Larissa Elliott Books

Money. It's so hard for me to invest in myself. Do you have the same problem? Or maybe you have to be really careful with your budget. I've already posted about some amazing FREE resources here . But sometimes it's worth saving up to invest in something to improve your writing. Here are a couple of ways you can invest in your writing: 1. Writing communities There are two major writing communties for picture book writers: SCBWI and 12x12. SCBWI (Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators) : Chances are you've heard of this one. Any newbie starting out has probably received the enthusiastic recommendation to join SCBWI. SCBWI is an organization of writers and illustrators for all of kidlit from board books and picture books to chapter books, middle grade, and young adult. There are message board where you can find critique partners, get feedback on your work, or ask questions. There are monthly periodicals giving advice and news. There is support specific to ...

I came across a wonderful blog post about rhyming and rhythm with the amazing Carrie Finison, author of "Dozens of Doughnuts". Check it out: http://lauralavoieauthor.com/studying-rhythm-to-master-rhyme-by-carrie-finison/ Catherine Emmett goes over some key tips to writing in rhyme on her blog: https://catherineemmett.co.uk/catherineemmett/rhyming-picture-books/ Important considerations for writing in rhyme using the brilliant mentor text "Frederico and the Wolf" by Rebecca J. Gomez: https://picturebookbuilders.com/2020/07/meet-federico-and-the-wolf-a-master-class-in-metered-rhyme/ This site is great because it gives examples of lots of different poetic elements like different kinds of meters, refrains, story structure: https://word-painting.webs.com Have you come across a great resource about writing in rhyme? Let me know in the comments!

Aha! I think this is the site that I came across during my self-education in writing in rhyme...but then didn't bookmark and so couldn't find it when trying to assemble a list of good resources. But now I've found it again! This site lays out very simply all the bits and pieces of writing with good rhythm and rhyme and story! The best part--the gridded examples! http://www.dorichaconas.com/Icing%20the%20Cake%20page.htm

Some authors went to school for writing. Paid tuition and all. But you can be just as successful for basically no cost. You can be a better picture book writer for FREE. Photo by AbsolutVision from Pixabay One caveat--you really need internet access. For most people, that costs money, so I guess it wouldn't be completely free. But there are ways to get internet access without paying if you need it. I assume if you're reading this blog, you have internet access, so let's get on with it. And one more thing--full disclosure: I've spent money on SCBWI membership and 12x12 membership and Rate Your Story membership and they're great for those who can afford them. HOWEVER you don't NEED these organizations to be a better writer. For the first eight months of being a picture book writer, I did NOT use the help of these organizations and I feel confident that I could be successful without these. I'm actually surprised I've invested any sort of money in...

I came across a great new resource recently. Pam Calvert's blog features a "Picture Book University". It's a group of blog posts with wonderful info on writing picture books. I love how she gives examples using published books. And I really love her storyboard idea. Check it out: Pam Calvert's Picture Book University

As a musician, the rhythm part of rhyming picture books seemed easy to me. But in reality, picture book rhythm has it's unique intricacies that took me a while to learn (and I'm still learning!!). Some of what I've learned has been through trial and error, and through reading other's works. I also follow picture book writers on Twitter and they share tips and tricks. But some resources have been especially helpful, and I want to share those with you! Josh Funk Books Josh Funk is a fun author with an amazing website. If you are a beginning picture book writer, start with his site (I did)! He leads you through, step by step, of how to write any picture book. And he'll tell you not to rhyme!!! Seriously, though, writing a picture book in rhyme is not for the faint of heart. It is hard to do well. Many agents and editors will shy away from manuscripts in rhyme because they've seen so many that weren't ready yet. (I won't say they were bad. I think a lo...