Deconstructing a Picture Book

I believe the best way to learn to write is to read like a writer. So when I find a book to love, I analyze it to see how the author crafted it. The Illinois chapter of SCBWI has a fabulous on-line newsletter called The Prairie Wind. It comes out four times a year, and I write a column for it called Book Look: Books That Make You Go "Oh!" (That "oh" is supposed to be both a light bulb moment, excitement, and awe all rolled into one.)

For this issue, I analyzed the structure of Fancy Nancy, by Jane O'Connor. If you are an aspiring picture book author, you might find my column helpful.

There are many terrific articles in the Prairie Wind. Be sure to read them all! And if you've read a book that made you go oh, please tell me about it in the comments. Thanks!

A Weekend with Richard Peck

Richard Peck is a treasure. I hadn't realized that until this weekend. Sure, I respected him as an author, and I admired his work. Who wouldn't respect a man who created the hilarious character of Grandma Dowdel and won both a Newbery Honor and Medal for her? But the reason I signed up for SCBWI-Illinois' weekend writing retreat facilitated by Richard Peck was not because of Grandma Dowdel. It was because of one of my critique partners, Carol Grannick. Carol is a Richard Peck uber-fan. She reads and re-reads his books all the time. She thinks of Richard the way I think of Judy Blume. And so I had to go. Our whole critique group had to go. And what a weekend we had! Here are just a few of the gems Richard gave us:

On craft...

• If you see an adverb, shoot.


• Delete 'There was' at the beginning of your sentences.


• Remove 'as if' from your manuscript.


• The middle of the novel is either rising of falling. There are no plateaus. Make it high - like a circus tent pole.


• The first page of your book is its table of contents. All the clues and plot elements should be there.

On process...

• Stand up and act out your scenes.


• When you're stuck, go back and retype a page from before. Edit it. Remove the adverbs. Cut twenty more words. Whatever you do, don't leave the desk.


• At the end, throw away the first chapter. Rewrite it.


• Finally, examine your opening line. Is it the best you can do?

On being a writer...

• Writing fiction is the struggle to give life a shape.


• Childhood is a jungle, not a garden.


• We're writers. We can inhabit other people's space.


• Nobody a writer loves is ever dead.

Richard also surprised and honored us by reading a chapter from his work-in-progress, and believe it or not, it is a new book featuring Grandma Dowdel! What a treat!

I will forevermore hear Richard's encouraging, yet discerning, voice in my head as I write. (I can hear him now, but I keep telling myself this is just a blog, it doesn't have to be perfect!)

Here is Carol presenting Richard with a Grandma Dowdel for President campaign button!

And here's our critique group at dinner Saturday night.

Jenny Meyerhoff, Carol Grannick

Me, and Ellen Reagan