Trouble Practice

Week of July 1, 2012: We’ve Got Trouble!

Thursday, July 5—Trouble Practice

The best way to learn about trouble in picture books is by reading them. Hopefully the books I’ve examined this week (and the ones you’ve read) have helped. The second best way to learn about trouble in picture books is to practice writing the trouble yourself. So today is Trouble Practice Day!

When you encounter something that you’re learning for the first time, or something you’ve tried again and again but can’t get the hang of, it sometimes it helps to approach the problem in a new way. That may be where you are in your journey of learning how to develop trouble in picture books. Maybe you need to look at the process in a different way to better get it in your head and under your belt. Below is a tool to help you do just that—the STEPS TO GROWING TROUBLE graphic organizer.

As you can see, STEPS TO GROWING TROUBLE leads you through seven steps:

uCharacter

vTrouble/problem

wStep it up—make the trouble worse!

xStep it up—make the trouble worse!

yStep it up—make the trouble worse!

zBlack moment—all is lost!

{Climax!

Let me show you how the graphic organizer could be used in a real-life situation. Though my book, COWBOY CHRISTMAS, won’t be out until September, I’ll give you a sneak peak at the plot and the growing problem in the story using the graphic organizer. Take a look!

Use the STEPS TO GROWING TROUBLE to develop your next story, or to help you get over a plotting hump with your current story. Go on! Get busy practicing some trouble making!