Thursday, September 3, 2009

basics

Another creative idea blossomed this past week. I’m on a roll! This one came in the wee hours of the morning. Since these kind equal lost sleep, I bemoan the clutter that keeps those ideas from getting through during the day.

After I typed the picture book text that had been born, I marveled at how tight the first draft was – around 400 words. When I first began writing picture books, it took me over a thousand words to tell the story. My manuscripts were like the sequined summer shoes! Of course, I wasn’t leaving anything for the illustrator to show. Not to mention my attempts to be poetic and way too many adjectives!

Increased knowledge of craft and practice have helped, but I think something else is at work, too. I’ve written 500-word profiles over the last year, and I’ve learned how to make every word count. While picture books are entirely different, I think I’ve internalized short, sweet and basic. This is another example of process and the huge part played by our subconscious.

No comments:

Post a Comment

Comments welcome.