Wrapping Up Our Series on Frequently Asked Questions

Image by Margo Lipa from Pixabay

Happy August!  

It's hard to believe that summer is already waning here in the northern hemisphere and students and teachers will soon be returning to classrooms. Today, I'm closing out our latest TeachingAuthors series. At the end of this post, I also share one of my poems and a link to this week's Poetry Friday roundup.

I've enjoyed reading all my fellow TeachingAuthors' responses to the prompt: "Share a question you often get from your students or readers." I must admit, though, that the post that most resonated with me was April's, in which she talks about someone approaching her with an idea and asking her to write the book. I, too, have received that request many times, not only from my students, but also from strangers I've met at social functions and even via email from random people who found me online.

But there's another question I've heard far more frequently from those same sources: "How do you get a book published?" In fact, when I first started teaching classes in writing for children and teens over 25 years ago, the question was frequently worded as "How much does it cost to get a children's book published?" Back before self-publishing became prevalent, many people assumed you simply paid a book publisher like Scholastic or Random House to publish your book. These same people also typically assumed that if you were a writer and not an artist, you had to hire someone to illustrate your picture book before submitting to that publisher. 

If the person asking the question was not a student in one of my classes, I simply directed them to the Frequently Asked Questions page of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) website. But over the years, the answer has gotten increasingly more complicated, and the SCBWI FAQ page isn't as helpful as it used to be. Thankfully, Jane Freidman has a great resource: "Start Here: How to Get Your Book Published," that covers publishing books for adults as well as for children. The post describes three publishing paths: traditional publishing, hiring a company to publish for you, and self-publishing, and she updates the information periodically. 

There are now all sorts of books on writing for children, too. Two of my favorites include Ann Whitford Paul's Writing Picture Books: A Hands-on Guide From Story Creation to Publication and Writing Irresistible Kidlit: The Ultimate Guide to Crafting Fiction for Young Adult and Middle Grade Readers by Mary Kole, both published by Writer's Digest Books.     

How about you, Readers? Do you have any questions we haven't addressed in this series? If so, please let us know in the comments. 

Now for the poem I promised. Earlier this summer, I had the honor of having two poems accepted for publication at The Dirigible Balloon, a UK-based online magazine that publishes poetry for children--my first time being featured there! Here's one of them, which you can also see on their site here: 

      On the Launchpad (An Etheree)    
      by Carmela A. Martino

      Preparing for takeoff! I fuel up 
      on determination so I can 
      blast past expectations and climb
      skyward, higher and higher—
      beyond the stratosphere—
      to where earthly fears
      won’t weigh me down.
      Here I go—
      THREE, TWO,
      ONE …

  © 2025 Carmela A. Martino. All rights reserved.

As noted above, this poem is an Etheree. If you're not familiar with the form, you can learn about it on the Shadow Poetry site.  And you can read my other poem, "Puppy Litter," on this page of The Dirigible Balloon.

Don't forget to visit this week's Poetry Friday roundup hosted by Jane Whittingham for more terrific poetry.

Happy writing!

Carmela 

Looking for our Giveaway Winner: Lynne L

The good news first: we had a record-breaking number of entries in response to our giveaway of Ann Whitford Paul's revision edition of Writing Picture Books! And the Rafflecopter widget has picked our two lucky winners.

The not-so-good news: we haven't heard back from one of those winners: Lynne L.

We've sent Lynne multiple emails without a response. If we don't hear from her by 11:59 p.m., (Central time) Tuesday, November  13, we'll have to chose another winner to take her place.

So, Lynne L, if you're out there, please check your inbox and Spam folders and reply to the email we sent you. If you can't find the email, or you're not sure you're the right Lynne L, email us at TeachingAuthors [at] gmail [dot] com for more information.

Happy Monday, all.
Carmela

READ ALL ABOUT IT! ANN WHITFORD PAUL REVISES AND EXPANDS WRITING PICTURE BOOKS! + BOOK GIVEAWAY!

I’m happy to report: award-winning author, poet, teacher and mentor Ann Whitford Paul has revised and expanded her 2009 go-to hands-on guide on writing picture books, aptly named WRITING PICTURE BOOKS! Writer’s Digest releases this 2018 edition November 13.
I’m even happier to report:  YOU can win a free copy in our Book Giveaway!  Be sure to check the entry details at the end of this post.

This news is truly headline-worthy for anyone writing a picture book today.  Our world and thus children’s book publishing have changed in ways that impact both the stories we tell and how we tell them in the picture book format.
Think: the turbulent financial times 2008 brought us.
Think: WeNeedDiverseBooks.  STEM.  Common Core. Graphic illustrations.  Herstory. #OwnVoices. Meta books.
Pete the Cat’s Misadventures still appeal to young readers.  Mo Willems’ fans grow mightily on an annual basis.  Tomie DePaola remains beloved.
Our stories still need to offer Universal Truths and recognizable sentiments so they connect with readers.
The picture book, however, has changed with the times.

Fortunately, Ann’s attention to the process, from story creation to publication, hasn’t lessened. (Note: read my 2009 Thumbs Up review.)
Idea generation.  Character creation.  Point of View.  Beginnings and Endings.  Plotting. Word count. Rhyme and more.  Ann’s easy-to-grasp instruction once again shines.
As for the rich and relevant examples and hands-on revision exercises, again, Ann understands HOW we as writers learn – and hone – our craft.

“What’s new?” you ask, "..revised...expanded?"
That is but one of the questions Ann graciously answers in the interview that appears below.
You have my word: the 2018 edition of WRITING PICTURE BOOKS is every bit as right-on and write-on as the first edition.  Be sure to enter our Book Giveaway so you might win a copy. And if you don't, you can always pre-order. :)

I offer Ann my sincere thanks - for sharing the details of her newest edition with our TeachingAuthors readers, for donating two copies for two Book Giveaways but more importantly, for writing this invaluable textbook. She makes a challenging task – i.e. writing picture books, easier.

Happy Reading and Picture Book Writing!

Esther Hershenhorn
P.S.
Thanks to A JOURNEY THROUGH THE PAGES for hosting this week’s Poetry Friday Roundup..


. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

What prompted you and Writers Digest to revise your 2009 edition of WRITING PICTURE BOOKS?

Writer’s Digest approached me about a revision, because we were approaching the ten-year
anniversary. We’ve both been thrilled with the response to the first edition and I jumped at the opportunity because so many changes have occurred in the business since the first edition. Also, I’ve learned a lot of things through my own writing and wanted to share this new knowledge with writers.

How did your revision reshape the book’s organization as well as content? What additions and/or enhancements can the reader expect to find? What subtractions might they miss?

The organization remains the same but with additional chapters—on basic plots, page turns, finding an agent, the business of publishing. In addition, all book examples were replaced with books published within the last ten years. I also rewrote all the examples and quizzes so that writers who might have read the first book, would have additional illustrations of concepts to help solidify their knowledge. The one thing you won’t find in the new edition of the story is the No-no’s in a Manuscript Quiz. There simply wasn’t room. But I also did write a new one and will post it on my web-site after the book comes out.

IMHO: WRITING PICTURE BOOKS is the #1 go-to text on how to write a picture book. I’ve used it with my students and writers since 2009.  Can you share a few glowing responses, a few Fan Letters you’ve received from writers who learned and honed their craft via this book? 

Oh, darn! I should have saved some fan letters, but sadly I have not. I can tell you that periodically people e-mail me about how the book has helped them, how they’ve done the exercises, and sometimes even sold a book. I LOVE getting those notes and probably should have saved some of them. I do respond to each one, but, unfortunately, I have a niece who is a professional organizer and she has taught me to purge, purge, purge! I’m grateful though to anyone who writes—the truth is that a positive letter makes my day and spurs me to keep writing. So please don’t be shy. Let me know how my book has impacted you.

You noted in your 2009 edition that you wrote WRITING PICTURE BOOKS in memory of the unforgettable Sue Alexander and that a portion of the proceeds of this book would help fund the SCBWI Barbara Karlin Runner-Up Grant.  How has this support “recognized and encouraged the work of aspiring picture book writers” and how will it continue?

I’ve spoken to many recipients of this award and they all say how much it boosted their self-confidence and sometimes even led to publication. It was a pleasure to be able to support picture book writers.

In honor of the publication of this new edition, Writer’s Digest Books and I are establishing through SCBWI the Ann Whitford Paul-Writer’s Digest Most Promising Picture Book Grant of $1,000 to be awarded yearly.
After judging non-specific genre children’s books contests, it became obvious to me that picture book manuscripts were easily ignored. I think the prejudice that short must be simple to write is responsible for that. Writing picture books with their focus, brevity and lyrical prose can be terribly difficult. I struggle sometimes for years to get my stories right. I wanted to recognize that struggle and honor those who write these short, but challenging, manuscripts.

Can you share news of the latest Ann Paul picture books?

 The same year that the first Writing Picture Books came out, so did another book of mine titled IF ANIMALS KISSED GOOD NIGHT. Its sales were good, not spectacular, but still I was surprised when FSG took it out-of-print. Then much to my even bigger surprise, they republished it as a board book with a new cover. The sales sky-rocketed. And then, the publisher asked me to do another IF ANIMALS SAID I LOVE YOU and IF ANIMALS CELEBRATED CHRISTMAS. And next year there will be a fourth IF ANIMALS WENT TO SCHOOL. So I’ve been busy with these.

Finally, picture books do indeed do important work.  Today’s picture books bring so much to the page: diversity, social justice, activism, gender equality.  Yet there still remain bedtime stories, tales of forever maternal love, first-day-of-school titles, just to name a few.  What is your take on the important work this format does and why sales of picture books are again on the rise?

I LOVE this question! I came to writing picture books after years of bed-and-nap time reading to my children. In our too-busy world, those quiet times, sitting skin-to-skin reading together, were a gift to all involved. Adult and child alike were fully committed, focused on the same thing. We shared the tactile experience of the smooth pages, the quiet whoosh of the page turns, the bright visuals and of course, the words, the glorious musical words. No wonder sales of picture books are on the rise! We need those moments of togetherness more than ever.

Picture books are the first introduction for children to reading. They are enticed in by the pictures. The words sneak up on them and suddenly, they are saying them along with us and even pointing specific words out. Studies show that children who are read to come to elementary school well ahead of those who haven’t had those experiences.

Our books let children know they’re not alone when dealing with a bully, that other parents divorce, too, and that there are places in the world where people live differently. When they develop empathy for the characters in our books, they can translate this to real lives.

But it isn’t enough to write just any old book. If our words aren’t compelling and lyrical and tell a powerful story, children’s interest in reading will wither and die. We are the first step on the road to becoming a life-time reader who can discern fact from fiction, and that is an awesome responsibility.
               
                                                                    * * *

So, readers, to enter our drawing for a chance to win your very own copy of Ann Whitford Paul’s 2018 edition of WRITING PICTURE BOOKS (Writer’s Digest), use the Rafflecopter widget below.  You may enter via 1, 2, or 3 options.
If you choose option 2, you MUST leave a comment on TODAY’S blog pose below or on our TeachingAuthors Facebook page, sharing your Favorite Picture Book published between 2009 and 2018.

(If you prefer, you may submit your comment via email to: teachingauthors [at} gmail [dot] com.)

Email subscribers: if you received this post via email, you can click on the Rafflecopter link at the end of this message to access the entry form.

NOTE: if you submit your comments via email or Facebook, YOU MUST STILL ENTER THE DRAWING VIA THE WIDGET BELOW.  The Giveaway ends November 8 and is open to U.S. residents only.

P.S. If you’ve never entered a Rafflecopter Giveaway, here’s info on how to enter a Rafflecopter Giveaway - and the difference between signing in with Facebook vs. with an email address.

Remember: there will be TWO lucky winners!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

POETRY STICKS TO YOUR CLOTHES and PHOTOS OF POETS!

.
Howdy, Campers!

And yes, it's National Poetry Month!

But first...midnight tonight is the deadline to enter our book giveaway for a chance to win 30 PEOPLE WHO CHANGED THE WORLD (Seagrass, 2018).  Check out Carla Killough McClafferty’s March 26 interview with the book’s editor Jean Reynolds, then scroll down from the interview to enter our TeachingAuthors drawing.

Esther started off our celebration of National Poetry Month; now it's my turn.

I'm at the Texas Library Association's Annual Conference, #TLA18, having a fabulous time at the Poetry Rodeo created and sponsored by Pomelo Books.  Truly P-o-e-t H-e-a-v-e-n.

Poets included:  KathiAppelt, Jorge Argueta, Brod Bagert, Carmen T. Bernier-Grand, Jen Bryant, Shirley Smith Duke, Margarita Engle, Nancy Bo Flood, David L. Harrison, Juan Felipe Herrera, EricOde, Guadalupe Garcia McCall, Ann Whitford Paul, Greg Pincus, BobRaczka, Laura Shovan, Elizabeth Steinglass, Holly Thompson, Sylvia Vardell, April Halprin Wayland and Janet Wong. Wow, right?

Here are a few photos from My Most Excellent Adventure:

me, ready for the conference!

Janet Wong

Dr. Sylvia Vardell & Juan Felipe Herrrera

David Harrison

Carmen T. Bernier-Grand  & Ann Whitford Paul

 the best 1/2 of Margarita Engle, Kathi Appelt, Nancy Bo Flood, Bob Raczka

my apologies to the rest of my poet friends whose photos were too blurry to share!

Ah, poetry.

Poetry Month inspired me to begin writing a poem a day in 2010...and I've never looked back. Maybe it will inspire you to write a poem each day, too.

This one is from August, 2013:

A POEM STICKS TO YOUR CLOTHES
by April Halprin Wayland

It's like something that clings to your shirt—

one of those blue sticky flowers,

or a foxtail.

At the end of the day,

you take off your jacket

and there it is,

soft like a real fox's tail,

tenacious,

pointed,

and sometimes

painful.

It must be dealt with.

poem (c) 2018 by April Halprin Wayland, who holds all rights

...here's the backstory, which I wrote to my friend Bruce, who also writes a poem a day--we send them to each other:

Gary came home last night and I was frantic because I like to write my poem before he comes home.  At least THAT.  So he came home and I asked him if he had any ideas for a poem, for something that sticks...and as I said it, I got an image of the things that stick to my clothes on a hike and I was off and running.

Sometimes God is good to me.

Well, most times, actually.

Make sure you check out Jama Rattigan's Kidlitosphere Poetry Events Round Up...

Then scoot on over to Amy at The Poem Farm, this week's Poetry Friday host

posted with love by April Halprin Wayland, who is grateful to our kind and inclusive Poetry Friday tribe

3 Terrific Quotes on Character Flaws and a Poem

.
Howdy, Campers ~ and Happy Poetry Friday! The link to today's PF host is below, as is my poem.

TeachingAuthors' current topic is Creating Characters. Bobbi started this series, discussing characters' inner struggles. JoAnn gives us the questionnaire she uses to get to know her characters, Carla shows us concrete examples of how small details reveal character in nonfiction characters, and each Wednesday in May, Esther offered us Wednesday Writing Workouts.

And me? I need help pulling 3-D characters from the blank page.

One criticism of my W.I.P. novel in poems is that except for the narrator, the other characters are one dimensional. Ouch! As a teen, I saw everyone as black and white. It's still hard for me to see people as three dimensional, hard to accept the fact that they are/we humans are imperfect. But we all have flaws, darn it.

I'll never forget the example Barbara Bottner gave in a class at Otis Parsons in the 1980's. The gist of what she said is this:

Let's say you want to tell a story about three characters in search of buried treasure. 

Okay--that's fine. 

But what if you told a story about 

Richard Nixon

Lucille Ball 

and Godzilla 

searching for buried treasure? 

NOW you have a story.

(I've forgotten the specific characters Barbara suggested--insert your own favorites.)

Wow. Talk about flawed characters! That's the moment I began to understand the interconnectedness between real characters (with real bitten fingernails and real raspberry jam stains on their clothes, who sometimes stomp on their little brother's toe) and story.

illustration from my book, New Year at the Pier by Stéphane Jorisch (Dial)

Still I struggle--both on the page and in real life--to see flaws in those I love. Or alternately, I dismiss a person entirely if I do discover a flaw.

One evening at a memorial service, I realized that everything that annoys me about my friends will be exactly what I remember fondly when they die. 

Ann Whitford Paul agrees:
"We all have flaws. Our characters must have flaws, too....Think about your imperfections. Think about imperfections in others that annoy you or maybe tug at your heart...Often...the strength and weakness are two sides of the same issue. Think of Frances in Russell Hoban's Bedtime for Frances. Her great imagination is exactly what makes her so fearful. It's what makes her sure spiders and tigers and monsters lurk in her room...Whatever the specifics, the main characters in our picture books must be human, and that means imperfect." ~ Ann Whitford Paul in Writing Picture Books

Ann Lamott makes this point, too:
"[Characters] shouldn't be too perfect; perfect means shallow and unreal and fatally uninteresting...I like them to be mentally ill in the same sorts of ways that I am; for instance, I have a friend who said one day, 'I could resent the ocean if I tried,'and I realized that I love that in a guy." ~ Anne Lamott in Bird by Bird

As does Madeleine L'Engle:

"I like the fact that in ancient Chinese art the great painters always included a deliberate flaw in their work: human creation is never perfect." ~ Madeleine L'Engle

For today's poem I thought I'd describe a character by including a flaw and some eye-poppingly original details. But that's not exactly what turned out. The first line came to me immediately: "She takes out her teeth to chew on that." Hmm, I thought. We know who that must be.

But...you're a writer--you know how it goes. You fiddle and rearrange and think and unthink and finally that first line seems too cliche, so out it goes.
.

I didn't include a fatal flaw or raspberry jam on her skirt, but here's a draft that came from my tweedle-dee and tweedle-dumming today:

CLARICE

by April Halprin Wayland

Ding-a-ling-ding, the telephone rings.

Her cat bats away a spec on wings.

She doesn't answer that telephone call.

Forget them all,

forget them all.

She watches this brave day's afterglow

then picks up the cat, tunes her radio,

leans into the umpire's gritty call.

It didn't have to happen at all,

it didn't have to happen at all.

She stares into space, chewing on that.

Her cat jumps into her tired lap.

How can it be the sun still sets

since Daniel's death,

since Daniel's death?

poem (c) 2017 April Halprin Wayland. All rights reserved.

Thank you, Buffy for hosting Poetry Friday!

posted with love by April Halprin Wayland with help from an invisible bee named Spinach.

Making a Picture Book Text Dummy

At our SCBWI-Wisconsin Fall Conference last weekend, several speakers recommended making a picture book dummy before submitting a manuscript. For many years, I resisted the advice I heard about tackling such a project. At first, I thought “dummy” meant one of those pages of little boxes that illustrators use to create storyboards. I’m not an illustrator, so I couldn’t see the point. I could never fit all my text into those teensy little squares!

“How to Make a Storyboard, An Illustrated Tutorial” from Writing with Pictures: How to Write and Illustrate Children's Books by Uri Shulevitz provides an example of that kind of dummy.

Now that I know the difference, I imagine it might help a writer to jot a brief note about what happens in each scene to visualize pacing and be sure there is enough illustration potential. But I’m talking about a different thing altogether. So let me make the distinction between an illustration dummy and a text dummy. Writers can do themselves a big favor by creating a text dummy on plain paper.

I started with 8 sheets of paper cut in half. I stapled them along one short side to make a 32-page dummy. I printed a copy of my manuscript and cut it into chunks.

Each chunk of text that describes a scene and/or creates a potential illustration can take up a page or even a whole spread in a picture book. That’s what you cut out and paste onto the dummy. Then you look at it with an eye to page turns, pacing, and amount of text per page. Even with the understanding that the final book could look completely different, it’s a worthwhile exercise. The concrete visual format makes problems easier to spot.

I found two good sources for text dummy info:

• Darcy Pattison’s blog post, “How to Mock-up a Picture Book,” explains why making a dummy is a good idea and gives detailed instructions on how to make one. Helpful tips explain how to use the dummy to revise a manuscript.

• Writing Picture Books: A Hands-On Guide from Story Creation to Publication by Ann Whitford Paul includes a chapter called “Cut and Paste—Making a Dummy Book.” She specifies three kinds of story changes that create reasons to change the page. She then lists ten important questions to ask when evaluating the text.

Making a text dummy of my work in progress showed me several good reasons to revise. Trying to paste the text in place made me realize that the story had too many scenes for potential illustrations. In addition, some chunks of text were too long to fit on a page. Time to cut!

So try it! Make a text dummy of your picture book manuscript. It certainly helped mine!

Thank you, SCBWI!

We Teaching Authors are honored to be included in the Featured Blog Scroll on the new SCBWI web site. If you haven’t visited our blog before, you can learn more about us on our About Us page. There, you’ll find links to our bios and introductory blog posts. Enjoy!

JoAnn Early Macken

Question Poems for Poetry Friday

Dear Followers of Teaching Authors,

Happy Poetry Friday!

I need your help.

I have been an instructor with UCLA Extension's Writing Program for ten years.  I adore teaching there, love the students, love the challenges.  Following the example of master teacher Myra Cohn Livingston (with whom I studied for twelve years), I am a big believer in homework for adult learners. Lots of it. I've found that the more work they do and the less dancing-on-a-table-top-in-the-front-of the-classroom I do, the better the teacher they think I am.

In Myra's Master Class, we basically shoved the rest of our lives aside for ten weeks to write poetry for children.  Myra taught so many now well-known children's poets, I call her the Johnny Appleseed of children's poetry.  My classmates including Monica Gunning, Janet S.Wong, Alice Schertle, Ann Whitford Paul, Tony Johnston, Joan Bransfield Graham, Madeleine Comora, Ruth Lercher Bornstein, Sonya Sones and many others.

Sometimes, though, critiquing each student's story every week wears me down.  (Can you relate?)  It's a fine line between thoroughly critiquing each story in order to help the author get it into shape...and spending more time critiquing it than the author spent writing it.

I don't know how you teachers with six classes a day, thirty students per class do it.  I think you may be magicians.

I wanted to change my universe.  I wanted the playfulness back in teaching.  So I proposed a new class.  It was accepted and I'll be teaching it this summer (yippee!). Here’s a draft of the course description:

Chockful of short and longer in-class writing exercises, this workshop is designed especially for children's picture book writers.  By focusing on recurring subjects such as Tell the Truth, Less is More, Quote-Unquote, and The Power of Observation, you have the time and creative space to delve into a range of fresh approaches to these universal themes as you engage in stimulating writing exercises and constructive give-and-take with your instructor and peers.  In addition to inspiring new work and points of view on it, this workshop loosens up your tight fists, unwrinkles your worried brow, and reminds you how satisfying and fun writing can be.   All writing and critiquing is performed in class; students are given the opportunity to read their work aloud if they wish.  Enrollment limit:  20 students

NO HOMEWORK for me OR for the students!  Doesn't that sound great?

Each of the six classes is three hours long, so I’m collecting fun, inspiring writing exercises.

Of course there are wonderful books that include all sorts of writing exercises.  Among them: Ann Whitford Paul's terrific WRITING PICTURE BOOKS (see Teaching Author Esther Hershenhorn's review of this book), Natalie Goldberg's WILD MIND--Living the Writer's Life, and my friend Susan Goldsmith Wooldridge's wonderful POEMCRAZY.

Here's where you come in.  Do you have a favorite writing exercise (or book of writing exercises) to recommend that would be particularly useful to picture book writers?  The catch?  I'm especially interested in exercises that make you get up and move…

or go outside…

or use a prop…

or use a book you wouldn’t ordinarily use.  Exercises that use other postures and modalities beside sitting at a desk staring at a blank page.  Ideas employing music or meditation, physical movement, complete silence, blindfolds and squishy things to touch…weird out-of-the-box stuff.

You get the picture.

If you do, I'd love to hear from you.  And I'll be forever in your debt.

                                                                    Cross my heart.

 Writing Workout: Writing a
Question Poem

 Poet and author Sonya Sones sometimes writes poems in which every sentence is a question.  These always inspire me.  They have a brightness; a special energy.

I  know, I know…that isn’t exactly getting students up out of their chairs.  But maybe if they are asked to use a rhyming dictionary as they write this poem or story....maybe that would give this exercise a twist.

I took a stab at it.  I had a blast using my rhyming dictionary.  I was shooting rhymes at it with a machine gun. So here’s my very, very, very rough draft:

JUST ASKING 
very rough draft by April Halprin Wayland

Are you going to make your bed?

     Who said?

Are you going to make your bed so that pillows and sheets aren’t exploding all over our room?

     You mean this fantastic sonic boom?

Are you going to make it before we eat monkey bread and jam?

     Who do you think I am?

Are you going to make it so we can lie down with Cat, flat?

     What made you think of that?

Are you going to make it to show Mick this morning?

     Is that a warning?

Are you going to make your bed instead of galloping goats over those blanket canyons?

     Me and which companions?

Yoooo—hoooooo?  Are you?

     Am I what?

Tut, tut…
     ARE YOU
          GOING TO
               MAKE
                    YOUR
                         BED?

     Who put that idea in your head?

Now try writing your own messy, imperfect rough draft Question Poem (or Question Story)! 

And always--write with joy.

 

all drawings © by April Halprin Wayland

Word Builder Giveaway Winner and Upcoming Topics

The winner of a free autographed copy of Ann Whitford Paul’s picture book, Word Builder, illustrated by Kurt Cyrus, is Corey Schwartz!


In response to our question regarding a favorite book on writing for children and/or young adults, Corey posted:

"I like Heidi Bine-Stock's series How to Write a Children's Picture Book. (I own two of the three volumes.)"

Congratulations, Corey! And thank you to all who shared their favorites. As a follow-up to our contest, next week we will share some of our favorite books on writing in general. This is in response to an Ask the Teaching Authors question. (Since I won't be posting next week, you can see some of my favorites listed in my column for the SCBWI-Illinois Prairie Wind.)

Also, if you didn't win this time, stay tuned! We will have another book giveaway on Monday, September 28, in conjunction with our first Guest Teaching Author/Illustrator interview.

Thumbs Up for Ann Whitford Paul's Writing Picture Books! , and Another Book Giveaway!

Thumbs Up for Ann Whitford Paul’s right on, write on (!) Writing Picture Books: A Hands-On Guide from Story Creation to Publication (Writer’s Digest, 2009).

I confess upfront: I admire Ann Whitford Paul’s picture books; I value her Writing Workshops; I’m an ardent fan of this talented children’s book writer.
However, even if I didn’t treasure this fellow Teaching Author, I’d recommend her text to all who write – and want to write – picture books.

In fact, for the first time ever in my upcoming Picture Book Workshop at Chicago’s Newberry Library beginning late September, I’ve listed Ann’s book as required reading.

The Truth is: Ann gets this singular art form.
She understands its grounding and place in children’s literature.
She knows only too well, there’s first the story, then the telling.

Both the book’s content and its organization reflect Ann’s knowledge and experience as an award-winning picture book author and as a much-respected teacher.

The need to know children’s books published today.
Characterization’s role in creating flawless stories.
Structure. Plotting.
Beginning, middle, end.
Scenes and Show, Don’t Tell.
Stories in rhyme.
Word choice. Rhythm.
Tight writing.
Dummying.
How to submit and keep keepin' on.

For each teaching point, Ann offers not only supportive titles and authors to read and know; she also offers up her personal experiences.
Each chapter concludes with a preview of the coming chapter, then content-related exercises titled “Before You Go On.”
And throughout, writers are encouraged to apply what’s learned to two selected picture books chosen at the start (one loved, one hated), to their own work and to the work of others.

The first page of Writing Picture Books says it all.
Ann wrote the book in loving memory of Sue Alexander, a beloved teacher, friend and SCBWI stalwart who modeled by sharing her love and knowledge of the picture book.
Ann dedicates the book to “anyone who has ever written or dreamed of writing a picture book.”
She notes a portion of the book’s proceeds will help fund SCBWI’s Barbara Karlin Grant that recognizes and encourages the work of aspiring picture book writers.

Ann Whitford Paul gets - and loves - the picture book.
But even more important?
Ann Whitford Paul gets - and loves -the picture book writer.

For more information, you can read an excerpt for yourself or visit Ann's website.

***

When we hosted Ann's blog tour for Writing Picture Books back in July, we promised a second-chance drawing for another of her books. So, if you haven't won any of our previous giveaways, now is your chance! Ann is providing a free, autographed copy of her picture book Word Builder, illustrated by Kurt Cyrus, for one lucky reader. To enter our drawing, you must post a comment sharing the title of a favorite book on how to write for children and/or teens. Be sure to include your email address, and please read our complete giveaway guidelines before you post. To be eligible, you must post your comment by midnight (CST) on Friday, September 18, 2009. The winner will be announced Saturday, September 19.

Making What's So Hard about Writing Picture Books Less Hard

Oh, if only Ann Whitford Paul’s hands-on, right-on and thus write-on guide Writing Picture Books had been available when I first began writing.

[Note: the President at that time bore the initials J.C.]

Alas, Writing for Children wasn’t in vogue then.
The singular format (and art form) “picture book” was often labeled “picture storybook.”
The IBM Selectric typewriter reigned supreme, unaware the word processor planned to stage a coup.

I cut my writer’s teeth, I learned my craft, courtesy of:

(1) Lee Wyndham’s Writing for Children and Teen-agers (Writer’s Digest, 1976) and Phyllis Whitney’s Writing Juvenile Stories and Novels (The Writer, Inc., 1976);
(2) my sky blue, kite-embellished 1978 "I"-less Society of Children’s Book Writers membership card;
(3) the bounty of children’s books (published past and present) residing on the shelves of my Wilmette Public Library’s Children’s Bookroom.
I took selected books apart, physically sometimes, from the inside-out.
[See my September/October 2009 SCBWI Bulletin article “The Book That Changed Me.”]
I studied particular and favorite authors’ careers from their first book to their most current.
I read each book first as a reader, then again, as a writer.
I learned the stories behind the stories, taking heart and hope.
Writing for Children classes were few and far between; Children’s Book Writing Groups hard to come by.
Keeping me afloat was SCBW’s Manuscript Exchange which allowed me to learn from fellow Illinois author Berniece Rabe.

Writing a picture book text is Hard Work. Period.
It is not for the weak, in body or spirit.
The writer must dig often and deep through countless drafts to arrive at the bare bones of a story that not only can live and breathe on the page, thanks to the illustrator, but capture and resound in a reader’s heart.
Such efforts demand determination, patience, passion, persistence.
Reading and studying Ann Whitford Paul’s Writing Picture Books won’t make writing a picture book easy, but it’s certain to make writing a picture book eas-i-e-r.
As will the following resources, thanks to technology and the popularity of Writing for Children, that both fortify and enhance all you learn from Ann Paul’s book.

(1) Mem Fox’s website - http://www.memfox.com/
Mem Fox once wrote, “Writing a picture book is like writing War and Peace in haiku.”
Like Ann Paul, Mem Fox gets picture books.
Her website offers opportunities to hear and see Mem read, and to learn the stories behind her stories.
Check out her 20 Do’s and 20 Don’ts as well as her “So, you want to write a picture book” listed under the section “For Writers (And Potential Writers).”

2) SCBWI’s Picture Book Master Class with Tomie DePaola
Imagine 90-minutes up close and personal with Caldecott and Newberry Honor Awards medalist Tomie DePaola, illustrator of over 200 books, author of over 100!
This DVD Master Class, produced by SCBWI, features a one-on-one conversation between SCBWI Executive Director and best-selling children’s book author Lin Oliver and Tomie that offers inspiration, information, insights and encouragement for anyone writing the picture book today.
Purchase is available on the SCBWI website.

(3) A YouTube-available video of A School Visit by best-selling Author/Illustrator Jarrett J. Krosoczka.
Sit yourself down in the school auditorium, surround yourself with kiddos, and listen and learn how and why Jarrett makes books.
The illustrator piece to picture books is something picture book writers need to know.
And, if you’ve already successfully published a picture book, take a peek at how a fellow author presents. Jarrett’s website – http://www.studiojjk.com – is also worth visiting.

And, look for my TeachingAuthors review of Ann Paul’s Writing Picture Books in early Fall.

Writing Workout:
Write a Name Poem

Mem Fox declares: story begins with a character in trouble!
Editor Melanie Kroupa took that Truth one step further while helping me revise my middle grade novel, The Confe$$ion$ and $ecret$ of Howard J. Fingerhut (Holiday House).
“Who a character is gets him into trouble,” Melanie taught me. “But who a character is gets him out of trouble.”

Once I defined Howie’s Howie-ness in a name poem, he was ready, willing and able to travel his plotline.
In Chapter One, I let Howie share the poem with his fellow fourth-graders so my readers would know Howie too.
H = hopeful
O = original
W= willing
I = intelligent
E = enthusiastic
Coincidentally (?), junior businessperson Howie Fingergut’s traits are those of any budding entrepreneur.

Define your characters, plural (!) - Hero, Side-kick, Villain, in a name poem, to come to know who and what they are.
Try using adjectives, next verbs, then nouns.
And remember Ann Paul’s tip: characters have flaws!