Resources for Writing Better Picture Books

A couple of weeks ago, I participated in the online writing conference, WriteOnCon 2013 and I decided to check out what it had to offer for picture book writers. There were these specific posts:

Does Your Picture Book Premise Have Promise? by author Jean Reidy

Making Picturebooks: A List of the Top 5 Things I Wish Someone Would Have Told Me… by author Lindsay Ward

Rhythm and Rhyme by author Debbie Diesen

There was also a forum where you could post your query, first 250 words and first 5 pages (in many cases this is the entire story) and get feedback from other writers. Reading through the forums gave me a sense of:

a) the kinds of stories other writers are working on and different ways to handle a concept or idea

b) examples of how to structure a picture book pitch or query letter and the kinds of things to watch out for

It was a great place to connect with other picture book writers.

I ended up making changes to strengthen two query letters, as well as changing the beginning of a manuscript to improve the opening, based on feedback from other writers. So I felt like it was a worthwhile experience, considering I didn't have to go anywhere to attend.

The key to having a good experience with this online conference was to plan on learning as much as possible and to make an effort to connect with other writers. I appreciated the chance to really think about why some stories worked and made me laugh, and why others seemed flat and in need of more work.

What resources have you explored lately that are helping to improve your picture book writing?

WriteOnCon 2013 Day Two: More Inspiration and Learning

I stayed up way too late thinking and commenting on queries and first pages over at WriteOnCon 2013, but it was a great chance to get a peek at different ways to write a pitch and query - lots of great examples to learn from.

For me, some of the other highlights from Day 2 included:

Fostering Sibling Rivalry: On Writing Sibling Relationships by author Jessica Spotswood

I'll be reading and thinking about this post again, for inspiration and insights when writing about families. Most of my MG novels are about family relationships and this article made me think about the interactions between brothers and sisters in different ways.

Middle Grade Writing or Publishing Questions with author Peggy Eddleman

I didn't have a chance to attend this forum chat when it was live, but reading the transcript gives a wealth of information about writing middle grade. I really enjoyed thinking about what makes a middle grade novel work.

Setting the Tone With a Great Query Letter by literary agent Traci Marchini

Great practical advice on making a query letter shine!

Killer Last Lines—How to End a Chapter by author Elsie Chapman

This was something I hadn't thought so much about before, since like many other writers, I concentrate on beginnings. But Elsie points out how chapter endings are so crucial in keeping up the tension and leaving those unanswered questions that keep a reader moving forward.

Day 2 also had lots of live twitter sessions and videos that I will come back to check through later to help me construct my own pitches. I love the online aspect of this conference, because it is really so great to be able to come back and look at all the information again later.

Did you check out any of the posts from WriteOnCon 2013? What was the most important thing you learned?

Learning from Day One of WriteOnCon 2013

I spent the past couple of days being distracted from revising by WriteOnCon 2013. This is a fabulous, free (though you can contribute in appreciation) online writing conference. Their forums are a great place to see the kinds of stories other people are writing and to get some feedback on your own queries and story beginnings.

There were also LOTS of awesome articles about different aspects of the writing process. Here are a few of my favourite snippets from Day 1:

Author Liesl Shurtliff: “The very best books take plot and character and work them together in order to build the most resonant stories.”

How Character and Plot Work Together by Liesl Shurtliff, WriteOnCon 2013

I could really connect to Liesl’s point that it’s hard to separate plot and character sometimes. Especially in the middle of my current revision, where it’s so hard to go backwards from what I wrote before and restructure. So it was heartening to hear that developing plot and character together could result in a stronger novel.

Author Loretta Nyhan: Don’t fear the weirdness inside you. It’s why people love you, and why they’ll love your characters.

We’ve All Got it Goin’ On…Writing Realistic Characters by Loretta Nyhan, WriteOnCon 2013

One of the goals I have is to make my writing stand out, to create that special story that’s a little different from what’s already out there. Loretta emphasizes how that uniqueness comes from inside you and not to be afraid to let it into your story.

Literary Agent Peter Knapp: “And when you write a great novel, you don’t merely show what courage looks like but allow the readers to experience it.”

Courage and Kit Lit by Peter Knapp, WriteOnCon 2013

Peter’s post reminded me about how brave kids and teens really are – how they forge ahead and sometimes fail but are brave enough to try things adults might never dream of. It also made me thing about how brave we are as writers, to reach deep inside to our own emotions to try to create a meaningful reading experience for someone else.

 

Literary Agent Marie Lamba: “…be careful what you promise. The query builds an expectation”

Promises,Promises by Maria Lamba, WriteOnCon 2013

Marie reminds us that a query is really a promise to an agent of what’s to come in the story. She explains why not keeping those promises can lead to rejection.

I also got some great tips on Adding Emotion to your Writing by author Lenore Applehans. There was so much to learn from Day 1, it's hard to believe that there's was even more on Day 2! I’ll post a few highlights from Day 2 tomorrow.