the do-it-yourself anti-guide to writing children’s fiction picture books: whew! what a mouthful!...
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The Do-It-Yourself Anti-Guide
to Writing Childrens Fiction Picture Books:
Whew! What a Mouthful!
1ST Edition
Nicole St. Jean
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Contents
01Reasons for Writing Childrens Fiction Picture Books and
Enjoying the Journey............................................................................3
02The Basics: Childrens Picture Books..............................................3
03Childrens Fiction Picture Book......................................................4
04Setting Up Your Workspace Your and Gathering Your Tools......5
05Discovering your BIG idea and Cultivating it...............................7
06Doing Your Research.....................................................................9
07Ingredients of a Fabulous Childrens Picture Book...................13
08Writing Your Story.......................................................................24
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01 Reasons for Writing Childrens Fiction Picture Books and Enjoying the Journey
There are several good reasons to write a childrens fiction picture book, some that entail the
audience, and others that entail the writer. What good reasons are there you ask? I have included
a list of common reasons to write a childrens picture book below.
Good Reasons to Write a Childrens Picture Book
-To promote literacy
-To educate
-To entertain
-To provide a healthy escape
-To inspire creativity and imagination
-To be your own boss
-To have creative control
-To work from home-To have a flexible schedule
-To have flexible hours
-For self-expression and healing
-For the passion and love of it
Many of these reasons you may have already known. In fact, its why you decided to write a
childrens picture book. Im going to remind you before you even get a chance to hasten your
pace in writing your book, to slow down, and take it easy. Because writing a childrens picture
book is a journey, not a destination, and you and your book will be the better for it if you do.
Why? Because youll have given yourself enough time to learn the process, practice the process,and perfect the process which ultimately means a better you and a better book (one that stands
out from the crowd). If you forget how to slow down, and enjoy the process, simply look to the
children (your audience). Theyve got this down pat, and theres so much we can learn from
them. That said, lets dip our foot in the pool a little, and tackle the basics of childrens picture
books.
02 The Basics: Childrens Picture Books
Childrens picture books are grouped into the two large categories of fiction and nonfiction. They
are also grouped into types and formats which are based on the various ages the books serve as
well as the design of the book which includes the size, shape and content (more pictures than
words and vice versa) (Buccieri and Economy 17). The particular types of childrens picture
books that often come to mind include board books, wordless picture books, picture books, and
novelty books. The formats and designs of these childrens picture books are described below.
Board books are small books that are made of heavy stock cardboard or chipboard with content
that consists of 10 to 14 pages of pictures with few words. They are generally made for children
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ages 0 to 3 who not only have little experience in reading, but who also dont have the fine
motor development to handle the pages of a regular book without ripping them (Buccieri and
Economy 19-20).
Wordless picture books are much the same, but contain no words and are thus told entirely
through pictures.
Picture books can either be hardcovers or softcovers, but are more often than not hardcovers,
and generally come in 8 x 11 inches for hardcovers or 8 x 8 inches for softcovers. The content
generally consists of anywhere from 24 to 32 pages, but sometimes can consist of 48 pages, and
has anywhere from 100 to 1,500 words accompanied by pictures. And most picture books have
no more than 30 words to a page or 60 words to a spread. They are generally made for children
ages 3 to 8 and cover the less and more experienced reader.
Novelty books are much the same, but go beyond just words and pictures in that they are often
three dimensional and include such things as pop-ups, pull-tags and more.
With the advent of technology and the internet we now also have two additional categories that
childrens picture books are grouped into, and those categories are print and ebooks though the
first is more prevalent, and the later is more up and coming. Many writers cannot figure out the
type, the format, or the design of the book they are writing until theyve completed their story,
and some cant even figure it out until they are in the editing process( Buccieri and Economy
19). Thats ok though. You dont have to know the type, the format, or the design of the book
you are writing before writing it. It does; however, help to know the categories that most
childrens picture books fall under so that you can know the parameters of these types, formats,
and designs. Why? Because such helps you to make decisions regarding a writing styleappropriate for the age group you are targeting, the plot complexity, word count, page count, and
other elements that go into defining a type, format, and design of a book which is perfect
because these are the things that youve yet to nail down (Buccieri and Economy 19).
03 Your Childrens Fiction Picture Book
The good thing is, youve already made the tough decision of the type, format, and design of
your childrens picture book. If you hadn't then you would not have unearthed and read this
guide. In fact, before you picked up this guide you had already decided that you wanted to write
a childrens fiction picture book, and a childrens fiction picture book generally comes with a
predetermined format and design. odds are that your book will be an 8 x 11 inch hardcover that
consist of 32 pages as such is not only industry standard, but is what is most commonly used and
thus seen. This page count includes the front matter which comes before the text of the book and
commonly includes the title page, the copyright page, and the dedication or acknowledgement
page which often leaves you with 29 pages for your story. Much of the 32 pages (minus the first
and last page) are set up as spreads in which a single stage and the highest point of action or
greatest point of interest is illustrated, laid out, and merged between the left and right page of an
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open book. Some books even include endpapers which are the double leaves at the start and end
of the book that are not included in the page count. They are instead used to add to the decorative
appeal of the illustrations, and so too are the front cover and back cover of the book which are
also essential to the overall product. There are several different artistic styles of illustration to
choose from and they include cartoon, expressionism, and folk or primitive art. There are also a
plethora of popular mediums of illustration and they include: pastels, watercolors, handmadepaper and stencils, watercolor and colored pencils, cut paper collage, oil, oil on wood, gouache,
digital painting, and photographs and cut paper. This is good to know in case you plan to do your
own illustrations. Doing your own illustrations; however, is not required and is in fact
discouraged in many cases. As far as word count goes, though a picture book enables you to
write a max of 1,500 words, most dont include any more than 1,000 words. In fact, many have
no more than 30 words per page or 60 words per spread which means that if you follow industry
standard and whats commonly seen, youll really have no more than 870 words on average. In
this case, the age old cliches apply, less is always more and choose your words wisely.
04Setting Up Your Workspace And Gathering Your Tools And Utensils
Before setting up your workspace you must first find a place to write that is suitable for you. It
should be a place where you feel comfortable, but not so comfortable that you find yourself
dozing off in the middle of reading or writing. It should be a place that also stimulates creativity
and increases productiveness. Below is a list of viable places that you might consider making
your workspace.
Possible Workspaces
-Home office or a study-Den
-Dinning room
-Family room
-Outdoor balcony or deck
-Backyard
-A local library
-A coffee house or cafe
-A bookstore with tables and chairs
-A park
-A train station
-A bus station
-An airport
-A shopping center
-A mall
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Rojany-Buccieri, Lisa, and Peter Economy. Writing Children's Books for Dummies. Hoboken,
NJ: Wiley, 2005. Print.
What one place works for one person may not work for another which is why its important to
explore all viable places before deciding on which one you will make your workspace. In doingso you will most certainly find a place that works best for you and youll know it when you
happen upon it, because it willfeelright. It will take very little to set up a workspace should you
choose a location in the great outdoors. In fact, theres really no set up at all other than a chair or
blanket to seat yourself on, and maybe a table and radio at most. But as far as tools and utensils
go, youll need little more than a laptop and at the very least the classic pen or pencil, and
notebook combination. Whats more is that youll work by the light of the sun which brings with
it its own set of limitations so be sure that your schedule works within such limitations. A benefit
of working in the great outdoors is that you never find yourself in a disorganized mess, because
youre forced to clean up and organize at the close of each scheduled writing time. If you choose
the classic pen or pencil and notebook combination for your tools of choice then youll later wantto transfer your work by typing it up on your computer when you get home, but just be sure that
you remember to save your work as you dont want to have to put twice the effort in when you
neednt do so. Setting up a workspace in an indoor location, on the other hand, takes a whole lot
more. In fact, at the very least youll need a desk, a chair, and proper lighting while at most
youll need a bookshelf, a filing cabinet, a telephone, and a radio. Youll also want to have the
following set of reference materials: a dictionary, a thesaurus, the Chicago Manuel of Style,
Elements of Style, and The Childrens Writers Word Book. Youll find yourself referring to them
quite often in writing your childrens picture book. As far as tools and utensils go, theres really
no getting around the fact that though the classic pen or pencil and notebook combination will
do, its simply not enough in todays day and time where its almost mandatory of you to have acomputer with internet and a printer. Really the only thing thats optional, but thats a good idea
to have is an external USB flash drive to save your work to. If your computer takes a dump on
you then youll be happy you purchased it and saved your work to it, else you would have lost
everything, all the work you put so much time and effort into.
Whatever equipment and tools you decide on is entirely up to you. I do; however, suggest that
you ensure that the equipment and tools you do choose are ergonomic (those that can be). Such
will ensure that you are comfortable and thus working at your full potential which also means
that you are going to be your most productive. The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health
Administration website (www.osha.gov) has a checklist with guidelines that can assist you in
ensuring that everything that can be setup to be ergonomic is ergonomic.
You also want to make sure that in setting up your workspace, that the layout makes the most
sense in that it is easily kept clean and organized, and everything is thus easy to find and readily
accessible. This too will ensure that your not working in cramped quarters, but instead have
plenty of space to do your work. A clean and organized office often makes for a clear mind and a
clear mind is a more productive mind, for most anyway. This brings me to the suggestion of
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scheduling regular days and times to clean and organize your office instead of waiting for it to
get overwhelmingly messy before you do so. I also suggest that you schedule your daily reading
and writing times, and stick to them regardless of whats going on around you. Most established
writers treat their reading and writing like its their job, and it is. On average they set aside 4 to 8
hours 5 to 7 days a week and stick to it faithfully. If you dont schedule the time, and instead sit
down to read and write when the motivation comes to you, then youre not likely to sit down anddo it at all. Why? Because such often doesnt come in waiting, but in doing. Before you schedule
in your writing times; however, you need to determine whether your peak writing times (the
times your most creative and productive) are in the morning, in the afternoon or in the evening.
You can do so by siting down to write in the morning, by sitting down to write in the afternoon,
and by sitting down to write in the evening. The quantity and quality of the work you produce for
each time slot will be a testimony unto itself as to when your peak writing time is, but make sure
you also keep note of particular everyday routine events that permit or hinder your creativity and
productiveness as well so that you can also set the right conditions. Some writers have writing
buddies and work in pairs, but most do not. In this case, you must be able to work alone for
prolonged periods of time with no human interaction which for some can be far too lonely of anoccupation, especially when theyve left their day job to be a writer and are use to the social
interaction that it offered. Some writers are better able to focus with silence while others find it
to be a distraction. This means that some writers are better able to focus with noise while others
find it to be a distraction. In other words, the silence or noise can either serve to make one more
or less productive. The good news is that you have the option to either maintain the silence that
comes with such or to pelt it with noise (whichever works best for you).
Making Time And Scheduling Time
Once youve figured out your peak writing times based on such, then it would in turn be a goodidea to purchase an appointment calendar, day planner, or electronic organizer so that you can
use such to schedule your peak writing times with hours that equate to that of a full-time or part-
time job (whichever you can swing). By writing it down you make the intended act more definite
and at this point it become real to you, your friends and your family who now know not to
bother you during these times (Wallin and Gordon 38-39). This act of writing during certain
times each day will later become a habit thats hard to break which is ultimately a good thing.
Now all thats left to do is to show up and on time like you would a job, because this is serious
business and should be treated as such. Youll also do well to set forth particular goals that youd
wish to accomplish with assigned deadlines and pay yourself when you meet them with whatever
means you find to be reasonable, but gratifying.
05Discovering Your BIG Idea And Cultivating it
In order to ensure that your book is unique and stands out, it is important that you first do your
research. Knowledge is power! You and your book will definitely stand to benefit greatly in
doing so, and will be the better for it. There are several things that you want to look for to ensure
that you are writing a book that is unique and stands out. Those things are ideas regarding
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subjects/themes that have not yet been covered, but are desired in childrens literature, ideas
regarding outdated subjects/themes that are in need of updating and a fresh new look, and ideas
regarding subjects/themes that agents, editors, and publishers are specifically requesting due to
either a shortage of or heightened demand for such. Such information can be found in places like
childrens books, childrens magazines, the latest Childrens Writers & Illustrators Market
book, writers trade magazines, writers newsletters, and writers magazines to name a few.Additional ideas can be found everywhere and in such things as personal experience, movie
footage, t.v. programs, news coverage, music of all kinds, classic and modern narratives,
commercials and advertisement, real life settings, personal and public conversations and the like.
Once youve honed in on your central idea, the main idea for your book, youll want to cultivate
that idea. How? Well, you can start by purchasing one or several of the following items listed
below, and noting all the additional or supporting ideas to your central idea.
Things to Take Note on
-A regular sized notebook-A mini notebook
-An aqua notebook
-An organizer
-A recorder
-A smartphone
-A personal digital assistant
It doesnt matter which you choose or whether you choose one or a combination of the lot. All
that matters is that you have a place to store your great ideas both in private and in public so that
you can jot them down as they come to you rather than taking a mental note of them. It isimportant to do so as you risk the chance of loosing your ideas and you dont want that to
happen, because though ideas are everywhere, they are not created equal. There are ideas that
would be of no great loss and yet there are also other ideas that would be of great loss. So
wander about curiously with your eyes wide open, and in finding a great idea or a series of great
ideas, treat them like the treasures they are and put them away for safekeeping.
Youve already got the central idea which covers the subject/theme of your story, and youve
come up with additional and supporting ideas that have cultivated it to the point of covering the
generalities and specifics of the setting, the plot such as the conflict, climax, and resolution, and
the characters and their dialogue which are all main components of your story. You now have
something real and substantial to go on, something to work with, in that youve cultivated and
expanded on your central idea with these ideas. But youll even want to expand on and cultivate
them some more through the research you do.
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06 Doing Your Research
The amount of research youre going to need to do, where youre going to do it, and the depth
of your efforts will be very much determined by the specifics of the audience, the specifics of
the subject, and the specifics of the genre you choose as well as how grounded in reality youre
planning on your book being (Buccieri and Economy 103).
A prerequisite to writing your book (or any book for that matter) is knowing the target audience
you wish to target and doing your research on them. In this particular case you wish to target
children, but what specific age group or grade level do you intend to reach out to? Do you intend
to reach out to a group of coed children or a group of gender specific children, and if the later,
what gender? Do you intend to reach out to the abled or disabled, and if the later, what
impairment? Do you intend to reach out to the ethnic majority or the ethnic minority, and if so,
what ethnicity?
Once you know the target audience you wish to target (in this case children), youll want toreally get to know them, because you cant write about or for them if you dont (not very well
at least). There are several ways to get to know the children. You can start with hanging out or
around children at school, at home, or at places that generally cater to them. Either way you can
choose to actively engage in projects or activities with them (work or play) or you can inactively
disengage, sit back, and observe them doing such things. You can even volunteer to actively
engage by leading story time at school or have a partner lead story time while you inactively
disengage, sit back, and observe the children's responses and reactions to a book that resembles
the type of book youd like to write yourself. Once youve extensively noted your observations,
youll want to start asking the children questions. To make the most out of your question-and-
answer session with the children, youll want to formulate good questions that will yield the kindof detail you need to use as a writer. For that you use the reporters trusty six (who, what, when,
where, why, and how), detailing them to your particular needs and concerns (Buccieri and
Economy 95). The answers to these questions will give you an idea of the children's interests,
issues, and concerns amongst other things.
Pop culture envelops our childrens world and provides the context that most children today are
immersed in(Buccieri and Economy 100). Its a reflection and determinant of what they are
watching, what they are listening to, what they are reading, what they are playing with, what they
are wearing, what attitudes they are carrying, why they are carrying these attitudes, and towards
who or towards what. And so keeping up with pop culture can help you not only to see and
understand the children of today, but to also keep current and ahead of the curve. There are
several ways that you can go about this. You can start by watching the latest cartoons, reading
parenting and family magazines, reading kids magazines and kids books, and searching the web
for pop culture websites that specifically target your age group. You can even browse the
childrens section of book stores and clothing stores while wandering the entire lot of toy stores,
and you can do so either at the brick and mortar store or the online store. All means of keeping
up reach the same end in that they all reflect current pop culture and todays children.
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Its great that you know the target audience that you wish to target (the children), and its even
better that after doing your research, youll really know them. But if you want your book to do
well then youre going to want to know what you want the subject and theme of your story to be.
What is a subject? A subject is defined as what the story is about. What is a theme? A theme is
defined as the point, the message, or the central idea that underlies the book (Stoodt-Hill andAmspaugh-Corson 28).
The list below includes common subjects and themes for children. You can use the list below or
come up with a subject or theme of your own that is outside of this list.
Subjects and Themes
-All about me
-Special interests
-Growing up-Feelings
-Manners
-Health and hygiene
-Safety
-Family
-Friends
-Community
-United States
-Diversity
-Teamwork-Adversity
-Holidays
-Events and special days
-Animals and other creatures
-Love and be loved
-Security (material, emotional, spiritual)
-Belonging
-Achievement
-Environment
Knowing the subject/theme of your story will likely help you to hone in on what you want the
genre of your story to fall under which will also ensure that your book does well. Below is a list
of childrens book genres for you to choose from.
Childrens Book Genres
-Realistic fiction
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-Science fiction
-Mystery fiction
-Action/adventure
-Fantasy
-Horror/ghost
-Historical fiction-Biography
-Learning/educational
-Religion/diversity
-Girl oriented
-Licensed character
Rojany-Buccieri, Lisa, and Peter Economy. Writing Children's Books for Dummies. Hoboken,
NJ: Wiley, 2005. Print.
Once youve decided on the subject/theme of your story as well as the genre that you want it to
fall under, youll want to really get to know both through the research that you do. Such will help
you to fill in any gaps that may need filling and expand on or develop your story further which
will help your book to do even better than well. You can do so by gathering sources such as
childrens magazines, childrens picture books, and childrens internet sources that fall under the
subject, theme, and genre that youve chosen for your childrens book. You can then make the
most out of your analysis of these sources by formulating good questions that will yield the kind
of detail you need to use as a writer by using the reporters trusty six (who, what, when, where,
why, and how), and detailing them to your particular needs and concerns (Buccieri and Economy95).The answers to these questions will give you an idea of what kind of things go into such a
subject, what you specifically want to incorporate into your book, and how you can do or model
the particular genre.
The Research Process
That said, there are three tried and true steps to the research process that will help you to get to
know your audience, theme, subject, and genre very well and in turn get you there (right where
you need to be).Those steps are listed and explained below.
The Research Process
1. Create a research plan
Your research plan should include trusted online sources that you intend to look up
or pick up, places you intend to visit, and people you intend to interview to gather the
necessary information and to fill in any gaps that may need filling.
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2. Put your plan into effect
Putting your plan into effect is the most self explanatory step of them all. Though its
the easiest to understand, its the most difficult to carry out, and takes a little self-
discipline and self-motivation. It; however, becomes easier once you get into the
swing of it. Keep your chin up and keep moving forward, and youll do just fine.
3. Organize your results
Interviews should be transcribed, articles organized, facts compiled, and sources
credited. Be sure to triple check your facts and information by using other trusted
sources to check it against, and when in doubt, check it out again and then once
more (Buccieri and Economy 104).
Rojany-Buccieri, Lisa, and Peter Economy. Writing Children's Books for Dummies. Hoboken,
NJ: Wiley, 2005. Print.
There are a great deal of places with the resources you seek that can assist you with this
endeavor. Those places are listed below.
Places to do Your Research
-Close residents
-Local newspapers
-Libraries
-Government offices
-Company headquarters-Businesses
-Universities and colleges
-Planetariums
-Museums
-Associations and societies
-Internet
Rojany-Buccieri, Lisa, and Peter Economy. Writing Children's Books for Dummies. Hoboken,
NJ: Wiley, 2005. Print.
Once youve honed in on your audience, subject, theme, and genre and have really gotten to
knowboth through the research youve done then youll want to really get to know your craft and
the ingredients that make for a fabulous childrens picture book.
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07 Ingredients of a Fabulous Childrens Picture Book
A childrens book is comprised of what I like to call the lucky seven which consists of seven
essential ingredients that make for a fabulous book. Those ingredients are listed and explained
below.
1. Setting
The setting is the stage constructed upon place and time for which the characters reside and
move about. Its where they act out the series of events that make up a story from the conflict to
the climax to the resolution much like the theatre stage where actors and actresses act out a play.
The setting can be set in the past, the present, or the future as well as in a real or imagined world.The time is made apparent by the tenses of the words used (past tense, present tense, and future
tense), but place and time are both made apparent through the showing details of the scenery and
the artifacts that are incorporated into the story which can be likened to a backdrop and the props
in a play. On a side note, once a tense is chosen, its best to stick with it throughout the story as
switching tenses is generally frowned upon. That said, the setting is essential in that it gives the
characters and the plots series of events from beginning to middle to end scenery and context. It
also shapes your main characters whether it be in a positive or negative way. A descriptive or
detailed line of description set forth on paper for the purpose of developing the setting is not as
important in a childrens picture book as it is other books that tend to show and tell the story by
means of words more than by means of pictures. In this particular case, it is enough to establishthe characters whereabouts (home, school, park, farm etc.) as it is the illustrators job to show
what the reader sees (Buccieri and Economy 159). It is the writers job to engage the readers
senses outside of what is seen. In other words, it is the writers job to engage their senses by
using words to show and tell the way it tastes, feels, sounds, and smells. The setting is like any
other story element in that it should be dispersed and balanced throughout the story and only be
used with purpose. But how do you know when you should use it? Below is a list of good times
for you to use setting.
When to Incorporate Setting Into the Story
-When place figures prominently into the story
-When its not just incidental (when its important to the plot)
-When description of place doesnt interrupt the flow of action in the story
-When description of context adds or helps develop one of the story elements (setting, plot, pace,
characters, point of view, tone and style)
-When you must mention an exotic local
-When beginning a novel and a specific place is mentioned
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-In a new scene where a new setting is introduced or place is used to transition
Rojany-Buccieri, Lisa, and Peter Economy. Writing Children's Books for Dummies. Hoboken,
NJ: Wiley, 2005. Print.
The setting gets your audience interested and engaged in the story and it also transports them
out of their day-to-day reality of their current environment and into the fantasy world created by
the books author (Buccieri and Economy). When this happens the audience is more likely to be
more interested and engaged in the character and plot as well.
2. Plot
The plot is a series of events that follow along with the conflict, climax, and resolution and come
together to frame the story you are writing. There are five types of plots which are listed and
explained below.
1. Dramatic plot: A plot that establishes setting, characters, and conflicts with fast moving
action that grabs childrens attention and creates enough tension to hold their interests until the
exciting climax(Stoodt-Hill and Amspaugh-Corson 24).
2. Episodic plot: A plot similar to a dramatic plot only each part has its own mini-plot or a
story within the main story(Stoodt-Hill and Amspaugh-Corson 24).
3. Parallel plot: Two plots that unfold side by side that are actually intertwined into a single
story as the book winds down which generally occurs near the climax(Stoodt-Hill andAmspaugh-Corson 25).
4. Cumulative plot: A plot that unfolds through a pattern of repetition in which characters or
events are added to each other with each new character or event paralleling a previous character
or event building toward a climax that solves the problem(Stoodt-Hill and Amspaugh-Corson
25).
5. Circular plot: A plot that unfolds with the story starting in one place before departing from
that point, the climax then returns to the beginning point(Stoodt-Hill and Amspaugh-Corson
25).
Stoodt-Hill, Barbara D., and Linda B. Amspaugh-Corson. Children's Literature: Discovery for a
Lifetime. 3rd ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill Prentice Hall, 2005. Print.
There are also three types of plot structures which are listed below.
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Types of Plot Structures
1. A main character who confronts a problem and attempts to solve it(Stoodt-Hill and
Amspaugh-Corson 24-25).
2. A story that unfolds incident by incident(Stoodt-Hill and Amspaugh-Corson 24-25).
3. Characters who have opposing viewpoints or experience the same thing in different ways(Stoodt-Hill and Amspaugh-Corson 24-25).
Stoodt-Hill, Barbara D., and Linda B. Amspaugh-Corson. Children's Literature: Discovery for a
Lifetime. 3rd ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill Prentice Hall, 2005. Print.
The conflict of the story is usually found at the beginning of the plot, and usually entails one of
the types of plot structures listed above. It is the struggle that grows out of the interplay of two
opposing forces in a plot and usually involves difficulties to overcome, problems to solve or
goals to achieve which increases the tension and arouses the suspense of the story(Holman andHarmon 107).
There are three main types of conflict which are listed below.
Types of Conflict
1. A struggle against nature (Stoodt-Hill and Amspaugh-Corson 23).
2. A struggle against another person, usually the antagonist
(Stoodt-Hill and Amspaugh-Corson 23).
3. A struggle against themself or their inner self (Stoodt-Hill and Amspaugh-Corson 23).
Stoodt-Hill, Barbara D., and Linda B. Amspaugh-Corson. Children's Literature: Discovery for a
Lifetime. 3rd ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill Prentice Hall, 2005. Print.
The rising actions which generally includes obstacles for the main character to overcome leads to
the climax which is generally the greatest obstacle of them all as well as the highest point of
interest in a story, the point at which the reader learns how the conflict is resolved (Stoodt-Hill
and Amspaugh-Corson 24). The falling action comes after the climax and leads to the resolution
which usually ends satisfactory and on a positive note with difficulties having been overcome,
problems having been solved, or goals having been achieved (Holman and Harmon 107). A
good and thorough way to plan the plot of your story is to outline it using a plot outline that uses
the reporters trusty six (who, what, when, where, why, and how).
Below is an example of what a blank plot outline would look like. You can use this for your book
and make it as specific or general as youd like.
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Plot Outline
Beginning
Who: Character development
What: Plot pointWhen: Time
Where: Setting
Why: Drama, pacing, character motivation
How: Plot point
Middle
Who: Character development
What: Plot point
When: TimeWhere: Setting
Why: Drama, pacing, character motivation
How: Plot point
End
Who: Character development
What: Plot point
When: Time
Where: SettingWhy: Drama, pacing, character motivation
How: Plot point
Rojany-Buccieri, Lisa, and Peter Economy. Writing Children's Books for Dummies. Hoboken,
NJ: Wiley, 2005. Print.
A good plot not only narrates the series of events from conflict to climax to resolution with the
character involved in every step, but also shows the characters motives pushing them forth to act
and thus face, struggle and overcome obstacles. It also shows their reactions in terms of their
thoughts and emotions, and how theyve changed as a result which makes for meaningful plots
and characters that the audience can care about. The plot goes hand and hand with pace which is
more important than many might suspect.
3. Pace
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The pace of a plot is the speed at which it moves through the series of events from the conflict to
the climax to the resolution. There are three general paces, slow, medium, and fast. Childrens
books often follow a medium pace as not to go too slow and lose the child on account of his or
her short attention span, but as not to go too fast and lose the child, because they missed
something and now they are lost. A nice medium pace keeps the childs short attention span in
mind while ensuring that the child stays with you and understands what is going on in the story.Pacing even has the ability to emphasize or deemphasize things. Below I have listed and
explained the twenty common pacing tools or ways to pace a childrens picture book for your
use.
Twenty Ways to Pace a Childrens Picture Book
1. Use of words. Choose words wisely and vary sentences (short and long).
2. Repetition. Alerts to what is important/pivotal to a story, invites readers to interact, builds
structure.
3. Rhythm. Adds beat and energy, pauses, beats, and words merge with meaning creating a
rhythmic string like a song. Ways to create rhythm include repetitive lines, a 3 series,
alliteration, beats, word choice, and syllables to name a few.
4. Rhyme. Rhyme must be used with caution, near rhyme is a miss, true rhyme must be 100%
5. Questions. Create a quest, and are used to pull the reader through the story.
6. Setting. Develops time and place, and works as a pacing tool when using to fully explore thesetting. It can also add variety, excitement, and can break up the story in interesting and
nonlinear ways that can move the readers in time and place to and from and back again.
7. Details. Lots of information in few words that includes wordplay and rhythm, reveals the
character, and acts as a pacing marker in that it can slow down the pace of a story.
8. Descriptions. Slow the pace or quicken the pace and create a whole believable world built out
of words.
9. Dialogue. Reveals character, draws the reader in, speeds the pace of the story.
10. Objects. Reveal characters, are pacing markers and represent obstacles for the character to
overcome.
11. Power of 3s. Gives rhythm, but slows the pace by listing in threes.
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12. Lists. Lure readers in with what character has to do, what character is and isnt, and is a
pacing tool that slows the reader, builds tension, reveals the character, and becomes a sort of
interactive game.
13. White space. Evokes emotion, shifts the focus, adds immediacy, and can quicken the pace.
14. Page turns. Has the audience anticipating whats around the next page turn, and acts as a
built in pause, and thus slows the pace.
15. Unspoken Characters. Characters not introduced in the beginning are put in later on in the
story to slow the pace.
16. Art. Amplifies, and must marry the words of the story, but not replicate. The audience stops
to look at the pictures and the artwork thus slows the pace.
17. Graphics. Splitting the pages into sections with different pictures in each section slows the
pace of the book, because the audience has to stop, and take a look at each one before turning thepage.
18. Interactive games. Having page after page with surprises quickens the pace, because the
audience is hurrying themselves through the pages to encounter the next surprise.
19. Contrary flips. Role reversals can either slow or quicken the pace depending on what the
writer decides to do with it or how the writer decides to use it.
20. Humor. Honing in on the pauses and page turns, and holding out for the humor can slows the
pace of the book.
Sambuchino, Chuck. 2013 Children's Writer's & Illustrator's Market. Cincinnati, OH: Writers
Digest, 2012. Print.
4. Characters
A character is the representation of a person or creature and they are important to the story,
because they are what advances the plot or the development of self or others. Without them we
wouldnt have a story.
There are three main types of characters that are listed and explained below.
Types of Characters
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1. Protagonist: The protagonist is the main character in the story for which the audience is most
vested in. It is the job of the protagonist to overcome the conflict ( overcome the difficulties,
solve the problems, or achieve the goals). The protagonist can advance the plot or the
development of self and others.
2. Antagonist: The antagonist is the character or situation in the story in opposition to theprotagonist. It is the the job of the antagonist to stand in the way, and keep the protagonist
from overcoming the conflict( overcoming the difficulties, solving problems, or achieving
goals). The antagonist can advance the plot or the development of self or others, but usually
their focus is on the protagonist and is more negative.
3. Supporting Characters: Supporting characters are the characters in the story that are part of
the interactive background. The supporting characters can advance the plot or the
development of others, but usually their focus is on the protagonist and is more positive
which is why they are called supporting characters.
Some characters are more developed than other characters in that some are round while others
are flat. Round characters contain many character traits (physical characteristics, quirks,
personality, values, beliefs, motives etc.) and are thus more developed while flat characters
contain little character traits (physical characteristics, quirks, personality, values, beliefs, motives
etc.) and are thus less developed making one more complex than the other. Round characters are
usually the most dynamic characters in that they are often times unpredictable and change as the
story unfolds while flat characters are usually the most static characters in that they are often
times predictable and dont change as the story unfolds. Childrens picture books contain both
realistic characters and fantasy characters. Below is a list of common characters found in
childrens picture books. You can use the list below or come up with characters of your own thatare outside of this list.
Characters (Realistic and Fantasy)
-Birds
-Insects
-Amphibians
-Reptiles
-Mammals
-Humans
-Elves
-Unicorns
-Fairies
-Princes/princesses
-Queens
-Kings
-Mermaids
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-Trolls
-Giants
-Monsters
-Aliens
-Super heroes
-Wizards-Witches
-Ghosts
What makes a character great is the way he sees the world and interacts with it, the manner in
which he does everything (Buccieri and Economy 111). In order for you to create round, and
dynamic characters that seems real, you have to get to know your characters. The best way to do
that is to create a character bible that includes all the characters that you plan to incorporate into
your book along with a character profile of each. The character profile should include absolutely
everything about your characters. That means that you should not only include the physical
characteristics of your characters, but also their personality, quirks, values, beliefs, motives, andanything else you can think of. Below is an example of a character profile that you can use for
each of your characters throughout your character bible.
You can even use the character arc pictured below. A character arc is a fancy tool that can help
you chart out your characters development, the struggles they encounter, and the changes they
go through as a result (Buccieri and Economy 127).
Fleshing out your character brings them to life, and makes them feel real to you and the audience
which makes for deep and dynamic characters that grow with the unfolding of events and
become memorable characters in the minds of the children. Another thing that goes hand in hand
with your characters and their development is the perspective for which their story is told from,
the point of view.
5. Point of View
The point of view is the narrators perspective in relation to the story. There are three points of
view which are listed and explained below.
Points of View
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1. First Person: The narrator appears within the story as a character themself and tells the story
often with the use of the pronouns that are objective, subjective, and plural. The pronouns
most commonly used are I ,we, me, us, my, mine, our, and ours.
2. Second Person: The narrator tells the story, and addresses the audience as though they are a
character themself, often with the use of the pronouns that are objective, subjective, andplural. The pronouns most commonly used are you, your, and yours.
3. Third Person: The narrator appears outside the story and tells the story of the character thats
observed with the use of pronouns that are objective, subjective, and plural. The pronouns
most commonly used are he, she, it, him, her, his, hers, its, they, them, their, and theirs. Their
are two types of third person point of view, omniscient and limited omniscient. Third person
omniscient point of view is where the narrator sees all, knows all, and reveals all (thoughts,
feelings, and motives) of all the characters. Third person limited omniscient point of view on
the other hand is where the narrator sees all, knows all, and reveals all (thoughts, feelings, and
motives) of one or a few characters (Stoodt-Hill and Amspaugh-Corson 30).
I cant tell you what point of view is going to be best for you or your story as such is a very
personal choice. The best way to decide is to perhaps test out your story with the three points of
view and see which one your story sounds best in, which one you feel most comfortable with,
and which one feels most natural to you. Once you choose a point of view, its crucial that you
stick with it throughout the story, as switching points of view throughout the story is a big no-no
when it comes to writing childrens picture books.
6. Tone
The tone is the attitude toward the subject, theme, or audience or the overarching mood of the
story. The tone is a very basic thing, but it is also a very important aspect of your book, and is not
easily tackled. It is shown through the words used which paint the attitude or mood just as the
pictures do with the images theyve drawn using particular artistic styles and popular mediums as
well as the colors that are used and the amount of canvas that is taken up or left blank.
Below is a list of the most commonly used tones in childrens books.
Tones
-Fanciful (imaginative)
-Whimsical (odd, strange, fantastic, fun)
-Optimistic (hopeful, cheerful)
-Exciting (enthusiastic, lively)
-Didactic (educational/instructional)
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You can use the list below or come up with language devices of your own that are outside of this
list. Youre choice in tone is just as much your own personal choice as is your style which is
made up of a host of personal choices.
7. Style
Writers express their style through the language they use to shape their stories: the words and
literary devices they choose, the dialogue they create, the sentences they craft, and the amount
and nature of the descriptive passages (Stoodt-Hill and Amspaugh-Corson 29).
Word choice. A good way to go about word choice for a childrens picture book is to refer to
yourChildrens Writers Word Book. If youve done well to follow my directives thus far then
you should already have the reference book in your possession, and be well on your way to
finding the right words to write your story.
Literary Devices. Ive listed, explained, and given an example of the most commonly employed
language devices in childrens picture books below. You can use the list below or come up with
language devices of your own that are outside of this list.
Literary Devices
Metaphor. Definition: A figure of speech in which one thing, idea, or action is referred to by a
word or expression normally denoting another thing, idea, or action, so as to suggest some
common quality shared by the two (Baldwick)." Example: You are what you eat.
Simile. Definition: A figure of speech that makes a comparison and between two otherwise
unalike objects or ideas by connecting them with the words "like" or "as and thus making a
connection (University of North Carolina at Pembroke). Example:Busy as a bee.
Imagery. Definition: Descriptive language that evokes sensory experience and thus calls on any
of the five senses that in turn brings an image to mind. Example: Came and went like time spent
through an hourglass.
Allusion. Definition: "An indirect or passing reference to some event, person, place, or artistic
work, the nature and relevance of which is not explained by the writer but relies on the readers
familiarity with what is thus mentioned. The technique of allusion is an economical means of
calling upon the history or the literary tradition that author and reader are assumed to share. . . .
(Baldwick)" Example:I was surprised his nose was not growing like Pinnocchios.
Hyperbole. Definition: Exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally
(Dictionary.com). Example:He was so hungry that he ate that cornfield for lunch, stalks and
all.
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Understatement. Definition: A figure of speech in which a writer or speaker deliberately
makes a situation seem less important or serious than it is (Nordquist). Example: We teachers
are rather good at magic, you know.
Onomatopoeia. Definition: A word that imitates the sound it represents (usingenglish.com).Example:Snap, crackle, pop.
Rhyme. Definition: A pattern of words put together to make the same or similar sounds to add to
give it a certain ring or rhythm. Example: Today you are You, that is truer than true.
Repetition. Definition: A word, phrase, or clause used more than once in a short passage to
dwell on, emphasis or add rhythm. Example:Humpty, Dumpty sat on a wall. Humpty, Dumpty
had a great fall.
Personification. Definition: A figure of speech where animals, ideas or inorganic objects aregiven human characteristics (University of North Carolina at Pembroke). Example: The stars
danced playfully in the moonlit sky.
Dialogue. Dialogue refers to words, phrases, or clauses of a conversation between characters in a
story that often reveal their thoughts, feelings, and motives. It often includes tags, the words at
the end of the dialogue, to identify who is speaking. Sometimes the characters names are even
used to identify the speaker. Neither ought to nor should be overused in dialogue. Doing so will
make the dialogue sound both repetitive and unnatural. You have the option to use either
narrative or dialogue to convey what it is that you are trying to convey or to serve a particular
purpose, but its best that you dont use both to convey the same thing nor serve the samepurpose. Doing so is repetitive and wastes the readers time in being presented with the same
thing in two different ways and having to read both. Balancing the two is a good idea. And so is
knowing when to use that dialogue and where to put it. The only rule of thumb, in this case, is
that you ought to use dialogue with purpose. In other words, if it has no purpose, then it has no
place. Its best that you use it to advance the series of events that make up your plot from conflict
to climax to resolution, to provide information, to develop your setting and characters, to work
out your point of view and tone or to work toward a pace and style. This is as true of dialogue as
it is of narrative.
Its also best to get out and listen to your audience, take note on how they actually talk, and then
take that and make it better. Otherwise, its too tedious and boring in its actual state with all its
fits, starts, pauses, incomplete sentences and the like (Buccieri and Economy 149). Your
dialogue should also be dramatic, short, potent, and to the point (Buccieri and Economy 146).
It is this kind of dialogue that is fun, interesting, and intimate (in some cases more so than the
narrative). You can take the different sets of dialogue you create and add them to your character
bible which was talked about earlier in speaking of characters and character development. Youll
want to make sure that the dialogue is different for each character as to differentiate them from
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one another and youll also want to make sure that your dialogue for each character is consistent
throughout your story. And lastly, when you get the urge to describe a conversation between
characters, resist it. Instead, write out the dialogue in its place.
Ive included a list of common dialogue mistakes for you to avoid below.
Common Dialogue Mistakes to Avoid
-Too many speakers
-Heavy-handed and unrealistic dialogue
-Unnecessary dialogue (Dialogue shouldnt be used to fill empty space, and some things are
best left up to narrative(Buccieri and Economy 152).)
-Long speeches, lectures, and monologues
-Using lots of adjectives and adverbs (showing through dialogue over telling through dialogue)
-Phonetic spellings of dialects (The use of dialect or regional accents should only occur if the
writer is very familiar with the dialects and regional accents through having lived in the region orhaving done extensive research on such. In other words, unless you can do it flawlessly and
consistently, dont do it (Bucceri and Economy 153).)
Rojany-Buccieri, Lisa, and Peter Economy. Writing Children's Books for Dummies. Hoboken,
NJ: Wiley, 2005. Print.
Sentences and descriptive passages. Your unique style is born through the unique way for
which you pick and craft sentences and descriptive passages from word choice, literary devices,
and dialogue. It is also born through the unique way for which you pick, fashion, and assembletheseven story elements mentioned and explained in this guide (setting, plot, pace, characters,
point of view, tone, and style). You wont discover your unique style until youre actively
engaged in writing and employing it. In doing so you will also find your unique voice.
08 Writing Your Story
It is for this reason that I cannot tell you what all to pick, how to assemble and put it all together
or even how to fashion it, because such defies instructions. Why? Because these are decisions of
style and voice that the writer must make. Because everyone has their own unique style and
voice, the options will be the same, but what is done with the options will be different. All I can
do is provide you with the knowledge and competence as well as the building blocks for creating
a childrens picture book. What you choose to do with that is entirely up to you. What Im saying
here is that theres no set of hard instructions, theres no secret, no step by step guide (but maybe
an anti-guide). Theres only you, what youve gathered in reading this here anti-guide, and
the work youve put in thus far. Theres only you, your butt in the seat, staring at a blank
document on the computer screen in front of you with eager fingers resting on a keyboard.
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Theres only you asking yourself, what now? And theres only me, telling you to just write. Write
ceaselessly until youve got yourself a story, until youve got yourself a childrens picture book,
and then rewrite it and rewrite it again.
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Bibliography
Sambuchino, Chuck. 2013 Children's Writer's & Illustrator's Market. Cincinnati, OH: Writers
Digest, 2012. Print.
Stoodt-Hill, Barbara D., and Linda B. Amspaugh-Corson. Children's Literature: Discovery for a
Lifetime. 3rd ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill Prentice Hall, 2005. Print.
Wallin, Luke, and Eva S. Gordon. The Everything Guide to Writing Children's Books: How to
Write, Publish, and Promote Books for Children of All Ages. 2nd ed. Avon, MA: Adams
Media, 2011. Print.
Rojany-Buccieri, Lisa, and Peter Economy. Writing Children's Books for Dummies. Hoboken,
NJ: Wiley, 2005. Print.
"All American: Glossary of Literary Terms." University of North Carolina at Pembroke, n.d.
Web. 28 Apr. 2013.
.
Baldick, Chris. The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Literary Terms. Oxford [England: Oxford UP,
1990. Print.
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"Hyperbole." Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com, n.d. Web. 28 Apr. 2013.
.
"Term: Onomatopoeia." Usingenglish.com. Usingenglish.com, n.d. Web. 28 Apr. 2013.
.
Nordquist, Richard. "Understatement." About.com: Grammar and Composition. N.p., n.d. Web.
28 Apr. 2013. .
http://grammar.about.com/od/tz/g/understateterm.htmhttp://grammar.about.com/od/tz/g/understateterm.htmhttp://www.usingenglish.com/glossary/onomatopoeia.htmlhttp://www.usingenglish.com/glossary/onomatopoeia.htmlhttp://dictionary.reference.com/browse/hyperbolehttp://dictionary.reference.com/browse/hyperbole