Customer Reviews

Writing Picture Books: A Hands-On Guide from Story Creation to Publication

5 star:		(24)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I took a class presented by Ann Whitford Paul at last year's LA SCBWI conference. I found her to be an excellent teacher and very knowledgeable. I was pleased to buy a number of her books and have her sign them.

I was delighted to see that she had written a book specifically for PB writers. It is very well laid out and clearly written. She includes examples of everything she is talking about and includes the names of recently or classic published picture books that are excellent examples to refer to. I highly recommend getting the books you're not familiar with out of the library and read them, referring back to this book for Ann's comments.

At the end of every chapter, Ann includes a preview of what the next chapter is about, and a "Before You Go On" list of suggested activities to do with your manuscript, so you can improve it before you read further.

I have many books on writing for children, but this is the best one by far. Thank you, Ann, for sharing your knowledge with us.

There are many books about how to write for children, but most of them try to cover board books to young adult novels, even how to illustrate. Thankfully, this book focuses on picture book writing and does an excellent job of it.

This much-needed book is well-organized and well-written by an author/teacher who knows her trade. It's truly a gem. It explains each step in a detailed, easy-to-understand manner and makes creating a manuscript that will sell in today's market seem possible. I know I'll use it over and over.

I've read almost every book available on writing and illustrating for children, taken writing courses, attended many conferences and make my living in the field. This is the best book I've read on writing picture books. I finally understand things about writing that I never quite understood before.

My only criticisms are that I found a few typos and I couldn't find a credit line for the illustrator. I'm sure these issues will be corrected in future editions.

This book is one of the few books on writing that I have found to be highly effective in producing results! When I was only half way through reading it, I had already come up with two new ideas for children's books and three ways to revise/improve ongoing manuscripts I've been working on. The book is exceptionally well-written, personal yet professional, with many practical, useful ideas for how to improve your writing and become an objective critic of your own work. I absolutely love this book and rave about it to everyone! From great descriptions of well-written children's books that are helpful to writers to effective measures to take with our writing to make it stand-out to relating writing to the needs of children and parents, this book has plenty to offer for the aspiring and experienced author. I highly recommend it!

I've published picture books, run picture book workshops, and written writing books of my own. And I've read a lot of books on writing. This is one of the very best. The author tells the truth, even when it's difficult, and her warm, encouraging tone throughout keeps it all upbeat. Anyone who follows the "to do" list at the end of each chapter is guaranteed to make progress in this challenging field. Experienced writers will benefit from the book as an honest, helpful refresher course.

If writing a PB could be reduced to a recipe, Ann Whitford Paul knows the "secret" ingredients. However, at the outset, Paul acknowledges that PB writing can't be reduced to a single, fool-proof recipe. (Words, plots, and characters can take wing--seemingly by themselves, or go underground--refusing to appear in your conscious eye.) Nevertheless, Paul has written a book covering the fundamental ingredients necessary for producing a PB. This book is laid out in a logical, step-by-step manner. She provides exercises and to do lists for each chapter. She covers the structure of a picture book, storytelling techniques, plotting, character development, poetry, rhythm, diction, syntax, and the critique process. Then she covers the submission process and the follow-up work you need to do once you land a contract. And she provides exercises to generate more story ideas.

Also, Paul is like a friend who leads you through the attitude adjustments necessary to become a professional writer. I especially appreciated her openness about the pain of waiting for a response from a publisher, dealing with rejection, and dealing with marketing. This is a PB workshop in book form. It is the most comprehensive book I have read regarding picture books. (And I have read several writing-for-children books.)

Due to economic cutbacks, I do not buy books as often as I used to. But I consider my money well spent on "Writing Picture Books: A Hands-On Guide from Story Creation to Publication". I would not be surprised if this book becomes THE reference for PB writers.

Food to eat while reading: Nuts and Bolts Snack Mix([...])

What I liked:

The author has an easy style that makes reading a how-to book pleasurable, in fact, I set aside my current novel to read it.

Each chapter has an exercise that you can use to strengthen your work in progress, using the tools from that chapter.

This book allowed me to look at all of my WIP with a fresh perspective. The writing advice Paul gives is universal and helped me look more simply at the YA novel I am working out.

Paul gives picture book examples to help illustrate each writing tip.

I love the instruction on the rhythm in words and how poetry can help us with our prose.

What I would have changed:
Nothing, really. It's a pretty straight-forward book with great advice.

The verdict:
Aspiring writers who have no idea where to begin will devour this book, and those who are looking for a fresh way to spruce up their writing will benefit from the exercises.

The advice in this book was sound, though pretty basic. The author's tone, however, was incredibly condescending which made it difficult to read. It would have been nice if the author would have treated her readers with a little bit of respect and not like complete idiots that have never even looked at a children's book. Most people that are interested in writing for children tend to have at least some appreciation for the genre before trying to step into it themselves.

I found this book to have excellent, practical suggestions for making sure one's picture book has all the necessary components. I especially liked the color-coding ideas.

HOWEVER, I was shocked at the number of typos in this book. The first thing we are told as writers is to proofread, proofread, proofread. Unfortunately, I've come to expect 2 or 3 typos in every book I read but there must have been at least a dozen in this one! It doesn't set a very good example. Such a poorly proofread/edited book makes it difficult to take the lessons seriously.

I am an "out of the box" person. This book is a great reality check. The conversational tone and the step by step directions, really got me to Revise! Revise! Revise! This is a good writing course to take in a dismal picture book market. The advice to read as many picture books as possible and really get to know your characters via studies of their personal traits helped me immeasurably. We all think that writing pictures books is very easy - wrong! It is a specialized craft that must be refined. This publication is a must for anyone who is serious about the genre.

This author has written 70 children's picture books and knows what she is writng about. She has taught children's writing classes at UCLA and brings her expertice to this book to help budding authors like myself. I found her book very helpful and instructive in writing my own children's book. She has put together perscriptions to help others who wish to be published. I highly recommend this book. If you have questions contact me at [...]