Today
I'm posting a “BlogCross Post” by the lovely PB writer Nancy
Kelly Allen. Please enjoy “The Art of Thinking Visually”
written by Nancy Kelly Allen, illustrated by Lisa Fields
Pelican Publishing
At
first glance, writing a picture book seems easy. Even after a second
or third glance, a picture book seems so simplistic that the text
could be scripted in a matter of minutes. But glances can be
deceiving. As a writer of 30+ picture books, I’ve learned that
there are no rigid rules for writing these books. Every rule can be,
and has been, broken. But there are guidelines for structure that
benefit any writer.
The
hardest part of writing picture books for most writers, especially
me, is the art of thinking visually. Writers are usually not geared
to think in pictures; instead, we paint pictures with words. Writing
picture books is a totally different set of guidelines. As writers,
we have to “tell” enough of the story to get the point across,
but leave out enough of the story so the illustrator can “show”
the remainder. If that’s not complicated enough, the writer and
illustrator usually don’t communicate until AFTER the book is
published.
Picture
book text needs action, enough for 14-16 scenes. In “telling”
these scenes, I use lyrical language and wordplay in tight writing.
For me, tight writing means no excess of words. Picture books have
concise text and every word must push the plot/story forward. In my
book, BARRELING OVER NIAGARA FALLS, I used this wordplay: When
the sizzle fizzled out of teaching music, and the fizzle sizzled out
of teaching dance, sixty-two-year-old Annie had no job and little
money. “Sizzle” was used first as a noun;
then as a verb while “fizzle” was used as a verb and later as a
noun. This wordplay has a rhythmic sound when read aloud and all
picture book manuscripts should be read aloud just to determine how
they will sound as books. After all, picture books are meant to be
read aloud.
My
goal in writing is to entertain and inspire the reader, but most of
all I want to tell a story that children want to hear again and again
with illustrations that they can look at over and over and find
something new they had not noticed earlier. Text and illustrations
work together in this “marriage” called a picture book.
I’m
so happy to be a guest author on Alison’s blog. Thanks for the
invite.
You
can find out more about Nancy at:
Writing Workshop blog:
http://nancykellyallen.blogspot.com/
BARRELING
OVER NIAGARA FALLS recent listing on Smart Books for Smart Kids,
Best Picture books list
Thanks
SO much, Nancy, for playing BlogCross Post with me!
Thanks, Alison, for showcasing my book.
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