February 21, 2024
Hey, folks!
Building off my last blog post about the importance of picture books (you can check it out here).
There’s this idea that writing picture books is an easy task, far easier than, say, a novel. And in some regards, the people who think that are right – it’s a smaller word count, there’s only one plot line with fewer characters to parse out, and the concepts can be simple and everyday in nature.
But there’s a lot riding on picture books.
- It’s a smaller word count, but each word has to mean something and contribute more than any word in a novel
- There’s only one plot line, but it has to be done well and be worthy of a whole book
- There are fewer characters, but they still need to feel like real people, with wants and goals and personalities
- Concepts can be simple, but should never be boring or written in an over-done manner
Writing a solid picture book is hard, especially for people who aren’t used to it. It may not take the same time as a novel does, but it does take just as much thought and effort. There are entire craft books about how to write them effectively, entire courses on how to work with them, and university classes dedicated to studying them.
If you do have a desire to write a picture book, that’s wonderful! It’s a fun task that lets you explore your inner kid, and hopefully create something that kids will want to have read to them again and again. But please never go into writing one thinking it’s going to be easy “because it’s for little kids.” Kids deserve books that have just as much love and care behind them as any novel, memoir, essay, or epic poem does. It’ll be more enjoyable for them, and fulfilling for you, when you’re all-in.
Have you written a picture book but aren’t sure it’s working? Do you have a plot that feels flat, or a character that just doesn’t want to cooperate with you? I offer developmental editing for picture books, and would be happy to work with you on the four points above (and more!) for your project. Head over to my contact page to request a quote!