Children's Picture Book Review

Step 3: Edit, Edit, Edit!

After you have a first draft of your manuscript, the first thing you need to do is cut part of what you have written. Most editors prefer that the word count does not go over 1000. You could plan to cut out about 10% of your writing right off the top. Any word that is not 100% necessary should go. Don’t waste your word count describing an object or a character, instead, leave a note to the illustrator if this is important. The illustrator will be able to convey the idea graphically if it is something like physical attributes. This falls under the “show, not tell” rule of storytelling, films, and book writing and illustrating.

A characters’ action should always advance the plot. Don’t waste your word count explaining that Bobby got up in the morning, brushed his teeth, and ate breakfast if he missed the school bus. Your readers will figure out that he got up and got ready if you start your story with him leaving the house on the way to school.

After you have trimmed the unnecessary material from your story. Take a look at your character. Is he or she developed? Will children care about him? A child should be able to describe several aspects about a characters personality. Take a look at the secondary characters. They should contribute to the story in some, less defined way.

Take a look at the dialogue. Each character should have their own unique voice; children should talk like children. Make sure that the dialogue is advancing the plot forward or give insight into someone’s personality. “Give me back my hat!” Jill stamped her foot and glared at Bobby.

It may take a few re-writes before the story is as tight as it can be. Authors find it helpful to put it away for several days between re-writes. This helps to give some fresh perspective on the piece and allows you to see the rough spots easier.