Ask a Picture Book Editor

So, you’ve worked out your universal theme, created child-centred characters and honed your tone and pitch. 

In the third part of our craft masterclass, we will focus on:

Know the basic structure of a picture book.

Most picture books have 32 pages:

pp. 1 and p. 32 are stuck to the boards

pp. 2/3 and pp. 30/31 are endsheets

pp. 4/5 is usually the prelims

and you are left with 12 working spreads.

In some cases, the prelims and endsheets are creatively integrated into the story, so as with all rules, these can be changed to fit the book.

Paperback originals don’t have stuck down ends, so p. 1 is usually a half-title page and p. 32 may contain the end of the story or a vignette/dedication and, sometimes, even the prelims. For younger children and shorter stories, a 24pp book may be used.

Beginnings: start your story quickly! Identify the main problem right away. What does you character need and want and why and what will happen if he/she doesn’t get it? You don’t have much space in a picture book, so every moment and every word has to count. If you don’t hook the reader right away, they will probably put down the book.

When considering your plot, give your book a logical structure. You might, for instance, use the rhythm of a child’s day or a sequence of events.

After you've set up your opening, be sure to build up to a clear turning point. You need to up the ante and put your character in a stew! Ask yourself ‘what if…’ and then
MAKE IT WORSE. 

Build up the pacing by using:

1. Page turns: think visually! How can you break up the text so that readers are left wanting to know more?

Try using ellipses to suggest something exciting over the page. Here's an example:

Use the zoom lens!

Use real-time (so the action happens as you read it). Since pre-schoolers live in the moment – they don't usually plan things ahead – make your narrative more dramatic and vivid by making each scene happen in real-time (rather than telling readers about it). Use dialogue and action, instead of description. Make each moment real. Readers want to go on a journey with your characters! SHOW don't tell. This will help to create more drama and excitement and keep readers turning the pages.

2. The rule of three: often picture books use predictable phrasing and refrains in which three things happen and then there is a change. This helps you to build up to a clear turning point and climax.

TOP TIP: Make a small dummy – even if you can’t draw (you can use stick figures) – and read it aloud to yourself to test out the pacing. Experiment with your pagination to see if you can make the plot even more exciting.

Now for the ending: make sure that the story reaches a satisfying conclusion and that the problem at the beginning of the story is resolved.

Give your story end a twist and turn the unexpected on its head – this makes for a really great picture book!

When you’re finished, ask yourself: “So what?” If the answer to this falls flat and you can’t really think why your story is different or exciting, your readers (and the editor you are pitching to) won’t think so either.   

Click on the box below to read our other ASK A PICTURE BOOK EDITOR CRAFT BLOGS:

______________________________________

Natascha Biebow is editor, mentor and coach at       www.blueelephantstoryshaping.com

Check out my NEW online picture book coaching classes!

Ellie Farmer is Senior Editor at Little Tiger Pres www.littletigerpress.com

The importance of a good ending

I went to the SCBWI London Agents Party this week - I'm not great at standy uppy drinks parties, even less great at pitching - in spite of all the excellent tips from Michelle earlier this week, the fabulous free 50 business cards from Moo (which I left at home) and a lovely SCBWI friend who'd gifted me a much better-pitch-than-mine on a plate (now there's an idea).

It was a great do, lovely agenty types - all enthusiastic and hungry for something wonderful. Judging by Twitter everyone had a great time and I look forward to reading about all those positive outcomes in our Saturday Celebrations. But was it at the agents party I learned about the importance of a good ending?

No.

That was at The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time at the Apollo Theatre that afternoon.

I had some birthday money to spend on a show so I picked up a bargain ticket a few rows from the front of the stalls ten minutes before curtain up. #rightplacerighttime

***Spoiler Alert***

It was great. The staging brilliantly represented the precise way that Christopher's mind worked, the acting was convincing especially Trevor Fox as the Dad and the story demonstrated wonderfully how the ordinary is really, extraordinary. Having said that, the play was not as great as the book which I loved. That is until the end.

Depending on your classification of spoiler, one may follow.

It was the puppy! When Christopher's dad brought the puppy out, I loved it! In a way it was a bit of a cheap trick but who cares, it was in the book and is the only resolution to the poor dead dog at the beginning. The cast reacted brilliantly to the cutest Andrex puppy you ever did see, the whole theatre aaaahed - everyone was smitten.  Then after the final curtain there was also a very satisfying bit of maths. I left the Apollo ready to watch the whole show all over again.

Isn't that how we, authors and illustrators, should leave our readers?

For fear of turning this post into spoiler city, do you have any endings that changed your feelings about a story? You don't have to say what happens...

This week we started a new month and a new theme - Diversity for Black History Month and our first post under that theme was Donna Vann's interview with one of our older members, Octengenarian and Jewish writer, Jose Patterson.  There was another cracking round up from Nick, including Mark Jones' latest post on Synopses - shock revelation from the Agents Party is that they're hardly read! 
Though many of you had already found our hidden page (linked to Agent Confidential) of excellent advice on choosing the right agent from the one and only Nicola Morgan, we thought it was so good we posted it again on Thursday. Friday signposted us to Anne Marie's great post on the Illustrator blog Big Little Tales and Saturday we celebrated with Bryony Pearce on the publication of her second novel.

In our box of delights next week, we have...

• Celia & Annie's report on the Nosy Crow Conference!
• Latest London Professional Series report!
• A new Slushpile Challenge!
• News from Central North!
• Sara O' Connor!

And no apologies for the exclamation marks!
Yay
!
Now for the great ending...
Have fun,

Jan Carr

---

Jan Carr is the editor of Words & Pictures. Her fiction is older middle grade, she blogs occasionally and loves to write in magenta. You can contact her at editor@britishscbwi.org.