Week of July 22, 2012—Common Problems in
Picture Book Manuscripts
Quotes
of the week:
The
important thing about a problem is not its solution, but the strength we gain
in finding the solution.
Unknown
Laugh
at your problems, everyone else does.
Unknown
I
critique lots of manuscripts—and I
love it. I belong to two critique groups with a total of twelve members, I
critique student writing on a daily basis, I critique the model writing that teachers
present in lessons with students, and I have a critique business which brings
the manuscripts of picture book writers from around the country (and a few from
Canada) to my house on a regular basis.
Critiquing
others, makes my writing better. Why? Because it always seems easier to
identify a problem in someone else’s writing than in your own! Which reminds me
of another quote . . . “If you caught it, you got it.” When I catch the same
problem over and over in manuscripts, often it’s an indicator that I have that
same problem in my own writing.
This
week we’ll look at five of the most common problems I see when I critique
picture book manuscripts. (And when I write my own.)
Monday—A
Problem with the Problem
Tuesday—Under-developed
Plot
Wednesday--Too
Much Backstory
Thursday—Talking
Heads
Friday—Trying Too Hard
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