K is for Kids (and what they want to read)

the challenge

K is for Kids

I write MG and YA mostly (though I am writing a NA contemp romance at the moment). Plus, I have three boys at home, so it's only natural that K made me think of them. When it comes to writing for kids, I can't help but think of my own children... a lot.

What do they like?
(Dragons, pirates, legos, marbles, pizza, pizza, pizza, messes, races, cars, My Little Pony- hey, don't judge.)

Classic: Legos

What would they relate to?
(kids with helicopter parents, kids with siblings, kids who go to church on Sundays, kids who spend holidays out of state with extended family, kids who have special talents, kids who struggle in a certain subject, kids who like to read, kids who like to play video games on Kinect, kids who are hilarious and always telling jokes, playing pranks)

He cut his own hair and is inexplicably wet.

What makes them sad?
(a lot of the same things that make adults sad: death, illness, trying really hard and failing, wanting to be good at something that doesn't come easily, being second best (my boys are really competitive), getting a lesser toy for Christmas or a birthday, running out of ice cream, no seconds of their favorite dinner, being yelled at, being disciplined or corrected in any way, breaking a favorite toy or tool)

Focusing really hard on a lacing project

What makes them jump up and down?
(exciting movies with scary bad guys, a chase/race, high stakes, something really funny, a reunion after being apart for so long, daddy coming home, sleepovers, birthday parties, new games, new anything)

Clowning around

Since I have all boys, you may will have different experiences with your own kids or kids you know personally. 

Just like adults, kids have varying tastes, interests, and personalities. What makes one kid hug the book might make another kid throw it at the wall. I mean, I hope you're teaching your kid not to throw books. That's terrible! Why is your kid throwing a book? Get that kid under control before you bring him back to my blog.

Ahem, for all you good parents whose kids would never dream of throwing a book at a wall...

Darn. Lost my train of thought. Trains! Kids like trains. 

It's 1:30am, y'all, and I have to get up early in the morning. 

I have kids, you know. :)

Hope you found something thought-provoking in my kid lists. If not, you can't go wrong basing your character off a real person. C.S. Lewis did it all the time. Happy Weekend!

Don't miss my post at Operation Awesome today. (And in case you were sleeping yesterday, here are the results of April's Mystery Agent contest!)