How to Create a Children's Book Character
- 1). Read as many children's books as you can. The authors of these books can act as your teachers, familiarizing you with the children's market and showing you how to build strong characters. Most libraries have children and young-adult sections.
- 2). Start with your main character. He or she must be a child. Kids often prefer to follow a protagonist a couple of years older than themselves, so it is fine if your character is not the exact same age as your intended reader.
- 3). Get to know your character and make him original. According to young-adult author Ellen Wittlinger, "The most important thing about building a character is to start on the inside... and layer on all the different qualities that make the person unique." Try writing out a list of questions and answering them for your character. The list can include basic questions, like age and music tastes, or more complex ones, such as your character's deepest fear. It is crucial to make the character real in your head, so that he will be convincing to a reader.
- 4). Make sure that a child can easily identify with your character. Jill Santopolo, a children's book editor and author, says, "The two most important things to have in a picture book character are uniqueness and relatability... Finding the balance between those two is the trick to creating a really strong character with potential longevity." Author Crystal Allen, who recently sold her first middle-grade book, has a suggestion for creating a relatable character. "Make sure the character has a flaw. Nobody's perfect." In fact, the more nuances you can add to your character, the more three-dimensional he will become.
- 5). Your character needs a goal to strive for or a problem to fix. Conflict gives readers a reason to root for your protagonist and it drives the plot forward. Ensure that your character solves his own problems. If a friend or adult saves the day, your character misses an opportunity to grow and may not have changed sufficiently from when we first met him.
- 6). Keep your character's actions and thoughts consistent with his personality and mindset. According to writer Nancy Lamb, "A strong character doesn't behave the way you want him to. A strong character behaves the way he should."
- 7). Apply the same steps when creating supporting characters.
- 8). Join a professional organization, such as the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators. From there, you can attend conferences and workshops and connect with other writers to form a critique group. The first person who meets your character should never be a prospective agent or editor.
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