It started out as 30 Days to a Stronger Picture Book. But now, (drum roll, please), it’s an Ebook. Expanded from it’s original format, it now includes new sections on writing rhymed verse for a picture book, and many examples of different types of texts.

How to Write a Children’s Picture Book includes 36 self-paced lessons on every aspect of writing, editing and selling your children’s picture book.

Basics of Writing a Children’s Picture Book

Start your journey toward publishing by studying the basics of children’s picture books: number of pages, word count, audience, setting, characters, words, messages, morals, themes, voice and more.

The Unique Writing Process for a Children’s Picture Book

Once you understand the basic structure of a children’s picture book, it’s time to choose a topic and write your first draft. Learn topics to avoid and perennial topics. Special techniques for editing your picture book manuscript are also covered.

Typical Picture Book Genres

If you want to write a specific type of children’s picture book, you’ll find tips here for humor, rhyming text, poetry collections, picture book mystery, picture book biography, creative non-fiction picture book, and the ABC picture book.

How to Submit Your Children’s Picture Book

Your story is done? Learn the biggest mistake people make when submitting to a children’s book publisher and how you can avoid it. How do you find the name of an editor? What about self-publishing?

Download your pdf immediately.
Order NOW!

Related posts:

1. Top 10 Picture Book Topics to Avoid
2. Research Competition
3. Picture Book 4

Meanwhile:

Between Drafts

Despair v. Hope. I’m vacillating between hope and despair. My gut tells me this draft is a big improvement, but my inner critic is harsh. I don’t know if I should hide my head in shame or tall taller with pleasure in what I’ve done.

Cleaning the office. Yes, that chore got done. Sorta. I’m doing neglected chores, like filing, updating my bio on various websites, planning holiday meals, and actually reading.

Shorter pieces. I’m working on some shorter pieces. I’ve had a nf article accepted by Highlights, I’m working on another short project, and I’m re-reading almost every failed picture mss in my files to see if I know how to fix any of them. I wrote a piece for our regional SCBWI newsletter. These aren’t time-wasters, but important things which just get muscled out of the way by the heftier novel. I’m glad to be playing with the chihuahuas for a change.

Preparing Emotionally for the Next Draft. I’m getting ready emotionally to “kill my darlings,” to give up my attachment to the current plot and form of the novel if needed, and to dig in and work hard.

Related posts:

1. Emotional Critiques
2. Give Them a Sample

First drafts are for finding out what story you are telling. Second and subsequent drafts are for finding the best way to tell that story.

I finished a second draft yesterday and someone asked what I concentrated on in that draft. Basically, refining the story and exploring options for telling it.

Specificially, I worked on these things:

Facts: I had several experts in child behavior read the mss and saw that there were several checks on the reality of my situations. I’m dealing with kids in foster care, so I had to look up state laws, read manuals for foster parents, etc. Then, replot with that in mind.

Plot: There were major plot holes that needed to be addressed. The climax of a major subplot had to be totally overhauled because of the factual corrections. Smaller plot holes had to be filled.

Transitions: Often there were abrupt changes from scene to scene, without enough details for the reader to follow when/where/what.

Character: Motivations were unclear. I added more internal thoughts, backstory, and discussion of events. It’s a delicate balance to keep the story moving, yet make it clear. This draft, I concentrated on making it clear. If my readers want me to be more delicate on the next draft, I can do that.

Villain: The villain was too cut and dried and needed some softening.

Voice: OK, I’m doing that hard thing of alternating voices. So, I had to make each voice distinctive and stay consistent within each voice. I’m sure there’s more to do here with consistency, but this is a good start.

Setting: There’s still some work to do on portraying this specific school and community, but it’s pretty good now.

Clarity: Above all, I tried to get the story out of my head and onto paper with more exactness and completeness.

So, the first draft blocked in the major elements, this draft refined them. I’ll need at least one more draft to refine and to add highlights.

Plan for Third Draft

Specifically, I want to work on consistent voice, refining the language, clearing up any remaining plot problems, keeping a balance of action and internal motivations, making sure Darcy-the-author stays out of the story and the kids are really kids, cutting about 10,000 words (It’s about 60,000 right now and I think 50,000 would be better), and keeping the pace taut.

I already want to start on the consistency of the voice, but I think I’ll try to wait a couple days, so I have fresher eyes. But I won’t let a lot of time pass, or I’ll lose momentum, especially with the holidays.

Related posts:

1. 4 Ways Weather Affects Your Story
2. Voice Trumps Everything
3. Outline scenes

Monarch of the Sasanqua Camellias

When I left my office, I noticed that the sasanqua camellias (it’s a fall-blooming variety) were full of bees and butterflies! This Monarch looks ragged: he’s only halfway to his migration destination in Mexico and still has to face flying over the Gulf of Mexico. I’m glad he stopped at our flowers for some R&R and to brighten my day.

Sunset on October 30

And this sunset was taken on October 30, the first real sunset after about ten days of rain. Because of the prolonged rain, it reminded me of Ray Bradbury’s classic short story, “All in a Summer’s Day.”

No related posts.

Communication.

It’s essential to communicate with the venue effectively right from the first contact through the actual event. I try to respond within 24 hours to requests for school visits, weekend retreats, speaking at conferences, or any other speaking requests.

I’m often asked how many times a year I do events. Basically, I try accommodate requests as often as I can. So, if I’m asked, I usually go.

During the Initial communication, I try to find out these things:

What type of event is being planned?
How can my participation add to, complement or enhance the event?
Dates?
Type, length and content of presentation?
Type of audience (grade levels, reading levels, adult, etc.)?
Preferred date and alternate dates?
Compensation rates?

Clear expectations result from clear communication and is the backbone of a great event.

Providing materials for advance preparation.

School author visits are most successful when students are prepared. I provide a free downloadable pdf file of lesson plans for all my books, which helps teachers introduce my books. For adult presentations, it’s often necessary to send bios, descriptions of presentations, and suggested copy to advertise the event when appropriate.

Oliver is available to visit your school.

Another area of preparation is providing order forms, so books can be purchased at the event. I have a pdf file that I modify to fit the needs of the event. For example, I often give discounts to books bought when I speak and I adjust this as needed.

Speaking is great fun. I’ve had whirlwind events! And I’ve met fascinating people in CA, LA (Louisiana, not Los Angeles), WA (Washington state, not D.C.), and many other places around the US.

Being Prepared Myself!

The day before my school visit this week, I checked my bag to make sure everything was there. Well, let me back up. I keep a bag packed with things I’ll likely need at a school event: foldable wire frame to hold a book upright; copy of book inter-leaved with overhead projector sheets for each page (back-up only these days); CD burned with Powerpoints of each of my books (MOST useful); a miniature Oliver K. Woodman, samples of each of my books to show while I talk; a snack bar just in case I get hungry; common medicines I might need in case I get a headache or something. I usually add bottled water the morning when I leave.

OK, I go overboard. But I’ve been places where I got a headache and didn’t have medicine and I don’t like it. I go prepared!

This time, I checked my bag and the Powerpoint CD was missing. I searched, but ultimately had to burn a new CD. Had I not checked, the school visit would have been disastrous.

I also do MapQuest or Google Maps and PRINT IT OUT. I’m direction-challenged and follow these type maps to the letter, so it’s essential when I’m driving to have this.

If I’m flying somewhere, I double check reservations a week ahead. I try to have contact numbers while traveling; a school number isn’t enough, since travel may be after or before hours. I usually like a cell phone number of the person in charge of the event; likewise, I give them my number, so they can contact me for any reason.

If I’m speaking at a conference, I try to have handouts ready a couple weeks early. Which means my presentations are ready ahead of time and I can go over it. Often I read mss from writers attending. I read these carefully, make notes, and often re-read on the plane to an event, as well as referring to them privately in-between sessions. I want to be helpful to the writers and that means I need to be familiar with their work.

Most events go well because I try to communicate early, often and clearly, I try to help the organizers to prepare the audience ahead of the event, and I try to be prepared myself. I love to travel and speak.

Related posts:

1. Prioritize
2. 3 Ways Writers Survive Slow Times
3. Listen

Are you having any of these problems?

• Plot and Character are separate and not interwoven *
• Boring, Flat Characters *
• Characters are too Shallow and Need to be Deeper

Related posts:

1. Plot Problems?
2. Character and Plot
3. character development

As a writer and blogger, I use several tools daily to check on my published work and my online work.

To Monitor Sales of my Published Books

Salesrankexpress.com
This site will quickly return the Amazon Sales Rank of books. (Of course, you may have many other sales on other websites or offline; this is ONLY Amazon rankings.) You can search by author, title, or even publisher; it’s great to check the best sellers for a small publisher. I check it obsessively, I know, but it’s fun to see the numbers bounce lower when there are several sales in an hour.

Blogging Audience

Feedburner. Now a Google subsidiary, Feedburner (feedburner.google.com) tells me how many people are following my blog, Fiction Notes, by RSS (Really Simple Syndication) or by the Email option for subscribing to my posts. (See the bottom of this post to sign up to get Fiction Notes daily in your email!)

Statcounter.com This site provides you with a java script code to put on your website and counts visitors to each page tagged. In Word Press, the blogging platform I use, it’s simple to add this code to template pages, which means I do it once and don’t worry about it again. Except to check how many countries have read my blog posts! (About 200+)

Google Analytics. Another Google offering (log into your google account for more info), the analytics program offers even more in-depth stats about website traffic. I want to know if you’re reading! Neither Analytics or Statcounter collect personal information, they just monitor the number of times certain pages are pulled up. Talk about vanity: you can get lost in things like, 35 people from India read my blog this month; or, my readership is up 3.74325234% for readers from Australia. Vanity, it may be, but I still look at it about once a week. Woman, thy name is vanity. (Don’t you love the picture of the vanity pedicure?)

To follow other blogs

Google Reader. Yes, another Google widget; again, log onto your google account for more info. This one keeps track of the blogs I want to read and has the new posts available on one page whenever I’ve got time to browse. I’m following ALL your blogs, I’m sure! To find out if I am, you could look at your own Feedburner stats – I’m there. And loving everything you post, even if I don’t always leave comments.

That only skims the surface: I also use dictionary.com, thesaurus.com, bartleby.com (Bartlett’s quotations), and many other online tools. What are your favorites?

Related posts:

1. Real Moms
2. Quoted at the Conference
3. Random Week

I know what method of working has made the first 2/3 of my mss better. I’m just getting tired.

Don’t get Lazy Now! I’m on the last third. I know that I must rewrite a major scene for a subplot/secondary character climax. But much of these later chapter are in good shape. By now in the story, so much is set, the stakes are established, character arcs and plot arcs are underway, the scenes are focused and full of tension. My inclination is to avoid the work!

But I think it’s still essential to question everything! Runners know you can’t stop until you’ve actually crossed the Finish Line.

Questions I’m still asking myself:
Is this scene essential to the story line?
Is there a better way to present this scene?
Is there a better way to set it up?
Can I raise the stakes?
Is the dialogue snappy enough?
Could the reader possible be confused at any point?
Are the emotions still building?
Are the characters’ actions exciting?
Can I improve the language at any point?
Are descriptions static or full of emotions?
Can I connect scenes in any way?

Of course, each scene presents new challenges, so these are only a few of the concerns at this point. The main problem is to not rush this last section, to slow down and take each scene very seriously, as if this scene might prevent the entire book from working well. It’s very, very hard. I want to be finished! But I’m trying to keep to the working method that worked and trying to keep myself focused and working.

Related posts:

1. Omit Scenes
2. Goal disaster in Novel Revision
3. Compress Novel

Anyone Trying to be Funny *

If you want the Hero’s Journey, but need to be Funny. *

Anyone with a Great Idea, but No Plot *

Fantasy writers *

Weak plotters *

Beginning Writers *

Writers whose Novels Lack Focus *

Anyone who Needs to see the Big Picture *

Anyone who Needs a Structured Approach *

Long Novels with a Slow Pace *

Anyone who Wants a Fast Pace *

Related posts:

1. Character Problems?
2. Plot: Characters v. Patterns
3. 4 More Plot Variations

Other highlights of the online book browsing trends are reported, too.
Who spends more time browsing for books on line: men or women?
Most popular genre browsed?
Average time spent browsing?
Where do younger readers browse?

No related posts.