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| Deanna Klingel |
Happy Monday, writers! Have you ever thought of writing a picture book for children? I've loved reading them to my kids over the years. From the pictures to the stories, picture books are imaginative and they feed creativity. Our guest today writes them and is here to share her experience. Whatever your dreams, write on! ~ Annette
Writing Picture Books
by Deanna Klingel
Funny
how many things come full circle and catch us unawares. When I was in school I
used to say “I want to write children’s books when I grow up.” I grew up, but
instead of writing books for children,
I was reading books to my seven
children for many years. We loved to read, find “secret” things hidden in the
pictures, learn new words, giggle at the funny rhymes or plots, and memorize
the text. When they were small, I’d write little stories about them, for them.
And eventually, they all grew up and moved into an adult world. I was pleased
to finally have time to pick up a grown-up book with lots of pages, like Nicholas and Alexandria, and read it
without interruption. But it wasn’t until “retirement” that I began my writing
career.
I’ve
written several books for young readers, but only recently picture books. I
know from comments I hear at conferences and book events that many people think
writing books for little kids is easy and good practice for writing “real”
books. I’ve heard comments like, “I think I’ll start with something easy, like
a picture book, then move up.”
As
with every genre, picture books have their own “rules.” With 150-1000 words,
depending on the age of the reader, economy is important. The writer must think
like a child. Using simple style and structure, every word must be necessary.
There is no room for “telling.” Words help the pictures “show” both action and
dialogue. Because the stories are quickly read, doesn’t mean they are quickly
written. And because they are for children, doesn’t mean they are easy to
write.
My
first picture books, the Little Beth Series, are coming out soon. These books
were written for my youngest daughter when she was four. They went to contract
on her thirty-fourth birthday!
~~~~~
Deanna Klingel lives and writes in the
mountains of western North Carolina with her husband Dave (her live-in I-T
guy), and their golden retriever, Buddy. Their seven children are all married
and live across the southeast with eleven Klingel grandchildren.
~~~~~
Available soon: Beth's Birds
Little Beth shows children the names of the birds in their yard.
