'How delightful it must be to write books after one’s own taste instead of reading other people's,' said Gwendolyn. 'I would give anything to write a book.'

'And why should you not?' said Mrs Arrowpoint encouragingly. 'You have but to begin as I did. Pen, ink and paper are at everybody's command.'

George Eliot – Daniel Deronda

This is how Pamela Cleaver's book begins and is a message punctuated frequently throughout the chapters that follow. A basic but accurate principle, if you wish to become a writer you must begin the simplest of tasks, that is, put pen to paper and write.

Pamela Cleaver, author of several titles such as 'The Reluctant Governess', 'The Sparrow Book of Record Breakers' and 'The Sparrow Book of Animal Records' is no stranger to giving writers advice. As well as her authoring experience she has also taught at several institutions, notably the London School of Journalism, Fen Farm, and the Writers' News Home Study Division.

'Writing a Children's Book' sets out to provide a structured, concise and enjoyable tour through the processes of becoming a writer, starting with guidance about how you will write the book and finally, once your manuscript has been written, getting published.

Cleaver has taken a positive attitude to the potential writer, noting that one of the most consistent barriers to potential authors is their perception of having enough time to sit down and write.

'I'm going to write a book when I have the time' is something many people say. But if you really want to write you will make time.

Each chapter has been carefully thought out and sensibly leads the reader with discussions of what it takes to become a writer to the systematic process (for want of a better phrase) of planning a book. Generating a plot, creating characters, how you should handle the beginning, the middle and the end, and finally advice on getting your manuscript read by a publisher are all brought to the readers attention in a relaxed, easy going manner.

I usually set aside a certain amount of apprehension with regard to 'self help' books, I have always felt that when given the choice of reading a book or actually applying yourself to the task in hand, too many people will take the easier option. It is easier to read a book than to write one, but Pamela Cleaver's book has the fortunate trait that it encourages you to think of the structure of a novel as a number of component parts, and by doing so, she simplifies the overall concept. I remember my university tutor giving me some advice about approaching a large project, 'Remember, you can't eat a cow, but you can eat a lot of burgers!'. 'Writing a Children's Book' is an enjoyable book that can be read from cover to cover, but it is also a reference. Read it, and then go back to it.

In writing this review I initially set out to skim over the book in order to get a feel as to how it read and how it got it's message across. This was, to Pamela Cleaver's credit, more difficult said than done. All too often I would find myself reading a chapter's introduction and then being drawn in to such an extent that I would then read the entire chapter. This book is genuinely enjoyable and I would recommend it to anyone who wants to write not just a children's book but also any adults’ novel too.

http://www.eidolonstudios.com/pamelacleaver/

http://www.howtobooks.co.uk

(c) 2005