Explore What Illustrators Know & Do: Another Picture Book Writer's Tool - by Kathy Halsey

Last Monday we learned to use storytelling techniques thanks to author Lindsay Bonilla. Today we explore more in the second part of my series on new ways to see craft and story. We'll unpack the knowledge that illustrators employ in telling their story. Thinking like an illustrator is a great way to open up our writing even if we've never dabbled in art. 
I always leave room in my professional development playbook for an illustrator workshop to help me see with new eyes. Last Saturday the Ohio South Central SCBWI hosted a great 4 hour workshop with author/illustrator Lindsay Ward entitled "Write, Draw, Read, Repeat: How to Create Successful Picture books in Today's Children's Book Market." 

Author/ Illustrator Lindsay Ward

Lindsay began as an illustrator before she became an author; she works in cut paper, a very hands-on, painstaking process. Her first book, WHEN BLUE MET EGG, took her four years of work. She shared illustration "drafts" of cover designs, dummy pages, and most importantly for us writers-only folks, how she "sees" stories she creates. What follows are the takeaways I added to my writer's toolbox.

From the Illustrator's Mind

1. See the whole. Lindsay tapes/strings up her illustrations across her office to get a sense the organic whole of the story. Writers need to see tone, voice, and imagine pagination after a few drafts to get a sense of the true feel for the work.

2. Pagination and reading aloud. This is where Lindsay starts with a draft. We need to hear/feel page turns. Take your TBR stack and read aloud. Get to the point where you know the page turn because...
3. The page turn is the most powerful narrative tool. Treat it with respect. Use page turns to hide and reveal plot. They can set up the pacing, another big consideration in crafting a masterful picture book. Lindsay concentrates on keeping  a "visual pacing" going in her work.

See the personality reflected in each brother?

4. Characters need defining characteristic. Using BROBARIANS as a mentor text, Lindsay showed us several cover illustrations. She couldn't quite nail the cover until she saw the brothers per their defining characteristic. If you can't "get" your character while drafting or revising, amp up their defining characteristic ( just one, it is a PB) and follow that through the text. Lindsay suggests writing dialogue w/that defining trait to explore the character.

"Ahem, art notes??? Yes? No?

5. But what about art notes? Writers always want to know about the advisability of their inclusion. Our expert advised us that nine times out of ten, art notes are not necessary especially if they are descriptive. 
6. Finally, we received a list on what tools successful illustrators use: composition, perspective, color, line, action, focal point, gutter. Read some PB favorites and see how those elements are employed. And... how might we as writers use these tools to our benefit? 

Read this as a mentor text for action

So as we segue into summer, splash into new ways of writing thanks to Lindsay Ward. She has a fabulous web site, too.

Read this as a mentor text on composition