Writing Children's Books - The Three Commandments of Writing a Picture Book
By Laura Backes
Many beginners believe writing picture books are a breeze, but it requires a lot of
skill to pack a story into a few words. If writing a picture book is your dream, here are
some tips to consider before you begin:
1. Keep it simple. You should be able to sum up the plot of your picture book in three
sentences. Not every detail, of course, but the broad strokes. Use one sentence for the
beginning (naming your main character and the problem or conflict he'll face in the
story), one for the middle (describing the gist of the efforts your character makes to
solve his problem), and one for the end (how he finally resolves the conflict and reaches
his goal). If three sentences doesn't capture the essence of your plot, then it's probably
too complex for a picture book.
Note: You're concentrating here on plot (the action of the story), rather than theme
(the underlying message). Don't get into describing theme when you're summarizing your
plot. The theme shouldn't even be an issue at this point. You want to construct the story
so the character's actions, and how he changes because of those actions, implies a lesson
to your readers.
2. Think in pictures. The term "picture books" says it all: the illustrations are just
as important as the words. The average picture book is 32 pages long, with about four
pages of front matter (title page, copyright page, etc.) So you have 28 pages of text and
illustration. If you aim for 1000 words to tell your story (the average length of picture
book text), that gives you about 36 words per page (some pages will have more words, some
less, depending on the pacing of your story).
While you don't want to obsess over precise word counts when you're writing early
drafts of your manuscript, do keep in mind that every page of your book needs to inspire a
different illustration. So count out 36 words from your manuscript and note how big a
block of text that is on the page. That's about how many words you can devote to each
illustration. After that, your characters have to do something - move around, change
locations - so the illustrator will have a new picture to draw.
One way to think in pictures is to convey the character's problem, and her efforts to
solve that problem, in concrete, visual terms. If your character is having trouble
memorizing facts for school, that all takes place inside her head. But if she's
embarrassed because she can't swim, then her attempts to learn are easily illustrated.
Note: Some illustrations will span two facing pages, called a two-page spread. In this
case, you'll have about 70 words for that one illustration. But picture books are a mix of
single page illustrations and two-page spreads, so keep the action moving at a good pace.
3. Keep a childlike outlook. Picture book characters can be children, adults, animals
or fantasy characters. But all main characters must embody the sensibilities of a child
between the ages of 4-8. This mean the problem your characters faces needs to be relevant
and important to your target audience. The way your character tackles that problem must
fit with the way a child would tackle it.
Don't create an adult main character just so you can impose some adult wisdom on your
readers. Grown-up characters using the emotional, illogical and sometimes messy coping
strategies of children can be a very effective, and funny, storytelling technique. Above
all, the character must be the one to solve the problem, using methods that are accessible
to children. If readers see themselves in your main character, then they'll understand
the underlying message of your story.
Laura Backes is the publisher of Children's Book Insider, the Newsletter for Children's
Writers. For more information about how to write children's books,
including free articles, market tips, insider secrets and much more, visit Children's Book
Insider's home on the web at The CBI Clubhouse
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