Paul Howard: The secrets of writing a children’s bestseller
With his new children’s book now on the shelves, the bestselling Irish author well known to readers for his adventures as Dublin southside rugby god Ross O’Carroll-Kelly, offers his best tips on how to write a children’s book
1. What’s the big idea?
It seems obvious, but nonetheless it’s worth saying – you’re going to need an idea. Preferably, an original one. A boy coming of age in a boarding school for wizards has been done. A lot of the best ideas for children’s books seem so obvious once someone else has come up with them. The children’s market is the most competitive area in publishing. You stand a better chance of writing ...