When you were younger, what were some of your favorite books? Maybe you loved reading about Harry Potter and his adventures at Hogwarts, or maybe you liked to read Dr. Seuss’s Green Eggs and Ham. 

No matter what you may have enjoyed, there’s no denying that some of our favorite children’s books hold a special place in our hearts years later. And that the words and characters still affect us now. 

As a writer, you may be wondering how your own words can have that same effect on potential readers. How can you make your children’s writing stand out in a way that will still be memorable to readers as they enter adulthood? If you’re struggling with ways your children’s writing can make an impact, read on for these top three tips.

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How to Make Your Children’s Writing Stand Out

1. Reflect on your favorite books from childhood

Think about what you love most about your favorite childhood books. What elements of the story held your attention and left you clamoring for more? What elements left you heartbroken when the story concluded?

Was it the characters? What traits stood out, or what part of their personality or background made them relatable? If it was the story itself you loved, what elements made it unforgettable? Was the plot fast-paced or did it have a tense climax?

For the writing itself, what part of the author’s style stuck out most to you? Maybe they’re particularly adept with writing scene descriptions or creating witty or humorous dialogue.

Choose your favorite book and write a list of all the things you love about it and why. 

You may also like: How to Write a Dazzling Blurb for Your Children’s Book

2. Incorporate the elements to make your writing stand out

First things first: Don’t copy from the works you’re inspired by. You can be creative about ways to find your next children’s book idea. But there is a difference between being inspired and directly taking from another author.

Despite this, consider the elements you enjoy most from your favorite children’s authors, including their characterization, style, and voice. Think about how you could incorporate it into your work.

You can also work on some writing prompts to get your creative juices flowing to practice incorporating those things into your writing. 

If you’re worried the elements you like from another author would be copying if you were to use them, think about how you can make them unique to make your children’s writing stand out. 

What’s a different perspective you may not have considered or seen used by other children’s authors? It may be something you’d like to include in your own work.

3. Make it your own

Okay, so there’s nothing wrong with taking inspiration from other works or ideas, but it’s important to make it your own. After all, one of the reasons you fell in love with your favorite author’s work was because it was unique. The fact that it wasn’t like the work of others made it special.

You can do the same. While you may choose to incorporate the elements that you enjoy from other writers, you should make every effort to create a unique work that doesn’t look like that of other children or young adult authors. 

If you are stuck, try to take a break from writing, go for a walk, or do something else you enjoy. Perhaps, you can look for writing inspiration in other places such as deep conversations with friends, traveling, or watching movies. 

At the end of the day, always remember: all creative works are different and no two stories are the same, even if they may share similarities!

And as a final note, always edit your writing. Proofreading and editing are crucial aspects of your book writing projects and should not be neglected. You want to ensure you have a strong story that is error-free and cohesive before pitching literary agents or editors, or even self-publishing your children’s books.

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Final Thoughts on Making Your Children’s Writing Stand Out

What’s the bottom line? Our favorite books tend to remain with us years after we’ve read that final sentence. As writers, we want to create our own memorable stories for children and young adult readers. 

There’s never anything wrong with drawing inspiration from some of your most beloved children’s authors and these tips will help you do exactly that.

However, the key is to make your work special to you and make your children’s writing stand out in your own way. Soon you may have readers who are just as enamored with your work as you were with your favorite youth authors.

Now, over to you…do you have a favorite book? Why do you love it? Have you used any similar elements from that book and incorporated them into your own work? Share with us in the comments!