**UPDATED New Chapter: How to write a metafiction picture book**
Kids and books—they just go together. Children’s picture books are an addictive passion! You love reading to kids and wish that you could read one of your own. Now, you can make that dream a reality.
Writing illustrated picture books for children can seem deceptively simple. You must tell a complete story in less than 1000 words, and less than 350 words is best. Characters grow and change and keep the reader emotionally invested, while also giving the illustrator great possibilities for the art. It’s a balancing act all the way around.
Writing teacher and author of over a dozen children’s books Darcy Pattison explains the craft of writing children’s picture books. You’ll learn why format matters, how to appeal to kids and parents, how to write a read-aloud friendly book, and much more. Pattison provides tips on writing, editing, and marketing your manuscript to publishers.
If you like detailed writing guides, plenty of contemporary examples, and practical worksheets, then you’ll love Darcy Pattison’s guidance on creating your own masterpiece that will fascinate generations of young readers.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PICTURE BOOK BASICS
Picture Book Structure: Why 32 Pages?
Does EPUB Change the 32-page Illustrated Picture Book?
Dual Audience for Children’s Picture Books
Picture Book Settings: Exotic v. Familiar
Children’s Picture Book Characters: Folk Tale or Modern Story
PICTURE BOOK GENRES
How to Write a Children’s ABC Book
How to Write a Read Aloud Friendly Book
How to Write a Rhyming Picture Book, Part 1
How to Write a Rhyming Picture Book, Part 2
Rhyming Picture Book Bibliography
How to Write a Poetry Collection Picture Book
How to Write a Picture Book Mystery
How to Write a Humorous Picture Book
How to Write a Children’s Picture Book Biography
How to Write a Creative Non-Fiction Picture Book
How to Write a Metafiction Picture Book
WRITE A PICTURE BOOK
Good Writing: The Basics
Plotting a Picture Book
Plan Your First Draft
17 Picture Book Topics to Avoid
10 Suggested Directions for Titles
Did You Write a Picture Book or Magazine Article?
Let’s Make a Dummy or a Mock-up of Your Picture Book
From Shakespeare: 2 Ways to Look at Picture Book Structure
Revising Your Picture Book Text
5 Ways to Make the Reader Turn the Page
Phonics for Picture Book Writers
Create a Compelling Voice for a Picture Book
Page 32: The Last Page of a Picture Book
SUBMIT YOUR PICTURE BOOK
The Self-Publishing Question
The Biggest Mistake You Can Make in Submitting a Picture Book
The Illustrator Doesn’t Tell YOU What to Do
Titles and Subtitles Sell Your Work
How Do I Find an Editor’s Name for Submission?
RESOURCES
WORKSHEETS