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Therefore, the Author and Publisher assume no responsibility to any person or persons in connection with the use of this publication, and this publication is sold with this understanding and none other. Introduction: Who doesn't love a great picture book? The wild leaps of imagination, the fun language, the memorable images – it's no wonder that, for many writers, publishing a picture book is the ultimate dream. But be forewarned: writing picture books is one of the most challenging things a writer can choose to do. Why? The great Mem Fox said it best: She's so right! The fewer words you can use the harder it is to tell a story. But fear not: with a little help and advice, you can write your own War and Peace in haiku! :) In the brief eBook, I've selected some of my favorite pieces from the pages of Children's Book Insider on the subject of writing picture books. We'll start with some basic rules and definitions, and then delve into the tips, tricks and methods that great picture book writers use to tell a story in only a handful of words. Ready? Let's get started! Table of Contents Introduction:.......................................................................................3 What is a Picture Book?.....................................................................5 Getting Readers to Turn the Pages ...................................................10 The Language of Picture Books.......................................................13 Characterization in Picture Books....................................................15 Should You Illustrate Your Own Book?............................................18 An Interview with Janet Lawler on How to Write in Rhyme...........21 Creating Picture Books for Older Readers.......................................27 What is a Picture Book? by Laura Backes, Publisher, Children's Book Insider A child's first experience with books is the picture book. Though we call the audience “readers”, in reality picture books are meant to be read to the child. The text is short enough to encompass a whole story without taxing the young child's attention span. The illustrations on every page enhance the words and give the child something to look at while listening to the story. Picture books are broken into several general age groups: Board books, fiction and nonfiction: 8-24 pages long, paper over board format, written for infants and toddlers. Minimal text (0-200 words). Lots of concrete action and familiar situations. Can also teach concepts (colors, shapes, identifying animals, etc.), and may have lift-the-flaps, touch-and-feel or sound elements. Most are written by the illustrator. Picture books for ages 2-5 or 3-6, fiction and nonfiction: 32 pages, up to about 600 words. Text and illustrations on each page. Very simple stories based on familiar routines, or simple nonfiction related to a young child's world. Rhyming or rhythmic language, lots of action, minimal dialogue. These are often linear stories (see below). Picture books for ages 4-8, fiction and nonfiction: Average 32 pages (occasionally will go to 40 pages for older end of the audience), up to about 1000 words, color illustrations. Fiction genres are wide open (humor, realistic, fantasy, historical fiction, adventure, etc.). Nonfiction includes biography, history, science, geography, multicultural topics, holidays, animals, interesting professions, art, sports. Most stories for this age have plots (see below). Fiction picture books for ages 6-10: This is a fairly new category of picture book. The text might be up to 1400 words, with books up to 40 pages. These stories work well for third through fifth grade classrooms, providing teachers read aloud books that tie in with school subjects. Therefore topics like historical fiction, multicultural stories and current events are prominent. Nonfiction picture books for ages 8-12: Up to 2000 words and 48 book pages, this is nonfiction in the picture book format for middle grade readers. Books are often illustrated with photographs, or are designed with a variety of artwork (photos, drawings, maps, etc.) and sidebars or boxes of additional information (trivia, jokes, interesting facts, dates, etc.) Some nonfiction picture books have chapters. Writing Picture Books in a Nutshell Picture books are not simply short stories; they are an art form in and of themselves. Because they are read out loud to children, the vocabulary isn't controlled (as in a beginning reader that a child would read on his own). However, the text should sound interesting but still be understandable within the context of the story. The job of the author is to create characters, plot and enough emotional tension and drama to keep the pages turning. The description, subtext, and much of the humor is left up to the illustrator. The perfect pairing between author and illustrator creates the entire package, so the reader can't imagine any other pictures illustrating the words, or different words providing the foundation for the art. Done right, the whole is always more than the sum of its parts. One essential aspect of great picture books is that the main character—whether it's a child, animal, alien, toy, or adult—has the same world view and emotional response to the plot as the reader. You—as the grown-up author—should always remain invisible. How do you do that? Channel your former six-year-old self. Forget your adult experiences and approach the events of the story as if you're living them for the first time. View the world through a child's eyes. Speaking of child's eyes, always remember that your audience thinks differently than you do. Their brains haven't yet matured to the point where they can make broad inferences between two abstract concepts. They draw a direct line between cause and effect, and it's always straightforward, concrete and literal. So your stories need to be action-based, and any sophisticated ideas have to be shown in a way that can be seen and illustrated. If you're unsure of what this all means, read Mem Fox's Wilfred Gordon MacDonald Partridge about a young boy who helps an elderly friend with Alzheimer's recover her memories. Economy of language is a must when writing picture books. Strong, specific nouns and verbs will eliminate the need for most adjectives and adverbs. Simple plots that revolve around one conflict, goal or incident will fit into 1000 words or less. Other than concept books (described in Board Books above), picture book fiction tends to be written in one of two ways: Plots. Books with plots have a clear beginning, middle and end. Within the first words of the story, your character encounters a problem of some kind or decides to pursue a goal. This is called the story's catalyst. Then the character makes several attempts to achieve this goal or solve the problem, with gains and setbacks. The best books are ones in which the author is not afraid to get his or her character in trouble. After several attempts the character finally solves his problem in the climax of the book. The resolution (wrap up) happens quickly thereafter, and the story is over once life returns to normal. The problem or goal has everything to do with who the main character is. It must also be something your readers will care about. The way the character tries to solve his/her problem must also be believable. But the character also learns through his/her efforts; the character grows or changes in some way so that the final attempt at solving the conflict is successful. The solution must not only be satisfying and surprising to the reader, but also the result of everything that's come before in the story. The character must make that final jump because of his/her own purposeful actions. In other words, you can't have a friend or adult step in and hand over the solution, nor can you have the character stumble upon the solution through chance or luck. Linear Stories. Unlike stories with a plot, linear stories (also called incident stories) are made up of a series of incidents that flow from one to the next. Each incident has about the same weight, or importance, in the book. The protagonist moves through the incidents without really changing or learning anything new. So linear stories tend to be about typical days in the protagonist's life, rather than extraordinary days required for a plot. Linear stories are often bookended by a beginning (waking up, arriving at Grandma's house, leaving for the beach) and an end (going to sleep, leaving Grandma's, watching the sun set at the beach before going home) that creates a satisfying structure (Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown is a classic example). Or, they may wrap around and end exactly where they started. Laura Joffe Numeroff's popular series beginning with If You Give a Mouse a Cookie is an example of this "wrap around" format.