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Then I convinced my sister to be my writing cheerleader for the day. I planned the day in advance, making sure I had the entire day blocked off for writing and all my other responsibilities taken care of, right down to scheduling pizza delivery for dinner. (It can be tricky to arrange, however, which is why I’ve only done it once!) Here’s how it worked. I did this once and it was really fun and productive. Or I might just find out that the voice I used is the wrong one, and so I need to keep exploring.Īpproach #3: Have a Picture Book Marathon Day How will this story sound when read aloud, and how will it draw the listener in with that voice? (If it were a song, what kind of song would it be?) Will it be lyrical, sweet, funny, rollicking, folksy, sleepy, swashbuckling, heartwarming, or even a little melancholy? Or a mixture of a few possibilities? Often the only thing I find in a rough draft to carry into further drafts is the voice. This is why my primary concern when writing a picture book rough draft is finding the narrative voice of the story. To me, this is a huge sign that they should be crafted in a way that shines in the read-a-loud experience. One thing that is really cool and pretty unique about picture books is that they are usually-not just occasionally, like with novels-but usually, read out loud.

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But, with picture books, I can just go full speed ahead on the first draft, knowing that even if I don’t come up with anything great, hopefully there will be a seed of something special in there, a starting point that I can nurture into something bigger and better through revision.Īpproach #2: Use Rough Drafts to Find the Narrative Voice When I write longer works, I have to do a lot of planning beforehand, to at least try to shorten the amount of time revision will take (doesn’t always work, though, sadly-oh woe is me). It can be a one-sitting writing experience. Because it doesn’t take that long for me to write 500 words or less of an unpolished, unfocused, not-so-great, probably-quite-terrible picture book manuscript. (Them’s fightin’ words in the picture book author crowd.) What it does mean, though, is that I can really wing it on a first draft. This doesn’t mean that picture books are easy to write. Though picture books published in times gone by can run into 1,000+ words (and you might Very Occasionally see a currently published picture book at that length), picture books in today’s market tend to be 500 words or less. So, when I share my methods, please know I don’t see them as gospel truth-just what works for me.Īpproach #1: Just Get Something Really Bad Down on Paper

Other authors will use different approaches. My process for writing rough drafts (or any other step along the way) is just my process. One caveat to begin with-there’s a reason I’m calling these posts “How I Write.” Because they are about exactly that: how I, and I alone, write. Today I’ll go into the next step in the process-getting a rough draft on the page. The best part of the essay process is easing the parents’ and students’ stress level and making it a fun experience for everyone.Hello writers! My last post was about how I come up with ideas for picture books. To date, I have worked with hundreds of students in San Diego County and thousands across the country. I have been editing essays for the past 10 years and I thoroughly enjoy working with students and helping them portray themselves in the best possible light for a college admission officer. I taught high school English at Marian Catholic High School (currently Mater Dei) for six years.Īfter starting a family, I decided that I needed a job with more flexibility, so I began editing essays for seniors in high school who were applying to college. After arriving in San Diego, I received my Masters in Curriculum and Instruction from San Diego State. I am originally from Milford, CT, and I moved to San Diego after graduating from Boston College where I majored in English and minored in secondary education. My name is Meghean Gormley and I live in San Diego with my husband, four children, and my dog Lucy.

Rough draft examples