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or eight. There are no rules here. It is just common sense.
Does your book look like a book when you come to present it?
It is also very important to keep the story moving forward at all times
when writing for this level, and short chapters help here. If the story
dallies at all you will lose your listener/reader. And the high points
of the narrative must be strategically placed. Cliff-hanger chapter
endings and lots of suddenlies suddenly seem to appear. Try to imagine
each chapter like a scene in a film. If it has no conflict in it, it probably
shouldn t be there. Also, there has to be a sense that something is
coming next for the story to retain the attention of the child. But that
something has to be worth waiting on so make sure you, at least, know
what it is.
Dialogue
Dialogue is very important to the text, too. Children are looking to
articulate the world they see and this kind of articulation is a cognitive
skill they have to learn. Thus, dialogue is good to read and write, but
be careful on the word usage and language. Also, think about settings.
A child lives in real time, so at this age it is best to make things real,
Write the height 123
even if they are dinosaurs. Choose your plot with a sense of familiarity.
Even the remarkably popular Pokémon has plots, which represent a
kind of realism.
Viewpoint
This is crucial. First person and third person limited are the
recommended viewpoints for this age group. First person is often
ignored for the wrong reasons, and in skilled hands (like Tony Bradman
with the Dilly series) it can be very refreshing for a child to read out
loud. Dilly is not popular because he s cute. The series is popular because
it is very well written.
Plot
Your story has to have a beginning, middle and end, and while the plot
is simplified to provide only a faint subplot the texture of the story can
be slightly stronger than that of a picture book. But remember, there are
a number of issues you need to consider when mapping out your plot.
For example:
" Is your story paced correctly? You must keep the story going. Don t
write around it or get distracted or indulgent. Keep it moving
forward!
" Are the next pages worth turning? After a bright opening, if your
story has already started to sag in the middle are you sure you are
writing the story you intend? All of us are guilty of writing into the
story when we should be leading it along and this is where your
plot structure comes in handy.
" Is the number of characters getting confusing? Do you need them
all? Are they all moving the story forward? If not, should they be
there at all? All too often odd characters with bit parts can be
intrusive.
" Are you showing or telling the story? The show-not-tell problem
is ever in evidence.
On the last of these points, here are two examples (the first telling; the
second showing).
124 Write the height
Tommy wasn t very well. Mum made him stay in bed. It was still
only morning but Tommy was bored already. He had read all his
comics and played with his Gameboy. Now there was nothing left
to do.
But why do I have to stay in bed? asked Tommy.
The doctor said you are to get plenty of rest, replied Mum.
But I feel much better. I really do, said Tommy. Besides, it s
boring being in bed all day. Can t I just get up for a little while?
Tommy pulled the duvet over himself, although he was already
warm.
Mum frowned at Tommy. How can you be bored? I bought you
some new comics and gave you your Gameboy.
That s just it, he replied. I ve read my comics and the Gameboy
is getting boring.
Suddenly, from under the duvet Tommy spotted something very
strange going on in the garden.
The difference is palpable and, I hope you will agree, infinitely better.
The rule of thumb here is simple: show not tell and keep the story going
forward. If the story stands still, even for a moment, you need to make
a cut. Be brutal, it s only a bunch of words, and you will write others.
And if the ones you cut are any good they might be useful elsewhere.
Something else you might have noticed here is the way the dialogue
is broken up. It is short and sharp and to the point. You need it to be
because the story is beginning to take shape from this early set-up.
Also, while we are at it, you might like to consider the issue of
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