Picture Books: Reprieve from Novel-Writing

After frustrating feedback for one novel, and frustrating indecision with another, I decided it was time for a break. I dug out my one completed picture book manuscript and started asking around for critique swaps.

I found a wonderful group of writer-moms to swap with and wow was their feedback amazing. One in particular gave me ideas on how to better structure my piece to conform to standard storytelling format. How could I ever have thought my book was good enough before? This was exactly what the story needed! Now I've rewritten the book and continue to finish the last little bit of tweaks it needs along with the query.

Big problem. It seems most agents want an author that has more than one 500 word picture book up their sleeve. Makes good business sense. But I only had one. Cue the disappointment. But maybe I could write more. I actually had started another manuscript. But that one is probably trash. I'm just not feeling it. So that means I need to write more.

Picture book ideas can come from anywhere, people say. I looked around the room one day and brainstormed another story idea. It turned into a manuscript I'm pretty okay with. We'll see what the CPs say. Other brainstorms have not turned up any gold as of yet.

Picture books can be a wonderful reprieve for the frustrated novel writer. (I've also used flash fiction as a nice departure.) But picture books are actually more work than they appear. I'm starting to get the hang of it, I think. I've been reading other writers' manuscripts. It's been eye opening. Hopefully the ideas will come soon for me to write more. Oh yeah, and I'd like to get back to my novel...novels...ugh.

P. S.

It's pretty exciting writing something that my own children could actually read. How cool would that be if they could hold Mommy's book in their hands?!

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