Hi everyone,
I'm a former school teacher and have recently been toying around with a concept for a children's story book. Perhaps it's a bit of nostalgia!
My concept came from reflecting on what sparked my imagination when I was a child - the night sky, flying, garden fairies, laying outside under the stars... and the feeling that night time was a special time where magic became possible. I also wanted the story to allow children to practise difficult sounds (e.g. s).
I'm writing with a 6-8 year old reader in mind (although I could be way off, of course).
I have a few queries:
1. Is the language and literary devices appropriate for the age group?
2. Is my mc relatable? I'm conscious of keeping my word count under 800, so I worry that my character is lacking development.
3. Are my mc's actions believable? I was initally concerned that my mc needed more of a reason why she slept under the stars.
Here is a sample of my piece:
Once upon a time, not long ago, in a town not far from here, there lived a young lady called Sadie.
Sadie had a pet salamander called Simon, and Simon the Salamander had a pet snail called Silver. Sadie, Simon and Silver were the best of friends... and they had a secret they shared with no one.
At night, when the sky turned black and the lights of the city twinkled in the distance, Sadie would climb down from her bed, wake Simon and Silver from their slumber, clamber over the window sill, and slide down the drain pipe. There on the lawn, they would sleep under the thick blanket of stars. Sadie knew it was naughty to climb out the window, but she slept so soundly under starlight.
Sadie loved the stars. She thought they looked like beads on a cosmic thread, sown across the sky. Sadie would close her eyes and imagine floating high above the clouds, soaring through the heavens, guided by the moonlight.
One night, as the world was fast asleep, Sadie lay back on the grass beneath her, Simon and Silver at her side.
Thank you all so much in advance,
Meredith