Folk think that writing for kids is easy. In fact everyone who has told a child a story feels like an author who can be published. Wish it was as simple as that. I find that now that I’m an adult, I need to connect solidly with my childhood and think like a child to write for kids. Being around kids is fun and I can observe their behavior changes according to the environment.

When I write, I must remember that kids don’t like big blocks of text unbroken by dialogue. I must eavesdrop often enough to get a feel for how folk talk. Old folk, young folk, country folk, town folk, men folk, women folk and kids all talk differently. I must tune my ears to listen in on conversations - people say things but mean something quite different.

Another thing that attracts kids is action! Kids are all about doing things, getting into scrapes and out again. They love breaking the rules adults have set for them and stretching the limits. I must begin with action or dialogue to hook the kid reader.

Most important, I must write with my senses so that I show and don’t tell kids how I feel. Am I hungry because I sniff something roasting on the fire? Does my skin prickle with gooseflesh because I hear a door creek? Do I taste the salt of the sea water when the tide sets in and washes away my sand castle?

I need to go down on all fours and look at things from a kids angle. That’s the secret of writing for kids - I must think and feel like a child.