Are you a picture book writer? Picture books are close to my heart, and it's the type of manuscript Lisa Bullard and I critique most often in classes, at writers' conferences, and from our Mentors for Rent clients. I love helping writers make their manuscripts stronger and more marketable.
There are 10 key picture book concerns that crop up with alarming regularity! Almost every manuscript we see has at least one of them, and most manuscripts have two or three! In this course, I cover 5 of those issues (picture book or short story, kid-friendliness, nostalgia, quiet picture books, and sounds/words), and Part b covers the other 5 (length, focus, point of view, freshness, and illustration potential). [Note: It doesn't matter which order you take the courses in.] In each video, I showcase a key question you will want to ask yourself about your manuscript. Then I offer some tips and techniques to fix the problem if you discover that it does apply to your work.The 5 videos total 1 hour and 6 minutes.
This course is for you if you have written a picture book manuscript, but you don't know how to make it stronger. This course is NOT a step-by-step how to write a picture book class. However, by watching the videos, you'll gain insight into the demanding requirements and common problems writers run up against. This course is also for you if you want to learn how to analyze your own work and figure out how to approach revision. If you haven't yet written a picture book but you want to give it a try, this course will show you some of the common obstacles to getting your work published, so that you can avoid them!
Your Instructor
Laura Purdie Salas has written more than 125 books for kids, including If You Were the Moon, the award-winning Can Be… series, and BookSpeak! She coaches writers through Mentors for Rent (MentorsForRent.com) and speaks at writing conferences around the country. laurasalas.com
Course Curriculum
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PreviewHow does this class work? (4:09) (4:09)
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StartTip Sheet: Module 1
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StartModule 1: Is it a picture book or a short story? (14:03) (14:03)
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StartTip Sheet: Module 2
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StartModule 2: Can kids relate? (13:44) (13:46)
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StartTip Sheet: Module 3
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StartModule 3: Is it nostalgic? (10:53) (10:56)
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StartTip Sheet: Module 4
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StartModule 4: Is it too quiet? (14:45) (14:47)
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StartTip Sheet: Module 5
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StartModule 5: Does it sound delicious? (13:00) (13:01)
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StartFeedback, please?
Frequently Asked Questions
Student Comments
What students have to say about Laura's courses:
Picture Book Fixes - A
"I purchased and completed your Picture Book Fixes A. At the end, I completed the survey stating it wasn't quite advanced enough for me. Well, I have to rescind that statement. I've used many of your tips as I've been writing. Much of them are subtle, but it's certainly made my word choices much more fun and lyrical. Thank you! --Sue
"The course was great! I liked the details, explanations and the examples given. It was presented in an easy to understand manner and was very helpful." --Rosie Pova
"I really liked that the modules were 10-15 minutes. That was the perfect amount of time for me to stay fully engaged (without my mind wandering...) and really absorb what you were saying. I sometimes feel like webinars are jam packed and just too long to really learn what is being taught." --Sara Gentry
"The biggest a-ha moment for me was when you spoke about quiet picture books. I had never considered that's what it was. I kind of thought it was almost like a meditation book. I'm now considering re-writing it. I am going to go through all of my manuscripts to see if I can make them more delicious! I thought the course was comprehensive and helpful in so many ways. I can't thank you enough, Laura!" --Rachel Noble
"I liked the digestibility of this course, the handouts and your pace, the example texts, and overall content. Though I'd read some similar information before, it seemed so much more relevant and helpful to learn in this more interactive way. I also very much appreciated the low cost of the course. So many courses out there are prohibitively expensive. I'm at the point in my learning and writing where I'd love to take those courses but am yearning for more approachable and affordable classes of value, like this. Thanks for the great combo: value and content! " --MK Resk
Write More, Write Now (Laura's freebie guinea pig class)
"I like that the videos are short, and I could watch as I was working in the kitchen. It wasn't ONE MORE thing I had to try to fit into my schedule. Also, focusing on one thing at a time made it easy to reflect on the information presented in the lesson." --Linda Kulp Trout
"You spoke directly to me; you gave me something to do (like in the first module where you told me to pause the video and write something down); the material was very practical; you offered lots of names of useful resources to try; and the sessions were short enough so I didn't have to pause them, go away, and come back later." --Sara Matson
"I loved the style it was very informative and clear but not overly formal." --Bairbre
"I've been writing for a long time,but I still appreciated the tips and tools you recommended. You are a great encourager!" --Lisa
Why Sign Up?
The picture market is tighter than ever! The insight you'll gain from this course will help you write stronger, more marketable picture books.
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