5 Mistakes I Made (and Hope Others Avoid) As a Picture Book Writer

“Things won’t go perfect. It’s all about how you adapt from those things and learn from mistakes.” ~ Michael Phelps

 

Writing for children is rewarding and worthwhile. However, writing picture books is incredibly fulfilling because these books are read to young children as they try to make sense of the world around them.  So why not write one?  It’s not that simple. Not if you aim to create a memorable one. As an aspiring author, I have had my fair share of stumbles and each taught me a lesson. 

 

Here I am, sharing these, hoping this will help others save precious time.

 

1. Not Setting Goals

Without clear picture book writing goals, I didn’t have a plan at the beginning. Writing took a lot of my family time away and I  made little progress. But then I came across The Success Principles, by Jack Canfield, creator of Chicken Soup for the Soul. 

 

This book explains the power of goal setting and how to unleash it. It is important to set specific and realistic goals. “I will have a book deal with Harper Collins by the end of this year” is a specific goal. However, it is not realistic since it depends on the publisher. Ideally, you would want to have complete control over your goals. Here are the sample goals that worked for me:

 

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  Attend X workshops/courses/webinars in the next X months

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  Read recent picture books – X/week

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  Submit manuscripts – X/month

RECOMMENDED ACTIONS:

 

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  Write down your writing goals: This will give a clear target to aim at and check your progress.

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  Display your goals: I took a picture and set it as my phone wallpaper/lock screen. You may hang it up on a wall.

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  Read your goals every day: This will help to motivate you and stay on course.

   

2. Not Having a Why

While writing down goals helped me initially, I soon realized sticking to the goals can be challenging. I needed to figure out why these goals and writing picture books are important to me.  

 

I stumbled on The Book on Rental Property Investing, by Brandon Turner. Yes, I know, it is a book on rental property investing. But beyond the financial advice, the book explains the importance of figuring out the purpose and how it will help us stay motivated over time.

 

Here is an example:

“My purpose in writing for children is to promote cross-cultural understanding by creating stories that evoke wonder, bring joy, and resonate with children of all backgrounds.”

RECOMMENDED ACTIONS:

 

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  Write down your Purpose: This will address the deeper aspect of your writing goals and help you stay motivated over time, especially when facing inevitable rejections.

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  Display it on your writing desk: This will remind you the purpose. Even if it increases your writing time by just 10 minutes each day, it will add up quickly.

3. Not studying recent picture books

One of my favorite picture books is “A Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle.” I used it as my mentor text.  But the industry has changed quite a bit since Eric Carle published that book.  While this book is not very long, you might notice older picture books are wordy. Now, the standard is around 500 words and 32 pages long. And I feel, that is what the publishers are looking for at this time. Please note that there is an exception to every rule and I am not saying you will not be able to find success with longer text.

RECOMMENDED ACTIONS:

 

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  Figure out Genre: Once you have your great idea, figure out what specific type it belongs to (e.g., Fiction, Non-fiction, Rhyming, etc).

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  Pick out books: Go to a library and get 15 to 30 recently published picture books in the same type.

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  Study them: This will give you an understanding of the current trends and may even spark new ideas. More importantly, it will help you write a picture book that publishers are looking for and could increase your chances of finding your publisher sooner.

4. Not having a critique group

Initially, I requested my family and friends to critique my work. While I received some good feedback, they were too nice to me. Further, they were not familiar with the current picture books.

So I joined SCBWI and found a local critique group in my region. We meet once a month, in person. Fortunately, we have some excellent reviewers in our group.  This has helped me receive complete feedback.

RECOMMENDED ACTIONS:

 

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  Join a Critique Group: While this is the most cost-effective way to receive meaningful feedback, there are many ways to find a critique. Here is an article written by Carrie Finison on 10 ways to find a picture book critique.

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  Utilize the feedback: It is not very easy to be open to criticism. But it is really in your best interest to listen to the feedback you receive. If everyone in your group says something doesn’t seem right, the odds are they probably are right. So use it to your benefit.

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  Pay attention while critiquing: A critique group can help you in many ways. One of them is the value you get from being a critiquer. You can learn quite a bit by identifying mistakes and potential improvements in others’ work.

5. Not figuring out the heart

You wrote a fictional picture book. You thought it was decent but for some reason, it was not resonating with the readers. And you receive feedback that it’s flat or not connecting. (Sound familiar?)

 

There are many ways to skin a cat, but I approach it in three steps:

 

First, identifying the Problem. Ask yourself questions like What is this story about?  It will help you pinpoint the problem.

 

Second, write down a clear premise.  Here is an example:

“How to be herself in a group where she feels like the different one.”

 

Third, the Solution. Your goal is to make your main character solve the problem in such a way that it deeply resonates with the readers. It usually means writing with heart-touching emotions such as empathy, love, etc. If the reader could feel the emotional highs and lows of the main character, you have done your job.

 

I understand it is easier said than done.   But the use of techniques such as Show, Don’t Tell at the critical junctures of the story will help build a strong emotional connection.

 

PS. You could also solve the main problem by making your picture book hilarious. But that’s not the route I usually take.

RECOMMENDED ACTIONS:

 

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  Identify the main problem: This will lay the foundation of the story.

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  Write down the Premise: Write a one-liner on paper and hang it on your writing desk. This will help you stay focused and impactful.

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  Plant the heart: Revise the manuscript with the intention to plant the heart of the story. Ask yourself questions, for example:

  • Does the emotional journey of the main character have highs and lows?
  • Do I have strong characters?
  • Do I use rich language?

Conclusion:

I wish I could tell you that these are the only mistakes I have made as a picture book writer.  But it isn’t. There are many more mistakes and takeaways (Perhaps, I will share them in another post).  The goal is to be honest with ourselves and incorporate lessons from each takeaway and improve your craft.  

 

Becoming a published author is a journey. With a little bit of hope and a little bit of perseverance, you will get there.  Know that you are on a path to create something special!!!

 

So what do you think? Tell me about your writing journey and the lessons you’ve learned in the comment section below. I love to hear from you!