Writing the Perfect Picture Book…

…Is Much Harder Than It Looks

Last week picture book guru Debbie Ohi created another of her terrific posts on writing picture books – I highly recommend you go follow her if writing picture books is your dream.

I want to add to what she has to say on the subject.

In her post she urges writers not to rush the process, and since I’ve been talking about process lately, this fits right in. Often when we have an idea that we think is stellar, and we push out a draft, we’re so excited that it’s easy to say, “This is it! I’m sending it out right now!” But as Debbie says, that’s not the best idea.

In fact, it’s a terrible idea.

The Picture Book Fallacy

It is a truth universally acknowledged that children’s book authors, with a few exceptions, start their writing journey by trying to write picture books. (Guilty as charged.) Partly that’s because we start this path when we are young parents of young children and we’re reading tons of picture books, and they seem so simple.

Short vignettes. Cute animal characters. Nothing much to get bogged down.

But in fact, a good picture book is anything but simple. Further, the publishing challenge has never been greater, so sending out a first draft of anything is ill advised.

Picture books are like some combination of poetry and short stories. A good poem uses language – diction and syntax – in spare fashion to create an impression, a feeling, an emotion. A short story features a complete character arc of change within a tiny space of time, place, and narrative. That’s an interesting and tricky combination to begin with.

Picture books also must use language that is appropriate for the youngest readers, and a story concept that is both age-appropriate and interesting enough to be read again and again by both kids and adults, and the word count in a picture book is generally under 500 words (the exception being non-fiction picture books).

Okay – now we’re getting quite a bit more complicated.

The fallacy that picture books are easy to write stems from their seeming simplicity, which masks this complex underpinning.

(There’s a whole ‘nother fallacy for beginners, that you must “find an illustrator” or illustrate them yourself. Please…unless you are trained in the art of illustration, don’t do the latter, and if you want to be traditionally published, don’t do the former.)

Take Your Time

Today’s market is extremely competitive. If you want to write picture books, you really do need to go way beyond your first draft.

Here are some tips:

• You may already be reading a ton if you are a young parent but assess your reading. Choose to analyze the best books: those on “best of” lists, starred reviews, awards, recommended.

• Analyze those books carefully – they are your mentor texts. How long are they in word count? What happens in the arc of story? Who changes and how? Where do the illustrations take the story to another level, by adding details or expanding ideas?

• You want to answer the illustration question above because as the writer, you will leave things out that can be illustrated. That’s what picture books are: a marriage of text and image.

• Write your first draft, leave it alone, then come back to it after a few days. Do you have a character arc of change? (Pro tip: the classic tale Where the Wild Things Are has an arc of change – can you identify it?) Do you have a kid-friendly concept? When you read it out loud, does it flow?

• Cut mercilessly. Every extra word. Make your text lean and spare. Try to bring it down to 300 words if you can, definitely under 500.

• Unless it’s really working in an almost subliminal way, try to avoid rhyme. If you have to force it, it’s not working.

• Revise it over a period of weeks, if not months. (Pro tip 2: in the meantime, write other things. Always be writing other things.)

If You Want More…

Definitely subscribe to Debbie’s Substack.

And, I’ve built a membership and course-rich program on writing for children and young adults that is now open! It’s called Fox’s Den (cute, right?) It’s where you can find more on writing the perfect picture book.

Nine Ten (!) modules, hours and hours of writing craft content, and regular meetings to keep you going. You can find details here. It’s limited enrollment, and there’s an early-bird reduced-rate deadline of February 29, so please let me know if you’re interested and I’ll send you an application.

And if you want a taste of the program at a one-time affordable price, with lifetime access and a discount should you decide to scale up into the Den, try my Six Day Story System.

I would also love to know what else you’re looking for so contact me! Ask me a question, or two or more.