Editing a children's picture book

Lesson #2: Don't be afraid to kill your darlings.

No, you don't need to call the police.  I'm talking about getting rid of those bits of your book that you love and are really proud of, but you know don't quite fit in your book.  Because editing is NOT just about ensuring the spelling and grammar are correct.
Of course, they need to be perfect too.  But it's also about getting your story as strong as it can be.  Be brutal.  It can only make your work better.

By way of example, check out this clip of Julia Donaldson talking about her very first draft of The Gruffalo, below:

Julia Donaldson talking about The Gruffalo

Now ask yourself what's wrong with it, exactly.  I mean, it rhymes.  It has rhythm.  Yet, it just doesn't have the same magic as The Gruffalo we all know and love, does it.  So, if Julia Donaldson needs to do it, then so do we all.

As far as Sir Nibbles, The Famouse Cupboard Raider Extraordinaire is concerned, since the very first draft, I have:

1. Switched the Main Character.
2. Changed the title.
3. Cut out 72 of the total 78 words (that's 92% of what I wrote that day, gone without a trace).
4. Written 4 drafts in my notebook and 21 drafts on my computer.
5. Cut out any words that unnecessarily tell us what the pictures will show, particularly describing the characters.
6. Written around 28 different stanzas and cut out at least 10 of those because they were either not good enough or just slowed down the plot (not to mention those stanzas that are barely recognisable from the original versions).

What I think is the most important thing I have kept from that original draft, besides Smokey (there wouldn't be any jeopardy without him), is the rhythm.  It was the rhythm more than anything else that caught my attention as I was falling asleep almost a year ago and the rhythm that got me going.  And, once I'd come up with Sir Nibbles, there was no stopping me.  I was hooked.

Until...

I hit a wall.  I'd got the story and the poem as far as I knew how.    Was it done?  Was it any good?  Were the pacing, structure, length and language appropriate?  I had absolutely no idea.  The truth of the matter was, I'd been writing poetry for less than a year and I'd never written a children's story before.  I was certainly no expert.  So, I decided to bite the bullet and send the story off to The Writers' Workshop to let a professional have a look at it for me and give me the honest feedback I needed.  So I got in touch, paid my £125 (although I did wince a bit as I did it!) and was assigned Victoria Lee, who has worked at Reed Children's Books as Publishing Manager for Picture Books and then as Picture Book Editor.  She has also written a fair few picture books for in-house publications herself.  So, I knew I was in safe hands. 

And, you know what, I was actually pleasantly surprised.  And here's why:

'I really enjoyed reading Sir Nibbles, The Famouse Cupboard Raider Extraordinaire. Your strength lies in your word power – you use some lovely words that are both descriptive and fine sounding – combined with concise storytelling. These are qualities I look for in picture book writers.
 You have included gentle humour in the story: I particularly like the way Sir Nibbles grabs hold of the woman’s toe. You haven’t made the story too comical; you have got the balance just right.
 The structure of the story also works well – the tale progresses very clearly from the beginning, through the middle section to the ending. The ending works well, as it is a completion of the story. The final picture the reader has of Sir Nibbles grinning with glee is strong.'

Not only that, Victoria also told me that Sir Nibbles was in the top 10% of the work she receives.  Which isn't bad for my first forage into writing a rhyming picture book.  She also gave me some really good advice on how to improve my work, which I gladly took on board - it seems silly to pay for the advice and then not listen to it!

If you can't afford to pay, then don't worry.  Friends and family are good resources for useful feedback, but there are also free services provided by the likes of The Windows Project Writing Advice Desk at the Liverpool Central Library.  They provide friendly on-the-spot appraisals and details of publishing opportunities, performance venues, workshops and courses on the first Wednesday of every month from 5:30-7:30pm.

Do whatever it takes to get your work to be the best it can be, before you take the plunge and start submitting to agents and/or publishers...