In November, a guide called Wonderbook quietly hit the shelves. Written by science-fiction and fantasy author Jeff VanderMeer—and featuring contributions by everyone from Neil Gaiman to George R.R. Martin—Wonderbook is a how-to resource that seeks to teach people how to write speculative fiction. At first glance, it may seem to be just another aggregate of rules for writers to navigate, another formula to follow. It isn’t. What makes Wonderbook so brilliant is not just its layout—a tumbling flow of unpretentious advice and gorgeous illustrations that unlocks the mind rather than narrows it—but in the way it stimulates intuition and encourages unconventionality. It also gives solid, practical, tried-and-true writing advice, the kind you might find in far less inspiring form in any basic writing class. If anything, Wonderbook is more of a “learn the rules before you break them” kind of thing, an instructional device that celebrates the virtue of literary exploration, both as a reader and a writer—commerciality be damned, or at least downplayed.
In case you are looking for other useful research tips, strategies, and writing techniques to help you write a book that will elicit an “I WANT TO READ IT AGAIN!” reaction from kids, you may enjoy this article: Tips for Writing an Engaging Children’s Book.
