Magic Lessons: How to Find Magic When Writing for Kids
Children’s books inspire magic. That’s why we read them well into our old age. Just like a warm cup of cocoa or a feel-good movie, we cling to the simple elegance of a picture book because of the effortless magic they present no matter how old we may be. As a children’s writer, asking for magic over and over again is a big ask, but that’s the job. So how do you do it?
What is Magic?
Magic is intangible. It’s that invisible spark that makes the impossible possible. The secret to finding the magic? Dare yourself to have fun! Be bold, take risks, and put on your silly socks and dance like no one's watching.
When writing for kids you’ve got to risk charting the uncool waters of the Silly Ocean and swim alongside the sharks. After all, life is about experiences, and if part of those experiences make us look silly, then bring it on! Because isn’t that where the fun is?
The Key to Writing for Kids: Fun
If you want to write for children, you need to make fun a priority. Yes, there are deadlines, edits, plot structure, and the grotesque (and inevitable) wall of writer’s block—but magic comes from finding joy in the process. And if it stops being fun, it’s time to ask yourself why you’re doing it in the first place.
Is it for fame or fortune? Spoiler alert: this might not be the career for you. But if the process fills you with excitement—even during the lows— you’ve tapped into the magic.
The world of children’s literature is a joyful one, full of collaboration, support, and a shared love of stories.
How to Keep the Magic Alive
The key to keeping the power on in your personal inspiration factory is to find ways to have fun in your writing and in life. Life is a journey, and it’s so easy to get bogged down with the little worries that turn into big ones. But if you’re writing for kids, your job is to rediscover the fun, especially when it feels hard to find.
During those quiet, “uninspiring” moments, ask yourself: how do you pick yourself up when you fall down? How do you turn something ordinary into something extraordinary?
It’s the lessons we learn in those difficult moments that lead to the stories that will ultimately inspire the next generation. The lessons we learn when we refuse to give up. The joy we find in life’s unexpected turns. That’s where the magic lives—in letting go of control, in embracing the unknown, in finding the steadfast determination to move forward, and in trusting that the answers will come…when you’re having fun.
Embrace the Magic
Keep challenging yourself to have fun. That’s how you’ll find the answers to writer’s block. That’s how you’ll solve your plot holes. That’s how you’ll embody the role of a children’s author. Joy fuels creativity. And when you’re having fun, the magic will find you.
That’s the key to writing for kids—and to living a life filled with magic.
Children’s books inspire magic. That’s why we read them well into our old age. Just like a warm cup of cocoa or a feel-good movie, we cling to the simple elegance of a picture book because of the effortless magic they present no matter how old we may be. As a children’s writer, asking for magic over and over again is a big ask, but that’s the job. So how do you do it?