Web Resources on Writing for Children

This week I've put together a short list of websites and web pages that offer help specifically with writing for children. As always, your suggested additions and updates to this list are welcome. The list will eventually have its own page on this blog site.

Websites

Aaron Shepard’s Kidwriting Page

http://www.aaronshep.com/kidwriter/

This site offers lots of free resources for writing and publishing children’s books

Adventures in YA & Children's Publishing

http://childrenspublishing.blogspot.com/
This site offers helpful articles on the craft of writing for children and young adults.

Cynthia Leitich Smith

http://www.cynthialeitichsmith.com/for_writers/writing_for_kids/writingforkids.html

Best-selling children’s and YA author Cynthia Leitich Smith’s site has won many accolades. It’s loaded with advice on writing and features other resources for children’s writers, including her blog, Cynsations, and her other social media sites. 

Institute of Children’s Literature

http://www.institutechildrenslit.com/rx/ws01/webindex.shtml

The institute offers writing help and much more. This link is to a huge list of articles on writing for children, categorized by topic.

Margot Finke

http://www.margotfinke.com/
Margot Finke's website is full of advice and articles on writing for children.

Pat Mora—Bookjoy

http://www.patmora.com/tips.htm

Author Pat Mora lists 20 tips on writing for children. 

Resources for Children’s Writers

http://www.resourcesforchildrenswriters.blogspot.com/

Rachelle Burk’s renowned website for children's writers includes a list of “Helpful Writing Articles.”

http://www.flickr.com/photos/marwamorgan/2602038800/

Right-Writing.com

http://www.right-writing.com/child.html

This link is to a web page listing articles on various topics related to writing for children, many written by Laura Backes of Children’s Book Insider newsletter.

Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators

http://www.scbwi.org/

offers a Writing Mentor Program for writer members selected by a panel of judges.

Suzanne Lieurance

http://www.suzannelieurance.com/

This children’s author offers tips, articles, coaching, and other resources on writing for children.

The Purple Crayon 

http://www.underdown.org/

Children’s book editor Harold Underdown offers loads of great advice and resources on writing for children, and much more.

Verla Kay

http://www.verlakay.com

Verla Kay offers transcripts of workshops on writing for children by authors including Anastasia Sue and Linda Joy Singleton (middle-grade fiction)

Writer’s Digest

http://www.writersdigest.com

Once registered (free), you can search for articles on writing for children. Many other resources include a free download of “101 Best Websites for Writers” and writing tutorials, workshops, and webinars.

Writers Speak to Kids (videos)
http://www.nbclearn.com/writersspeak/cuecard/60817
In this video series children's authors explain their techniques of creative writing. Authors include Jeff Kinney, Mo Willems, and Michael Buckley, among others.

Write4Kids.com

http://write4kids.com/

Laura Backes and Jon Bard offer writing help and more for children’s writers with a paid subscription to their Children’s Book Insider newsletter.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/skrubu/6766886411 

Writing-World.com

http://www.writing-world.com/children/index.shtml

This site offers numerous articles on writing for children, grammar and editing tips, and much more.

Individual online articles

Dummies.com

http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/writing-childrens-books-for-dummies-cheat-sheet.html

This web page offers excerpted advice from Lisa Rojany Buccieri and Peter Economy’s book Writing Children’s Books for Dummies, 2^nd edition.

Terri Rocker: “How to Write Children’s Literature”

 http://www.ehow.com/how_4827405_write-childrens-literature.html

This is an eHow page featuring advice from author Terri Rocker..

Michael Rosen’s “Child’s Play”

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2008/sep/26/michaelrosen.writing.booksforchildrenandteenagers

This is British author and former Children's Laureate Michael Rosen's article on writing for children, published in The Guardian, Sept. 25, 2008