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If you want to write picture books, you need to read, read, and read! Read picture books that you want to write and study the format, conflict, characters, etc... There's so much more that goes into a picture book than most people think. That's why it's also a good idea to read How-To Books. How-To Books have been an enormous help for me with my writing and, unless you're one of those gifted writers that can spit out a polished transcript the first time, they are an essential tool.

Some books that I found extremely helpful were Eve Heidi Bine-Stock's How to Write a Children's Picture Book Series.

How to Write a Children's Picture Book: Learning from The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, Corduroy, Where the Wild Things Are, The Carrot Seed, Good Night, Gorilla, Sylvester and the Magic Pebble, and Other Favorite Stories

How to Write a Children's Picture Book Volume II: Word, Sentence, Scene, Story: Learning from Leo the Late Bloomer, Harry the Dirty Dog, Lilly's Purple ... Purple Crayon, and Other Favorite Stories

How to Write a Children's Picture Book Volume III: Figures of Speech: Learning from Fish is Fish, Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile, Owen, Caps for Sale, Where the Wild Things Are, and Other Favorite Stories

If you're not sure you want to invest the money in these books, check out Jan Field's interview with Eve Heidi Bine-Stock on the Institute of Children's Literature website.

You'll find a wealth of information on picture books in this informative transcript -- all based on questions that other writers sent in. Did you know that if you can't think of the title of a book that you read, there's a website that allows you to type in the plot, some characters, scenes, etc. and it will help you find the title/ author of the book? Check out "BookSleuth" at www.abebooks.com. Learn other valuable tools and information such as this by reading the transcript. You'll be glad you did.

I am dashing outside the Cave of Revision for a quick breath of fresh air. All is going fairly well. I am working long days, but love being so submerged in my story. One of the characters is now found only on the cutting room floor. Eliminating her cleared up all kinds of structural problems in the text.

Now if I could just get rid of the hamsters who have taken up residence in my lungs, life would be peachy. I am coughing like a seal with a three-pack a day habit, a seal who hangs out under the dock and steals French fries from unsuspecting tourists, a seal who works as a carnie with a traveling fair and writes rambling screeds about walrus conspiracy theories. I sound like a Seal Gone Bad.

Thanks to a generous contribution from Mary Pearson and Aliya, who contributed from England (!), I am 94% on the way to making my Team in Training fund raising goal. All I need is another $150. Will you put me over the top?

OK, the fresh air is killing me. Back into the cave I go.


2008 Resolution Tracker
Week 7 - Miles Run: 22, YTD: 146.75
Week 7 - Days Written: 7, YTD: 49

45 weeks left this year.

We got about 18 inches of snow yesterday. The Forest looks like someone painted it with thick fondant icing. I drove through a white-out down to Syracuse (where they didn't get any of the storm at all, not even a flake) so I could talk about writing historical fiction to a group of teachers.

These weary warriors had worked all day, then came to the OCM BOCES for my talk, which is part of an ongoing series for history teachers. Thank you all for your kind attention and for the pickles.

Today is a spinning plate day. I have to go over the page proofs for Independent Dames with magnifying glasses and a fine-toothed comb, work on my WIP draft, send more content to Theo for the website update, deal with old email and sneak in a run.

Speaking of running (yeah, you knew that was coming, didn't you?).... I am 81% of the way to reaching my fundraising goal for the the Team in Training Half Marathon. (The money goes to fund cancer research, which pretty much affects everyone, so share some love. Please.) I will send a copy of the TWISTED audio version to whomever puts me over the top!

And thank you, kmessner for the shout-out!

Last but not least, my daughter Stef sent along a link to an article about the increasing number of women facing sexual assault on college campuses after drinking alcohol. The article slams the researchers for their approach to the issue. Comments, anyone?


2008 Resolution Tracker
Week 6 - Miles Run: 20 (3.1 of which were rather chilly), YTD: 124.75
Week 6 - Days Written: 7, YTD: 42

46 weeks left this year.