The hook, characters, and obstacles

“Jan Peck”

Children’s Book Author

Jan telling a story about a pirate

Jan’s 3rd-grade teacher thought Jan would become a writer and voila, she did become a book author and storyteller years later.

At our April Special camp, she showed some examples of how to make stories stand out. Her top three tips include 1) hooks, 2) characters, and 3) obstacles. Start your story with something that can grab the attention of your audience. She took the example of showing a treasure box she was going to open at the end of our camp. Her treasure revealed at the end of the camp was the email address that the attendants to the camp could use to contact her. No matter what it was, she had the success to get the full attention of everyone, which means it was a great hook :) You need to create interesting characters through whom you can tell stories. Then think about the obstacles these characters face throughout your stories. The details about the obstacles or the ups and downs make your story exciting to read.

Jan’s amazing energy made the camp even more fun. When you speak with others or share your stories, use your passion and create energy. Without those, your stories will become dull ;) Keep making the effort of writing and saving them. Years from now, you will look back and will be inspired by your own writing. Why don’t you use TaleTree to save your stories ❤️🌈👍

Jan showing one of her books selling outside of the US

If you would like to explore some ways to publish books, Jan has a list of tips and publishers she recommends on her website:https://www.janpeck.com/resources-for-authors-and-illustrators/

She welcomes your emails with questions or comments. You can reach her at: janpeck@gmail.com

Jan taking a question from two siblings

“Our mission at TaleTree is to empower kids to build confidence and social, emotional skills through sharing their creative nature and kindness with other kids from around the world ”