Searching for Words: A Day in The Life of a Picture Book Writer
Words are a writer’s tools. Every sentence requires the writer thinking about words. In a picture book those words need to be chosen with care.
Writing a picture book for children is not as easy as it seems. While you may think you have a great story line, it all comes down to how you tell the story. It all comes down to the words you choose to use. And in a picture book there are not all that many words. Every word must count.
Too many words kill the story. There must be just enough words to convey the story line to the illustrator so that he or she has something to work with. After all, in a picture book the words tell only part of the story, the pictures fill in all the little details.
Words can be elusive things. Choosing the right words can be time consuming. I’ve just spent several hours searching for a word that portrays a particular sound. One word is all I’m allowing myself, not just any word, but a word that speaks to children; a word that will appeal to the child’s sense of rhythmical language.
Expressing sounds in single words is quite an art, one that needs to be developed. I’m not yet good at it. Can you quickly think of words that will appeal to children that portray the sound of a vacuum cleaner, a fridge door opening, the settling of dust, a swinging cat door, raindrops falling, butterfly wings, or rhythmical breathing?
It’s easy to think of everyday words, common and over used words. But to find the word that is going to add magic to your story is quite difficult. Finding a word or phrase that will have a child reader repeating it over and over once the story is finished is the key to success. Those words and phrases need to be searched for. To use a clichéd expression, they’re like mining for gold.
Sometimes there just doesn’t seem to be an exact word for what you want to express. When that happens you just need to make a word up. After all, it is a picture book for children you’re writing and special words have special appeal. Many of the world’s best picture book writers have resorted to inventing words, simply to get the right effect in their story line. Unfortunately, so many wonderful words have been invented in picture books you need to take care you’re not stealing someone else’s made up imaginative word.
So, as a budding, as yet unpublished picture book writer, I am currently obsessed with words. They tumble around in my head, trying to impress me. They’re behaving a bit like the prince presenting himself at the king’s castle, trying to prove he is the most suitable suitor for the princess.
One word appears knocking at the door and is quickly shown the way out. Another appears to be a little more suitable and while not quite right, is stored away. Maybe that word has a close relation that will be more suitable.
There was once a popular Bee Gees song, performed more recently by Boyzone I believe, that contains the line ‘Words are all I have’. That line could have been written by a picture book writer. My day is spent searching for words.
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October 1st, 2010 at 9:22 pm
nice post
October 1st, 2010 at 9:24 pm
So true and so well said.
October 1st, 2010 at 9:27 pm
The minute I’d pressed the submit button I discovered it wasn’t a word I was looking for, it was a phrase. I now have it
moving on now to the next stumbling block!
October 1st, 2010 at 9:46 pm
Very true Val. It’s only words… and words are all I have… to take your heart awayyyyyyyyyy
October 1st, 2010 at 10:08 pm
Very lovely share….I am glad to know you found your phrase. Much success.
October 1st, 2010 at 10:48 pm
very good share here, you are right.
It’s the right words and phrases that will give the impact to the readers.
Need not be any special wordings, just the right ones, I think I know what you mean.
First of all, we must observe people around us, and what they expect…I guess we have to observe people and things around us in order to write anything.
not easy to be writer, much to learn.
October 1st, 2010 at 10:57 pm
Robert Munsch is an excellent example of a children’s picture book writer who uses great “sound” words.
Nice article.
October 2nd, 2010 at 12:05 am
This is a very well-written and presented article. Great advice.
October 2nd, 2010 at 12:51 am
It will be interesting to sit with you and see how you work but this will disturb you.Searching for words is challenging.
October 2nd, 2010 at 1:17 am
Well said and well-written (at least that is my opinion). I am sure that you will succeed in searching for the right words for your picture book. I also agree that writing a picture book is harder than writing an article or fiction for either teens or adults. I personally cannot imagine I would even try to write one.
Anyway, good luck with your writing.
October 2nd, 2010 at 2:29 am
Nice Post I Like It
October 2nd, 2010 at 3:09 am
All of us delight in playing around with words, for that is what it means to be a writer.
October 2nd, 2010 at 3:25 am
Fabulous article Val. So true of many picture books. Dr Seuss was a prime example of a word inventor.
October 2nd, 2010 at 6:49 am
it’s not what you say…it’s how you say it^^
October 2nd, 2010 at 10:17 am
you have written an awesome piece,
October 2nd, 2010 at 10:38 am
very nice. enjoyed the read!
October 2nd, 2010 at 12:30 pm
Well expressed!
Inna
October 3rd, 2010 at 12:40 am
This is wonderful and educational post. Less words does not mean an easier task. It’s a whole different requirement. I’m very confident that you will achieve your goal of completing it Val.^_^
October 3rd, 2010 at 8:41 am
What an educational post. I have often thought about trying a picture book but I usually get to many words.
October 3rd, 2010 at 8:51 am
Beautiful, Interesting! Very informative! gigi
October 3rd, 2010 at 9:35 am
another great work
October 3rd, 2010 at 11:07 am
October 3rd, 2010 at 1:07 pm
I really admire you for what you are doing. Finding words for sounds was an exercise I used to do with the children when we were writing class poetry. They came up with amazing words which made the poetry come alive. Have you got some children to try it on? A wonderful and very well written article.
October 3rd, 2010 at 4:11 pm
Liked it Val well put once more cheers
October 4th, 2010 at 11:51 pm
I can so very much relate to this.I thought I was the only one who could spend an hour looking for just the right word. It is worth it though, when the whole article flows with the right words.
October 6th, 2010 at 4:32 am
This is a lovely article. People don’t realise how difficult the writing of picture books is. You have to get the right words to do the job, and excite the reader as well. I still haven’t got great picture book published. I’ve written one I like, but can’t convince any publishers about its worth. I’ll have to start again with another idea, then another, then another.
Wrting is fun and writing is frustrating!I do it for the love of the words!