It turns out, that I’m an idiot. And I’ve probably been one from early age.
This may not be as much of a surprise to some of you as I’d like, but I’m going to ignore that and explain myself anyway. I’m an idiot because I’ve singularly failed to do the one thing that every writer should do. That thing is research.
A lack of research leads to confusion. Confusion over what you’re writing and, more importantly, confusion about whom you’re writing for.
In my case, I got confused because there seems to be no agreement between different publishers, bookshops and agents when it comes to reading age and word counts. One group will tell you it’s 5-7 years and 2000 words. Another will say 5-9 and 5000 words. Then there’s bloody Roald Dahl and Andy Stanton and their 20,000 worders that appear in both the 5-8 and 9-12 sections.
Does my head in.
Where’s the pattern? I asked myself. I asked and asked and asked until, eventually, I realised that the problem wasn’t the amount of disagreement throughout the book industry. The problem was; I’m an idiot.
The fact is; I tend to overthink things like this. It took nothing more than a clear mind and a little research to see that not every kid reads at the same level. I hadn’t considered, for example, that a picture book would appeal to an 8 year old or that a 5 year old might enjoy something with chapters.
Why hadn’t that occurred to me? Simple, I don’t read those books and wasn’t aware of who they were aimed at.
I do however read the 20,000 – 50,000 word books by authors like Roald Dahl, Andy Stanton and Emma Kennedy. And that is the kind of book I wanted to write all along. I just hadn’t thought about it.
Plan of action.
So having ceased to think about these things, I’ve decided to just get on and write my damn story. I know what age group I’m aiming for and I don’t think it matters that the publishers, agents and bookshops might disagree. My reasoning is this:
When I finish my book, I won’t be sending it straight to the publisher because none of them seem to want unsolicited manuscripts anymore. Instead, I’ll be trying to place it with an agent whom I hope will know exactly the right publisher for my magnum opus. This in turn will ease my headache and lessen my confusion.
Soon after that, the money will start to roll in and my book will appear in just the right section of all the most popular bookshops. Success will be mine and I shall retire happy…
So, lesson learned? Yes. There’s more to this writing lark than just picking a reading age and using smaller or longer words. There’s a whole bunch of book types. They’re aimed at the same reading ages but with different word counts. Not realising this had caused my confusion and made me look like a massive idiot.
I now plan to stop thinking and start writing. So, if you’ll excuse me…
{ 19 comments… read them below or add one }
I fully agree with the first sentence of this post.
Ah Rosie, Rosie, Rosie.
How nice of you to pop over. And what’s this you’ve brought me? An insult? For shame. And after all the nice things I said about you.
there are other ways of being published, and I learnt a huge amount from one evening talk for Tom Evans, the bookwright http://www.thebookwright.com/
(see no insults from me)
Hi Claire and thanks for reading.
Pay no attention to that Rosie, she’s just a minx
As for getting published, I’m sure there are many ways of getting into print. However, the problem I have is my ability to worry about things that only prevent me from getting on with the writing. It’s my own fault. I am the undisputed King of procrastination.
I’ll worry about getting published when I’ve got 20,000 words ready to go.
‘more to this writing lark than just picking a reading age and using smaller or longer words’ ..yeah right
Don’t make me confiscate your biscuits.
I concur with Rosie.
@wildelycreative´s last blog ..Benefits of Bushcraft for Adults
Damnit!
…starts planning next post about how great I am and how I get everything right…
That’ll take longer than writing the book!
@wildelycreative´s last blog ..Benefits of Bushcraft for Adults
Mr Uku
While failing to research can be construed as slightly silly, I can trump you in the idiocy stakes…….I failed to back up. Still waiting to hear how much of my 105,000 words I have lost………
I think writing for children is a minefield. Not only are there different age groups and genres, but within the age groups kids will have different reading abilities. For example, a child of five might be able to read as well as your ‘average’ 8 year old, but will still want to read about – for example – fairies.
Phew! Writing for kids seems like too much hard work for me, think I’ll stick to writing for adults.
Hazel
Hi hazel, thanks for stopping by.
I’ve never lost a writing project to a missed backup, but I’ve had it happen to me at a previous job. I’d spent most of my afternoon working on a spreadsheet when the power went off. It was a horrible, horrible feeling.
I can recommend Dropbox to help prevent loss of backups in the future. Once you download it, it sits on your desk like a normal folder. Anything you put in it is saved on your hard drive, backed up online and, if you have one, a further copy is sent to your iPhone.
There’s nothing to learn and.. well, now I sound like an advertisement. But you get the idea. Well worth looking at.
As for kids books, for me, it’s more a case of writing to my capabilities. Not that I think a kids book will be easy, just that I don’t think I could write a proper grown up book. Besides, I find farting hilarious, so you know, I have a lot in common with my target audience
Poor, poor dear.
Why ever didn’t you just ask those of us who are mammies? We’d have told you quick smart. Hazel got it right on the button; some kids of five have the reading abilities of eight-year-olds, but don’t have the same interests.
Anyway, when you do finish your magnum opus, send it our way and we’ll test it on our kids. (Mine’s an eight-year-old girl.)
Like the piccie, especially the shirt.
Jane
Yeah, realising that now. I’d been thinking about it in a very black and white way which was completely wrong. Kids just don’t conform that way and they all have different abilities as well as preferences. Got my head round it all now and I’m quite pleased about it. I’m just going to right the stuff I would have read at that age.
I shall most certainly be winging my story at you when it’s done. I feel like I’ve committed myself to writing it now.
My shirt rules, it also features an elasticated tie made form the exact same material. All the rage back then
I had a shirt very like yours except that mine came with a matching cravat (including gold-effect ring through which to thread the ends). It says something for my survival instincts that, even then, I knew deep down that I looked like a pillock and therefore contrived to lose the cravat quite early on in our acquaintance.
The trickiest thing about writing is not being distracted by Blogs and other stuff.
Actually the trickiest thing about life is not being distracted by Blogs and other stuff.
I blame my childhood for my entire lack of fashion sense. Not to mention my inability to make a decent job of tying a tie.
As for blogs and stuff, I concur. I’d also like to propose some kind of off button for Twitter.
Ahhh yes, that longed for off button.
I’ve had to resort to using a laptop without any internet access on it in order to stand a chance of getting any ‘proper’ writing done at all.
As you can see it’s not a foolproof method…
VP´s last blog ..ABC of Weather: Film
Not a foolproof method, no. But a great excuse for buying a second laptop.
It’s all the reason I need to get an iPad with a keyboard dock to use exclusively for writing.
am sending gumption and biscuits. research is over-rated, Uke. have at it — write from the gut and have a ball. (this from the girl who has had a 250 manuscript sitting in her closet for 2.5 years — but man was it fun to write.)
xo- Bethe
ps: suspect you might have fallen prey to the dreaded home haircut (of which i know far too much), but weren’t you just the cutest little thing?! squeeesh!
Bethe´s last blog ..Happy Birthday, Grass Stain Guru!
I’m still trying to convince myself that my haircut was just the style of the day… but I fear you may be right. It wouldn’t surprise me if that haircut was indeed one of my Mother’s finest efforts
As for my story, you are right, of course. I have even decided to forgo the most of the planning process in favour of a more forthright approach. Writing should be more organic and the planning will come in the writing. That’s what first drafts are for, yes?
Bring on the biscuits.
Bring on the story.
Let the telling commence.