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The Magic Words: Writing Great Books for Children and Young Adults
This master class in writing children's and young adult novels will teach you everything you need to know to write and publish a great book.
The best children’s and young adult novels take readers on wonderful outward adventures and stirring inward journeys. In The Magic Words, editor Cheryl B. Klein guides writers on an enjoyable and practical-minded voyage of their own, from developing a saleable premise for a novel to finding a dream agent. She delves deep into the major elements of fiction—intention, character, plot, and voice—while addressing important topics like diversity, world-building, and the differences between middle-grade and YA novels. In addition, the book’s exercises, questions, and straightforward rules of thumb help writers apply these insights to their own creative works. With its generous tone and useful tools for story analysis and revision, The Magic Words is an essential handbook for writers of children’s and young adult fiction.
The best children’s and young adult novels take readers on wonderful outward adventures and stirring inward journeys. In The Magic Words, editor Cheryl B. Klein guides writers on an enjoyable and practical-minded voyage of their own, from developing a saleable premise for a novel to finding a dream agent. She delves deep into the major elements of fiction—intention, character, plot, and voice—while addressing important topics like diversity, world-building, and the differences between middle-grade and YA novels. In addition, the book’s exercises, questions, and straightforward rules of thumb help writers apply these insights to their own creative works. With its generous tone and useful tools for story analysis and revision, The Magic Words is an essential handbook for writers of children’s and young adult fiction.
368 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2016
201 people are currently reading
1,425 people want to read
About the author
Cheryl B. Klein
7 books849 followersCheryl B. Klein is the author of The Magic Words: Writing Great Books for Children and Young Adults, and three children's picture books: Wings, illustrated by Tomie DePaola; Thunder Trucks, cowritten with Katy Beebe and illustrated by Mike Boldt; and A Year of Everyday Wonders, illustrated by Qin Leng. In 2011, she self-published Second Sight: An Editor's Talks on Writing, Revising, and Publishing Books for Children and Young Adults (now out of print). All her books draw extensively on her two decades of experience as an editor in children's and YA publishing. Among the books she has edited or co-edited are When Aidan Became a Brother by Kyle Lukoff, illustrated by Kaylani Juanita, winner of the Stonewall Book Award; The Magnolia Sword: A Ballad of Mulan by Sherry Thomas; Front Desk by Kelly Yang; The Parker Inheritance by Varian Johnson, a Coretta Scott King Honor Book; the New York Times bestselling Shadowshaper by Daniel Jose Older; A Curse Dark as Gold by Elizabeth C. Bunce, winner of the William C. Morris YA Debut Award; Marcelo in the Real World by Francisco X. Stork, winner of the Schneider Family Book Award for Teens; The Porcupine of Truth by Bill Konigsberg, winner of the Stonewall Award for YA Fiction; The Nazi Hunters by Neal Bascomb, winner of the YALSA Excellence in Nonfiction Award; and The Snow Day by Komako Sakai, a New York Times Best Illustrated Book. Cheryl has edited translations from six different languages, and she also served as the US continuity editor on the last two books of the Harry Potter series. She presently works as the editorial director at Lee & Low Books.
Since 2005, Cheryl has maintained a website for writers at http://www.cherylklein.com. Follow her on social media at @chavelaque.
Since 2005, Cheryl has maintained a website for writers at http://www.cherylklein.com. Follow her on social media at @chavelaque.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 92 reviews
October 7, 2016
The Magic Words is a book of lists -- of lists within lists. It's list inception (listception?).
While the book covers a broad range of topics like Point of View, Narrative Voice, Plotting and Prose, much of it reads like a very general, surface-level overview. Though examples are few in number, the book offers myriad exercises for writers who are either in the process of creating a novel or who have a completed manuscript that needs editing.
Tackling a more modern topic, the author discusses the need for more diverse books, written about diverse characters, crafted by diverse authors. Helpful tips are provided on researching culture, avoiding tropes, and steering clear of cultural appropriation.
Unfortunately, a fair amount of the material in The Magic Words was taken from the author's previous book, Second Sight: An Editor's Talks on Writing, Revising, and Publishing Books for Children and Young Adults. On one hand, it was good to review the material. On the other, it was disappointing to have paid -- twice -- for the same material.
The Magic Words: Writing Great Books for Children and Young Adults provides a general overview of basic writing and editing tips, and the author demonstrates a thorough understanding of how books impact young readers:
Through the invocation of the right words in the right order -- the magic words -- books can change lives. And that is never more true than in childhood and young adulthood, when books introduce their readers to worlds both fantastical and right next door, inhabited by characters who share their challenges and joys.
While the book covers a broad range of topics like Point of View, Narrative Voice, Plotting and Prose, much of it reads like a very general, surface-level overview. Though examples are few in number, the book offers myriad exercises for writers who are either in the process of creating a novel or who have a completed manuscript that needs editing.
Tackling a more modern topic, the author discusses the need for more diverse books, written about diverse characters, crafted by diverse authors. Helpful tips are provided on researching culture, avoiding tropes, and steering clear of cultural appropriation.
Unfortunately, a fair amount of the material in The Magic Words was taken from the author's previous book, Second Sight: An Editor's Talks on Writing, Revising, and Publishing Books for Children and Young Adults. On one hand, it was good to review the material. On the other, it was disappointing to have paid -- twice -- for the same material.
The Magic Words: Writing Great Books for Children and Young Adults provides a general overview of basic writing and editing tips, and the author demonstrates a thorough understanding of how books impact young readers:
Through the invocation of the right words in the right order -- the magic words -- books can change lives. And that is never more true than in childhood and young adulthood, when books introduce their readers to worlds both fantastical and right next door, inhabited by characters who share their challenges and joys.
October 20, 2016
Cheryl Klein is my editor at Arthur A. Levine/Scholastic. The five books that we worked on together are much better than they would have been without Cheryl Klein's editorial genius. Still, one thing is to be a good editor and another is to be a good teacher, which is the role Cheryl Klein plays in this her own book about what makes children and young adult literature good. The essence of good teaching is discovery. That moment when insight springs with clarity and certainty in the student's mind. Insight is not the same as the handing down of knowledge by the teacher. Insight is the result of the teacher's careful arrangement of truth, fact, example in such a way that the student sees and understands for the first time what she never knew before or knew only in a vague, inarticulate way. Insight rather than information is important in a book about writing because you don't want to come out from reading this book with a list of the fifty things you must do to get published, or write a bestseller. You could come out of reading this book with such a list. I'm saying you shouldn't. You can come out of this book with something much better: a new perspective on the book your soul wants to write, the one story that is uniquely yours. Your book. In practical terms what this means is that, if you read this book the right way, what you will get is a thrilling, almost irresistible urge not to imitate or even to follow but to assimilate and adapt into your own being what some very good writers have already done - an infusion of literary blood that you will now forge through your own heartbeat. The potential transformation of universal principles of good writing into individual vision is the true magic in this book.
May 25, 2016
I wrote this, and I believe it is both useful and thought-provoking. And a few other people think so too:
“The Magic Words manages to articulate, in clear and compelling language, what others rely on intuition to understand. The result is a comprehensive and engaging examination of what readers will recognize to be true about the best novels―and yet have never heard expressed.” ― Eliot Schrefer, two-time National Book Award nominee for Endangered and Threatened
“Inspiring, comprehensive, and insightful, The Magic Words ably fills a gaping hole on the shelves of developing and experienced writers alike. An essential guide to the art and craft of writing for young readers.” ― Anne Ursu, author of The Real Boy and Breadcrumbs
“Insightful, enlightening, and practical, The Magic Words is a book that belongs on every writer’s shelf. Loaded with concrete examples and specific strategies, it’s likely to end up dog-eared and well worn―that favorite book on craft that writers revisit again and again with each new project.” ― Kate Messner, author of The Seventh Wish and the Ranger in Time series
“What Cheryl B. Klein talks about when she talks about writing is what every aspiring children’s and young adult novelist needs to hear. She offers generous insights, frank talk, nuts and bolts advice, editorial wisdom, and ample encouragement. The Magic Words is all the inspiration and guidance you’ll need to get your novel started, and more importantly, to get it finished.” ― John Dufresne, author of The Lie That Tells a Truth: A Guide to Writing Fiction and I Don’t Like Where This Is Going
“The Magic Words manages to articulate, in clear and compelling language, what others rely on intuition to understand. The result is a comprehensive and engaging examination of what readers will recognize to be true about the best novels―and yet have never heard expressed.” ― Eliot Schrefer, two-time National Book Award nominee for Endangered and Threatened
“Inspiring, comprehensive, and insightful, The Magic Words ably fills a gaping hole on the shelves of developing and experienced writers alike. An essential guide to the art and craft of writing for young readers.” ― Anne Ursu, author of The Real Boy and Breadcrumbs
“Insightful, enlightening, and practical, The Magic Words is a book that belongs on every writer’s shelf. Loaded with concrete examples and specific strategies, it’s likely to end up dog-eared and well worn―that favorite book on craft that writers revisit again and again with each new project.” ― Kate Messner, author of The Seventh Wish and the Ranger in Time series
“What Cheryl B. Klein talks about when she talks about writing is what every aspiring children’s and young adult novelist needs to hear. She offers generous insights, frank talk, nuts and bolts advice, editorial wisdom, and ample encouragement. The Magic Words is all the inspiration and guidance you’ll need to get your novel started, and more importantly, to get it finished.” ― John Dufresne, author of The Lie That Tells a Truth: A Guide to Writing Fiction and I Don’t Like Where This Is Going
March 7, 2023
Siempre que voy a empezar un proyecto infantil me apoyo de este tipo de libros para recordar el lenguaje, el tono, la emoción y todo lo que debe tener una historia. Me gusta estudiar este tipo de textos para mejorar, crecer y aprender. Vienen cosas chidas.
August 24, 2020
Перша половина книжки загалом непогана. Багато прикладів, письменники розповідають про власні ідеї і книжки, пояснюють що і як працює. Гарно про вікові групи пояснено.
Друга частина це інтерв'ю з видавцями і в більшості своїй вона для нас не актуальна, але почитати все одно цікаво.
Друга частина це інтерв'ю з видавцями і в більшості своїй вона для нас не актуальна, але почитати все одно цікаво.
November 5, 2016
I said above that I'd finished this book this past week, but that's not quite true. This is not a book to be read at a sitting. It's a book to be dipped into, worked through, thought about, and admired. Everyone who writes can take away something useful from it. I certainly did! It's just fascinating, for example, to see how Ms. Klein analyzes the beats of a story. She has lots of great examples from books like "Marcelo in the Real World" and "the Hunger Games" showing the points she is making. Really inspirational and useful.
However, I am taking off a half point for an error. Ms. Klein refers to "The Lord of the Rings" as a children's book. It's not. It was written by an adult, for adults. It's a common mistake to relegate to children's literature any books children can read and enjoy. It's still a mistake.
Nonetheless, I found this book fascinating and helpful, and I recommend it warmly. If you've ever wanted to know just what an editor does, or how books are made, you'll gain from reading it, and writers and aspiring writers will want to own it and refer to it over and over again.
However, I am taking off a half point for an error. Ms. Klein refers to "The Lord of the Rings" as a children's book. It's not. It was written by an adult, for adults. It's a common mistake to relegate to children's literature any books children can read and enjoy. It's still a mistake.
Nonetheless, I found this book fascinating and helpful, and I recommend it warmly. If you've ever wanted to know just what an editor does, or how books are made, you'll gain from reading it, and writers and aspiring writers will want to own it and refer to it over and over again.
December 13, 2016
I loved Cheryl Klein's previous book Second Sight. And I am beyond impressed that she got to be an editor for the Harry Potter series. I'm kind of kicking myself for not preordering this book, so I could've been entered for a critique by Cheryl Klein.
I didn't know if she could put out something just as good but different. It's been a long time, but I didn't feel like there were too many repeats. Last time I think Cheryl Klein used Harry Potter a lot for examples. This time, less HP. She used Marcelo in the Real World a lot, which is also a book she worked on. I'd previously read this book, so I found it particularly helpful. Not all the exercises or the ways to get to my characters or story would work for me. But she acknowledges that these ideas aren't a one-size-fits-all. She even believes doing every exercise would actually detract from the job of finishing the manuscript.
I think the beginner would get something out of it (while maybe feeling overwhelmed over how many parts have to be juggled in a manuscript), but there was enough for a seasoned writer, especially with getting to the heart of the story and character. Definitely worth reading.
I didn't know if she could put out something just as good but different. It's been a long time, but I didn't feel like there were too many repeats. Last time I think Cheryl Klein used Harry Potter a lot for examples. This time, less HP. She used Marcelo in the Real World a lot, which is also a book she worked on. I'd previously read this book, so I found it particularly helpful. Not all the exercises or the ways to get to my characters or story would work for me. But she acknowledges that these ideas aren't a one-size-fits-all. She even believes doing every exercise would actually detract from the job of finishing the manuscript.
I think the beginner would get something out of it (while maybe feeling overwhelmed over how many parts have to be juggled in a manuscript), but there was enough for a seasoned writer, especially with getting to the heart of the story and character. Definitely worth reading.
October 1, 2016
I always know when I read a book that has been edited by Cheryl Klein, it is going to be truly worth my while. As a critical reader, I appreciate a good editor, and Klein really knows her stuff as far as that is concerned. I think most people will agree that nothing ruins a potentially good book more than poor editing.
Now, she has turned her sights towards writing. Now, I personally have no aspirations to become a writer, but I still want to read this as a reader. I was curious to hear from an expert just what she has to say about writing a children's book. And I was substantially rewarded. Analyzing why some books/characters are successful, there is much to be culled from within this relatively short (184 pages) book, which also includes writing exercises for aspiring writers.
This is the one book I will be giving to my Kiddo, one of those aspiring writers.
Now, she has turned her sights towards writing. Now, I personally have no aspirations to become a writer, but I still want to read this as a reader. I was curious to hear from an expert just what she has to say about writing a children's book. And I was substantially rewarded. Analyzing why some books/characters are successful, there is much to be culled from within this relatively short (184 pages) book, which also includes writing exercises for aspiring writers.
This is the one book I will be giving to my Kiddo, one of those aspiring writers.
December 29, 2017
Of the many books on craft I've read in the past 5 years, this is one of my favorites (mostly because, having read so much ABOUT craft, I still found new kernels of truth and information to be had here). Particularly loved Klein's recommendations on the editing process (a stage I'm in now with a current work in progress).
February 27, 2018
This may be the most useful advice book for wannabe-writers that I've ever read. It's chock-full of exercises and planning techniques aimed at specific aspects of writing--tone, character and story arcs, hooks, reveals, conclusions....
November 4, 2024
One of the better writing help books out there, with insight from editing pov too.
Loses a point for it's continuous references to Harry Potter (there are other books out there!!) But that's just me being petty.
Would definitely recommend to basically everyone.
Loses a point for it's continuous references to Harry Potter (there are other books out there!!) But that's just me being petty.
Would definitely recommend to basically everyone.
July 1, 2017
This is not a feel-good, "go-get-em, you too can write the blockbuster fantasy series for young adults" kind of book. This is a textbook, dense and writerly, packed with crucial information. I might go so far as to say, it’s not a beginners textbook at that. It references all the standard material without going over it all again, and then moves on to the subtleties. For example, there is a section that discusses the nuances of when “show don’t tell” does not apply. It does not cover the standard breakdown of the the hero’s journey (or the character arc) but it takes off from there to discuss subtleties that will help move a work from good to great. The chapters were organized a little oddly, making the material harder to absorb.
Overall, an excellent advanced writer's resource.
Overall, an excellent advanced writer's resource.
August 25, 2016
Overall, the information in this book is great. it drives into writing for a specific genre that there isn't THAT much information on. The author ties in a lot of references that any reader of said genre will recognize and gives insight to problems she as an editor sees often. My only problem with this book is that it's very repetitive and quite dry, making me have to push through it because I couldn't get into learning about it. This is definitely a good read if you're interested in writing for children and teens, though!
June 13, 2018
More practical and organized than the writing books I read when I was first getting into this buisness. I started out borrowing a library copy, but I know I will come back to this repeatedly, so I bought it. Although it can be used earlier, she is really assuming you have a completed draft and are ready for major revisions. Lots of exercises and lists. Also a bibliography of juvenile and YA books that demnstrate what she is talking about. She uses Marcelo in the Real World a lot. I was glad that I was already familiar with the book. Also Hunger Games and a few others.
November 12, 2020
A classic in the making, great for writing workshops or DIY MFAs. This book should be on every serious writer's bookshelf, whether writing for kids or adults. After hearing glowing reviews, I finally picked up a copy, and it did not disappoint. Packed with in-depth info, this dense text not only offers the hows of character, plot, scene, and more, but also the whys. Readable and packed with examples and exercises, this will also serve as excellent reference when writers encounter sticky spots in their work. Highly recommended.
June 5, 2017
Super helpful, even if you're writing for adults. I liked getting an editor's perspective, because she has experience with a wide range of books and authors. Writing books by authors are always interesting, but are always rooted in the author's own process. And so many other writing books push one process or plotting system as the solution for every book. Cheryl focuses on plot and structure, but in a way that felt more organic and flexible to me.
Read
November 28, 2016A comprehensive and detailed book about writing and revision. The emphasis is on really delving into your writing and seeing exactly what works or doesn't work and why. Klein uses MARCELO IN THE REAL WORLD often as an example, so it's helpful that I've read and loved that book.
March 29, 2017
Very insightful and filled with useful activities for brainstorming and streamlining your work.
I'd say it's quite useful no matter what age you write for, but does have a bit more advice specific to the MG and YA readers.
I'd say it's quite useful no matter what age you write for, but does have a bit more advice specific to the MG and YA readers.
July 4, 2017
This is a book that will serve as a reference to me for years. I don't even know how many pages I dog-earred or lines I highlighted. Cheryl Klein's insight in incredibly helpful and, in many cases, eye opening. I highly recommend this to children's and young adult writers and aspiring writers.
October 10, 2017
This is a must read for any author or potential author of children's fiction. I scrubbed this thing from cover to cover, ran through every exercise, and I'm still going back for tips and tricks. Hopefully some day I'll publish a book that will do justice to what I learned in this one.
February 5, 2018
A fantastic read for those interested in writing their first book. For those who've been through the trenches, it has good exercises to get you into the mindset of the potential reader. A good how-to book for beginners.
April 2, 2018
Still reading intermittently, but the knowledge and helpful guiding questions will be a reference I see myself referring back to over and over again.
April 10, 2018
It's like a private master class with Cheryl Klein! A must have for those writing in kid lit.
May 28, 2020
The most helpful section is “Structure and Sensibility: The Power of Plot.”
January 26, 2022
An Editor in Your Pocket: Cheryl Klein’s The Magic Words: Writing Great Books for Children and Young Adults
When my husband and I traveled to Iceland last summer, we took an excellent new guidebook along with us. We came to rely on that book. It never led us astray, we had a number of adventures we wouldn’t have been able to experience without it, and we avoided some of the dangerous and expensive pitfalls endemic to travel. We often joked that we’d brought along a well-traveled, Midwestern dad in our backpack.
Cheryl Klein’sThe Magic Words: Writing Great Books for Children and Young Adults, is the writer’s equivalent of that travel book. With it close by, I’ve got a knowledgeable, formerly-Midwestern editor sitting beside me and cheering me on.
I read and annotated Klein’s book with a small group of SCBWI folks when it first came out. I’ve taught from it on several occasions in my creative writing classes. I regularly purchase it as a prize whenever one of my students completes a first novel.
So it’s no surprise that when I saw Cheryl Klein would be leading sessions at our Marvelous Midwest conference—those were the magic words that convinced me to attend.
In her sessions “18 Revision Tips” and “Premise, Promise, and Purpose,” Klein used information from her book, offering additional examples, stories, and time for guided practice. But for folks who missed the sessions, the book stands alone beautifully. Like the travel guide I used last summer, The Magic Words will not lead you astray, will take you on adventures you might otherwise miss, and will help you avoid some of the pitfalls we all face in writing novels for young people.
First and foremost, Klein’s book is an excellent primer on the basics of writing popular fiction. The book includes chapters or long sections that target the following:
• First chapters
• Scene revisions
• Plot
• Pacing
• Character
• Point of view
What’s more, she demystifies some of the terms that often seem like shibboleths in the KidLit community—terms like “head hopping” and “stakes.” In context, she explains and defines her terms with patient good cheer, following them up with examples. For example, in “Experience and Emotion,” Klein delineates the age bands and characteristics of the various types of books in our field. She starts with board books and works all the way up to YA and New Adult novels. Similarly, in “Worlds and Wonders,” she meticulously explains each of the (many) subtypes of speculative fiction.
But Klein has her own twist on some of the common elements of fiction, too. In her chapter, “Structure and Sensibility,” for example, she argues that all plots fall into one of three types: a conflict plot, a mystery plot, and a lack plot. In “Vision and Revision,” she collects and explains many of the most common revision strategies in one place, but she also adds in specific strategies that she’s developed in her work with writers.
Klein isn’t just offering a primer, however. She’s also pressing her readers to consider things they may not have considered before—encouraging us take an adventure off the path. For example, her description of building a bookmap is included as an extensive side bar, but until reading this book, I’d never even heard of such a thing. The simple, step-by-step process includes a sample map of a single scene from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone and includes a link to a complete map of a book Klein herself edited, Marcelo in the Real World. When I made one of these maps for a work-in-progress, it became perfectly clear that I had several redundant scenes and at least as many unnecessary ones—realizations I likely wouldn’t have had otherwise. Those realizations freed me up to write new, necessary scenes.
Later, in “Obstacles and Negotiation,” Klein also invites readers to try a scene analysis, offering seven ways of looking at a scene. Before The Magic Words, I’d been analyzing scenes in my critique group for years. But immediately afterward, my feedback changed. Questions like “what is being negotiated in this scene?” and “Does it have an establishing shot and an appropriate fermata?” are now foundational to how I see and analyze my partners’ submissions.
These things were new adventures not only because they gave me specific new things to try, but because they introduced new ways of seeing the things I was already looking at. Take the language in that last question: Klein’s comparing the end of a chapter to a fermata. For this former violist, that’s a brilliant new metaphor that will get a lot of mileage for me and my students.
Finally, Klein is careful to warn her readers about some of the pitfalls they might face in writing and publishing. “Vision and Revision” is as direct a path to polishing a new manuscript as I’ve ever seen, and her chapter “Love and/or Money” offers an important crash course on everything from finding an agent to holding your first book in your hands.
But Klein is at her most effective in helping writers avoid pitfalls in “Power and Attention.” There, she uses her position of power (she’s currently the editorial director at Lee & Low) and privilege (she’s a white woman in Children’s publishing) to explain issues of power, diversity, and own voices. With her characteristically straightforward tone, she encourages writers to think carefully about how their stories and their own identities are positioned in the world—both explicitly and implicitly.
As she says, “fictional work can contribute to real-world consequences, so imagine responsibly.”
My copy of The Magic Words: Writing Great Books for Children and Young Adults has only been around my studio for a few years, but it is crinkled, dog eared, and annotated like a much older book. I rely on Klein’s wisdom and pragmatism when I’m revising more than any other craft book I’ve read. As grateful as I was for my Iceland guide last summer, I’m even more grateful to have such a gracious expert along with me on my writing journey.
When my husband and I traveled to Iceland last summer, we took an excellent new guidebook along with us. We came to rely on that book. It never led us astray, we had a number of adventures we wouldn’t have been able to experience without it, and we avoided some of the dangerous and expensive pitfalls endemic to travel. We often joked that we’d brought along a well-traveled, Midwestern dad in our backpack.
Cheryl Klein’sThe Magic Words: Writing Great Books for Children and Young Adults, is the writer’s equivalent of that travel book. With it close by, I’ve got a knowledgeable, formerly-Midwestern editor sitting beside me and cheering me on.
I read and annotated Klein’s book with a small group of SCBWI folks when it first came out. I’ve taught from it on several occasions in my creative writing classes. I regularly purchase it as a prize whenever one of my students completes a first novel.
So it’s no surprise that when I saw Cheryl Klein would be leading sessions at our Marvelous Midwest conference—those were the magic words that convinced me to attend.
In her sessions “18 Revision Tips” and “Premise, Promise, and Purpose,” Klein used information from her book, offering additional examples, stories, and time for guided practice. But for folks who missed the sessions, the book stands alone beautifully. Like the travel guide I used last summer, The Magic Words will not lead you astray, will take you on adventures you might otherwise miss, and will help you avoid some of the pitfalls we all face in writing novels for young people.
First and foremost, Klein’s book is an excellent primer on the basics of writing popular fiction. The book includes chapters or long sections that target the following:
• First chapters
• Scene revisions
• Plot
• Pacing
• Character
• Point of view
What’s more, she demystifies some of the terms that often seem like shibboleths in the KidLit community—terms like “head hopping” and “stakes.” In context, she explains and defines her terms with patient good cheer, following them up with examples. For example, in “Experience and Emotion,” Klein delineates the age bands and characteristics of the various types of books in our field. She starts with board books and works all the way up to YA and New Adult novels. Similarly, in “Worlds and Wonders,” she meticulously explains each of the (many) subtypes of speculative fiction.
But Klein has her own twist on some of the common elements of fiction, too. In her chapter, “Structure and Sensibility,” for example, she argues that all plots fall into one of three types: a conflict plot, a mystery plot, and a lack plot. In “Vision and Revision,” she collects and explains many of the most common revision strategies in one place, but she also adds in specific strategies that she’s developed in her work with writers.
Klein isn’t just offering a primer, however. She’s also pressing her readers to consider things they may not have considered before—encouraging us take an adventure off the path. For example, her description of building a bookmap is included as an extensive side bar, but until reading this book, I’d never even heard of such a thing. The simple, step-by-step process includes a sample map of a single scene from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone and includes a link to a complete map of a book Klein herself edited, Marcelo in the Real World. When I made one of these maps for a work-in-progress, it became perfectly clear that I had several redundant scenes and at least as many unnecessary ones—realizations I likely wouldn’t have had otherwise. Those realizations freed me up to write new, necessary scenes.
Later, in “Obstacles and Negotiation,” Klein also invites readers to try a scene analysis, offering seven ways of looking at a scene. Before The Magic Words, I’d been analyzing scenes in my critique group for years. But immediately afterward, my feedback changed. Questions like “what is being negotiated in this scene?” and “Does it have an establishing shot and an appropriate fermata?” are now foundational to how I see and analyze my partners’ submissions.
These things were new adventures not only because they gave me specific new things to try, but because they introduced new ways of seeing the things I was already looking at. Take the language in that last question: Klein’s comparing the end of a chapter to a fermata. For this former violist, that’s a brilliant new metaphor that will get a lot of mileage for me and my students.
Finally, Klein is careful to warn her readers about some of the pitfalls they might face in writing and publishing. “Vision and Revision” is as direct a path to polishing a new manuscript as I’ve ever seen, and her chapter “Love and/or Money” offers an important crash course on everything from finding an agent to holding your first book in your hands.
But Klein is at her most effective in helping writers avoid pitfalls in “Power and Attention.” There, she uses her position of power (she’s currently the editorial director at Lee & Low) and privilege (she’s a white woman in Children’s publishing) to explain issues of power, diversity, and own voices. With her characteristically straightforward tone, she encourages writers to think carefully about how their stories and their own identities are positioned in the world—both explicitly and implicitly.
As she says, “fictional work can contribute to real-world consequences, so imagine responsibly.”
My copy of The Magic Words: Writing Great Books for Children and Young Adults has only been around my studio for a few years, but it is crinkled, dog eared, and annotated like a much older book. I rely on Klein’s wisdom and pragmatism when I’m revising more than any other craft book I’ve read. As grateful as I was for my Iceland guide last summer, I’m even more grateful to have such a gracious expert along with me on my writing journey.
May 23, 2018
I borrowed this book from the library, and I intend to buy a copy for myself.
The book is very list-heavy, which may be a turn-off for some readers, but I liked it. There were tons of exercises to do before writing, during, and after, as well as some to do whenever. Lots of examples were given, and I especially appreciated a section towards the end where she annotated an example first chapter and showed where the problems were.
The reason I docked a star is that Klein's focus is heavily, heavily literary. She reads and edits children and YA novels that has a point and a message. She believes that all books should too. She acknowledges once or twice that most readers don't actually care if the book has a message (and in fact, it turns a lot of readers off to have an obvious message), but she still pushes forward with it. There is a single chapter on speculative fiction that points out that most speculative fiction is fun and adventurous and probably not making grand statements about life. That being said, the rest of the book was very useful.
The book is very list-heavy, which may be a turn-off for some readers, but I liked it. There were tons of exercises to do before writing, during, and after, as well as some to do whenever. Lots of examples were given, and I especially appreciated a section towards the end where she annotated an example first chapter and showed where the problems were.
The reason I docked a star is that Klein's focus is heavily, heavily literary. She reads and edits children and YA novels that has a point and a message. She believes that all books should too. She acknowledges once or twice that most readers don't actually care if the book has a message (and in fact, it turns a lot of readers off to have an obvious message), but she still pushes forward with it. There is a single chapter on speculative fiction that points out that most speculative fiction is fun and adventurous and probably not making grand statements about life. That being said, the rest of the book was very useful.
January 30, 2021
This was a very useful book and is one that I will go back to time and again to use!
I loved so much of the information in the book. It helped me recognize things I need to work on in my writing and helped me see things in a new way. I also found most of the examples so helpful for really understanding what she was teaching.
The one thing I didn't love was that some of the sections covered really basic topics (like pov and tense). Some sections felt out of place for her book, like the publishing section. I think I prefer focused writing craft books over the ones that try to fit everything in (which this book felt a little like that at times).
I also prefer Save the Cat's structure to hers. This is a personal preference and it may change as I learn hers better, but I found save the cat more detailed, which is something I prefer.
Overall, of you are not new to writing, there will be some information that is repetitive and already known, but I felt out was worth getting through that information for what I gained.
I loved so much of the information in the book. It helped me recognize things I need to work on in my writing and helped me see things in a new way. I also found most of the examples so helpful for really understanding what she was teaching.
The one thing I didn't love was that some of the sections covered really basic topics (like pov and tense). Some sections felt out of place for her book, like the publishing section. I think I prefer focused writing craft books over the ones that try to fit everything in (which this book felt a little like that at times).
I also prefer Save the Cat's structure to hers. This is a personal preference and it may change as I learn hers better, but I found save the cat more detailed, which is something I prefer.
Overall, of you are not new to writing, there will be some information that is repetitive and already known, but I felt out was worth getting through that information for what I gained.
September 12, 2024
This is a very good book on writing fiction. Designed for middle grade and YA (some chapters) this could also be read by anyone writing any level of fiction. But if I were writing YA I would definitely read it. Much of this was a repeat of her other book, which I am rereading now. Second Sight: An Editor's Talks on Writing, Revising, and Publishing Books for Children and Young Adults I am going to review that book in detail because it has several elements in it that are mentioned in this book, but are detailed in the former. Klein was editor at Scholastic and I think she is now somewhere else. I could be wrong. But she is an excellent guide on how and why fiction works. And how the process works. She does not mince words either, with exception to telling you are to create your process. Smiling. But everyone knows that after you sell that first book, you are going to have to write a very detailed proposal on your next book. So maybe it's a moot point. Buy this. Buy the older book written in 2011. It's awesome.
October 15, 2020
The best children’s and young adult novels take readers on wonderful outward adventures and stirring inward journeys. In The Magic Words, editor Cheryl B. Klein guides writers on an enjoyable and practical-minded voyage of their own, from developing a saleable premise for a novel to finding a dream agent. She delves deep into the major elements of fiction—intention, character, plot, and voice—while addressing important topics like diversity, world-building, and the differences between middle-grade and YA novels. In addition, the book’s exercises, questions, and straightforward rules of thumb help writers apply these insights to their own creative works. With its generous tone and useful tools for story analysis and revision, The Magic Words is an essential handbook for writers of children’s and young adult fiction.
November 29, 2018
This book was read in 12x12 and commented. Although I couldn't keep up with their schedule, I'm so glad to have brought this book and read it. There is so much to learn from it about the whole process of writing, revising and even publishing a book. Each topic is explained thoroughly; it has questions and exercises that guide you without violating your space as a writer.
This isn't a book to read quickly (unless you're going to return to it)! What writer won't is a mystery to me! I have fantasy novels waiting to be revised with this book and great ideas that I still need to
be contained to finish other manuscripts.
The Magic Words will be in my library for a long time. And if the pages can take it, I hope to pass it on to another writer!
This isn't a book to read quickly (unless you're going to return to it)! What writer won't is a mystery to me! I have fantasy novels waiting to be revised with this book and great ideas that I still need to
be contained to finish other manuscripts.
The Magic Words will be in my library for a long time. And if the pages can take it, I hope to pass it on to another writer!
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