Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Advice for a PB Dabbler? (or Dare I Try to be Concise?)

Tip of the Day: People-watch at summer festivals for some character inspiration!

I did it. I wrote a draft of a picture book. And not just any picture book -- a RHYMING picture book. Is that a death sentence or what?

It was fun to write! It was great to see the end of my story in just one page -- 250 words! And even coming up with the rhymes was kind of soothing in a poetic way.

Is it perfect? Uh, no. Does it need tons of work on the rhythm and rhyme? Yes. Am I happy I gave it a shot? Very much!

BUT -- I need advice here! How do I know when my rhymes and rhythms are perfect? Bc to be honest, sometimes I read it so much and make the rhymes fit in my head even if they're not right. And then there are some words that people in different regions pronounce differently!

In general, what advice does anyone have for a novel writer who is dabbling in picture books? What is the market like? Is it picking up for pbs at all?

Deena, Miss Subbing for Pubbing

4 comments:

Kate Fall said...

Recognizing that you can make the rhymes fit in your head even if they don't work to others is probably half the battle!

I'd love to know what advice you get. I often think of dabbling in PBs while I'm still reading them to my son, although I'm too chicken to attempt rhyme.

Ghost Girl (aka, Mary Ann) said...

That's awesome, Deena! I'm no expert, but you might get as many people as you can to read it. Read it aloud (to other people too)—I always hear things better that way.

Aside from the rhyme, is there a sense of rhythm to the plot?

I can't wait to hear more about it. Good luck!

Lisa Schroeder said...

Yeah, I think having someone read it out loud to YOU is the best thing to do. Take note of places where they trip up, or it doesn't flow as smoothly as you thought.

Manina said...

I want to read it!! I love little kids books.