ways of the world. As parents, we want the best for our children. As adults, we want to think that they're the future. We think of all these things, and yet, whenever we pick up a pen to write a children’s book, we freeze. 

Children’s fiction is similar to adult fiction, though there are glaring differences. While it doesn’t require as many words as commercial fiction, or even novellas, that makes our words more critical than they would be in a regular novel. Below are a few challenges we face when writing a children’s book. 

Preaching

Sometimes, we forget that children have minds of their own. Despite what we may think, they’re still intellectual beings who know more than they let on. Even worse is the fact that we forget that they’re their own unique person with individual emotions and feelings. Just because we, as adults, believe in something, doesn’t mean the child does. And because of this, when you’re writing children’s fiction, you have to make sure you aren’t preaching to them any moral lesson they already know, or teaching them something that makes them seem almost idiotic. Rather, make sure that the lesson is implied in the story, guided by the character’s actions.

Moral Ambiguity 

In adult fiction, there’s usually a lot of moral ambiguity than we sometimes let on. After all, there isn’t an absolute in this world, and at times, there are a lot of grey areas in life. But in children’s literature, remember that there are absolutes, especially when it comes to good and evil. Good always triumphs over evil; for example, in fairytales, it’s always the evil stepmother who ends up bearing the brunt of the consequences, or the dragon who ends up being killed. 

Plotless 

Always remember that a children’s story is still a story. That means there has to be a plot somewhere in the story. Even in picture books, there’s a point to them, whether it be the character exploring their surroundings, or through some clever rhyme. Either way, the story is what keeps the child entertained, even if it isn’t their cup of tea. 

Children are special beings that are often underestimated, sometimes even in the literary world. As such, when writing children’s fiction, it’s important to remember that good will always prevail, that we can’t just tell children what to do, and that there has to be something going on in the book. Because after all, these requirements are similar to many books you find in adult fiction. Just without the inappropriate jokes.