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We all know them.
Jumbo shrimp. Baby Grand. Awfully good. Soft rock. School food.
Have you ever told them to a kid? Children think they’re hysterical.
And then there’s puns. Every year Lisa Yee holds a title contest, where she asks writers to change one or two letters of an existing title—or rhyme a title—and then create a new storyline. (This year she’s asking for synopses in Six Word Memoir style. This is right up my alley cat.)
Here’s some of my examples from past years:
Peter Tan: A boy who claims he’ll never grow old thwarts his philosophy with an unhealthy tanning bed obsession.
Lorna Boone: A young heiress is nearly murdered for singing one too many verses of “You Light Up My Life.”
National Velveeta: A fourteen-year-old girl wins the Kraft national cheese cook-off.
The Jungle Cook: A young boy’s tasty recipes for didactic anthropomorphic animals.
Silly, huh?
And when’s the last time you saw a kid NOT totally lose it when you said, “underwear”? The phrase “I see Paris, I see France, I see your underpants” has not gone out of style in the past 40 years.
I’m not saying any of these could be real books, but what I am saying is that you should play with familiar words and give them a new twist. Change one letter of a silly phrase and see if you come up with something even more hilarious. Or, grab an oxymoron. Does it make a good title? Would it make a good piece of dialogue? What kind of character would say something like that? In what kind of situation?
There’s lots of words out there waiting for you to play with them. Scramble them up. Tickle them until they tinkle. (Yeah, kids find that funny, too. But if scatological humor ain’t your thing, just move on.)
So, how’s it going today?
[UPDATE: PiBoIdMo 2010 sign-up has begun. Do not sign up on this post. Go to the PiBoIdMo 2010 kick-off post, scroll to the bottom and leave a comment to sign up.]
It’s here! Picture Book Idea Month!
Welcome!
Sharpen those pencils, open a Word document, grab a crayon. It doesn’t matter what you use, what matters is that you get an initial idea down. You might get such a great idea you can’t help but write the story immediately, or you might just record the first entry in this month’s idea file and leave it for a future burst of creativity.
I had so much fun doing this last year, but I was all by myself. I’m happy to have you join me. Four of the ideas from November 2008’s idea file turned into picture book manuscripts and one is out on submission. I expect you to have even better results.
So how is this going to work?
Stop here once a day in November for a new inspirational little tale. We’ll have guest bloggers and giveaways. And at the end of the month, if you’ve collected 30 ideas, you’ll get a PiBoIdMo badge for your blog (based on the logo above by Ryan Hipp) and a special super-secret prize. (You’ve guessed it, “super-secret” is code for “I don’t know what it is yet.”)
Now, get out of your seat.
That’s right.
I advocate butt-in-chair for getting writing done, but now I want you to jump up.
Go lift up that area rug.
Peek underneath.
What would you expect to find there? Footprints, dust bunnies, a penny, a plastic board game piece missing since 2003?
What would you NOT expect to find there?
Now go stand in the far corner of the room.
(Don’t worry, you’re not being punished.)
Turn around and face the room.
Have you ever looked at this room from this angle? Probably not. What’s different about the room?
Now run outside.
(You get a rain check if it’s pouring.)
Stand beneath a clump of trees.
What would a child create out of this little spot? Now imagine this same clump of trees in a different season. Did the child’s creation change?
OK, I hear you breathing hard. You’re tired of running around. And your neighbors are starting to gossip.
I think you get the point.
Change your perspective. Do things differently this month.
If you walk your kids to school every day, take a different path.
If you shop at a particular grocery store, go to a different one.
Start looking at your world from strange new angles.
When we settle into a routine, we take things for granted. The teaspoon you use to stir your morning coffee is just a spoon, but Amy Krouse Rosenthal turned that spoon into the main character of a picture book.
Go sit now.
Open your notebook or Word document.
Write something down—a working title, a character’s name, a location, an unusual object. Something that may someday sprout into a story. You don’t have to write the story now, you just have to file the idea away for another day.
And you don’t have to stop at one idea a day. If you get a non-stop flicker of flashbulb moments, just keep writing.
All month long that idea file will grow. Maybe today’s idea will connect with an idea on November 14th and you’ll start building a plot in your head. Who knows? Anything can happen this month.
That’s the idea.
So, how’s it going?
Hush little baby, don’t say a word.
Mama’s found a book that beats the herd.
It’s got a little dragon and his mum.
She’s finding food for him, and not just crumbs.
A knight, a queen and a magician.
Yes, those folks are good nutrition.
Set to the tune of a sweet lullaby,
That author Boni Ashburn is awfully sly.
Please excuse my forced rhyme here,
Boni’s verse is better, don’t you fear.
In fact, that couplet with “nutrition”
Is the author’s, not my addition.
My three year-old just loves this book,
Hush Little Dragon boasts quite the hook.
So rush right out and grab this title,
Sorry I have nothing to rhyme with title.
Let me repeat just one more time,
Boni’s verses are better than mine.
Hush little baby, don’t say a word.
There’s a Hush sequel and maybe a third?
If Boni keeps writing books like this,
Kids everywhere will have reading bliss.
Hush, Little Dragon
Story by Boni Ashburn
Illustrations by Kelly Murphy
Abrams Books for Young Readers, March 2008
Want it? Sure you do!
Mirror Book by Heidi Swapp
Dear Vanity Press,
Your website stinks.
I can find more books on an archeology dig than on your site.
Your home page caters to would-be authors instead of book buyers.
Listen, I know your business model depends on signing authors rather than selling books, but at least give book selling a try. I’m sure you have some talented authors. Unfortunately, you make buying books a bothersome activity.
For instance, why do you distribute a press release without a direct link to the book you’re announcing?
Why is the search on your home page broken? I entered the exact title but got:
Can’t find what you’re looking for? Learn more about self-publishing by requesting a free publishing guide.
Thanks, but I’m interested in buying a book. You know, those papery, bound things you publish?
And when I do finally locate the book’s page, why is the excerpt always blank?
Do you think someone is going to buy a $31.99 children’s picture book without browsing a few pages first?
I’m here to tell you: no. Frankly, I don’t know any parent who would spend $32 on a picture book. Even Robert Sabuda’s gorgeous feats of pop-up acrobatics cost less.
I would like to support self-published authors, really I would. But you’re making it impossible.
Regretfully,
A Book Lover
Who doesn’t love Cheerios? Little circles of oat goodness! The TV show “Glee” pays homage to Cheerios by naming their cheerleading squad after the superior cereal. And since we’re already cheering, let’s whoop it up for the Spoonfuls of Stories program! Cheerios distributes 6 million children’s stories in its specially-marked bookish boxes. Bravo!
Well, I do love Cheerios.
When I’m not hating them.
You see, my love/hate relationship with the ubiquitous toddler treat runs deep—deep in my carpeting, that is.
So for the new parents out there, take heed. Sure, run out and buy What to Expect When You’re Expecting. But then, expect Cheerios to be on your grocery list for a lifetime, so pay attention to these lessons:
- Do not purchase carpeting that is the same color as Cheerios. My sand-colored shag disguises stray O’s. We’re endlessly grounding whole grain cereal into the fibers and getting little circles stuck to the bottom of our feet.
- Do not enter the ceramic tile of your kitchen with said Cheerios attached to your heels. You will go flying. It won’t be pretty. (Hey Mom, is that a new dance?)
- Do not buy Cheerios at Costco. The enormous box won’t fit into any cabinet. You will be forced to let it live on the kitchen floor, within easy reach of a newly-walking toddler. You will soon have 5,392 Cheerios dumped onto your floor…with 5,391 rolling under the refrigerator. All the money saved by buying in bulk will be beneath your icebox.
- Do not buy fruity Cheerios in rainbow colors to solve the carpeting dilemma. They will not be eaten, these strange, colorful cereal mutations. Instead, necklaces will be made. Bracelets. They look so beautiful glued to construction paper. If you lick them and press them against the wall, look—they stick!
- Murphy’s Law of Cheerio Consumption: if you place one Cheerio at a time on the baby’s tray to avoid cereal being thrown on the floor, she will eat each quickly and cry for more. If you put more than one on the tray, they will be immediately swiped onto the ground. (Corollary: number of Cheerios provided to your child is inversely proportionate to their hunger.)
I’m sure you other parents have your own Cheerio life lessons. Please share them! (The lessons, not the Cheerios. I have enough all over my floor to make a meal, thankyouverymuch.)
P.S. While I have your attention, please vote for the books to be included in the 2010 Spoonfuls of Stories program. Me, I like Bear’s New Friend by Karma Wilson and The Hair of Zoe Fleefenbacher Goes to School by Laurie Halse Anderson.
Corollary
What makes you pluck a picture book off the shelf? A clever title? The author’s name? What about a charming little girl on the cover, stirring a delicious pot of noodles? That’s what got to me with Cora Cooks Pancit by Dorina K. Lazo Gilmore.
Maybe it’s because I love to cook. Maybe the bright little dot that said “Recipe Included!” spoke to me. (And, by the way, the recipe is delicious!)
But more than anything, vibrant primary colors and Cora’s smiling eyes drew me in. Illustrator Kristi Valiant’s paintings evoke a warm feeling as Cora cooks a traditional Filipino dish with her mama for the first time.
Cora is the youngest of many children and always gets the kiddie kitchen tasks, like licking the spoon clean. Valiant’s opening scene shows the family from Cora’s point of view, as she sits on the floor with the family dog. We see her family from the waist down, spread along the kitchen counter, performing their duties. It’s amazing how Valiant can make the poses so varied and expressive, only working with half a body. Some of the pencil lines remain, creating an illusion of movement—the bustle of the family kitchen.
Valiant’s image presents the conflict immediately: little Cora is not involved with family meal preparation. We feel Cora’s longing to be a “real cook.”
One day when her siblings leave the house, Cora asks to cook with Mama. Mama lets Cora choose the dish. Cora wants pancit.
Mama tells the story of how her own father taught her to make pancit, and Cora feels proud when she gets to wear her Lolo’s red apron.
What follows is a delightful, heart-warming exchange between mother/teacher and daughter/student. Valiant’s illustrations are spot-on, from facial expressions to body language. She gets every detail just right. Even Cora’s feet, slightly off-balance, reveal her trepidation as she prepares the noodles. Sunlight streams in through the kitchen window, framing Cora and Mama in a scene that highlights the special bond created with family tradition.
As usual, I won’t reveal the story’s ending. There’s an oopsie along the way, but there’s also a beaming Cora.
I was so impressed with this book’s illustrations, I asked Kristi Valiant for an interview. Luckily, she agreed to talk to me about the making of Cora and other fun illustration stuff. Watch for it soon!
Cora Cooks Pancit
Text by Dorina K. Lazo Gilmore
Illustrations by Kristi Valiant
Shen’s Books, Spring 2009
Want it? Sure you do!
[10/19/10: UPDATE! PiBoIdMo 2010 is almost underway. See announcement.]
[11/1/09: UPDATE! PiBoIdMo 2009 has launched! Click here for details!]
November is only a few weeks away, so while novel-writing friends gather up their character notebooks and plot outlines, I’m preparing to do exactly what I did in November 2008: generate one new picture book idea a day.
This is different from Paula Yoo’s NaPiBoWriWee last May, when writers wrote one new picture book a day for seven days. (Phew! I couldn’t keep up with that.)
And it’s different from YA author Jo Knowles’ JoNoWriMo, where children’s writers take a month and a half more (from mid-September to November 30) to complete a kidlit project.
This November’s writing challenge is all about ideas.
They say it takes 10 to 30 days to form a habit, so I’m encouraging picture book writers to get in the daily habit of idea generation. Do it for November, let it continue into December, and start off the new year still collecting tiny seeds that may some day sprout into a story.
An idea for a picture book could be as simple as a title, like Misfit Museum. Or you could take a fall stroll one afternoon and be inspired by foliage floating on a lake. (You might jot down “watercolor pond.”) It doesn’t have to be a full concept, or even a good one. Heck, I’m sure we’ll all have some stinkers in there. But by creating an idea file, you’ll have a document to turn to when you’re low on inspiration.
Why is this a good idea? During an online chat with literary agent Sean McCarthy last year, he was asked about the qualities his ideal client might possess. “Prolific-ness” was his answer. Agents like when their picture book authors are constantly creating. That means there’s more potential books to sell.
At the end of November, you should have 30 new story starters (or close to 30…we do have Thanksgiving festivities to think about). Last year I walked away with 22 ideas, four of which turned into picture books. And I refer to that idea file at least once a week.
Now all we need is a flashy name. NaNoWriMo-lite? (Way, way lite. With extra cream and sugar.) Nah. Something snazzier. Give it a try! It needs a name!
If you’d like to participate, please comment below. I promise to post ideas for idea generation all November long and check in with progress reports.
Picture book brilliance isn’t easy to achieve, as many children’s writers know. Telling a story in 500 words–with page turns that work within a 32-page format–challenges the most talented of writers.
Let’s not forget that a picture book should appeal to both parent and child. Silliness keeps the kids begging “again!” But if a parent thinks the language is too repetitive or annoying, you’ll lose the gatekeeper. (You know, the one with the wallet.)
Sappy stories can attract Mom and Dad, but kids might declare them snoozers. I recall tearing up at a lovely, sentimental picture book while my daughter rolled her eyes. “Mom, what is wrong with you?”
So what makes a great picture book that both parent and child can call a favorite?
A balance between humor and heart, imagination and reality.
That Rabbit Belongs to Emily Brown by Cressida Cowell and Neal Layton has it all.
Emily and her stuffed pal Stanley explore the world together–they scuba-dive, swing through the rain forest, and launch into outer space. But they are constantly interrupted by a rat-a-tat-tat on their garden door. Her Royal Highness Queen Gloriana’s guardsmen keep insisting that Emily give her Bunny-Wunny to the matriarch. It is the Queen’s decree!
Now, the Queen tries to be fair about it. She offers all these new-fangled toys in exchange, upping the ante each time Emily refuses. But the Queen’s toys are “stiff and new and gold and horrible…with staring eyes and no smile at all.” Once it’s clear that Emily will not trade Stanley, the Queen resorts to extreme measures.
Emily awakens the next morning without Stanley! She knows who’s behind his disappearance and marches straight to the palace. But the Queen is not happily playing with her Bunny-Wunny. She’s crying over him.
That silly, naughty Queen had Stanley re-stuffed and washed, turning him an odd pink color. They were both miserable.
As usual, I won’t tell you how it ends. You’ll just have to pick it up for yourself. And cuddle with it. And go on adventures together. Wear out the pages a bit.
That Rabbit Belongs to Emily Brown celebrates the special bond between child and toy. Almost everyone had a lovey, that one thing we couldn’t live without, dragged by a leg to grocery stores and Grandma’s. This story reminds adults that there’s still a kid inside us, longing to curl up with our own flip-floppy stuffed rabbit.
Luckily we can snuggle with a cute kid instead, reading Emily Brown over and over and over again.
That Rabbit Belongs to Emily Brown
Written by Cressida Cowell
Illustrated by Neal Layton
Hyperion Books for Children
Want it? Sure you do!
Remember those embarrassing dance moves your Aunt Myrna unveiled at Cousin Frannie’s wedding? She flapped her arms, wiggled her tush and tumbled onto the parquet floor?
Well, that’s not this chicken dance.
No siree, this Chicken Dance is a brilliant barnyard romp featuring two hilarious hens and their idol Elvis Poultry, thank you. (Thankyouverymuch.)
Author Tammi Sauer grew up on a Kansas farm, tending cows at dawn. Those daybreak chores paid off, ’cause this little lady sure knows how to milk the humor.
According to henhouse pals Marge and Lola, Elvis Poultry is a hunk of bawking love. When the barnyard talent show is announced, the pair discover the grand prize is two tickets to Elvis’ Final Doodle Doo concert tour. They must win!
But the ducks waddle by and wave a wing at the hopeful hens. “Don’t bother, drumsticks.” Seems ducks are top dog at this farm.
Marge and Lola test out their talents but the ducks quack at every failed attempt. When Marge and Lola finally hit the stage–following solid goat, pig and cow acts–they stammer and gulp. A duck heckles, “What’s the matter? Are you chicken?” so they begin to flap, shake and bawk. Just regular chicken stuff, nothin’ fancy. But the crowd loves it and crows for more.
The next spread features Marge and Lola performing dance moves that would make Aunt Myrna shake in her boots. They vogue, point like John Travolta, domo arigato misuta robotto, and walk like an Egyptian. Illustrator Dan Santat makes chickens boogie better than So You Think You Can Dance finalists.
I can’t reveal the contest results, as that would spoil all the feathery fun. But I will tell you that Elvis is in the building. Err, I mean barn.
The jokes even extend beyond the story, with end pages that demo step-by-step “Disco Chicken” and “Chattanooga Choo Choo” dance moves. Funky album covers replace the typical staid author and illustrator photos.
Yes, just one look at the blinged-out, white-caped Elvis Poultry on the front cover, and you know this ain’t your Aunt Myrna’s paltry poultry impersonation.
Can’t get enough of the silliness?
Publisher Sterling Kids is holding a video contest now through October 31. Just shake your tail feathers along to the official music and post your hoe-down on YouTube.
And tell them Elvis Poultry sent ya.
Chicken Dance
Written by Tammi Sauer
Illustrated by Dan Santat
Sterling Kids, August 2009
Want it? Sure you do!
Agents and editors have told me they occasionally receive calls from writers who are brand new to children’s books. These aspiring authors ask, “How do I get my book published?”
Kindly folks that they are, these agents and editors don’t slam the phone down. They’ll sometimes spend a few moments providing basic details. But this information can be easily found online. That’s what makes being a new writer so exciting these days: there’s professional advice available via websites and blogs, you just have to search for it. It’s not all so mysterious anymore.
So if you’re looking to launch a kidlit career, please don’t call an agent or editor to learn the basics. Let them read manuscripts, sell books and do their jobs. Come here instead…
A New Children’s Writer’s To-Do List:
- Write.
I knew you’d like that one. - Read children’s books.
Become familiar with the genre in which you write. Understand appropriate length and content for specific age groups. See what’s being published. Don’t follow trends, but know the competition. When pitching editors and agents, it’s often helpful to compare your book to another title. You can’t compare if you aren’t well read. - Join SCBWI.
Take advantage of their resources—local chapter events, national conferences, online discussion boards and publications. - Join a critique group.
Find fellow writers who work in the same genre as you. They provide support, motivation, and helpful feedback. (And if you can, find a group with writers who are more experienced than you.) P.S. Your mother, daughter, spouse, and neighbor’s 2nd grade class are not a critique group. - Attend workshops, conferences and events.
Seek out opportunities to learn and network with authors, agents, editors and writing peers. - Read books on the craft.
Writer’s Guide to Crafting Stories for Children by Nancy Lamb
Writing Picture Books by Ann Whitford Paul
Writing for Children and Teens by Cynthea Liu
Writing with Pictures by Uri Shulevitz - Revise and rewrite.
It’s not going to be right the first time (or maybe even the second or the fifteenth). It’s just not. Resist the temptation to submit an early draft to a publisher. - Take time to develop your skill.
Your writing will improve with practice. Most professional authors need at least two years of serious writing to hone their craft, and it’s not unheard of to work for ten to fifteen years before becoming published. - Submit when you have more than one project polished.
Finished your first manuscript? Keep writing. If an editor or agent likes your manuscript, but not enough to make an offer, they may request other material. Have a few manuscripts at the ready. - Learn to have patience.
It can take many years to write publishable material, sell your first project, and develop a career. Even after you become published, the business is still full of waiting—waiting to hear from your agent and/or editor, waiting for a book to be released, waiting to earn out. You will never NOT be waiting. Patience and perseverance are key. - Call yourself a writer.
Because you are one!
If you have some newbie suggestions, let’s hear them. Please leave a comment.
Writing for Kids (While Raising Them) 