Inspired and enthused about writing another adventure for Belle and Winnie, in my sequel to Belle in The Slouch Hat, I sat in front of my computer and placed my forearms on the armrests. I extended my fingers toward the keyboard with my forearms slighty angled down, and noticed my right pinky finger had developed a permanent downward curve in it.
That didn’t bother me because I felt grateful that I had found something I love doing as much as I did when I had a real paying job.
I straightened my back, threw back my shoulders and smiled to myself about the joy I find in writing for tweens. Suddenly, a thought rushed through my mind that the main reason I like writing for tweens is because we have the same mentality!
I gasped and gradually lifted my fingers off the keyboard; I folded my hands and quietly placed them in my lap. My shoulders automatically slumped and I gently, and ever so slowly, lowered my head to prevent the annoying cracking sounds my neck makes when it moves after I sit at the computer for any length of time. I took in a deep breath, shut my eyes, relaxed my body and calmed my mind by counting backwards from seven to one.
Determined to know where that thought came from, I looked around to make sure no one was listening to me, and I repeated the queston out loud, “Is the main reason I like writing for tweens because we have the same mentality?”
Within a nanosecond I heard a small voice inside my head say, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, maybe ya do, and maybe ya don’t. The next thing I knew all of my fingers were properly positoned back on the keyboard and I began writing this article on why I write for tweens, those precious 8 to 12 year olds.
There are many reasons I enjoy writing for tweens, and one is because I have tween grandchildren, ages nine, ten, and twelve. I’ll have two more next year, and in four years two more tweens will come into my life.
I love the innocence of tweens and their ability to believe in the Tooth Fairy, Santa Claus, ghosts, goblins, and mythical creatures. Tweens are loving, adventurous, silly, smart, eager to learn, determined, strong-headed, termperamental, ultrasensitive, imaginative, sensitive, moody, serious, and sassy. They are fun to be with, and if you haven’t had a good giggle in a long time, hang out with a tween.
A Tween’s Advice On How To Write For Tweens
She is a bright, beautiful, and bold ten-year-old girl who loves to read. She reads because she likes to, and not because she has to. After spending a day with her, I continue to bask in the love and fun we share for a least two more days. Being with grandchildren is the best anti-aging product on the earth. Recently, I took her with me to make a donation to the Salvation Army homeless shelter; afterwards she innocently lifted our spirits by choosing a trip to have a delicious frozen yogurt. During my cherished time with her, I interviewed her and we took turns writing down her advice on how to write for tweens. I have not changed her words because they are the words of an expert reader!
Things you need to know before you write for tweens: When you write for tweens it cannot be boring. You want a hint of love, but no kissing. Use medium words; not new words we have to look up (trust me). It doesn’t matter what the time, or where the place is for the story; but if you write about the past you need to have lots of adventure in it.
Advice for the author: If the author doesn’t have fun; the reader doesn’t have fun.
Important things to make a good story: One of the main characters needs to be pretty, or handsome, but don’t make it like a fairytale with too many princesses. Trick the reader; it is good for our brains. have lots of action and scary parts, but not all scary. You need jealousy because it leads to fighting and fighting leads to disaster, and disaster leads to hatred. You really need fighting in a good story. Have lots of hanging parts, it keeps you on the edge of your seat.
Important things about the good guys and the bad guys: Have the good guys care about each other and only give the bad guys one chance. If you have a big bad guy make him so bad he will kill some of the other bad guys.
Important things about a good ending: Don’t let the main character die. Have a big wrap up at the end.
She is a bright, beautiful, and bold ten-year-old girl who loves to read. She reads because she likes to, and not because she has to. After spending a day with her, I continue to bask in the love and fun we share for a least two more days. Being with grandchildren is the best anti-aging product on the earth. Recently, I took her with me to make a donation to the Salvation Army homeless shelter; afterwards she innocently lifted our spirits by choosing a trip to have a delicious frozen yogurt. During my cherished time with her, I interviewed her and we took turns writing down her advice on how to write for tweens. I have not changed her words because they are the words of an expert reader!
Things you need to know before you write for tweens: When you write for tweens it cannot be boring. You want a hint of love, but no kissing. Use medium words; not new words we have to look up (trust me). It doesn’t matter what the time, or where the place is for the story; but if you write about the past you need to have lots of adventure in it.
Advice for the author: If the author doesn’t have fun; the reader doesn’t have fun.
Important things to make a good story: One of the main characters needs to be pretty, or handsome, but don’t make it like a fairytale with too many princesses. Trick the reader; it is good for our brains. have lots of action and scary parts, but not all scary. You need jealousy because it leads to fighting and fighting leads to disaster, and disaster leads to hatred. You really need fighting in a good story. Have lots of hanging parts, it keeps you on the edge of your seat.
Important things about the good guys and the bad guys: Have the good guys care about each other and only give the bad guys one chance. If you have a big bad guy make him so bad he will kill some of the other bad guys.
Important things about a good ending: Don’t let the main character die. Have a big wrap up at the end.
Because of the onset of puberty, tweens are experiencing a lot of physical changes and can have tremendous mood swings. They are fragile, yet tough; hot one minute and cold the next. Then out of the blue, they will surprise you by sharing some of their special love emotions that will lift your spirits so high above those complex puberty hormones you will never want to come down.
To wrap this up, I think tweens, like every other category of young people, are blessings. And that is the real reason I, and my inner child, like writing for them.
-
About the Author:
Look at “Belle in the Slouch Hat” to learn more referring to <a rel=”nofollow” target=”_blank” href=”http://www.belleintheslouchhat.com”>books for tweens</a>. Writing<a rel=”nofollow” target=”_blank” href=”http://www.belleintheslouchhat.com”> fiction for tweens</a> is a very rewarding experience.<br /><br />To order a copy of <a rel=”nofollow” target=”_blank” href=”http://www.amazon.com/Belle-Slouch-Hat-Mimi-Mathis/dp/0982429517/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1267217537&sr=8-1http://phoenixbase.com/books/book_mathis_belle.html”>Belle in the Slouch Hat</a> stop by today.
Article Source
