--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Writing for children is murder. A chapter…" description: "\"Writing for children is murder. A chapter has to be boiled down to a paragraph. Every word has to count.\" — Dr. Seuss" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bac/dr-seuss-1224_chapters_writing-for-children-is-murder-a-chapter_2170525.png" --- # Writing for children is murder. A chapter has to be boiled… ![“Writing for children is murder. A chapter has to be boiled down to a paragraph. Every word has to count.” quote by Dr. Seuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bac/dr-seuss-1224_chapters_writing-for-children-is-murder-a-chapter_2170525.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bac/dr-seuss-1224_chapters_writing-for-children-is-murder-a-chapter_2170525.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bac/dr-seuss-1224_chapters_writing-for-children-is-murder-a-chapter_2170525.png) > “Writing for children is murder. A chapter has to be boiled down to a paragraph. Every word has to count.” [Dr. Seuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dr-seuss/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Writing for children demands extreme concision; every word must be essential. **In simple terms:** Children's writing needs every word to count. Key Takeaway Trim excess, keep essentials. Themes writing children precision Mood focused disciplinary Type creative instructional When to use this quote - authoring picture books - educational content creation Key Concepts literature editing Questions to Reflect On - How do you decide which details to keep? A Different Perspective Risk of oversimplification. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Chapter Boiled](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chapter-boiled-4645966/) [Chapters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chapters/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Murder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/murder/) [Murder Chapter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/murder-chapter-4645965/) [Paragraph](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/paragraph/) [Paragraph Word](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/paragraph-word-4645967/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) [Writing Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing-children/) ## Related quotes > [The trick in writing children's books is to set up danger, mystery and excitement on page one. Force the kid to turn the page…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-west/the-trick-in-writing-children-s-books-is-to-set-up-danger-mystery-and/) [Jerry West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-west/) > [Each story, good and bad, short or long-from that trip to the mall when you saw Santa, to a long, bad illness-they are all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deb-caletti/each-story-good-and-bad-short-or-long-from-that-trip-to-the-mall-when/) [Deb Caletti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deb-caletti/) > [When I transformed my random and raw words into sentences, sentences into paragraphs, and paragraphs into chapters, a semblance of order and sanity appeared…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sheff/when-i-transformed-my-random-and-raw-words-into-sentences-sentences/) [David Sheff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sheff/) > [Don't get discouraged if you're hammering away at a sentence or a paragraph or a chapter, and it keeps coming out wrong. You're allowed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tana-french/don-t-get-discouraged-if-you-re-hammering-away-at-a-sentence-or-a/) [Tana French](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tana-french/) > [People think writing a children's book is something you could do in an afternoon but it's actually really hard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-walliams/people-think-writing-a-children-s-book-is-something-you-could-do-in/) [David Walliams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-walliams/) > [More than this, I believe that the only lastingly important form of writing is writing for children. It is writing that is carried in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonya-hartnett/more-than-this-i-believe-that-the-only-lastingly-important-form-of/) [Sonya Hartnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonya-hartnett/) > [I always love writing about children.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joanna-trollope/i-always-love-writing-about-children/) [Joanna Trollope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joanna-trollope/) > [People ask me if I ever thought of writing a children's book. I say, 'If I had a serious brain injury I might well…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-amis/people-ask-me-if-i-ever-thought-of-writing-a-children-s-book-i-say-if/) [Martin Amis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-amis/) > [I enjoy writing for both kids and adults, though I think I'm better at children's stories because I was a teacher for so long,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-riordan/i-enjoy-writing-for-both-kids-and-adults-though-i-think-i-m-better-at/) [Rick Riordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-riordan/) > [The adult fiction and writing for children portions of my MFA program were kept very separate, and there was a stigma around those 'kid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-serle/the-adult-fiction-and-writing-for-children-portions-of-my-mfa-program/) [Rebecca Serle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-serle/) > [Writing for children is bloody difficult; books for children are as complex as their adult counterparts, and they should therefore be accorded the same…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-haddon/writing-for-children-is-bloody-difficult-books-for-children-are-as/) [Mark Haddon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-haddon/) > [I teach for the Book Trust, which promotes reading and writing with children.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toby-jones/i-teach-for-the-book-trust-which-promotes-reading-and-writing-with/) [Toby Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toby-jones/) > [“Style is not how you write. It is how you do not write like anyone else. \* \* \* How do you know if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-ghigna/style-is-not-how-you-write-it-is-how-you-do-not-write-like-anyone/) [Charles Ghigna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-ghigna/) > [“On Three Ways of Writing for Children”: When I was ten, I read fairy tales in secret and would have been ashamed if I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gretchen-rubin/on-three-ways-of-writing-for-children-when-i-was-ten-i-read-fairy/) [Gretchen Rubin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gretchen-rubin/) > [Writing children's books all started out as a way for me to give back and make a difference.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/coy-bowles/writing-children-s-books-all-started-out-as-a-way-for-me-to-give-back/) [Coy Bowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/coy-bowles/) ## More by Dr. Seuss > [ \[A\]s you partake of the world's bill of fare, that's darned good advice to follow. Do a lot of spitting out the hot air.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-seuss/a-s-you-partake-of-the-world-s-bill-of-fare-that-s-darned-good-advice/) [Dr. Seuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dr-seuss/) > [And this mess is so big And so deep and so tall, We cannot pick it up. There is no way at all!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-seuss/and-this-mess-is-so-big-and-so-deep-and-so-tall-we-cannot-pick-it-up/) [Dr. Seuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dr-seuss/) > [Even though we may all become extinct, we can still leave our footprint in the sand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-seuss/even-though-we-may-all-become-extinct-we-can-still-leave-our/) [Dr. Seuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dr-seuss/) > [My alphabet starts with this letter called yuzz. It s the letter I use to spell yuzz a ma tuzz. You ll be sort…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-seuss/my-alphabet-starts-with-this-letter-called-yuzz-it-s-the-letter-i-use/) [Dr. Seuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dr-seuss/) > [Things may happen and often do to people as brainy and footsy as you](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-seuss/things-may-happen-and-often-do-to-people-as-brainy-and-footsy-as-you/) [Dr. Seuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dr-seuss/) > [If I were invited to a dinner party with my characters, I wouldn't show up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-seuss/if-i-were-invited-to-a-dinner-party-with-my-characters-i-wouldn-t/) [Dr. Seuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dr-seuss/) > [And what would you do if you met a jibboo?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-seuss/and-what-would-you-do-if-you-met-a-jibboo/) [Dr. Seuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dr-seuss/) > [Being crazy isn't enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-seuss/being-crazy-isn-t-enough/) [Dr. Seuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dr-seuss/) > [Remember me and smile, for it's better to forget than to remember me and cry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-seuss/remember-me-and-smile-for-it-s-better-to-forget-than-to-remember-me/) [Dr. Seuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dr-seuss/) > [Fame you'll be famous, as famous as can be, with everyone watching you win on TV, Except when they don't because sometimes they won't..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-seuss/fame-you-ll-be-famous-as-famous-as-can-be-with-everyone-watching-you/) [Dr. Seuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dr-seuss/) > [Did you ever fly a kite in bed? Did you ever walk with ten cats on your head? Did you ever milk this kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-seuss/did-you-ever-fly-a-kite-in-bed-did-you-ever-walk-with-ten-cats-on/) [Dr. Seuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dr-seuss/) > [With your head full of brains and your shoes full of feet, you're too smart to go down any not-so-good street.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-seuss/with-your-head-full-of-brains-and-your-shoes-full-of-feet-you-re-too/) [Dr. Seuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dr-seuss/) > [Through three cheese trees three free fleas flew. While these fleas flew, freezy breeze blew. Freezy breeze made these three trees freeze. Freezy trees…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-seuss/through-three-cheese-trees-three-free-fleas-flew-while-these-fleas/) [Dr. Seuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dr-seuss/) > [Oh, the places you'll go! There is fun to be done! There are points to be scored. There are games to be won. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-seuss/oh-the-places-you-ll-go-there-is-fun-to-be-done-there-are-points-to/) [Dr. Seuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dr-seuss/) > [Oh, the thinks you can think!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-seuss/oh-the-thinks-you-can-think/) [Dr. Seuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dr-seuss/) [Explore all 270 Dr. Seuss quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dr-seuss/) ## More Chapters quotes > [What comes to mind when you think of heaven? Heaven is referred to in fifty-four of the Bible's sixty-six books, and the final two…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-jeremiah/what-comes-to-mind-when-you-think-of-heaven-heaven-is-referred-to-in/) [David Jeremiah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-jeremiah/) > [John Lane has long been recognized as one of the South's finest poets and memoirists. This debut establishes him as one of our finest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-rash/john-lane-has-long-been-recognized-as-one-of-the-south-s-finest-poets/) [Ron Rash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-rash/) > [I'm as much my own master as anyone can be, without being the master of others. I can write anywhere - all I need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stuart-woods/i-m-as-much-my-own-master-as-anyone-can-be-without-being-the-master/) [Stuart Woods](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stuart-woods/) > [There are something like 300 anti-genocide chapters on college campuses around the country. It's bigger than the anti-apartheid movement. There are something like 500…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samantha-power/there-are-something-like-300-anti-genocide-chapters-on-college/) [Samantha Power](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samantha-power/) > [If you're feeling pain, express that to the Lord. If you're feeling worried, express those worries. One passage that gives me comfort is in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-lucado/if-you-re-feeling-pain-express-that-to-the-lord-if-you-re-feeling/) [Max Lucado](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-lucado/) > [The issue of civil rights was too much for the establishment to handle. One of the chapters of history that's least studied by historians…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-hayden/the-issue-of-civil-rights-was-too-much-for-the-establishment-to/) [Tom Hayden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hayden/) > [I learned that you can't write a book in the margins of your life. I'd forgotten how much uninterrupted time it takes to write…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-harris-perry/i-learned-that-you-can-t-write-a-book-in-the-margins-of-your-life-i-d/) [Melissa Harris-Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-harris-perry/) > [If you tell me, I will leave you alone," I said. "And if you don't tell me, I am going to grab the nearest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/if-you-tell-me-i-will-leave-you-alone-i-said-and-if-you-don-t-tell-me/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“Stop revisiting chapters, That you know, How they ended.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aquib-ali/stop-revisiting-chapters-that-you-know-how-they-ended/) [Aquib Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aquib-ali/) > [Real life is a story, too, only much more complicated. It’s still got a beginning, a middle, and an end. Everyone follows the same…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-wooding/real-life-is-a-story-too-only-much-more-complicated-it-s-still-got-a/) [Chris Wooding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-wooding/) > [Don´t be unnecessarily burdened by the past. Go on closing the chapters that you have read; there is no need to go back again…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/don-t-be-unnecessarily-burdened-by-the-past-go-on-closing-the/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [The agency is who it is because of many, many, many chapters that needed to happen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-droga/the-agency-is-who-it-is-because-of-many-many-many-chapters-that/) [David Droga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-droga/) > [No book is a chapter, no chapter tells the whole story, no mistake defines who we are. Hope makes our lives page turners.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-goff/no-book-is-a-chapter-no-chapter-tells-the-whole-story-no-mistake/) [Bob Goff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-goff/) > [I pay tribute to John Major's achievement in persuading the other 11 Community Heads of Government that they could move ahead to a Social…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-thatcher/i-pay-tribute-to-john-major-s-achievement-in-persuading-the-other-11/) [Margaret Thatcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-thatcher/) > [I try to have a mood or a rhythm for a chapter,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-caro/i-try-to-have-a-mood-or-a-rhythm-for-a-chapter/) [Robert Caro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-caro/) [Browse all 751 Chapters quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chapters/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Writing for children is murder. A chapter has to be boiled down to a paragraph. Every word has to count.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Dr. Seuss" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-seuss/writing-for-children-is-murder-a-chapter-has-to-be-boiled-down-to-a/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Chapters" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-seuss/writing-for-children-is-murder-a-chapter-has-to-be-boiled-down-to-a/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bac/dr-seuss-1224_chapters_writing-for-children-is-murder-a-chapter_2170525.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bac/dr-seuss-1224_chapters_writing-for-children-is-murder-a-chapter_2170525.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bac/dr-seuss-1224_chapters_writing-for-children-is-murder-a-chapter_2170525.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Writing for children is murder. A chapter has to be boiled down to a paragraph. Every word has to count.” — Dr. Seuss", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Dr. Seuss", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dr-seuss/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Writing for children is murder. A...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-seuss/writing-for-children-is-murder-a-chapter-has-to-be-boiled-down-to-a/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-seuss/writing-for-children-is-murder-a-chapter-has-to-be-boiled-down-to-a/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```