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With some sketches for picture book NAKED! (Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers, author Michael Ian Black)

When I was first asked to illustrate my first picture book (I'm Bored) and I started researching picture book formats, I was confused. I knew a standard picture book had 32 pages, for example, but I discovered that these 32 pages might also include the title page and other non-story pages. Plus some books had the story beginning on the right-hand page while others started on the left.

WHERE SHOULD I BEGIN? My editor and art director helped guide me and even though I still get confused about terms like "self-ended" and "paste-down," I'm gradually learning. For expert explanations, see the resources I've listed at the end of this post.

How Many Pages? Here's What I've Learned So Far...

The number of pages varies in a picture book; it depends on the publisher as well as the project. If you're submitting a picture book dummy or paged out picture book mss, however, I'd suggest starting with the standard 32 pages. If you really need the extra room, go for 40...but keep in mind that the more pages a book has, the more expensive it will be to print. The reason that the number of pages in picture books tend to be in increments of 8 is because of the way they're printed; see resources at the end of this post for more info.

See below for the informal templates I've created for myself; I'm providing them here in case some of you find them useful in your own brainstorming process. The first two are templates I've used to brainstorm story layout for picture books. The squares are tiny on purpose, so I can squeeze the entire layout onto one page to make it easier for me to see overall visual flow. These early sketches are usually stick figures and only the essence of emotions and gestures; I don't bother with details.

Feel free to download/print any of the following for personal use:

32-Page Template	40-Page Template I used for illustrating NAKED!

I created the two bottom brainstorming templates for when I was coming up ideas on how to illustrate a particular spread. For example, suppose the first page text was "The squirrel was surprised." and the second page had "He ran away." My sketch ideas could be something like this:

For illustrations that are a full spread, I just ignore the gutter line.

For the final choice, I'll sometimes mix and match -- I may like the first sketch I did in Option #3 but prefer the second sketch from Option #4, so I'll combine them. 

Anyway, this template helps encourage me to explore different ways of illustrating a spread and NOT to just go for the first thing that comes to my mind. When I've made my choice, I'll turn the thumbnail sketch idea and work it into a bigger sketch. 

For more free print-ready material, see Debbie's Print-Ready Archives.

Other places where you can find more picture book layout templates and useful info:

If you know of other useful resources, please post them in the comments below, thanks!

An Illustrator's Guide To Creating A Picture Book - by Meghan McCarthy. No templates, but a good overview for those who are just starting out.

Picture Book Dummy, Picture Book Construction: Know Your Layout by Tara Lazar. Explanation of self-ended and colored ends picture book layouts.

Basic Book Construction by Editorial Anonymous. Includes info about why most picture books have 32 pages.

Picture book layout templates by Scott Franson. 32 page + endpaper in portrait, landscape and square formats.

Picture Book Standards: 32 Pages - by Darcy Pattison

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Anyone who thinks that picture books are easy to write because they're short needs to read this advice from my Simon & Schuster editor, Justin Chanda.

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So many people think that short = easy, especially when it comes to picture books.

And while yes, it's easy to crank out a picture book manuscript in terms of wordcount, writing a picture book story that a publisher will want to acquire is an entirely different animal.

At this point, I can imagine a number of you leaping up and saying, "You shouldn't worry about the market! Just write the story that you were meant to write!"  I partly agree.

However, if your goal is to be published, then I strongly advise you to go to local children's bookstore and "new children's book" section of your library; I guarantee you will save yourself much heartache and wasted effort. Familiarise yourself with what's being published. Let yourself fall in love with some of these picture books and then ask yourself why you enjoy them so much.

A few common mistakes that new picture book writers make:

- Talking down to kids, using a style and language that comes across as awkward and lecture-y.

- Writing what is basically a short story rather than a picture book text. If you don't know the difference, you need to read more picture books.

- Assuming that a picture book story HAS to rhyme. Writing a good rhyming picture book is very difficult. Dont use rhyme as a crutch.

- Not reading their story out loud to make sure it IS fun to read out loud.

- Automatically writing in the style of picture books that they remember reading as a child.

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Do you disagree with any of the above? Do you have anything to add? Feel free to share in the comments section.

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I've been reading each of my #BookADay picture books out loud in my office. I've read some before, and some I haven't. Reading them out loud emphasizes even more how IMPORTANT it is for aspiring picture writers to read their stories out loud. 

If you find yourself stumbling over awkward phrasing or dull prose, then you know it's time to revise. Yes, the illustrations are going to add a lot to your story but if it's not an enjoyable readaloud, then it's going to be tougher to find a publisher.

I also encourage you to read other people's picture books out loud. If you're in a public place like a library or bookstore and don't want to disturb other people, then read silently. But HEAR the words in your head.

Also advised: be aware of pacing and page turns. More on this in a future post.

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Title: SKINK ON THE BRINK

Author: Lisa Dalrymple - Illustrator: Suzanne Del Rizzo

Publisher: Fitzhenry & Whiteside -  June 2013

I first heard about Skink On The Brink at a CANSCAIP meeting. Not only was the title intriguing, but I love the inspiring publication success story (details below). Lisa and Suzanne are popular children's book presenters; their activity session at Toronto's Word On The Street this past weekend drew over 100 young people! Lisa and Suzanne were kind enough to be interviewed for Inkygirl, and both give a TON of valuable info and insights into their process.

Lisa Dalrymple loves to travel and has lived in such countries as South Korea, Thailand and Scotland. She now lives with her husband and their three children in Fergus, Ontario. Her story, Skink on the Brink, won The Writers’ Union of Canada’s Writing for Children Competition in 2011 and is now a picture book illustrated by Suzanne Del Rizzo. Lisa is also the author of If It’s No Trouble… A Big Polar Bear and its sequel, Bubbly Troubly Polar Bear, coming in October 2013.

Where to find Lisa online: Website - Facebook

Suzanne Del Rizzo loves the squish of plasticine between her fingers. Her illustrations appear in Skink on the Brink (Fitzhenry & Whiteside Spring 2013), written by Lisa Dalrymple. Her cover illustrations appear in the YA novel The Ehrich Wiesz Chronicles: Demon Gate ( Fitzhenry & Whiteside, Fall 2013) written by Marty Chan. She lives in Oakville Ontario with her husband and four children.

Where to find Suzanne online: Website - Twitter - Facebook (personal) - Facebook (professional)

About SKINK ON THE BRINK:

Stewie is a very special skink — he has a beautiful blue tail which gives him a superpower against his enemies. Stewie loves singing his songs and rhymes as he dashes around his home. But as he grows up his beautiful blue tail starts to turn grey — he can't call himself Stewie the Blue anymore! And without his rhymes, his home by the pond doesn't feel as special either. A new Tell-Me-More Storybook about self-esteem, change, and growing up. Includes non-fiction back matter with bonus information and activities.

See the Fitzhenry & Whiteside SKINK ON THE BRINK page for supplemental materials created by Lisa and Suzanne, including coloring pages, activity pages, word searches, and more.

For lots of photos of Suzanne's amazing plasticine-illustration process, read further down in the interview.

A few of Suzanne's plasticine carving tools. Read further for lots of photos of how she created the amazing illustrations in SKINK.

Q. What was your publication process for SKINK ON THE BRINK?

Lisa:

I actually can’t remember when I first started researching and writing the manuscript, but I think it was sometime around 2008. (It usually takes a couple of years for me to develop and craft a picture book story until it is finally submission ready.) During this time, I was also working on other books and I was trying to learn the ropes of the publishing industry by getting out, meeting other writers and professionals, and attending trade shows, festivals, etc.

Christie Harkin, editor at Fitzhenry & Whiteside. Photo from Cynsations interview.In September 2010, I went to Word on the Street in Toronto. I remember that it was first thing in the morning that I saw Christie Harkin, the kids’ books editor at Fitzhenry & Whiteside, getting their booth ready for the day. I knew I wanted to talk to Christie, to find out what she was looking for in a manuscript and to establish a personal connection. However, first I had to walk around for a while to try to summon up the nerve. When I finally did, it was the end of the day and Christie was packing up her supplies to go home! She told me that she was developing a line of “Tell Me More” storybooks. In these books, while the story is, of course, the most important element, there’s also an additional educational component that can be more fully explored in the non-fiction back matter. We both agreed that Skink on the Brink might be a good fit for this line and that I should send it to her.

Suzanne and Lisa do a signing with Michael Martchenko & Loris Lesynski at Toronto's Word On The Street

There was a long period where I heard nothing, but I was getting used to no response if an editor really wasn’t interested. By the time February 2011 rolled around, I had completely given up. I went with a group of friends to the OLA Superconference in February and some of them stopped by the Fitzhenry & Whiteside booth to say ‘hi’ to Christie. When she noticed my nametag, she said, “Hey! You’re the skink lady!” I’d never been so excited to think that she remembered me and my manuscript. We had a “pre-editorial” discussion right there and I went home to create yet another draft of the book I’d now been working on for three years.

When April 2011 rolled around and neither of the books I had under consideration with two separate houses had yet acquired that elusive “yes,” I submitted them both to the Writing for Children competition hosted by The Writers’ Union of Canada. This competition receives between 600-800 entries each year and I submitted every year so, of course, I had no real expectation that I would win.

But then there was a day, the same day that I heard from Tuckamore Press that they were ready to send me a contract for my book If It’s No Trouble… A Big Polar Bear, when the phone rang and Nancy MacLeod informed me that Skink on the Brink had won the competition – and that I was sworn to secrecy for almost a week! By this point, Christie and I had a friendly relationship and I think it may have been my post on Facebook, “This is one of the most exciting days of my life,” that prompted her to get in on the excitement and send me my first official book contract!

Suzanne adding detail to one of her illustration elements. Wow.

In October 2011, we signed the contract and Christie let me know that they were considering Suzanne Del Rizzo to illustrate the book. She sent me a few samples of Suzanne’s work. Of course, I was thrilled! Suzanne’s plasticine artwork is beyond anything I would have imagined for Stewie and his story and I was so excited to see it finally start coming to life.

In January 2012, Christie and I got started on the ‘first round’ of edits, which actually became the ‘never-ending round’ of edits as we kept passing the manuscript back and forth, trying to get some of the rough spots ‘just right’ so that Suzanne could get started.

And then the real fun began. I was so excited that Suzanne would consult with me about the illustrations. Her artwork was fabulous and she wanted to check in with me from a research perspective. We both wanted to make sure that we were using our combined knowledge to make sure that the book was as biologically accurate as possible.

Once the artwork was done, in January 2013, I received the ‘final round’ of edits from Christie and the book went to the printer. Then, in May, Suzanne and I were able to drop by the Fitzhenry & Whiteside office to finally hold the finished book in our hands!

 

Q. What was your writing/illustration process for SKINK ON THE BRINK?

Lisa:

I wish I could say I have a process that indicated some sort of routine but, working from home for the past few years with small kids around, any routine has been pretty hard to establish. I’m hoping this will improve when my youngest daughter starts school fulltime this year because I know how important it is to have that dedicated writing time. 98% of writing is pure hard work – just keeping that butt in your chair and working, preferably with few to no interruptions! Sure, there’s that other 2% of writing that’s genius inspiration, where the brilliant ideas come to you (usually in the shower) and you hop out, words already flying from your fingertips. That kind of writing can be done almost anytime, anywhere (although I would recommend getting out of the shower first.) But the other 98% is very difficult to do when there are so many demanding distractions of family life and when we all know how tempting it is to give in to distraction in the first place.

At the same time, my kids make huge contribution to my writing process. Getting their input and ideas, as I’m crafting a story is an invaluable part of the process for me. I can’t tell you how many years we’ve spent out in the wilderness on family camping trips, pretending to be skinks and shouting things like “I’m Stewie the Blue” over the pond – and how informative and inspiring it is to see how kids engage with your story when it’s still all coming together in your mind.

Suzanne:

My process for this book began with lots of research. I must admit, I’d never heard of a skink before reading Lisa’s manuscript, so I had some homework to do before I even put pencil to paper. I researched all I could online and from books, and took photos at my cottage (which falls within the geographical region of the Common Five-Lined Skink’s habitat) to create a massive photo reference file:

Lisa also provided me with some great shots she had taken while at The Pinery Park where she had seen a Common Five-Lined skink up close. Stewie the skink would be undergoing both physical growth and coloration changes throughout the story, and because this was also a Tell-Me-More story book with accompanying cross-curricular back matter; I wanted to ensure I was maintaining as much biological accuracy as possible.

I envisioned having lots of secondary animals and vegetation to make Stewie’s habitat rich and authentic, so I also needed to familiarize myself with the various animals and plant life that co-exist in his habitat. I then created some sample art for Christie to show at the sales meeting, and after landing the contract, I began thumbnail sketches.

Christie encouraged Lisa and I to get in touch and bounce ideas around. It isn’t always standard for authors and illustrators to discuss a project, but in this case, I think it really helped us achieve something special with this book, it was a fantastic collaboration. It even led to some hilarious “oops” moments...like the time when I made a minor flub and put a moose in one illustration... moose don’t extend quite this far south- oops. Luckily Lisa caught it and it was easily changed to a white-tailed deer. If you look closely on my full- sized sketch:

...you can see the moose, yet in the final plasticine illustration it has been changed to a white-tailed deer:

Once thumbnail sketches were approved I worked up full-sized tight pencil sketches:

Because I work in plasticine, I prefer to create very detailed, tight pencil drawings to show my editor, and ideally make changes at this phase of the project. Each plasticine illustration can take from 20-40+ hours to create, depending on its size and complexity, so it’s much easier to erase a few pencil strokes at this point then to peel off/redo the plasticine final art.

My illustrations are essentially low relief sculptures created in plasticine(modelling clay) and pressed onto illustration board. The final plasticine art is then professionally photographed:

Before I started any final art I premixed the colours, after some initial colour studies, to create a colour chart:

I hang this next to my sketch for quick reference. Then I made up large amounts of my colours so I’d be able to maintain consistency throughout the illustrations. This type of chart comes in handy if I run out of a colour and need to make more. To begin each illustration, I’d smear on plasticine in a thin layer to create the background, then gradually build up and add on, then move onto foreground objects as I go:

 

(From Debbie: click here for a close-up look at some of the detail in the final illustration)

One of my favorite parts of any illustration is adding the final textures and details to really bring life to the piece. I use a variety of clay sculpting tools but often times I end up using my good ol’ favorites-a large safety pin, toothbrush, toothpick and my fingers. Sometimes I even make my own tools. For Stewie the skink, I made a selection of polymer clay tools that make impressions of reptile scales:

then I used an acrylic gloss to make him glisten.

For intricate parts, I sometimes worked on top of a Ziploc bag that I’d place directly over top of my sketch:

(Note from Debbie: Click here to see details in a bigger version of the woodpecker)

Then I could check to ensure that my sculpted objects were the correct size- plasticine has a tendency to spread and flatten as you work with it, which can be frustrating. So I kept a bowl beside me for my “rejects”...and believe me there were plenty. Faces are especially tricky to get just right. But that’s the great thing about plasticine- it never hardens, so you can just peel off the offensive bits and smoosh ‘em, and start afresh. My kids like to raid the reject bowl (as they call it) and put these bits to use in their own creations.

Having a little kiddo sitting next to me on the floor, working on their own plasticine is one of the best perks about having my art studio in my home. Kids are also the best source of inspiration.

Q. What advice do you have for aspiring children's book writers and illustrators?

Lisa: There is so much important advice out there given by far more experienced writers than me – but you’re not going to hear any of it if you’re sitting in your house staring at a cursor on a screen...

Suzanne: ...or working away in your art studio. And I’m even more “green”, LOL but I am always happy to share what I have found helpful on my pursuit to publication.

Lisa: Get out there and meet other writers and creators. The camaraderie and support of a network of peers is invaluable – for information sharing, providing a shoulder to cry on (or a glass to clink with), for forming critique groups and for gaining access to all that wonderful advice.

Suzanne: Yes, you said it Lisa! We creative types tend to be an introverted lot, but it’s so important to put yourself out there and meet others, connect, share ideas and soak up advice from more seasoned author/illustrators. I have found this community of author/illustrators, both online and in person, to be extremely supportive and encouraging

Lisa: In Canada, some good places to start are organizations for children’s writers such as CANSCAIP and the Canadian Children’s Book Centre (CCBC). Internationally, look into the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI). Any festivals, trade shows or signings in your area that have anything to do with books can also be useful places to connect with other writers or industry professionals.

Suzanne and Lisa with their editor Christie Harkin (in red shirt) and friends Jan Dolby & Joyce Grant at Toronto's Word On The Street

Suzanne: The thought of attending a large conference might be utterly terrifying if you are just starting out, so start small. Check out the monthly CANSCAIP meetings, or go to Word on The Street and mingle at your pace, or hop online and get to know the Twitter and Facebook community of illustrators and kidlit writers. I must admit to having a bad case of “imposter syndrome” when I first made the career switch from working in a science research lab, after all I didn’t have an art degree. Could I make a go of it as children’s book illustrator? I decided to be brave and just go for it. The self doubt still creeps up on me some days. But I had to start somewhere. Those first small steps, attending meetings and making initial connections paved the way to bigger conferences and helped me gain my footing as an illustrator.

Joining a critique group is invaluable. We often work in a bubble, isolated, “in the zone” creating, be it painting, sculpting or typing away the hours on our tread-desk. We tend to be our toughest critics which can often lead to self-doubt or worse still the dreaded “analysis paralysis”. Crit groups will not only help you grow as an artist, by pushing you in a direction you may never have considered on your own, but they also give valuable, honest criticism of your work and provide a safe environment to share new ideas, ask those silly questions, and learn about the industry. I belong to a few crit groups, one of illustrators, and another of authors and author/illustrators. Authors and illustrators look at manuscripts (and artwork) from a different perspective, and it can be very helpful to get both types of input, especially if you are interested in writing and illustrating, as I am.

Lisa: A critique group is really important. Even if your writing is already awesome, there is so much to be learned from seeing other perspectives on your work. Engaging with other people’s stories when offering a critique has taught me to see my own work with a more critical eye and helped me to develop further focus and direction in my own writing.

Suzanne: Like I mentioned above, get online and make connections. Joining Twitter, and Facebook is one place to start. Every Thursday at 9pm EST there is a Tweet Chat of kidlit creators, just follow #kidlitart, and check it out. They are a welcoming and fun bunch. Zero2illo is another fantastic resource I found extremely helpful when I was starting up my illustration career. It has many great resources, from setting up your portfolio website to designing a business plan. I also belong to their zero2illo confidential, a crit group of sorts but so much more.

Lisa: If anyone reading this has any further questions, or would like direction to an online critique group for serious children’s writers, they can feel free to contact me through my website. (www.lisadalrymple.com)

Suzanne: Yes, please contact me through my website (suzannedelrizzo.com) if you have any further questions.

Q. What are both of you working on now? Any other upcoming events or other info you'd like to share?

Lisa:  

Suzanne and I have decided to dub the past few months “the Summer of the Plasticine Road Show.” We’ve been taking Skink on the Brink and Suzanne’s fun and interactive plasticine workshops to events all over southern Ontario. For the fall, it looks like the Plasticine Road Show lives on! We were recently at Toronto's Word On The Street; I will be at the Family Resource Centre in Peterborough on September 28th, followed by a signing at Peterborough Chapters; we will be taking part in the Creemore Arts Festival on October 5th.

As for what I’m working on now, my third book, Bubbly Troubly Polar Bear, is due out with Tuckamore Books in October 2013.

I’m also very excited about a picture book with a multicultural theme that I’m working on, in which a young Canadian girl travels around the world with her archeologist parents. Through attending school in Thailand, Peru, Jamaica, Scotland and South Korea, she participates in both the differences and the similarities of daily life. I’m hoping to have her experiences to show, through an eight-year-old's eyes, that, while there are many diverse cultures, there can be a common understanding in the sharing of music, food or something as universal as a game of Hide & Seek.

Suzanne:

As for me, I just finished a project for a YA novel cover for The Ehrich Wiesz Chronicles: Demon Gate (Fitzhenry and Whiteside, Fall 2013) by Marty Chan. I created the front and back of a steampunk medallion/Infinity Coil in polymer clay and watch components. I also have another Tell-Me-More storybook project in the works with Fitzhenry and Whiteside. I’m working up some of my manuscripts into picture book dummies for submission as well.

Q. How did your book launch go? And how has reception to SKINK ON THE BRINK been so far?

Complete with plasticine activities and a skinktastic chocolate cake:

the official launch of Skink on the Brink was at Story Planet in Toronto, but this summer has actually been a series of exciting launch events. We held a second launch at Roxanne’s Reflections, in my current hometown of Fergus and it was every bit as much fun as the first! Then our favourite event this summer was definitely introducing Skink on the Brink to the Pinery Provincial Park at their annual Savannah Festival.

The Pinery is one of the few places in Canada where the Common Five-lined Skink can be found and it’s the area that inspired the character of Stewie and his story. There was something really special about reading Skink on the Brink right in Stewie’s natural habitat and then working with the kids on their terrific plasticine creations on the very veranda where he’s known to hang out and bask.

The kids at all of our events have been tons of fun to work with and incredibly excited – especially those who managed to catch a glimpse of a real Five-lined Skink in the wild, and Suzanne and I now both have households full of plasticine critters! But the best part is definitely hearing the kids’ enthusiasm for conservation efforts and for protecting skinks and their habitat.

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For more interviews, see my Inkygirl Interview Archive.

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By Lynne Garner

A few months ago the lovely ladies at WOW sent me a link for PiBoIdMo (Picture Book Idea Month). Children's author Tara Lazar devised the concept. The basic idea is to come up with 30 ideas for picture books over a 30-day period. Thankfully, you're not expected to complete 30 manuscripts in 30 days. Simply come up with at least one new idea per day. This could be a title, a character, an idea based on something you saw or perhaps overheard.

I'll admit the idea was a little scary. I debated for a week or so before I took the plunge and signed up. I've seldom had a problem coming up with ideas but I definitely felt out of my comfort zone during this challenge. Some days I struggled to come up with anything. Other days I had two, sometimes even three, ideas. For example, whilst driving home on day 12 I had three ideas. First, I spotted a For Sale sign that had a large black hen on it. A few days earlier I'd read The Little Red Hen. I now had a friend for her, a big black hen. The story will focus on how these two friends use their size difference to help one another. Secondly, seeing a queue at a bus stop reminded me of a joke where people joined a queue but didn't know what they were queuing for. So this story will focus on what each character hopes is at the front of the queue. Finally, I was stuck behind a very slow moving tractor. Thankfully I had plenty of time, but this made me think about how life seems to put slow things in your way when you are running late. So this story will focus on how my character deals with slow things when he needs to be fast.

Taking part in Picture Book Ideas Month has reinforced my belief that ideas can be hidden around every corner. It has also highlighted to me that in order to improve your writing you have to set yourself the odd challenge or two. This challenge could be anything. Perhaps writing in a story format you've never used, crafting a story in rhyme or telling a story with a limited number of words. It could be joining a local writing group or a national group such as SCBWI (Society of Children's Book Writes & Illustrators), writing a story to enter into a competition or, as I did, signing up for Picture Book Ideas Month.

So, go on, give your writing a boost and set yourself a challenge.

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Would you like to try writing a picture book? Sign up now for Lynne Garner's class, How to Write Children’s Picture Books and Get Published, which starts on January 5, 2013.

If you've taken a picture book course before then you can enroll in Lynne's advanced course, 5 Picture Books in 5 Weeks (Advanced Course), which also starts on the same day.

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by Lynne Garner

As a writer, there are many ways you can tell your story. One method that is often used in traditional stories is known as "repetition." This is where actions and words are repeated to create your story. However, there is also a variation known as the "cumulative" story structure or a "chain story." It is where the character repeats the same actions and/or words but with each repeat a little extra information is added.

This type of story not only uses repetition of words but is sometimes written using rhyme. To demonstrate this let's look at The House That Jack Built. The rhyme starts with:

The is the house that Jack built

Followed by:

This is the malt that lay in the house that Jack built

Followed by:

This is the rat that ate the malt that lay in the house that Jack built

As you can see more detail is added to the previous sentence, creating a story kids love.

Another equally famous cumulative story is There Was an Old Woman. The story starts with the old woman swallowing a fly. She then swallows a spider to rid herself of the fly. She then swallows a bird to rid herself of the fly. As the story progresses the animals the old woman swallows get bigger. They include a cat, dog, goat, cow and finally a house. Which brings the story to an abrupt end because "she died of course!"

I'm hoping you can see the possibilities this type of story offers a picture book writer. If so and you'd like to give it a go then why not read a few books written using this structure for inspiration. The following link provides a great list of books you may wish to start with: http://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/cumulative-tales.

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Writing Picture Books

Workshop given by Tamson Weston at New Jersey SCBWI June Conference.

Written by Tiffany Alexander

Wouldn’t it be great to attend a workshop given by a person with insider book publishing knowledge and extensive practice helping writers hone their craft? That person is Tamson Weston. At the NJ SCBWI June 2012 Conference, Tamson used her expertise as an editorial consultant and former editor to give us a solid grounding in picture books. She talked about the current market and picture book myths/truths, and she also gave us time to do a writing exercise to stir up our creativity. Her answers to our questions aimed to help us navigate the seemingly temperamental waters of writing and publishing.

Tamson gave us a balanced look at the state of the industry. Right now there is some nervousness in the field concerning electronic formats, a decreasing number of editors, and so on. These may be issues, but they are not the only side of the story. Although the industry has been “painted bleakly,” Tamson showed sales figures from early this year that indicate some growth is occurring. Hardcovers showed good growth, while other categories like paperbacks and e-books showed modest growth. While this is good news, she reminded us that it is still crucial to work your manuscript into the best shape possible before sending it out to agents and editors.

After the market brief, Tamson tackled some common myths about picture book writing. Those myths and her counterpoints are:

1.) Picture books are short, so they’re easy to write. (Not so. Actually, it means each word is so much more important, and each word choice counts so much more.)

2.) Picture books should rhyme. (Not necessarily. Rhyme is very powerful, and all of us remember rhymes from our childhood, but this is no reason to try to write like Dr. Seuss.)

3.) Picture books shouldn’t rhyme. (If you are very interested in rhyme, if that style really fascinates you, then try it. Just be aware that many agents/editors have received many manuscripts with rhyme that was not done well, and they’re tired of poor rhyme. If rhyme is for you, really try to get it “right.”)

4.) Nowadays, picture books need a character that can be written about repeatedly over several books. (Not necessarily. There is no rule that says every book has to have the potential to be turned into a series.)

To illustrate her comments about myths, Tamson pointed out that, among several recent best-selling books, one book rhymes, one has a prominent character and one doesn’t, one is by a first-time author (which also happens to rhyme), and there is even a non-fiction book on the list. She used the term “strategic publishing” to explain that sometimes editors are making choices about what to publish based on many different internal factors, not hard and fast rules. And of course there is some amount of subjectivity in any editor’s choices. So, she said pick what you can do and do it well. Get feedback and readjust based on those comments, but also trust yourself. Please don’t write about something just because it seems like a popular topic.

And about the number of words, well, there is no exact number. It depends on your story. Five hundred might be a good number to aim for, but the word count is not the most important thing to understand about picture book text. Tamson stressed that picture books must say a lot with very little. The text of a picture book is not necessarily half of the book (think of the fact that some picture books are wordless, so obviously a picture book doesn’t need half or even any percentage

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I'll admit, when I first starting to write picture books I didn't approach it from the same angle as I did when writing my nonfiction books. That is to say, I didn't see my stories as a product that had to fit in a competitive market. However, when I finally experienced that light bulb moment I quickly placed my first picture book, A Book For Bramble.

What changed?

I started to research the market. I visited the local library and spent hours looking at picture books. As I read, I took notes. I noted the names used, how sentences were constructed, what themes were covered, how humor was included, word count, etc. I then visited the local bookstore and repeated the exercise (slightly more discreetly) to discover if there were differences between what was being published and what had been published (the books in the library). Armed with these notes, I returned home and tried to discover if I could see patterns in subject matter, in the way subjects were covered, and in the way sentences were constructed.

I discovered:

•  Humor appears to play an important part in many books.
•  Tools such as repetition are used to help move the story along.
•  The magic number three appears in many books (for example in The Gruffalo, you'll discover "'three" hidden all over the place).

I started to use the patterns I'd found in my own stories. Within months of changing the way I looked at my stories, I fulfilled one of my lifetime ambitions of becoming a published picture book author.

Today I still continue to research the market and read picture books as often as I can. The receptionists at my dentist, doctor, optician and vets are used to seeing me rummage in the stock of picture books they provide to keep kids entertained. The assistants in the library and bookstore now take no notice as I read their picture books. Family and friends watch in amusement as I encourage their children to show me the latest addition to their bookshelf. Without this research I'd not be able to keep up to date with a changing market. By keeping abreast of what the reading public wants, I'm able to write stories I can place with a publisher.

So if a new writer (of any genre) wants to become published, my advice is research, research, research.

***
Lynne Garner has been a freelance writer and author since 1998. Since that time she has written for a large number of magazines both in the UK and the US, having over 300 features printed. She has 21 books published; these include 10 craft-related how-to books, working with both publishers and packagers. Lynne designed, produced copy, and photographed many of the craft projects featured on The Craft Ark.


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“If you’re dreaming of becoming the next J. K. Rowling, we’ve got the perfect place for you—the Southampton Children’s Literature Conference!” So said School Library Journal last year after Rocco Staino paid a visit to the Stony Brook Southampton campus to observe the Conference in action.

As Director of the Conference, I am delighted to announce that applications are now being accepted for our July 2012 workshops. We have a truly stellar line-up of faculty members this year, every one of whom is an esteemed, award-winning author in his (or her) own right, including:

• #1 New York Times bestselling author/illustrator Peter H. Reynolds
• New York Times bestselling/Horn Book Award-winning author Kate McMullan
• New YorkTimes bestselling authors Cynthia and Greg Leitich Smith
• National Book Award finalist and ALA Best Book of the Year Award-winning YA author Patricia McCormick

Every workshop is capped at 12 students, which makes for a uniquely individualized experience and an incredible opportunity for specific and direct feedback and support. It also means they fill up quickly – so don’t delay if you’re thinking of applying!

A bit more information about the Conference… this year there will be two sessions, a five day one (July 11-15) featuring workshops in picture book, middle grade and YA with Peter H. Reynolds, Kate McMullan and Cynthia and Greg Leitich-Smith, respectively, and a 12-day session (July 18-29) in YA with Patricia McCormick.  Mornings are spent in workshop, and in the afternoons a series of electives are offered such as craft lectures, panel discussions and mini-workshops. You can also choose to spend time writing at one of the beautiful Hamptons beaches or on the gorgeous campus grounds.

Because the Childrens Literature Conference is part of the Southampton Arts Summer, it runs concurrently with workshops in playwriting and screenwriting, as well as with adult workshops in poetry, memoir, novel, creative non-fiction, and even acting and visual arts. Evening events feature well-known authors, playwrights, and filmmakers. The schedule of formal and informal social gatherings is rich—from author receptions to an open-mic night—with a few surprises, too. And because Southampton Arts sponsors an esteemed and long-standing MFA in Creative Writing and Literature at Stony Brook Southampton, as well as new MFA’s in Theatre, Film and Visual Arts, the workshops may be taken for credit. There are even a few partial scholarships available.

To find out more, or to download an application, visit http://www.southamptonchildrenslit.com

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10 Tips on How to Get Started as a Picture Book Author

By Mayra Calvani

I love writing picture books. They’re like quick candy. I love the rush of finishing a complete first draft in one sitting. For this reason, I’m always writing new picture books while I work on a long novel. However, writing picture books and getting them published take a lot of hard work, persistence and determination. It isn’t only about talent—though that is important, too.

In this article, I’ll give you ten tips on how to get started as a picture book author.

1. Dream big.

It starts with a dream. When you dream, you set your intention. This makes the wheel of the universe start turning in your direction.

Imagine yourself receiving the call from an agent or editor. Imagine yourself signing your first contract, your hand trembling with excitement over the page. Imagine yourself as a published author, doing a signing at your local Barnes & Noble, the line of fans reaching all the way out to the street. Imagine yourself accepting a prestigious literary award in front of a huge, clapping audience.

Never stop dreaming.

2. Read critically.

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Last week we talked about a few poetic tools you could use while writing.  Here are a few more:

METAPHOR:

This is when a writer says one thing, but actually is saying something else. Floyd Cooper speaks in metaphor in Coming Home: From the Life of Langston Hughes when he calls a train the old iron snake.

SIMILE:

Here the writer compares one thing to another with the word like or as.  Example:  I was as mad as the bumblebee Ferdinand sat on.  My friend Eileen Spinelli is great at using similes.  Here’s one from Something to Tell the Grandcows.  Emmadine has travel to the South Pole and “Her teeth chattered like spoons.”  Or how about this one from Rupa Raises the Sun by Marsha Wilson Chall, “the sun broke across the sky like an egg yolk.”

Ann Whitford Paul says in Writing Picture Books, “We write in metaphor and simile to give the reader a visual image instead of a plain description. ”  Metaphors and Similes cut down on the words that would be necessary to describe what we want to say.  This is a great tool for the picture book writer, especially, because editors are wanting shorter and shorter picture books.  This is what Ann does when she want to create a unique, visual, and tone-perfect Metaphor or simile.  She numbers a piece of paper from 1 to 10 and then she free associates until she has 10 possibilities.  If she doesn’t like any of them, she continues 11 to 20 and keeps going until she creates one that seems perfect.  Do I hear a few groans?

PERSONIFICATION:

With this tool we give human characteristics to something that is not human.  If I say, “The book held me in its grasp all the way to the last page.”  Everyone knows what I mean, even though books do not have arms.  How about?  “The icy finger of winter slipped down my shirt.”  Winter doesn’t have fingers.

Want to try your hand at identifying the metaphors, similes and personifications below?

1.  The moon is a bowl of breakfast cereal.

2.  I ran, but danger ran faster.

3.  Ryan didn’t want to go to Katie’s party, so he moved slow as a snail.

4.  Jacob felt like a rabbit caught in a trap.

5.  The tree is our umbrella, keeping us dry from the rain.

6.  The quilt spoke stories of love and loss.

ANSWERS:  1. Metaphor  2. Personification  3. Simile  4. Simile  5. Metaphor  6. Personification

HOMEWORK:  Now pull out that same manuscript from last week and read it through again.  Did you use any of theses techniques?  Do you see a place where you could use one of these tools to make your story more interesting or maybe even cut out a few words or lines?  Give it a try.  What do you have to lose?

Talk tomorrow,

Kathy

Filed under: demystify, need to know, Process, reference, Writing Tips Tagged: Metaphors, Personification, Poetic Tools, Similes, Display Comments Add a Comment

What a long winter. There were seriously times when I started looking for another career this year. Publishing book after book after book seemed to come to a complete stop. That, coupled with the onslaught of digital books and ipads and tablets, I started to feel like the earth was losing gravity and everything as I have known it was floating away.

What is a picture book author/illustrator/singer/songwriter to do for work if none of those avenues are panning out? You DO NOT want me as your accountant! Never took medical classes, so being a Doctor is out. I don't have the legal skills to argue your case in court. I 'thought' about being an art therapist, but the thought of going back to school and doing thousands of hours in training wasn't sitting well with me. Art teacher! Do they hire them any longer? Music teacher? Same problem. Fireman? I think I'm too old!

Okay, so what makes me happy in the morning? (A LUXURY, I KNOW) I love to wake up and work on songs and stories and artwork.

Although my life seemed to feel like a scene from Inception, (picture skyscrapers crumbling into the sea) I found myself still waking up and going to work. I think you will find this type of behavior described in one of the definitions of insanity. So, you are a blacksmith making horse shoes? Cars have arrived and there are less horses on the road? How do you stay afloat? You go back to shoeing horses because that's what you know. That is NOT always a recipe for success!

In my case, things worked out. I sold three books from shear tenacity and a seemingly bleak winter. eBooks? Enhanced eBooks? I am LOOKING FORWARD to having a publisher to work with on these with me. I need their input. I need their support. I spend a great deal of time working on my own, and to have a enthusiastic editor and publishing company wanting both a book and the digital version to be successful is the future. My future!

Okay, you can turn down the patriotic music which built to a head for that last paragraph. So, now it's summer. It's in the air. We're even going to watch fireworks at the Hollywood Bowl! I like summer. It's hard to complain about winter when one lives in Los Angeles, but it was more of a metaphorical winter for me, even with all of the rain we had.

I just put on my shorts. I have plants to water and book illustrations to paint.

Adios.

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I just came back from riding my bicycle around the neighborhood. Something I do in the afternoons to keep my large dog, Arlo happy. He runs along side me tethered to a leash. Today, we zipped down a street, turned a corner and were overwhelmed with the smell of fresh cut grass. The gardener was still mowing as we passed. I found that I couldn't breathe in deeply enough to get all of the smell I wanted. It was delicious. My childhood summers of playing outside in with my neighborhood friends came rushing back, all due to a smell! It was lovely!

The timing couldn't have been better. I had just finished working for the day. I was putting the last touches on a book idea. I had finished the book dummy years ago. Sold the book in the past few weeks. The contract is coming to me as I write this. One hitch. My smart editor has said she wanted a new ending. I've known that for months. I didn't disagree with her since I wasn't 'wowed' by the ending either. It was very quiet for an exciting book. It needed/needs an ending fit for the story. One which will leave the reader smiling and happy and one they aren't expecting.

I swore I had the new ending a few days ago. I wrote. I drew. It was okay. My wife had some ideas. I tried to incorporate them. I thought we had a pretty good solution as well. I found myself listening to music this morning wondering if I had another ending in me for this particular book. I started drawing and after a few hours, something worked. I illustrated yet another ending. Not bad. Then, out of nowhere, another idea came. I didn't want it to come. I had already found my ending. I needed to at least draw this last idea so I could see it and throw it away since I was done. (I thought)

A funny thing happened. I ended up liking the last ending. It was an utter surprise to me and I think it will be a 'fun' surprise to anyone reading the book! What an amazing process this is. There are no rules. Well, maybe one. You need to WORK at it!!!!!!!

This idea came to me like the smell of fresh cut grass. I turned the corner and there it was! Weeeeeeeeeee!

Adios for now.

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Okay, I just turned 56, so I can shed a little wisdom. (I could also shed a few pounds, but that's not what this blog is about!)

I have published over 30 picture books going back to 1981. Each book involved an editor in a publishing company. The publishing companies distribute my books. I have also recorded four CD's of Children's Music on my own. I handled the distribution.

Here's my thinking. Having been a judge for the Golden Kite awards, I received just short of three hundred picture books. It became apparent, early on after the books began to arrive, which books were self published and which books came from traditional publishing houses. The books I looked at which were self published felt like they needed a little more thorough editing, especially when the books were written in rhyme. I don't want to over generalize because I am sure someone, somewhere self published a completely brilliant book. I just haven't seen it yet.

Things have changed since the days when you had to print a large batch of books and handle distribution yourself. (This usually meant a garage full of boxes of your book, which turned out to be terrific birthday presents for about twenty-seven years. CD's make great coasters)

Now we have entered the digital age and don't have to find places to store all of the books. We can write, illustrate, format and upload. Tada! A finished book. Apple accepts your offer and now, you have a real live app, or eBook, or enhanced eBook or whatever category your work fits. Someone once said on NPR that putting up a website is like putting up a billboard in your basement. Nobody knows it's there. Getting your work up on to the Apple bookstore, or on to Amazon is just about the same thing. Who, besides the people you have emailed, facebooked, tweeted, blogged, smoke signaled, telephoned and sent texts to, knows your new book is there?

We have all read the stories about the books that were self published and sold a gazillion copies. Read a little more about these books and find out that the person or persons behind these books are spending all of their time and energy using social media to let people know that their book exists. These success stories are not the norm.

Remember I mentioned having produced four children's music CD's on my own? My last one was a fund raiser for pediatric cancer research. I have guest artists. Dustin Hoffman is reading my book, Crazy Hair Day. Jackson Browne, Vonda Shepard, Jessica Harper and Peter Himmelman as well as the amazing Richard Thompson are all on my album. I sent out press releases. Hired an intern to help me promote. We worked for months. NPR, Opra, The Today Show, local TV and Radio. Most places never responded. I sent samples. The few places who responded told me they would have me on if Dustin Hoffman would appear with me. I had schnorred enough. I couldn't ask any more favors of these artists. We put the album on itunes. The musical equivalent to the Apple bookstore. For one solid week, my Crazy Hair Day CD was featured on the home page. I had THREE reviews. All family and friends. I make less than a hundred dollars a year from that CD. I spent about $20,000 producing it and then was without paying the guest artists, because the album is a fundraiser and they appeared out of the goodness of their hearts. I don't see that the ibookstore will be any easier. You thought you had trouble finding a book in the children's section at Borders? I always said that section looked as if it had been ransacked by monkeys. At least you could walk around and pull books off the shelf.

Now I mentioned how old I am. I am, however, embracing technology. (I have illustrated many of my books using Adobe Illustrator) I still tweet, blog, facebook. All for business. I think these tools are amazing and clearly help promote, but when you have a publishing company behind you who is also spending money, time and energy to publish your work, because they believe in yo

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Getting an 'idea' for a story is the 'easy' part. Making it work requires a bit more thinking, planning, experimenting, running in to walls, flying over walls. What's that quote about perspiration as opposed to inspiration?

The story I am working on at the moment is so simple. There's a problem, (which most story's are about) and there is a solution. There is no point where we are in suspense. Hmmm... Now that I wrote that, I think that's a problem in itself. If our character has nothing at stake, it's hard to care if they succeed. It's one thing to create a character we like and care about, but if there is a problem, it can't just 'be solved', period, the end. There needs to be some tension.

I started out writing this entry this morning in an effort to map out the story arc for the piece I am currently working on. Now that I have had a chance to step back and evaluate what I am doing, I can see, I'm not ready to lay it all out yet. More tweaking!

Adios for now.

Barney

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I recently discussed It's a Book by Lane Smith on my blog. If you haven't seen this book and you are a writer and lover of books, you are going to want to rush out to your nearest bookstore and check it out. In a nutshell, there's a donkey (a.k.a. jackass) and a monkey who are discussing a book. The monkey is reading a good, old-fashioned book with pages to turn, a cover to open, and a story to enjoy. The donkey can't quite get over this thing called a book that you don't have to charge or scroll down to read.

The controversy lies in the last word of this book, which is jackass, and whether or not this is a book for kids. In general, people don't think kids will understand the satire of the book the way adults will--many adults who are worried books will be obsolete some day. Adults will love It's a Book and get it; many picture book audience kids will not. But the big controversy and the reason why some parents would not buy it for their kids (and they said so on Amazon.com) is the last word.

This got me thinking. Why are there cuss words in children's books? Every time there is one, someone has to complain about it or even try to ban the book. Do we think kids aren't exposed to these words in their everyday lives? Of course, we know they are. But I guess there's something about reading them that just really gets people going.

I'm not sure what my position is, as to me, it depends on the book. I think that if the book calls for cussing, then there should be cussing. If authors are just doing it for shock value, I think they can search for another way to get readers' attention. I probably wouldn't put a cuss word in a picture book, but I tell you, I think Lane Smith's book is GENIUS. It is laugh out loud funny.

What's your take on it? If you are a children's author, have you used inappropriate words in your manuscripts? Do you let your children read these books with cuss words? If you are a teacher, do you share a book with cuss words in it with your class?

Let us know!

post by Margo L. Dill, http://margodill.com/blog/

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I recently decided to run writing courses locally and via the website WOW (http://wow-womenonwriting.com). The first course I’m offering is how to write a picture book. A friend passed on my details and I received a call from a local aspiring author. He opened by telling me he’d written loads of stories and wanted to get them published. Then asked if my course would be suitable. I went through the syllabus with him and asked if he felt it was what he needed. “I’m not sure,” he responded.

Silent groan!

So I asked if he knew how the publishing industry worked. “Well, um… no,” was the reply. “Then if nothing else you’ll gain a better understanding of what books make it to market. You can then edit your stories to suit the market, giving you a better chance.”

“Oh I know my books will sell because my wife and kids love them.”

Silent groan!

I told him that doesn’t mean they would be suitable for today’s market. To make my point I preceded to tell him about my mistake when submitting my first story. The story included three celebrations, these being: Easter, Guys Fawkes Night and Halloween. I continued I’d been extremely lucky that the editor who read my story actually liked it. She took the time to write the nicest rejection letter I’ve ever received. She pointed out that in order to sell globally I would have to think global. Not everyone follows a Christian faith, so would not celebrate Easter. Only England celebrates the fact that a plot to blow up their government had been averted and many would never have heard of Guy Fawkes Night. She pointed out not everyone celebrates Halloween and some even find it offensive. She finished by saying that if I could make a few changes she’d be pleased to read my story again. I made the changes, re-submitted and that story was finally published (after a few more tweaks).

“Oh, but I’d only submit to an English publisher,” was the reply.

Silent groan!

I continued that gone are the days publishers just publish in their own country. In order to make a book viable the rights would be sold worldwide. My books have travelled as far as America, Australia, Indonesia, Korea and my publisher has recently sold the Hebrew rights of one of my books.

“Oh, so you’re saying I may have to change my stories slightly.”

Silent groan!

I finished by stating that we have to realise we are creating a product. So when writing, we as writers have to bear this in mind. To get our product onto the market (published) we have to think about what the client (the publisher needs) and this product is an item that must have global appeal.

I could sense a silent groan at the other end of the phone.

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