Each of our Founders give a deep-dive presentation into one important aspect of picture book structure, and then answer questions from writers like you.
These sessions will help you craft books for today's children's market—from beginning to end.
Katie Davis - Beginnings - What makes a good beginning? What should every beginning have? What can you leave out? Katie starts off strong with techniques for hooking your reader in the first pages of your book and introducing the Inciting Incident that gets the plot rolling.
Julie Hedlund - Middles – Julie examines how the middle develops the main character, shows the character's attempts to solve his or her problem, and keeps the tension building as we move toward the plot's climax.
Laura Backes - Climaxes - Your whole book is leading to this moment! Laura walks us through answering the story's central dramatic question in an exciting and unexpected way.
Emma Walton Hamilton - Resolutions – How are you leaving your character (and your reader) in the final scenes of your book? Will your reader be satisfied with your ending, and begging to read the story again? Emma reveals how a good ending can have a lasting impact long after the book is finished.
For the Founders' Sessions: Picture Book Flow, our presenters use mentor texts in different picture book genres to illustrate how these techniques work in real, successful books. We suggest reading AFTER THE FALL by Dan Santat, CHICKA CHICKA BOOM BOOM by Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault, and HOW TO BUILD A HUG by Amy Guglielmo and Jacqueline Tourville before you dig into each session.
The Founders Session: Picture Book Flow package contains a total of 240 minutes of expert advice and instruction (four 60-minute sessions each comprised of in-depth instruction and answering questions on writing picture books). Designed for writers like you who take your craft seriously, the instruction centers on the technique and proper picture book structure necessary to create salable manuscripts for today's market.
This course comes wit lifetime access, so you can revisit the material again and again!
Original value $500Your Instructor
Emma Walton Hamilton is a best-selling author, award-winning editor, stage and television producer, and writing coach. With her mother, actress/author Julie Andrews, Emma has co-authored over thirty children’s books, nine of which have been on the NY Times Bestseller list, including The Very Fairy Princess series. She teaches Children’s Literature for Stony Brook University’s Creative Writing MFA and is the co-host of the Julie’s Library Podcast. Emma’s first poetry collection, Door to Door, was published in the Fall 2022, along with a new picture book co-authored with her mother, The First Notes: The Story of Do Re Mi. Their next picture book The Enchanted Symphony debuts in September 2023.
Laura Backes is publisher of Children’s Book Insider, The Children’s Writing Monthly, and co-owner of Writing Blueprints (along with husband Jon Bard). Laura has edited and critiqued thousands of picture book manuscripts. Her credits include Best Books for Kids Who (Think They) Hate to Read (Random House); articles for Writer’s Digest, The Writer and Children’s Writer’s & Illustrator’s Market; and technical editor of Writing Children’s Books for Dummies.
Julie Hedlund is an award-winning picture book author and founder of the 12 x 12 Picture Book Writing Challenge. Since 2012, 12 x 12 has encouraged thousands of picture book writers to get their stories out of their heads and onto the page. Julie is a frequent speaker at writing retreats and conferences. Her picture book credits include Over, Bear! Under Where?, My Love For You is the Sun, and A Troop is a Group of Monkeys. Her next book, Song After Song: The Musical Life of Julie Andrews debuts in 2023.
Katie Davis is an award-winning writer/illustrator whose published work includes kidlit genres from picture books to middle grade to young adult. Her first picture book, Who Hops? turns 24 this year, and Kindergarten Rocks! has been a perennial favorite since 2005. Katie critiques manuscripts twice a month through her Writers’ Block membership and is the former Director of the Institute of Children’s Literature and Institute for Writers. Her books have sold over a million copies and her two guides for writers, How To Promote Your Children’s Book and How to Write a Children’s Book, both debuted at #1 on Amazon.
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Don't miss this in-depth look at the arc of a picture book. You'll never look at your manuscripts the same way again!