Comments on: Every Word Counts: Writing for Children http://writerunboxed.com/2009/07/21/every-word-counts-writing-for-children/ about the craft and business of fiction Wed, 23 May 2012 23:52:59 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Therese Walsh http://writerunboxed.com/2009/07/21/every-word-counts-writing-for-children/#comment-121180 Therese Walsh Wed, 22 Jul 2009 11:59:42 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2009/07/21/every-word-counts-writing-for-children/#comment-121180 Just to play off what Juliet said in comments about text and illustrations being developed side by side... Many suggest storyboarding a PB manuscript. It's a helpful exercise regardless of artistic talent, to make sure you have a variety of illustration possibilities in your narrative. It can also reveal uneven narrative--where you have a block of text on one page and a single sentence on another, that sort of thing. Just to play off what Juliet said in comments about text and illustrations being developed side by side…

Many suggest storyboarding a PB manuscript. It’s a helpful exercise regardless of artistic talent, to make sure you have a variety of illustration possibilities in your narrative. It can also reveal uneven narrative–where you have a block of text on one page and a single sentence on another, that sort of thing.

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]]> By: Juliet http://writerunboxed.com/2009/07/21/every-word-counts-writing-for-children/#comment-121152 Juliet Wed, 22 Jul 2009 07:19:13 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2009/07/21/every-word-counts-writing-for-children/#comment-121152 Very valid point about the PB needing to interest both the reading adult and the child. Examples where this is achieved brilliantly are The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler, and its sequel The Gruffalo's Child. Apart from the evocative pictures (this writer and illustrator often work together) the text can be read as a straightforward story or, by the slightly older child and the reading adult, a much trickier one. It's also an example of the importance of rhythm in read-aloud books. I think ideally text and illustrations would be developed side by side. But in reality that can't always be achieved. Very valid point about the PB needing to interest both the reading adult and the child. Examples where this is achieved brilliantly are The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler, and its sequel The Gruffalo’s Child. Apart from the evocative pictures (this writer and illustrator often work together) the text can be read as a straightforward story or, by the slightly older child and the reading adult, a much trickier one. It’s also an example of the importance of rhythm in read-aloud books.

I think ideally text and illustrations would be developed side by side. But in reality that can’t always be achieved.

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]]> By: Angela http://writerunboxed.com/2009/07/21/every-word-counts-writing-for-children/#comment-121120 Angela Tue, 21 Jul 2009 23:49:41 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2009/07/21/every-word-counts-writing-for-children/#comment-121120 Thank you, Ann, for this post! I think your statement about how a PB should appeal to BOTH the adult reader and the child listener is so true. I really hadn't thought about it that way before, but then again, I've never considered writing PBs. I have a design company and have done illustrations for a series of young reader books on horses. The illustrations were supplementary to the text. But with PBs the illustrations are as important as the text, if not more so sometimes. It's hard to wrap my mind around writing so few words and having someone step in and illustrate it. To me, it's the chicken or the egg question. Coming from both an illustrator and writer standpoint, if I were to write a picture book, I'd probably create the illustrations first. But I know that's not how it's done. I guess it's more complicated than I thought! Thanks so much for sharing your insight. Thank you, Ann, for this post! I think your statement about how a PB should appeal to BOTH the adult reader and the child listener is so true. I really hadn’t thought about it that way before, but then again, I’ve never considered writing PBs.

I have a design company and have done illustrations for a series of young reader books on horses. The illustrations were supplementary to the text. But with PBs the illustrations are as important as the text, if not more so sometimes. It’s hard to wrap my mind around writing so few words and having someone step in and illustrate it. To me, it’s the chicken or the egg question. Coming from both an illustrator and writer standpoint, if I were to write a picture book, I’d probably create the illustrations first. But I know that’s not how it’s done. I guess it’s more complicated than I thought! Thanks so much for sharing your insight.

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]]> By: Kathleen Bolton http://writerunboxed.com/2009/07/21/every-word-counts-writing-for-children/#comment-121091 Kathleen Bolton Tue, 21 Jul 2009 17:33:21 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2009/07/21/every-word-counts-writing-for-children/#comment-121091 PB is a tough genre to crack, but Ann's words of wisdom is helpful in figuring out how to crack that market. All writing is hard, but chosing the right 150 words for both children and adults would make me break out in hives. PB is a tough genre to crack, but Ann’s words of wisdom is helpful in figuring out how to crack that market. All writing is hard, but chosing the right 150 words for both children and adults would make me break out in hives.

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]]> By: Therese Walsh http://writerunboxed.com/2009/07/21/every-word-counts-writing-for-children/#comment-121085 Therese Walsh Tue, 21 Jul 2009 15:36:46 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2009/07/21/every-word-counts-writing-for-children/#comment-121085 Writing PBs is an art unto itself. I started out writing children's PB manuscripts a decade or so ago, and I did have a close call with two publishers, but it just wasn't meant. Lots of great lessons, though, including exactly what you've blogged about here, Ann -- choosing words that will both appeal to adults and be understood by children. Thanks for being here and for a valuable post. Writing PBs is an art unto itself. I started out writing children’s PB manuscripts a decade or so ago, and I did have a close call with two publishers, but it just wasn’t meant. Lots of great lessons, though, including exactly what you’ve blogged about here, Ann — choosing words that will both appeal to adults and be understood by children.

Thanks for being here and for a valuable post.

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]]> By: Margaret A. Golla http://writerunboxed.com/2009/07/21/every-word-counts-writing-for-children/#comment-121084 Margaret A. Golla Tue, 21 Jul 2009 14:09:09 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2009/07/21/every-word-counts-writing-for-children/#comment-121084 Oh, yeah. Last year, I wrote 8 picture book stories, featuring a green bottle fly. I love my characters, but I couldn't sell the stories if my life depended on it. I shared the stories with children of various ages and they loved them, BUT it's the adults who buy the books, adults who are looking for a particular type of magic, adults who decide the illustrator. Writing picture books is hard because the illustrations are half the battle. I typed out the stories of five published picture books to get a feel for the pattern and pacing of the work. Some of the text just doesn't make sense without the pictures to aid the story. Salable picture books are hard. I'd still like to sell my books, but I think they are simply a learning process. Oh, yeah. Last year, I wrote 8 picture book stories, featuring a green bottle fly. I love my characters, but I couldn’t sell the stories if my life depended on it. I shared the stories with children of various ages and they loved them, BUT it’s the adults who buy the books, adults who are looking for a particular type of magic, adults who decide the illustrator.
Writing picture books is hard because the illustrations are half the battle. I typed out the stories of five published picture books to get a feel for the pattern and pacing of the work.
Some of the text just doesn’t make sense without the pictures to aid the story.
Salable picture books are hard. I’d still like to sell my books, but I think they are simply a learning process.

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]]> By: Jodi http://writerunboxed.com/2009/07/21/every-word-counts-writing-for-children/#comment-121074 Jodi Tue, 21 Jul 2009 12:12:20 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2009/07/21/every-word-counts-writing-for-children/#comment-121074 Yes! I believe anyone with children has thought about it--even if just briefly. I have two that have made the rounds of going out, coming back. Sadly, no interest. Recently an experience my son had gave me the idea for another. Yes! I believe anyone with children has thought about it–even if just briefly. I have two that have made the rounds of going out, coming back. Sadly, no interest. Recently an experience my son had gave me the idea for another.

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