Review of Writing Picture Books (Revised and Expanded Edition):
A Hands-on Guide from Story Creation to Publication
by Ann Whitford Paul

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Cover of Writing Picture Books Revised Edition by Ann Whitford Paul

I have been recommending the first edition of Writing Picture Books for years. It is such a comprehensive and useful book for anyone working in this genre, from beginners to published authors. And now Ann Whitford Paul has created this revised edition, making it even better. In the following, I'll both review the book and make clear how this edition is different from the original.

Let people know:   

 

Contents of Writing Picture Books: After introducing the characteristics of picture books and of the children for whom they are written, the core of the book is set up to follow the sequence you might go through when writing a picture book, from early decisions about structure, narrative voice, setting/time period, and characters; through work on the structure, plot (with a second chapter on plot added), opening, a new chapter on page turns, ending the story, and language. Then come a chapter on crafting a title, a chapter on dummying up your manuscript to get a better sense of whether or not it works as a picture book, and a section on what comes next--working with a critique group, researching and contacting editors and agents, publications basics, and how to get started writing the next one. New material, on agents and self-publishing, has been added here too.

Throughout, the focus is on practical solutions to problems, or finding alternatives to develop a story, meaning that the book can be used when writing or revising. Paul goes into great detail, using examples from her own writing, and from published books (which have been updated to include titles from the past 10 years), and reworking a sample story over and over again, in order to diagnose common story problems and consider possible solutions. For example, in chapters 3 and 4, she explores different approaches to the narrator's point of view, going well beyond the standard third-person versus first-person distinction to examine, and give examples of, stories told via letters, the second person, the "apostrophe voice," "mask voice," and "conversation voice." Have you never heard of those voices? By the end of chapter 4, you'll understand them and have had the opportunity to try them out--the chapter (as do many of the other chapters) concludes with exercises designed to practice the approaches covered.

Two more examples will help show what you'll find in the book.

Chapter 8 explores first lines, and shows 9 different ways to approach a first line, using the example of retelling the story of Sleeping Beauty, with each of those ways broken down further. First lines can express an opinion--and opinions can be positive or negative, as in these two possibilities: "Why couldn't that Queen count her blessings instead of always bemoaning her inability to have a child?" takes a completely different stance from "How fortunate fate gave the king and queen each other to commiserate together!" and yet both are reasonable ways to frame the familiar story. Don't like that approach for your story? There are eight more to try.

Once a picture book story is finished, many writers obsess about word count, and Paul addresses this head on in Chapter 16. She explains why picture books may not need as many words as writers may think, and then takes a look at three different kinds of picture books, giving many examples of published books and their word counts, to show the range of possibilities. To solve the word-count problem, she gives 17 techniques for reducing word count.

Comments Writing Picture Books manages to do two things very well. It deepens the reader's understanding of picture books, and what children get from them, while also providing extensive practical help in the writing and revising of a picture book. There may be another book that does these things equally well, but if there is, I haven't encountered it. Paul gives examples from and mentions many books by name throughout, and the revised edition fixes a problem with the first edition, by incorporating the bibliography (previously it had been available only online).

Who Needs Writing Picture Books: As I said above, this book will be useful for anyone writing picture books, no matter what their level of experience may be. Beginners will find it useful throughout the process of writing and revising, while more experienced writers will turn to it for ideas when they hit a particular problem.

Since I posted my original review, I've heard from writers that many of the techniques that Paul teaches can be used in other kinds of writing, including novels. One author commented that "she has the best info. on 'show don't tell' that I've found."

As an editor, I have also found the book useful when working on a manuscript and not being able to put my finger on a problem, or as a resource to which I can point a writer for specific help. I'll be keeping it handy.

Where and How to Purchase Writing Picture Books:

You can, of course, also purchase this at any bookstore. If they don't have it in stock, they can order it for you.

Disclosure: I received a review copy of this book free of charge from the publisher, as do most reviewers. I also earn commissions on purchases of books via links on this site, as explained on my policy page.

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This review is copyright © by Harold Underdown. If you wish to reproduce it, please see the Terms of use. Last modified 10/27/2018.


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