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Writing
Picture Books for Children
by Robyn Opie
Picture books look easy to write. They usually
contain less than 1,000 words with stories that appear so simple that anyone can
write one.
In fact, picture books are the hardest of all
children's books to write and do well.
That doesn't mean you can't write one. It means
that you need to take time to produce your absolute best story and you need to
know what you're doing.
There are a lot of things to consider when
writing picture books.
Picture books always have 32 pages. This allows
about 28 pages of text. Every page has a colour illustration, either on a single
or double-page spread.
The majority of picture books are targeted at
children aged between 3 and 8 years old. However, there are a number published
for the older audience aged from 9 to 12. The latter stories are more complex,
as are the illustrations.
Elements of a Good Story
Even though picture books are short they still
need to contain all the usual elements of a good story - a main character that
readers can identify with and care about and a conflict that needs to be
resolved by the end of the story. All picture books have a happy, satisfying
ending.
The conflict of a picture book must be something
that children of the targeted age group have experience with and therefore
understand. It should also be something that interests them.
What Goes in the Illustrations?
A general rule is that whatever appears in the
illustrations doesn't need to be mentioned in the text. Firstly, you don't have
to describe your characters in a picture book. The reader can see what the
characters look like from the illustrations. Secondly, you don't need to
describe your settings because they also appear in the illustrations.
It is helpful for you to imagine the
illustrations as you are writing your story. Of course, the illustrator will
probably do something entirely different to what you imagined. But imagining
each page helps you see whether there is enough variety in the illustrations and
to also decide what to exclude from your text.
Adults read picture books aloud to children. It
is important that your story reads well aloud, that it has a lovely flow and
rhythm. Hence, sentences should be short and easy to understand. Repetition of a
sentence (or sentences) is popular in picture books as it adds to the rhythm and
children enjoy joining in.
Picture book texts take a long time to get right.
Published writers of picture books spend a lot of time writing their story then
perfecting it.
The Importance of Language in
Picture Books
As you are working with a limited number of
words, every word is vital. You should consider every word and make sure that it
is necessary. You should also ask yourself if the words you are using are the
best choices. Consider things like sound, meaning, interest, tension,
page-turning cliffhangers etc.
After you are satisfied that you've written the
best possible picture book, put it away for a week or two, even a month. This
distance will allow you to return to it with fresh eyes. Make sure you read it
out loud. As I mentioned earlier, picture books are read out loud. Yours must
sound great.
I've heard many publishers suggest that writers
of picture books avoid writing in rhyme. They say that it is extremely difficult
to do well. The majority of rhyme-texts they receive simply don't work and thus
are unpublishable.
Another point on publishers is that they prefer
to receive the text-only for a picture book - unless you're lucky enough to be
an accomplished illustrator and can write/illustrate your own books. You don't
need to find an illustrator for your story or send illustrations to a publisher.
Publishers have a stable of illustrators and they are experienced in deciding
who would be best to illustrate your book.
As you are working with a limited number of words
and aren't including in the text what should appear in the illustrations, it is
sometimes unclear from your words what should appear in the illustrations. This
makes it necessary to include an illustration note next to the page number in
your manuscript.
For example, I have a picture book text about a
dog. Some of the pages end with - CRASH! SPLASH! OOPS! I don't explain what
happens because it is evident in the illustrations. But a publisher probably
needs to know what I'm thinking to get the gist of the story, so I include a
note on how I envisage the illustrations.
My advice is that you visit your local library
and borrow a huge pile of recent picture books. Take them home and study them.
Ask yourself what makes them work and why they are popular with children (and
adults).
And take a long time to perfect your picture
book. There are no shortcuts to success.
Robyn Opie.
Author of 61 published books.
To subscribe to her free newsletter go here: http://www.robynopie.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/
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