Writing

Tips for Writing a Christian Children’s Book

Tips from WestBow Press, Your Christian Children's Book Publisher

When you sit down to write, where does your inspiration come from? For some authors it comes from what they see around them. For others, it comes from deep inside. Depending on the kind of book you are writing your inspiration may flow from different places.

Finding inspiration for a children’s story is more difficult for some authors because obviously, the author is not a child. However, finding the right piece of inspiration for what you want to write about is key to moving forward in your publishing journey. This article will give you a few tips on how to find inspiration for writing a Christian children’s book.

• Observe. As a writer you know stories are all around you. You can find inspiration for a story while sitting in a parking lot at the grocery store, flipping through magazines or just looking out your window. Even though stories are all around us it can be hard to train ourselves to be in tune with our surroundings. Start training yourself to make finding inspiration a habit everywhere you go.

• Surround yourself with inspiration. While you may find some inspiration sitting at your computer all day, it is more likely you will find more inspiration getting out of the house. Go out and surround yourself with inspiration. Specifically if you are writing a children’s book, go where children are for inspiration. Parks, libraries, the mall, a museum and a toy store are places where you will see children in action and be inspired in your own writing.

• Spend time with children. Perhaps you have children of your own or have friends or family with children. Spend time interacting with children on their level. Ask them to describe things with their senses – what do they see when they open the front door? What does an ice cream cone on a hot summer day taste like? What does a dog’s tongue feel like? Listen to the questions they ask and how they interact with other children. Be sure to carry a notebook with you to jot down the quirky things kids every day.

• Remember your childhood. You carry special memories in you that can help you in your writing too. Do you remember the first time you went on a roller coaster? How about your first pet? What made that one Christmas so special for you? Write about these memories from your perspective as a child and see what paths your memories help you take in your writing today.

Children provide a wealth of joy and energy that can be very inspirational to an author working on publishing a children’s book. For you as a writer, you have to seek out the inspiration they bring and observe how it fits into your own unique voice. Don’t be afraid to try – the only way to get better as an author is to keep trying new things and always be seeking inspiration