Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
Writing picture books is not easy. Picture books are a unique form of writing with a large audience of 2- to 8-year-olds, and they must appeal to both the adult purchaser and the child listener/reader. They are generally 32 pages long and must be tightly focused and told partly through illustrations. And novice picture book writers make a lot of mistakes--and get a lot of rejections from publishers flooded with inappropriate manuscripts. From this book these writers will learn the writing and revision process that will lead them to creating more salable picture book manuscripts. Ann Whitford Paul covers researching the picture books market, creating characters, point of view, plotting, tips on writing rhyme, and more--all the lessons writers need to write great picture books that will appeal to both editors/agents and young readers/parents. She uses a mix of instruction and hand-on exercises, often asking readers to cut, color and paste their way through revision.
Synopsis
Create engaging stories for the youngest readers Writing picture books takes a unique set of skills. After all, you only have thirty-two pages to bring your story to life for readers ages two to eight, and the adults in their lives. Your text must be tightly focused yet leave room for illustrations to tell part of the story. And, of course, picture books should be a joy to read aloud.
Award-winning author Ann Whitford Paul helps you develop the skills you need by walking you through techniques and exercises specifically for picture book writers. You'll find:
- Instruction on generating ideas, creating characters, point of view, beginnings and endings, plotting, word count, rhyme, and more
- Unique methods for using poetic techniques to enrich your writing and make your manuscript sing
- Hands-on revision exercises (get out your scissors, tape, and highlighters) to help you identify problems and improve your picture book manuscripts
- Tips on researching the picture book market and approaching publishers
Whether you're just starting out as a picture book writer or have tried unsuccessfully to get your work published,
Writing Picture Books is just what you need to craft picture books that will appeal to young readers and parents, agents, and editors.