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Bite-size bits of wisdom & inspiration for writers on the go!

Problem Solving for Picture Book Writers

6/16/2016

1 Comment

 
By Donna Cangelosi
Picture

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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1 Comment
bestdissertation.com reviews link
1/3/2019 01:38:02 am

If it's a challenge for a certain writer to come up with a fictional story for their audiences, writing a children book is way harder! We are up with the beliefs that what they are doing is easy. But the truth is, authors who write children books are carrying more problems than other authors from other genre because they need to be extra sensitive with their audience. The choice of words must be strictly observed and they should make sure that there's a lesson children can get from the story. I don't I am fit for such difficult job.

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    Donna Cangelosi and Chana Stiefel are picture book critique partners & friends who are passionate about kids' books & are eager to share tidbits from their writing journey with other aspiring writers. 

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