Fourteen Key Learnings about Writing Children’s Picture Books
I eagerly absorb whatever knowledge I can gather from other writers. It seems logical to learn from other writers; especially the great ones. I’d like to capture the key aspects of their writing so that I can jump to the bestseller list as quickly as possible. But, I'm afraid it's not that simple. Simply capturing and articulating the key aspects of writing a bestseller cannot be done. And guess what, I’m not going to provide that list either; but, I am going to provide fourteen things I've learned about writing a children’s picture book (it would have been fifteen but I couldn’t think of one more):
1. It's hard to write just 1000 words.
Before I entered this world of children’s books, I had this image of slapping out book after book; after all, these things are short - how hard can it be. Wrong! Maybe picture books do not require the years of researching that I hear about from some novelists, but it certainly wasn’t the afternoon project I had imagined either. Picture books for children between 4 and 8 years old have somewhere between 500 and 1500 words. It is tough to introduce characters, develop a plot, create tension and draw the story to a conclusion with such a limited quantity of words. Each word in a children’s picture book is a gem that is carefully planned. I honestly research, edit and double check each word.
2. Write 500 - 1000 words every day.
Since children’s picture books are short and each word is carefully planned, practice that type of writing every chance you get. Journaling is a highly recommended practice – but I don’t do it. Sorry! I’d rather write a letter, write a short article, write a draft of a book or write a few pages for a chapter – anything but journal. Whatever the purpose or form of the writing, the point is that you should practice every day. Then for some kicks, go back and edit your old writing; a month later or better yet six months later. You will definitely see that you are changing and improving.
3. Start an Idea Bank - collect and save your writing ideas.
Good ideas are like gold and good ideas almost always come at the very worst moments possible; such as, while driving in heavy traffic on I-95 through Philadelphia in pouring rain. It's real tough to write the idea down right at that moment. However, I record my ideas as soon as possible – sometimes I make a quick note and stick it in my pocket to jog my memory later. On a more permanent basis, I use two methods to archive my ideas – my Blackberry and a spreadsheet on my laptop. I revisit these idea banks routinely. Get into the practice now, even if you are only thinking about writing some day. Write your ideas down – you’ll need them later.
4. Don’t forget tension and surprise.
I think we have all read children’s book that are just too sweet. You know the ones I am talking about; the books where everyone is happy, it’s always sunny, everyone is friendly, bunnies and wolves are friends, blah, blah, blah. I’m going to make a wild guess that you can’t remember the names of those books or, at the very least, those books are not on your fun-to-read list. Even in children’s books, tension, stress and excitement add spice and real life to the story. We all want the hero to win - to overcome adversity.
5. Read your manuscript out loud.
It’s a fact that 98% of children’s picture books are read out loud - well, if it’s not a fact, it should be. No matter the percentage, these books are made to be read out loud. So, as you are working on a book, read it out loud. Or, better yet, have someone read it out loud to you. You can catch things by doing this that you will not catch by reading it silently. You will catch sentences that just don’t flow off the tongue well. You’ll catch dialog that is rough.
6. Adults read these books too.
Often, a picture book is used at school, a library or at bedtime and ends up being read by an adult. So, as I write a picture book, I try to add a twist or situation to make the adult reading the book stay interested too. Again, as mentioned above, the use of tension in the plot helps; but, don’t forget humor. Trying to add the adult “hook” is challenging and you always have to remember the customer is a child – but the reader and purchaser is often an adult.
7. Use age-appropriate words.
Make sure you are using words for your target audience. Many picture books are specified for ages 4 to 8 years old. But, there is a huge difference in the word knowledge of a four-year-old versus that of an eight-year-old. It is very likely that your book is targeting a portion of the age range. I highly recommend that you get a book that helps you understand which words are appropriate for each age.
8. Remember, it’s called a “picture” book.
In novels, it is important to provide word descriptions to bring your readers into the story. This is not usually the case in picture books. The “pictures” provide a great deal of the setting. This frees you to work on the story. Your challenge will be the dialog.
9. Read other picture books – a lot.
I am sure we have all read picture books; but, do you do it every day? If this is your business then you should understand the latest products and the competitive environment. I read 10 to 20 picture books every week. I make note of the publisher, number of words, number of pages, the dialog, the artwork, the settings, the characters, etc. I try to read a mixture of award winners, newly published and whatever else I grabs my attention (I figure if a book grabs my attention, it will grab a buyers attention). Occasionally for fun, I’ll mix in a young adult book – just to keep me thinking. Do your homework!
10. You don’t have to grow up.
I guess the reason I write children’s picture books is because it provides me so much creative freedom. I’m not limited to conventional human boundaries. I can explore silly subjects. I can use almost any character – plant, animal or mineral. I can cover tough subjects in a fun way. I am really only limited by my own lack of creativity. I want to make it clear that I don’t anticipate writing for adults as I grow up. I don’t view my interest in children’s books as a phase. This is my passion.
11. Have friends, writers, and critics read your manuscript.
I often ask my wife to first read my manuscripts. She is a great source of initial feedback and editing. But, I can’t just stop with her editing. I need a breadth of perspectives to give me input. I don’t always use the input, but I do listen and I weigh their comments carefully. Sometimes the best input comes from those people you know the least. They are less concerned about my feelings and more concerned about a good story. I have a few friends that are English teachers and professors. It scares me to death when they review my manuscripts; but, their input is so good. I would rather have them read it now and help me get this to be the very best manuscript possible rather than read it later and tell me what I should have done. Seek a breadth of input!
12. Make your characters come alive.
As you write, be sure to make your characters more than remote characters. For instance, have your characters show and express their feelings, don’t just describe their inner feelings. Make your characters active and make them exciting.
13. Be ready for rejection and criticism.
Let me advise you right now that if you cannot accept rejection or criticism, do not go into writing (it is far worse than the dating years). In fact, you even seek criticism and rejection like some weird punishment freak. You willingly ask people to edit and critique your writing and some people will gladly provide you with their input without regard to your feelings – ouch! Take any input, whether friendly or gruff, and use it to improve your manuscript (after you finish cursing them). Then, once you get your manuscript polished to perfection, you send your manuscripts to publishers. If you get nothing but acceptances, please let me know. My approach is simple. I keep every rejections letter – just for the memories. And, as I receive a rejection, I send the document out again to someone else. If the writing is good, it will find a home at the proper time. Oh, by the way, I celebrate every acceptance. It keeps me sane.
14. People love to meet an author.
For a reason I have yet to fully understand, people are amazed and honored to meet a writer. It is almost a mystical experience. So, two important things I have learned:
1. I always have a business card handy;
2. I always have a few words ready to share - sometimes a little story, sometimes it is an update on my current project and sometimes it is even a few tidbits of knowledge that I might be able to share about the world of writing.
I'm still learning about this world of writing children’s picture books too. You need to keep leaning about your craft and business all the time. Keep pushing boundaries and exploring new techniques. Learn something new about the fundamentals of English and then learn something new about juggling or rockets or geometry.
Well, that’s the best I can do. There is no absolute prescription for success in writing but maybe these fourteen points (or was it really fifteen) can help you. Whatever you do with your writing make sure you enjoy the process. Even if you never sell or publish anything, you are challenging yourself and you are participating in the creative process. There is joy in that simplicity.
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