1. Start with a moment from your main character’s childhood that establishes the dream that he or she will pursue during the story. This is the most common approach and the one I’ve taken with most of my books. You’ll see on the opening page a kid that a child can relate to, longing for a goal that the reader will root for the character to achieve.
2. Find a kid-friendly image or association:
3. Find a universal theme to which kids can relate: Manjhi Moves a Mountain and Dear Mr. Dickens both start with the main characters as adults, but both connect with children that embrace the universal theme of doing something about an unfair situation. Manjhi feels the unfairness of the children of his village being unable to go to school, the sick being able to get to a doctor, the elderly and infirm struggling to get to markets because there is a 300-foot mountain separating his village from the one that has all those things. He comes up with a solution and perseveres, despite ridicule, until he succeeds in making his community better for everyone. Kids and adults alike respond to the message that we can all move mountains – or make a positive difference in our world -- if our hearts are big enough.
The one thing all three methods have in common is that they get kids invested in the main character or characters from the first page, wanting to know what happens next. You have to keep a child’s attention for anything else in the story to matter. GIVEAWAYWebsite: https://www.nancychurnin.com
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12 Comments
11/3/2021 05:13:32 am
Wow, I love this blog. And you are the master of NF. I still need to read your last ones.
Reply
Peggy Thomas
11/3/2021 06:17:59 am
Excellent tips, Nancy. Thanks!
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Robin Wiesneth
11/3/2021 06:37:15 am
Wonderful examples! I look forward to reading DEAR MR. DICKENS.
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11/3/2021 07:49:12 am
Great tips. Thanks for sharing and wishing you continued success! :)
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Rebecca DesPrez
11/3/2021 06:21:34 pm
Really loved this post! Love to read Dear Mr. Dickens!
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Kirstie
11/3/2021 09:58:13 pm
Thank you for these useful tips that have me rethinking a WIP.
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Julie Kurtz
11/4/2021 11:53:30 am
Great advice and tips! All of the books mentioned are great examples of inspirational people eh have made a difference! Thanks for the valuable information!
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Penny Taub
11/12/2021 11:40:33 am
Thank you Nancy for sharing how to find the voice and focus for a Biography. This has been helpful. This was a new aspect of Dickens many people didn't know about. Thank you for your effort to spot light this truth. Will post on FB and Twitter for an extra chance to win a copy of Dear Mr. Dickens.
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11/15/2021 01:04:22 am
Thanks to this article I can learn more. Expand my knowledge and abilities. Actually the article is very real.
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Donna Rossman
11/21/2021 12:12:38 pm
Love your work, Nancy! Thank you for this post. It helped me with a pb in progress.
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