The text of a children’s picture book is often short and simple, but it isn’t always easier to write.
The potential pitfalls, target audience and illustrations, all integral parts in writing a children’s picture book, were discussed at a writer’s workshop led by Wellington County Library writer in residence Kathy Stinson.
The workshop, open to writers of all experience levels, was held at the Rockwood library on Nov. 10.
Stinson, a resident of Rockwood, began her writing career 35 years ago in university. Given the option to write an essay or a children’s book for a class assignment, she chose to write a children’s book.
“The title of the book I wrote was Jelly Bean Jungle. My Mom has kept all my stories from Grade 4 on. To date I have written 30 books and have had stories published in many anthologies,” Stinson said.
One of Stinson’s popular children’s books, Red is Best, is the story of a little girl whose mother does not understand about red. Stinson wrote the book based on life experiences surrounding her daughter. Other titles by Stinson include The Bare Naked Book and Harry and Walter. Novels written by the author are Seven Clues at Pebble Creek, the Marie- Claire series and What Happened to Ivy?
Stinson requested each workshop attendee bring a children’s picture book to the workshop that they had enjoyed anytime in their lives. A discussion followed on each book and how childhood books influence writers.
“People remember images from their childhood and these images influence their daily lives. Writers should immerse themselves in picture books, which will help them with the writing of a children’s book,” she said.
Stinson gave examples of pitfalls in writing and focused on children’s books relating to each pitfall. The first, an author who has something important to teach children like sharing, manners or being brave. To be successful the story needs to be a story about the topic, not a written list of rules as children’s attention spans are limited with rule-type books. Stories based on talking animals have been done many times, some well, others have not succeeded. One exception is P.D. Eastman’s, Are You My Mother? Repetitive books work if the repetition continues in some form until the end of the book.
In Jo Ellen Bogart’s Big and Small, Room for All, the author has achieved what she set out to do with repetition. Each repetitive children’s picture book needs to have a point to the repetition.
“Everyone loves a good Christmas story. Your Christmas story needs to be different so the publisher will accept it. The House of Wooden Santas by Kevin Major and Imelda George is an amazing example of this. Chris Van Allsburg’s, The Polar Bear Express, is also another great example,” Stinson said. “The same is true with dog stories. How Smudge Came written by Nan Gregory and Ron Lightburn is a book that a publisher would easily take on.”
Another pitfall writers fall into is the feeling that their story will make a great story once it’s illustrated. Illustrations do add visuals to the story line and enhance the book. But, Stinson asked the workshop participants if they wanted to write “a story that only compliments the artwork?”
A standard children’s picture book is 32 pages in length which includes all the pages. Each book should contain less than 1,000 words but may contain more.
“What doesn’t add, subtracts. There’s no point in it being there. Write when you are exhausted. Things usually don’t get filtered then. It’s a different approach,” Stinson said. “It does work.”
Illustrators have their own vision for books. The writer’s ideas are not going to be what the illustrator wants to design. Some publishers can afford certain illustrators, some cannot. Stinson has suggested to potential publishers that she admires a certain illustrator but it is the publisher’s choice.
“Find your place to write. Mine is down in the basement by the furnace where there are no distractions. Attend workshops like this one. Attend conferences. Gather as much information as possible about writing,” Stinson said.
For information on Stinson’s workshops, contact any Wellington library or visit kathystinson.com.
