Simple Narrative Arcs, 2

Narrative Arc in Less Than 100 Words: Example 2
Very simple picture books still have a narrative arc, even though the word count is extremely small. Yesterday, we looked at an example of a great simple narrative in My Friend, Rabbit. Today, here’s a look at a narrative arc in 80 words (with the help of [...]

Simple Narrative Arcs, 1

Narrative Arc in Less Than 100 Words: Example 1
Very simple picture books still have a narrative arc, even though the word count is extremely small. Here’s a look at a narrative arc in 80 words (with the help of some illustrations), as it appears in My Friend, Rabbit, by Eric Rohmann, winner of the 2003 [...]

How to Write a Children’s Picture Book

Ebook: How to Write a Children’s Picture Book
It started out as 30 Days to a Stronger Picture Book. But now, (drum roll, please), it’s an Ebook. Expanded from it’s original format, it now includes new sections on

O Happy Day

Today, I get to revise.
I will . . .

. . . rewrite the opening of a picture book ten different

Revising for Audience

I’m writing a picture book that I know should work. But it’s not.
Consider the Picture Book Audience

Part of the problem with this story is that it’s set in a commercial kitchen and I have a kid who wants to cook. Critiquers tell me that the writing is great, the kid is great, but they [...]

Shrunken Picture Book

How I Shrunk my Picture Book Manuscript – and Why I’ll Do It Again!
by Lee Wind
At a schmooze of the SCBWI Tri-Regions of Southern California, discussion ranged far and wide, pulling info and tips from many sources. Lee Wind showed a shrunken manuscript of a picture book, complete with glitter, colors and stickers. The report [...]

muttering

Re-Reading: The Basic Revision Strategy
I’m always amazed at how much the revision process depends on re-reading what you wrote.
It’s an obvious statement, of course. Yet, when I ask people about their revision process, re-reading is seldom mentioned. It’s one of those assumed things.
Suggestions for Re-reading to Re-envision

Re-read an entire section, not just half a page. [...]

editing

Simplify Your Picture Book Story
I’m currently revising a picture book and my major goal is to simplify the story.

Why simplify the story? At 1200 words, the picture book text is way too long. I needed to cut it about in half. Why? Sue Edwards has just been reading 50 picture books in a short amount [...]

Picture Book 4

7 Children’s Picture Book Manuscripts in 7 Days

I’m taking the 7 in 7 picture book challenge.

Report on 7 in 7 for the first week of May, 2009

May 7
May 6. Historical Fiction. OK, here comes the rationalization for why I don’t have a good draft done. A couple years ago, a friend told me [...]

Picture Book 2

7 Children’s Picture Book Manuscripts in 7 Days

I’m taking the 7 in 7 picture book challenge.

Report on 7 in 7 for the first week of May, 2009

May 7
May 6
May 5
May 4: Delaware and Miriam. OK. This is getting hard! Picture books are short, yes, but that doesn’t mean they are easy to [...]