The Do-It-Yourself Anti-Guide to Writing Childrens Fiction Picture Books: Whew! What a Mouthful!

1ST Edition

Nicole St. Jean

Contents

01 Reasons for Writing Childrens Fiction Picture Books and

Enjoying the Journey............................................................................3

02 The Basics: Childrens Picture Books..............................................3 03 Childrens Fiction Picture Book......................................................4 04 Setting Up Your Workspace Your and Gathering Your Tools......5 05 Discovering your BIG idea and Cultivating it...............................7 06 Doing Your Research.....................................................................9 07 Ingredients of a Fabulous Childrens Picture Book...................13 08 Writing Your Story.......................................................................24

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 style appropriate 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, handmade paper 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. 04 Setting 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

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 doing so you will most certainly find a place that works best for you and youll know it when you happen upon it, because it will feel right. 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 want to 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 a computer 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 and do 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 an occupation, 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 good idea 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 parttime 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. 05 Discovering 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 is important 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.

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 to really 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-andanswer session with the children, youll want to formulate good questions that will yield the kind of 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 and Amspaugh-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 Economy 95).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 selfdiscipline 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 know both 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 establish the 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 and Amspaugh-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 and Harmon 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 point When: Time Where: Setting Why: Drama, pacing, character motivation How: Plot point Middle Who: Character development What: Plot point When: Time Where: Setting Why: Drama, pacing, character motivation How: Plot point End Who: Character development What: Plot point When: Time Where: Setting Why: 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 the setting. 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 the page. 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 the protagonist. 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 that are 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, and anything 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, and plural. 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 your Childrens 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 are given 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 same purpose. 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 or having 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 assemble the seven 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. <http://www.uncp.edu/home/canada/work/allam/general/glossary.htm>.

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. <http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/hyperbole>.

"Term: Onomatopoeia." Usingenglish.com. Usingenglish.com, n.d. Web. 28 Apr. 2013. <http://www.usingenglish.com/glossary/onomatopoeia.html>.

Nordquist, Richard. "Understatement." About.com: Grammar and Composition. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Apr. 2013. <http://grammar.about.com/od/tz/g/understateterm.htm>.

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