I’m so nice to you all out there – that instead of writing Amy Green 3 – which is actually at a really fun part – a boat trip in Paris – I’m writing this blog on:
1/ the personality you need to be a published writer
And 2/ how I wrong my very first book for early readers (age 5+) and got it placed with O’Brien Press.

So first to number 1: It takes a particular kind of stubbornness to be a published writer. A sense of self belief, of it being your right to have a book on the shelves. Not in a cocky He-Man, Master of the Universe way, but in a ‘Hey, I can do this, I’ve worked hard and I deserve it,’ way.

The people I see getting published (sometimes after years and many, many books) are those who have clung on to this self belief.

Of course you’ll have wobbles along the way, jeepers we all have them. But in general you have to keep the writing faith and believe that in the end, you will get published.

OK, number 2: Mrs Noah and the Penguin

I’ve just had an early reader accepted by O’Brien Press (thank you Michael, Ivan et al!)

I’d never written for this age group before so this is how I went about it.

a/ I had a general idea – sparked by a girl in a writing workshop. I was ‘teaching’ her creative writing – they taught me far moe than I taught them, let me tell you – anyway she told me how she went to school one day dressed as a carrot as she thought it was a fancy dress day and it wasn’t. We were talking about embarrassing moments and how to use these in your work!

Long and funny story, but basically the poor mite had to spend the whole day in orange tights, orange top and a pair of old gym shorts the teacher found in lost property (as her cardboard carrot costume wasn’t great for sitting in as you can imagine).

So I got to thinking about this – and that was the basis of my own story, about a little girl who dresses up as a penguin for her Noah play in school – but is the only one in a costume.

I added the extra dimension of a feminist Noah’s Ark play – hence Mrs Noah – as I’d written one for my daughter’s school at the start of this year – and very proud of it I am too!

So I had my idea, my plot. And my character – a 9 year old girl called Emma (after my youngest sister).

B/ I took a whole load of Panda books (the early reader series it will be part of) out of the library and I read them to my daughter. Then I picked the ones she liked the best and I re-read them and noted why they worked, the language, dialogue used, and word count.

c/ Then I started making notes for my own book, scene by scene.

- Emma hears about the play
- Gets picked as a penguin – disgusted by this – but there is a reason- she’s a natural comic and great at making people laugh
- Sick – misses school
- Dresses up as a penguin for dress rehearsal – but this has been cancelled due to leaking school hall roof
- Goes into school in costume
- Everyone laughs at her
- She decides to do a silly dance and make them laugh with her and not at her
- She gets a starring role in the play as Mrs Noah’s Penguin

Ta da! I know it’s hardly Booker stuff, but it works.

d/ I wrote up the story and reworked it many times until I was happy with it.

e/ I submitted it to O’Brien Press and they said yes! Hurrah!

The moral of the story – when it comes to writing for children, do your homework! Read books for that age group, think of a strong idea, pack it with great characters and rewrite until as perfect as you can make it.

Good luck!

SarahX