Write a Children's Book

Archive for the ‘write a picture book’ Category

Ok, so when writing picture books, publishers really want your story to be perfect and polished. Here are some things you should think about on your post first-edit revision:

1. Is the man character in you story identifiable? At the end of the day, this character will have a full frontal role in solving any problems that occur during your story, so they need to stand out and be noticed.
2. Think about what your character does to move the story along. Don’t forget when writing picture books that they also have a beginning, middle and finish, like most other books.
3. Are the emotions in the story easily identifiable? Usually a main character has attributes of conflicts, emotional growth and change.
4. By re-reading your story, do you feel you have presented the story in an age appropriate way? Sometimes you can read something back once or twice and realise there may be information in your story that a child may not understand or be ready to deal with. Some topics don’t have to be out of bounds, as it’s all about the way you present it.
5. Rewrite and revise by reading the story out loud and think about the language you have used. Is it entertaining to hear? Remember that rather than reading it themselves, children, especially the very young, will have the stories read to them by someone else.
6. It’s a known fact that children will pull a book out to read, or have it read to them over and over again, so does your story have depth? Very young children generally like the sounds words can make, and the way the illustrations work with the words. It’s an association which is important for a child’s development – especially the meaning of words. Children may not pick up on these attributes in one single read, so when writing picture books think about having enough depth to make it re-readable.
7. A satisfying ending is always a must, as children like to feel satisfied with a sense of conclusion. It doesn’t matter if that’s funny or silly.

Essentially the same kind of rules apply when writing picture books to other children’s books.  You just may need to consider your words more carefully due to them being lesser in number and accompanied with wonderful imagery.

The editing of your picture book is usually one of the harder things to get done – once you have your story down on paper. All stories are usually edited and revised, so remember that you’re not alone when you need to work through this process! It’s mainly to check for mistakes and spot common problems that occur.

Here are some of the common problems to look out for.

• Structure and Vocabulary – Simple, but specific vocabulary is better than over complex sentences that children most likely won’t understand. Sentences work better when short.
• Unnecessary Words – Look for words like Just, but, and however. If you say things as plainly as possible you can’t go too far wrong.
• Alliteration – Does the story flow well when it’s read aloud?

For young children, dialogue tags can be important. For instance, the tag said tends to vanish when a story is read, so this should be used more so than other words like “She Cried”. For example “Watch out for that bumpy road!” she cried. Normally we don’t tend to cry when we warn people about things.

When the first edit of your picture book is complete, you will then be ready to revise further, so your work is in tip-top shape, especially if you intend to submit your work to publishers.

To Writing and Publishing You Own Children’s Book

When you write a picture book, it’s best for you to understand how they work, and how an illustrator must work with you.

Picture books are usually around 32 pages of illustration with less than 1,000 words, but there are no rules as such when it comes to this style of book. They might look like a simple type of children’s book to create and write, but it’s actually more difficult that you think.

Some of the common traits of picture book are:

1. Picture books usually have a lyrical or rhythmic style. This doesn’t mean the book has to rhyme as such, just that it has a natural flow.
2. Sight, smell, taste, hearing and touch bring these kind of stories to life. When you write a picture book, think about this in unique ways. A good picture book will play with the senses.
3. The author, when writing their picture book should bear in mind that what ever they write, the illustrator is going to have to create images around their words. Picture books are usually very stunning, so the author should remember to be fairly scenic with what they are writing, so the illustrator can portray what the author writes with the best visual sense in mind.
4. Children usually connect to picture books easily, especially if you can find a way of illuminating some aspect of their lives, or making them laugh. These can also give the children a connection to the person reading the story to them. It is most commonly achieved by keeping a sense of the child at the forefront of the story.

Whatever your story is about, write it visually and work closely with your illustrator – this will lead to the strongest results when you want to write a picture book.

* image taken from http://www.hardiegrantegmont.com.au/ with due credit