Here is my article for the
Writer's Bookshelf, published in the SCBWI Illinois Newsletter, the Prairie Wind. If there is only one book on your shelf, it should be this one. Ann Whitford Paul's book will change you! Enjoy!
Writing
Picture Books: A Hands-On Guide From Story Creation to Publication by Ann
Whitford Paul
Have
you ever searched for a book that you know
is on your bookshelf but now that you are looking for it specifically, it’s
nowhere to be found? After several minutes of frustration, voilà! Another book jumps
out at you and it is just what you needed to read! I am quite convinced that
books “allow” themselves to be found. That’s what happened to me at the local
bookstore, when several books called out to me, but Ann Whitford Paul’s book, Writing Picture Books: A Hands-On Guide from Story Creation to
Publication shouted “Pick me!” It turns out that this book is exactly what
I needed to read at this moment in my writing life. Within its pages I found
pearls of wisdom as well as encouragement and inspiration for my writing. I
also found useful exercises that I actually felt like doing and could complete.
The book is also filled with techniques, tips and tools that are invaluable to
the picture book writing process. Best of all, the book contains a logical, structured
approach that is empowering because it not only educates but gives permission
to explore, read, write and have fun. I later found out that this also happens
to be the required text for a writing class I’ll be taking later this year.
I
became a fan of the book immediately, finding comfort in the sincerity of the
Prologue, which opens with this quote by Katherine Patterson: I love revisions. Where else in life can
spilled milk be transformed into ice cream? Here, Ann Whitford Paul admits that,
early in her career, she made all of the mistakes that editors often talk about
at conferences, from cutesy names and well-behaved children, to contrived plots
and dull language and many months of waiting for offer letters that never came.
She wrote this book to help writers understand these lessons and save them a
lot of time and torment. The goals of this book are to turn you into your best
critic, gain skills to improve your writing, consider your work dispassionately
and understand the direction that your revisions must take to make it a salable
story. Moreover, the book needs your
written story for the exercises and for you to revise. It is a kick in the
pants to write. It is the kind of book that will not only sit on my bookshelf
for many years, it will be a constant companion, already raggedy with use.
The
book is beautifully and logically organized. Each chapter begins with a quote
and ends with a Summary, WHAT’S NEXT? And BEFORE YOU GO ON, which should not be
ignored. On every page, Ann Whitford Paul takes your hand and sits with you as you navigate the capricious and lonely waters toward publication. Every chapter includes dozens of pearls of writing wisdom. Too many to list, here are some of my favorites:
- Completing your story is the beginning of the writing process, not the end.
- The time-consuming part of writing is turning a manuscript into a publishable work.
- Some things in every first draft are worth saving.
- The key to becoming a better writer is to learn to be your own best critic.
- Be open to new ideas. Don’t be a bud, closed and tight. Be a blossom open to the sun, the wind, the rain, and any idea that comes your way.
The
book is divided into six sections:
1- Before You Write Your Story: how to
become a picture book scholar
There
are two picture book audiences: children and the adults who read to them. Several
key components make a picture book engaging and enduring. This chapter
discusses the structure of picture books along with some fundamentals of child
psychology. Children are complicated. They live in the present, and have
limited experiences, very short attention spans and strong emotions. They are
self-centered yet long to be independent and they understand a great deal more
than we give them credit for. From an adult’s
perspective, picture books need not be written in babyish language, should be
easy to read - over and over again.
2- Early Story Decisions: how to build
your “story house” and the many different ways to tell your story and create
compelling characters
What
is your story question? What is its answer? Your story needs multiple levels
and dimensions. Children (and adults) enjoy a story that has depth. This
section also explores the use of different points of view (POV) in storytelling
as well as voice and how changing POV and voice affects a story. Picture books
tend to be told in the third person POV, or narrative voice. Changing the tense,
time period and location of your story also have repercussions. Finally, your
story must have characters that are compelling. They should not be perfect, but
they do need to be characters we care about, likeable and believable. They need
to solve their own problems and be unique, memorable and consistent. According to
Ann Whitford Paul, there are five things every writer must know about a
character and provides a test for consistency. “You can never know enough about your characters.” - W. Somerset
Maugham
3-Structure of Your Story: plunging into
your story, first sentences, three acts, keeping the story together and getting
the story to a successful conclusion
A
strong opening consists of six Ws: Who? What? When? Where? What is the tone?
WOW! It also needs a strong first line.
Using time, mood, stetting, opinion, provocative statement, middle of the
action, conflict and scrapbook, first lines can be tested for different
effects. Eleven techniques are discussed that can help hold your story
together. Some of these include A Journey, Comparison, Repetitive Phrase, Days
of the Week, Story within a Story, and Question and Answer. Check your
manuscript to see which techniques are used and then try adding one or two and
see how this changes or improves your story. Finally, check your story to make
sure it has a strong ending. A book
should end with the unexpected expected. - Jane Yolen
-
The ending should not be predictable
-
The main character solves the problem
-
The main character changes in some way
-
No lucky coincidences influence the outcome
-
The ending comes at the end of the book
-
The ending doesn’t have to be happy, but it should give hope
4- Language of Your Story: the two Ss of
good writing, rhyme, the music of prose and word count
Scenes and Show, don’t tell are the
two Ss of strong writing. There are many reasons for writing in scenes. They are
physical and can be observed. They deliver conflict and tension. They are used
to advance the plot or reveal something new about the character. Scenes are not
easy to write and every scene has a unique, internal rhythm. The purpose of a
scene is to throw the reader and listener into the action, which means you, the
author, have to have been in there. The section includes examples of Show,
don’t tell and offers exercises to turn telling
sentences into showing sentences.
Rhyme, rhythm and meter are also discussed in depth. The music of sounds and
prose are covered, along with the sounds of letters and the impact they have on
mood and action. Word choice is important because certain sounds evoke
different emotions, changing a story from light and soft to dark and ominous.
Poetic tools, such as alliteration, assonance and onomatopoeia are also
important and can impact the mood of your story. Other tools, such as
personification, metaphor and simile can add depth and richness to the writing.
Finally, the all-important word count is discussed, along with how to
understand the illustrator’s job, respecting a child’s intelligence and having
an understanding of and sympathy for your audience. The book also provides a list
of picture books along with word count, as well as helpful hints on reducing
word count, and text that the author had “expanded and made even worse for the
purpose of this (editing) exercise.”
5- Tying Together Loose Story Ends:
creating a great title and making dummy books
This
section goes over the importance of having an attention-grabbing title. Many a book is chosen by a reader because
the title seems promising. – Barbara Seuling
Try
to include at least one of the following: brief, catchy, does not give away the
ending, ia easy for a child to say, hints at the topic, or is unique. This
section also included a chapter on creating a dummy and color testing it to see
how the story works.
6- After Your Story Is Done: sharing
your story, researching the Market, getting ideas and selling your manuscript
Ann
Whitford Paul believes in writing groups. They complete the trinity of the
writer, the words and the reader. Her book offers many tips on organizing a
writing group- from finding members, assessing personal and professional
qualifications, determining size, meeting times and place. She also provides a
framework for meetings; sharing news and the critiquing process. I enjoyed the
section on what to expect when your manuscript is being critiqued and how to
critique of others’ work and identifying important issues and fine tuning. Repeat
the process of sharing and revising until you all think it is the best story it
can be. The next step is finding the right publisher, making sense of
submission policies, cover letters and manuscript formats. The book also
touches on how to find an agent and how to deal gracefully with rejections.
Also included are ten commandments for submitting picture book manuscripts.
Waiting for the letter is one of the most agonizing and painful times. If
unchecked, this period of time can send a writer into a tail spin of re-working
a manuscript or taking an extended vacation from writing. The best thing to do
is start another project as quickly as possible. Ann Whitford Paul offers
sincere advice about where to get ideas and to remember that every person has
something of value to share. The
chapter ends with numerous writing prompts designed to take us back to our
childhood and dig up memories, or take a good look at the life we have created
for ourselves, our passions and interests, and our hopes and dreams for our
stories. On a final, positive note, the book takes us through contracts,
revisions, illustrators and publication.
And
no matter what books you read or what classes you take, you control your own
destiny. You decide whether to write or not, submit or not. It is up to you. You
have to do the work.
