So you want to write a picture book. And, of course, you want to get published. You like kids, enjoy children’s literature, have read Where the Wild Things Are about a billion times with your own kids. And you may have read some not-so-good children’s books too and thought to yourself, “Hey, I can do that. I can do better than that.”

Or maybe you just like to write, and you think writing a children’s book seems easier. Shorter, certainly, with less, like, you know, um... words.

Not so fast. Writing for children is most definitely an art, and there’s more to it than just coming up with a fresh take on the ABC’s. You’ve got a picky, tricky audience here, and a saturated market to break into. But if you have a passion for writing for children, you’ll stop at nothing to make your dream come true.

Let’s take this a step at a time. For now, forget about being published. Let’s get to first things first, and get down to the nitty gritty of writing.

Details You Should Know

Even though I said to forget about getting published just a couple of sentences ago, there is one detail to keep in the back of your mind during the writing process. Picture books are generally 32 pages, including the front (title and publisher) pages and back matter (there may be a blank page at the back of the book). Look at one to see. Plan for yours to be about 28 pages of actual writing. Note: Some books are shorter, some longer, but 32 is the general rule of thumb because a publisher can easily lay out 8 four-page spreads.

If you are planning two-page spreads for artwork, remember that the first and last pages will be single spreads. If you think about it, it makes sense. The first page is on the right hand side, the last page is on the left. The opposite pages are usually blank or just have some publishing information.

Enough of that. Let’s get writing.

Get Inspired

Get to know your audience. Read children’s books. Browse through libraries and bookstores to see what’s new, what’s well used, and what catches your interest. Spend time with children. Tell stories to them (even retelling old classics will get your imagination humming). Listen to their stories and write them down. Pay attention to what sparks their interest, what makes them laugh, and what makes them feel connected.

Read biographies of writers to gain inspiration. One really good book to check out is Dear Mem Fox, I Have Read All Your Books, Even the Pathetic Ones by Mem Fox. Try On Writing by Stephen King. Read Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg. Browse libraries and bookstores for others. Inspiration comes from so many places! These are books about real people who have made great careers in writing. They’ve got some great advice.

Caution: a little psychotherapy here. Remember your own childhood. What places did you love or hate? What made you laugh or cry? What got you in trouble? What were you most proud of? Get in touch with those old emotions and think about how they might apply to children today. Again, write it all down.

Jump Start your Writing

The most important thing you can do is spend time writing each day. Any kind of writing wil do, it doesn’t have to be wonderful. Just jot down ideas, keep a journal, blog, type out your thoughts, whatever -- just WRITE. The more you write, the better you’ll be. You can just start listing possible ideas. They can be total crap -- don’t worry. This is just brainstorming and nobody will see it but you.

Think about it, talk about it, dream about it, write it down. Make up stories and tell them to your kids. Then write them down. Play make-believe and dress up and tea party. Then write it all down. Are you getting the idea? Write, write, write!

Get an idea. It doesn’t have to be over-the-moon fantastic. That comes later. Pick an idea and begin! To develop creative characters, keep adding and taking away traits until you are left with something you like. Now, that doesn’t mean it has to be a likeable character -- it can be a villain! A slime-ball! A sniveling doofus! Whatever you want, the key is to make your character memorable. To develop an interesting setting, use places you know, then again, add and take away details to make it unique.

Do a little research. When you have an idea, check to see if there’s already a similar book on the market. Network. Take a class, join a writing group, or even try finding a web group that will collaborate with you and give you ideas and opinions. It’s hard to judge your own writing. Find truthful but positive people to help you along.

Run With It

Choose any idea, even one of the crappy ones. Now’s not the time for self-doubt! You know you can make it better! Pick at it, polish it, make it shorter. Take out unnecessary words and sentences. Add action. Add drama. Add humor. Agonizing over finding the perfect idea is exactly what leads to writer’s block. You have to realize that it won’t be the perfect idea until you do the work.

Imagine what pictures might go with your words. If it helps you to visualize the final product, make a little dummy book. That will at least help you to see how the flow feels. DO NOT send this dummy book to the publisher -- this is for your eyes only! You can show it to your family or a group of kindergartners, but NO PUBLISHERS!

You can add details and flavor to your book on every page. Use your everyday life to find original ideas. Polish your sentences until they read in a rhythm. Did I say rhyme??? NO. Rhythm. You just want it to read with a nice flow. Read it out loud and see how it sounds. Have someone else read it to you. Rewrite it over and over again until it’s just they way you hoped it would be.

What Not To Do

Don’t procrastinate. Write about anything you like! It can be the worst drivel ever, just get the words flowing. The sooner you start, the more you’ll be thinking of newer and better ideas.

Don’t think you can’t get started just because you don’t have a stellar idea. Just start! The ideas will come as you write.

Don’t let your final draft be sickly, syrupy sweet or condescending in any way to kids. Don’t write in rhyme if you really don’t need to. Yes, it worked for Dr. Seuss. You are not Dr. Seuss. Sorry.

Don’t find your own illustrator. You could be turned down for that reason alone. Let your writing speak for itself.

Don’t worry about getting published until you have the writing done. Once your writing is ready to submit, don’t deviate from the publisher’s guidelines. If they don’t want stories with animals that talk, and your entire book is about a talking aardvark, find another publisher.

Don’t get discouraged by rejection letters. It only takes one YES!!

You can wish and hope and wonder all day long, but until you actually begin to put words on paper, you’ll never know if you can make it real. If your dream is to write for children, then sit down and WRITE.