Tag Archives: theme

30 TIPS for Writing Delightful Children’s Books Day 8

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WRITING CHILDREN’S BOOKS TIP #8: NONFICTION

When I joined the children’s book industry professionally in 2015, I thought nonfiction was a special genre for writing textbooks or other books for school. It sounded absolutely boring to me and I thought I would never go near that genre.

Fast-forward a few years and it is becoming one of my favorite genres. What changed?

One day, I realized that as a history buff, most of the bits of information I have about world history came from nonfiction books and those books were NOT textbooks. They were actually interesting and fun, some had amazing illustrations and most were relatable. At age 9, I had gone through all the volumes of the big fat red, Encyclopedia Britannica. And that my friends was nonfiction at its worst (well, most voluminous). These days, nonfiction is more interesting. The creation of more subgenres (types) has made it even more interesting for children.  

By the way, nonfiction is really literature which provides verifiable information based on facts. Some good examples are biographies, memoirs,how-to books, etc.

Types of Nonfiction.

  • This is the most popular form of nonfiction. It is particularly loved by writers of fiction because it utilizes the same structure and elements as fiction. Some examples: memoirs, biographies, description of past events, etc. All the picture books on my list below as well as the middle grade book by best-selling author Soontornvat are examples of Narrative Nonfiction.

Other types are: Expository, Traditional, Active and Browsable. For more information, read this article by Melissa Stewart

TIPS FOR WRITING NONFICTION

  • Know the type of nonfiction that you are interested in
  • Read Read Read as many nonfiction books as you can lay your hands on. Ensure that this book is also
  • Research Research and Research some more. Know your subject like the back of your hand.
  • Do find a theme/ through line for your book: remember, the theme is the heart of the story.
  • Remember the elements of fiction, try to use them as much as possible. Think of your subject (human, plant, animal, place) as the character. Your subject’s habitat or the place where the primary event(s) take place is your setting. Find an emotional angle to your story and you’ve found your theme. And then determine the cause of events in your subject’s story: plot. Who describes your subject to the reader? POV

Need a refresher on the elements of fiction. Look at the Tip #4: Elements of Fiction here.

MY FAVOURITE PIECES OF NONFICTION

Picture Books

  • Berrne, Jennifer. On a Beam of Light: A Story of Albert Einstein. Chronicle Books, 2016.
  • Brown, Monica. Frida Kahlo and Her Animalitos. NorthSouth Books, 2017.
  • Flemming, Candace. HoneyBee: The Busy life of Apis Mellifera. Neal Porter Books, 2020.
  • Hannah-Jones, Nikola and Renee Watson. 1619 project: Born of the Water. Kokila, 2021.

Chapter Book

Kola-Lawal Constance Omawumi. My Nigeria: Early History. Farafina Tuuti.

Middle Grade

  • Soontornvat, Christina. All Thirteen: The Incredible Cave Rescue of the Thai Boys’ Soccer Team. Candlewick, 2020.

  1. Action: Look at the tips above and try to go through them one after the other. Read (like a reader, i.e. for fun) as many nonfiction books as you can find.

2. Read (Like a Writer)

Determine the type of nonfiction you would like to try and read as many books in that subgenre as you like. Remember to identify the age group also. For example, if you want to write narrative nonfiction (i.e. maybe a biography of an important person) for younger children, 4 – 8, then read nonfiction picture books.

For every book you read, note the craft element that appealed to you in the book and note how the author used it.  

Want to write a story for children, don’t know where to start? Tell me all about it and we can figure out the theme and some mentor texts for you!

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30 TIPS for Writing Delightful Children’s Books Day 6

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WRITING CHILDREN’S BOOKS TIP #6: MISSIONS

Today, we’ll talk about missions and why they should NEVER be mixed up with themes.

The mission is the goal of your story. The reason why you want to write a story. Sometimes, the mission and the theme are one and the same, but many times, they are not.

You can write a successful story without a mission but it is near impossible to have a successful story without an emotion-based theme.

You see, where the mission is your story’s head, the theme is its heart.

I’ll give you an example.

I want to write a book that celebrates a Nigerian heroine, Funmilayo Ransome Kuti. I want Nigerian girls to understand that FRK is a big part of the reason why women can aspire to political power in Nigeria today. I want them to know that she fought for the social, economic and political rights of Nigerian women. I want them to see her for the trailblazer she was and perhaps find a role model in her.  

This is the head of my story. My mission.

To get this story across to my readers in the most powerful manner possible, I must find an emotional angle to it. Herein comes the theme. What themes/universal truths can many people immediately identify with?

I can use any or all of the following: Fighting for one’s beliefs against all odds, courage, discrimination …

If I can find an emotional angle to FRK’s story, my readers will read her story over and over again and hopefully share it and then, mission accomplished: people, especially young girls, will know her name.

Many times, your theme is embedded in your mission. Ask yourself the following questions:

Why is this mission important to me? Why should my reader care about my mission?

Using the example I gave earlier about FRK, my question to myself would be: Why do I want to celebrate FRK so much?

Because she dared to fight where many women could not, because she showed unbelievable courage in the face of serious adversity.

In the answer to that question, I found my theme.

Action

  1. Action: A. Identify the theme(s) and mission(s) in the book(s) you love.

Is there a book you have read more than once? Yes? That’s the one you need.😊

  1. Can you figure out the theme(s) using the questions above?
  2. What did you like best about this book?
  3. Which character’s story resonated with you and why?
  4. Can you figure out the mission?
  5. Go online and look for author interviews to see if you were right! Good luck!

B. Now think about your own story: What’s your mission and what’s your theme?

2. Read.

Here is one of my favourites:

  • Amari and the Night Brothers (MG) by B.B Alston

Mission: Create a killer adventure story with a black female protagonist so that little black girls can see themselves in adventure books!

Themes: Courage, friendship, family and the overall theme of racial prejudice.

Want to write a story for children, don’t know where to start? Tell me all about it and we can figure out the theme and some mentor texts for you!

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30 TIPS for Writing Delightful Children’s Books Day 5

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WRITING CHILDREN’S BOOKS TIP #5: THEMES and MISSIONS

Today, I want to write about a subject that is very dear to my heart: Themes.

You see, for the longest time, I didn’t really understand the relationship between themes and writing a truly memorable story which readers will read OVER AND OVER again.

The relationship is really simple: You cannot write a best-selling novel without an overarching theme.

The theme is the backbone of every story, it is the central idea behind your story. Basically, it is what your book is about. In the last post, I described the theme as

“The heart of your story. The story itself. Often the reason why readers will love your book and return to it over and over again.”

The most important things you need to know:

  • The best themes are based on emotion because, like it or not, human beings are creatures of emotion. The books that lasts longest in their minds are the ones that made them feel something. According to Lisa Cron in her best-selling book, Story Genius:

“In a story, if we’re not feeling, we’re not reading. It is emotion, rather than logic, that telegraphs meaning, thus emotion is what your novel must be wired to transmit, straight from the protagonist to us.” (Cron, 23)

Some emotion based-themes: revenge, love, fear, hope, war.

  • Themes also usually represent a universal truth. It is this universal truth that will resonate with your reader. This truth comes alive through the life/actions of your characters. Some very popular universal truths: Love conquers all, unity in diversity, good vs evil, bravery and confidence (The Harry Porter series by J.K Rowling), etc.
  • Themes can also reflect social justice issues like racial injustice (Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi), gender equality, poverty.

Without an emotion-based theme, your story will be a series of actions holding little or no interest for you and your reader. I know, because this has happened to me. I once wrote a 27,000 first draft of a middle grade novel and when I returned to it after a few months, I felt nothing. At first, I didn’t know why. The description of the setting was exquisite, the action scenes were wonderful with the right amount of tension, sweat and blood, but that was all it was, a book with a lovely setting and series of scenes, nothing more.

It took me 6 months to realize …. that the emotional core of my story was missing … that before my protagonist could go on a meaningful adventure in the 16th century, she had to deal with her major problem: “How to believe in herself when no one else will”

To determine the theme of your book, ask yourself the following questions:

What is the point of my story?

Why should my readers care?

  1. Action: Identify the theme(s) in the book(s) you love.

Is there a book you have read more than once? Yes? That’s the one you need. 😊

  1. Can you figure out the theme(s) using the questions above and below?
  2. What did you like best about this book?
  3. Which character’s story resonated with you and why?

2. Read.

Here are some of my favourites:

  • How to Find What You’re Not Looking For (MG) by Veera Hiranandani for themes of racial and religious discrimination, thriving in spite of disability, coming of age and of course the overall message that love conquers all.
  • Because (PB) by Mo Willems for themes of chance, kindness and its domino effect, finding inspiration through others, dreaming. This one made me cry. I write because Enid Blyton did. This book reminded me that I can dream today because someone else dared to dream.

More about Themes and Missions in the next post.

Want to write a story for children, don’t know where to start? Tell me all about it and we can figure out the theme and some mentor texts for you!

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30 TIPS for Writing Delightful Children’s Books Day 4

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WRITING CHILDREN’S BOOKS TIP #4: ELEMENTS OF FICTION 

What is the difference between a book that stays on the Bestseller list for years and the one that is dumped after the first three chapters? What is the difference between the book that keeps you up all night, flipping the pages, when you have 1001 things to do and the one that you need to be bribed to read? What is the difference between the truly memorable and unputdownable books and the bleh ones?

5 elements!!!

Like a good pot of soup, every story needs some essential ingredients (elements) to create a memorable sensory feast for the consumer. Can you imagine making tomato stew without tomatoes? 😊 In the same way, you cannot create a good story without these elements.

Here they are: The five MUST-HAVE elements of a good story.
 
Character: Every good story must have a character or characters. These are the persons, animals, creatures or things who perform the action in the story. Our stories revolve around them. There are two main types: the main character(s) (the protagonist) and the supporting character(s) (secondary and tertiary characters). You can have multiple main and supporting characters. 

Plot: In simple terms: What happens in your story? The plot is the series of related actions that make up your story. What happens to the characters in your story? What do they do?

Setting: Three things to consider: Place, Period and Mood. Place: Is your story set in Nigeria, Japan, your village? Earth, Mars, an imaginary world? What about the period: 2000 years BC, 3014 AD, the 16th century? Some place where time means nothing? Mood: Is the atmosphere ominous? dark? hopeful? peaceful? tense?

Theme: This is the heart of your story. The story itself. Often the reason why readers will love your book and return to it over and over again. What universal truth does your story proclaim? Love conquers all? One good turn deserves another? Unity in diversity?

Point of View (POV): Who is telling the story? A narrator? The main character? The main character and several supporting characters? Or wait for it!! The narrator, the main character and the supporting characters? How is this person telling the story? Are they talking to themselves? Talking to another character? Telling a story or talking directly to the reader? There are 3 types of POV: First, Second and Third person point of view.

Other important elements:

Humour: Is your story humourous? If yes, what type: dark? satirical? ironic? hyperbolic? Juvenile? The Magnificent Mya Tibbs by Crystal Allen
Literary Devices: Do you employ literary devices to make your words sing or to make your story lyrical? The Day You Begin by Jacqueline Woodson
Scenes: Are the scenes in your story action packed? Do they have a clear goal and a beginning, middle and end? Love, Sophia on the Moon by Anica Rissi
Poetry: Is your story in verse: that is, structured like a poem? Is it free verse or does it rhyme? Star Fish by Lisa Fipps
Structure: What is the layout of your story? Does it use the rule of threes? Is it a parallel story featuring 2 stories playing out at the same time? Meanwhile Back at the Ranch by Trinka Noble. Does it feature the 3 or 4 act structure? Or the hero’s journey? Is it an epistolary? Dear Mrs. LaRue: Letters from Obedience School by Mark Teague

1. Action: Identify these 5 elements in the books you love

Is there a book you have read more than once? Yes? That’s the one you need. 😊 
a.	Identify the 5 elements in this book
b.      Figure out how the author used these elements to make this book memorable.

2. Read.
Here are some of my favourites:
For characters: Children of Blood and Bone (YA) by Tomi Adeyemi: Prince Inan and Amari and The Junie B Jones Series (CB) by Barbara Parks: Junie B Jones.
Note that books with memorable characters will most likely be part of a series. Memorable characters form the backbone of most series. 

For setting: Zahrah the Windseeker (MG) by Nnedi Okoroafor and Amari and the Night Brothers (MG) by B. B. Alston; Tristan Strong Punches A Hole in the Sky (MG) by Kwame Mbalia

For Theme: How To Find What You’re Not Looking For (MG) by Veera Hiranandani and Echo (MG) by Pam Munoz Ryan

For POV: Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus (PB) by Mo Willems and Hello Universe (MG) by Erin Entrada Kelly

For Plot: Holes (MG) by Louis Sachar and All Thirteen: The Incredible Cave Rescue of the Thai Boys’ Soccer Team (MG Nonfiction) by Christina Soontornvat

Some of these books ticked multiple boxes for me. 

Want to write a story for children, don’t know where to start? Tell me all about it and we can figure out the theme and some mentor texts for you! 

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30 Tips for Writing Delightful Children’s Books Day 2

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WRITING CHILDREN’S BOOKS TIP #2: READ! READ!! READ!!!

Stephen King

15 years ago, I met my ‘then’ role model and I excitedly asked her the million-dollar question: “What can I do to become a world-famous writer like you?” I expected a million-dollar answer, a one-way ticket to stardom, the secret to Enid Blyton’s success, something utterly profound.

What I got was:

Read Read Read.

Mschew, I thought as I walked away.

A decade and some later, I know now that she gave me the best piece of writing advice in the world! In fact, this should have been Tip #1. 😊 Do you want to become a bestselling children book author? Please read hundreds of books by other children’s book authors! Hundreds! Thousands! Set a monthly reading target! There is NO OTHER WAY.

Also ….

A… Read what you would like to write

If you love historical fiction and you would like to write a piece of historical fiction set in Nigeria with a 12-year-old main character, please read at least 20 middle grade historical fiction novels set in Africa before you start writing. Read another 20 after writing your first draft. Note: Novels which provide examples of good writing are called mentor texts.

and

B… Read like a writer.

When you read, look out for craft elements* that the writer used to perfection and write them down. Note the way the writer uses them. Elements to look out for: point of view, character development, plot, theme, worldbuilding/setting, dialogue, scenes, literary devices, etc.

  1. Action: Create a Read like a Writer Journal.

For every book you read, write the craft element that appealed to you in your journal.

Here’s what mine looks like:

S/NBOOK CRAFT ELEMENTOther
1Beasts Made of NightTochi OnyebuchiMemorable Action ScenesYA, African magical realism
2Zahrah the WindseekerNnedi OkoroaforWorldbuilding!!!!!!YA, African magical realism
3Aru Shah and the End of TimeRoshani ChokshiWorldbuildingMG, Mythology
4Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the SkyKwame MbaliaWorldbuilding, themeMG Mythology
5Lalani of the Distant SeaErin Entrada KellyWorld Building, Xter Development (Hetsbi)MG, Magical realism
6How to Find What You’re Not Looking ForVeera HiranandaniCharacter, 2nd person Point of view, emotional connection with writer: lots of heart, theme,MG, Contemporary, Historical Fiction, Disability, Discrimination
7Children of Blood and BoneTomi AdeyemiWorldbuilding, Excellent Xter Development (Amari + Prince Inan), internal dialogue, 1st person point of view x 3YA, Yoruba Mythology, The Orisha
RLAW Table

This table shows you the stuff I loved/learnt from the books I’ve read in recent times but it also shows you something else: the nature of the story I’m currently working on and the type of story I’d like to try after this project.

I am currently working on a middle grade piece of historical fiction with elements of magical realism. The bit on mythology is for my next project. 😊

2. Read.

So, figure out the theme/genre of your next writing project and start reading.

Want to write a story for children, don’t know where to start? Tell me all about it and we can figure out the theme and some mentor texts for you!

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*post on craft elements coming soon

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