write children's books

I want to write about my childhood experiences in the 80s, as some sort of memoir with pictures. I grew up on a farm and had so many adventures and experiences that I want to share! I have collated many of these ideas but not sure how to structure them. This is where I am stalling. A great site to get started on is Lulu.com, a self-publishing website that enables you to upload your work and they make it into a book for you. I gave it a trial by creating a cookbook, a compilation of my favourite recipes donated by family and friends, and when Lulu.com sent me the finished product, although it was very simple and basic, I was so excited about having a professional-looking bound book full of my own work. It motivated me to start writing more. Even if a book is partially finished and your inspiration or drive is running low, I recommend you pay the small fee to get it published so that you have an idea of where your work is heading and you can find the motivation to finish! You can then edit the prototype book, make some corrections, etc which makes it easy to visualize the finished product. And when you have a final product, you can send it away to a REAL publisher! Even if you don’t get it professionally published, Lulu enables you to create books that you can give to friends and family as a unique, personalised gifts. I am also in the process of creating a book filled with all the old school-yard songs, summer camp songs, and hand-clapping games/playground rhymes, and also poems and anecdotes (most of the poems and songs that my Nan taught me, so a sentimental collection that I want to pass on one day) that I learned as a child. I never want to forget this stuff so why not make a book out of it, even if it is just an unpublished keepsake for my own reference. So far so good! Good luck to everyone else and thanks for letting me share my ideas :) (Tamara – Australia)

I keep starting and stopping – progress comes in great spurts and then the well seems dry

I have loads of ideas for children’s books and have read a fair few to various children I’ve worked with and relativers children, my only problem is getting started.

Here’s hoping…

It’s all set and in the envelope to mail to an appropriate publisher. Just need one more final proofreading before it goes…

I always have a children’s story idea buzzing in my head constantly. Does this happen to anyone else?

I think if I actually did this, I would probably STRAY from the generic. Sure, the plot could go where it pleased…but I wouldn’t try and fit a moral into each story. When I was a kid, I was always repulsed by the moral of the story.

I’ve been working on the Jemma story, and like where it is headed. I think it’s time to turn it over to some outside person for feedback and critique before I start prepping it to submit.

I have so many ideas and so little time to sit and write them out. they’re simple story ideas, because few children have an attention span greater than that of a gnat, but they deserve some print time anyway!
perhaps once this month slows down, which it will on the 24th, then i can get to work on that.

I’m joinin a writing group. After a few months of working at the kids bookstore, my little notebook is packed with story ideas. Now I have a bit of time to write, I scheduled it into my week, and a group to show it to and thus am responsible for providing something every other week. Motivation, time, and ideas- what more could I need?

Calico Jane’s Adventures at Little Tree School. It was a project for class and I have to read it aloud tomorrow!