Writing Children's Stories: A Look at Picture Books

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You've written a children's story now what to do?

Children's stories fall into different categories. Today we will look at picture books.

Picture Books
Picture books are geared for young children. A simple story is told through words and accompanying pictures. While usually written for very young children, their range may extend as far as the 10-year old child.

Picture Book Lengths
A picture book isn't particularly long, rather targeted to its audience. It helps to look through a sampling of picture books to get a feel for length. 1000 words or less is a good rule of thumb.

What Appeals to Young Children?
A picture book has to appeal to its audience. What concerns, fascinates, or entertains young ones?

Words Used in Picture Books
Successful picture book authors use words that conjur pictures in active minds. Strong action verbs capture kids' attention.

Vivid Description in Picture Books
Using adjectives that "show and don't tell" makes for a stronger manuscript that appeals to youngsters.

Paragraphs That Can Be Illustrated
Picture book paragraphs or verses should contain active scenes that can be illustrated. When writing your story, think about how it could be illustrated. What would your story look like if told through illustrations?

Further Reading



Picture Book Resources:

Writing Picture Books
Writing for Children: Writing Picture Books
How to Write Great Picture Books
So You Want To Write a Picture Book