Workshop: An
Introduction to Writing for Children and Young Adults
“Furthermore,
the words don’t repeat what is in the picture and vice versa; their
relationship is contrapuntal, they complement and complete each other.” Uri
Shulevitz
Drafts-Revision-Layouts
Whether
or not you are an illustrator, or perhaps especially if you are not an
illustrator, it’s a good idea to do a preliminary layout of your story in order to examine
the focus of each scene. The best time is after your first/second drafts before
you prepare to do the final polish.
Stick
figures are the only level of art skill needed, and/or write the word down that
answers the questions.
Scene-by-scene
draw the picture.
Answer
questions box by box.
1.
What happens
first? 2. What happens next? 3. Then what happens? 4. What happens? Repeated 5
throughout until, The End.
Questions
each box needs to answer.
1.
What is the dominant emotion in each scene?
2.
Who’s in the picture?
3.
Are there transitions?
4. Does each
square change emotion?
Reasons
1 No matter
how solid the plot is if emotions don’t change then the story remains flat.
2 Depending on
who shows up in each square may indicate the need to change the main character.
And who exactly is telling the story? Also note that if an adult is included it
should be the child who solves the problem.
3 The
transitions will show the movement of the action.
1. What happens? 2.
What happens next? 3.Then
what happens?
Emotion Emotion Emotion
And next… What
happens now? The
End
Emotion Emotion Emotion
Action Steps:
1. Type up one
published picture book to see how long the text is.
2. Put squares
on a sheet of paper.
3. Practice
laying out six to eight squares on the practice grid working only from your
typed version and not looking at the book illustrations.
Share: What did you notice? Did emotions or
actions change square to square?
Read deep, marcy
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