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A reader asks, “I’m wondering if there is an objective way of measuring didacticism in an PB manuscript.”
Voice is important, whether you’re writing a novel or a picture book.
One question that often arises is, “Can you revise for voice?” Yes. Here’s an example of how it worked for me.
One of the most important things to keep in mind when revising a picture book is that it needs to be easy to read aloud. Usually picture books are read to kids by adults. If you have to read the same thing over and over and over — and over again, then you learn to appreciate a smoothly written and fun text.
Poetry Collections make great picture books. Write a Collection of Poetry on a Specific Topic Poetry collections make great children’s picture books. The most common type of poetry collection seen in picture books is 15-30 poems on a single, specific topic. This slots the book into a category for use in the classroom, as well [...]
This post was originally published as “When Folktales Fail: Modernize Your Picture Book” Children’s Writer. December, 2005. Picture books: Folk Tale or Modern Story? Despite several sales of picture book manuscripts, I still receive many rejections. Why? That’s what I recently set out to learn. My search began with an article by Jill Paton Walsh, [...]
How to Write a Rhyming Picture Book First, don’t. Really. Unless you must write the story as a rhyming, poetic text, don’t do it. OK, there are some of you who won’t listen. Then, you must set the bar for yourself very, very high. Rhymed, poetic picture book texts sell all the time, but bad [...]
Mysteries in a Picture Book Picture book mysteries are rarely for the pre-school set; instead, the audience is the early grades, K-3. For these kids, the core of the mystery needs to be something gentle, non-threatening. No murders here. But strange situations, natural disasters and chase scenes work well. Puzzles or Strange Situations. In The [...]
Within the picture book genre, there are certain sub-genres and I’ll cover some of these in the next few days. Creative Non-fiction Picture Books Non-fiction is about the facts. But those facts cannot be trite, boring, or presented in a cliched way. Not the for the picture book audience. Instead, you must find creative ways [...]
Within the picture book genre, there are certain sub-genres and I’ll cover some of these in the next few days. Picture book biographies are hot commodities these days, but are very hard to get right. How to Write a Picture Book Biography Remember that picture books are 32 pages and are usually written for kids [...]
Within the picture book genre, there are certain sub-genres and I’ll cover some of these in the next few days. First, the ABC books. How to Write a Good ABC Book Story Oriented Alphabet Books. If you want to write an ABC book, you should first read Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, a rollicking story with [...]
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