Read wearing two hats!

When I first started to write for children, I admit that I was scared to read other books in the same genre or age group. There was the fear that somehow I’d end up writing the same thing or that it would trigger ‘Imposter Syndrome’ – how could I possibly write something as good? Thankfully, I quickly overcame this fear of reading and now I read, read, read!

Mainly, I read children’s books because they are so brilliant, often much better written and constructed than books for adults. As soon as I see a magical cover or read the enticing blurb, I’m straight back to my nine-year-old self, keen to dive in and be transported into a different world. This is also the main reason that I write for children. Surely there’s nothing better than creating an exciting adventure for a child to get lost in.

Reading is also a great way to learn how to write. Nowadays, I wear two hats when I read. The first is my ‘reading for pleasure’ hat (ideally purple and humming with magic). The second is my analytical one (a deerstalker with notepad and pencil dangling from the rim). These are some of the questions I keep in mind:

• What is it about the opening paragraph/page that has gripped me – or hasn’t gripped me?

• Whose point of view is the story told from? Would it make a difference if it was told from a different perspective?

• What is the protagonist’s problem to overcome? How is this connected to the story’s themes?

• What is the inciting incident and when does this occur in the story?

• Who is the baddy and what are they after?

• Has the author sprinkled clues throughout the text that will help the reader solve the mystery? Or does the author steer the reader back and forth to keep them guessing?

• At the midpoint of the story, what changes for the protagonist?

• Does the worst possible thing happen to the protagonist? When? How?

• Is there a satisfying ending that solves the protagonist’s problem and shows the baddy getting what they deserve?

I also keep an eye on how the sentences are constructed; how the speech of each character is kept realistic and distinctive; how the pace of the chapter might slow or speed up to hold the reader’s interest. Another thing to look out for is how the author has woven descriptions of the setting and characters into the scene.

These questions are only skimming the surface. The more you read and the more you write, the more questions you’ll have about the nuts and bolts of storytelling. Learning your craft will help to make your book sparkle and one of the best ways to learn this is to read wearing two hats.

Happy reading!

Rae