Problem Solving for Picture Book Writers

By Donna Cangelosi

One of the many fantastic workshops I attended at this year's NJSCBWI conference was THE EDITING PROCESS-FOR REAL! with Katie Bignell, Senior Editor, at Scholastic. The session was a gem. Katie showed us the original manuscript of HOW TO BEHAVE AT A DOG SHOW written by Madeline Rosenberg and Illustrated by Heather Ross and took us though the entire editing process, line by line. We then looked at finished samples of the book. The transformation was truly remarkable. 
In her discussion, Katie noted that writing picture books requires good problem solving skills. We must find a way to:
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       Keep the word count low
       Show action on each spread
       Leave room for the illustrator
       Keep the reader engaged
       Include fun words and phrases 
       Increase stakes
       Build an emotional arc
       Build a story arc
       Add complications that lead to a strong climax, and
       End with a fun twist!

This list can be daunting, especially when you have to accomplish all of this in less than 500 words. But the reward will be worth it.

The Takeaway: If you need encouragement, look at a finished picture book that you love and remember, that author had to edit too!
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