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| Photo by Taylor Heery on Unsplash |
What genre would I like to try but haven’t yet?
Does it count that I’ve dabbled a little in this genre? It’s not that I’ve never tried it. I’ve just stopped at one story: a picture book. But this summer I’ve had a few more picture book ideas fly into my brain.
My one picture book is a project I don’t quite know what to do with. My husband loves it. I’ve gotten some critiques and recently entered a SCBWI grant for it.
But I keep thinking I’m a middle grade writer. What business do I have writing a picture book?
Yet, at one point middle grade was a great unknown. I had to learn about voice, the market, the genre, etc. I read and continue to read a ton of middle grades. Being a teacher and having to read 100 children’s books to get my degree did give me a good start.
Why don’t I do the same thing with picture books?
I tell myself the market is crowded, so I won’t be able to stand out. At our SCBWI events in Oregon, there’s always ten times as many picture book writers as middle grade and YA. I have heard that agents/editors are not interested in the type of picture book I’ve written. (And, no, it’s not rhyming.)
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| Photo by Steve Johnson on Unsplash |
But all this is self-rejection.
An unfortunate character trait I often display with my middle grade work too.
Why do we do this? We let ideas languish in notebooks and manuscripts waste away in our computer files.
But maybe after I finish this never-ending revision on my current middle grade manuscript, I’ll see if I can turn some of those ideas into picture books.
Maybe instead of self-rejecting or staying in the place where I’m a picture book newbie, I could take a class or read more picture books. I could do what I did to make middle grade come so easily to me now:
Learn as much as I can.
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| Photo by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash |
What about you? Is there a genre you haven’t tried yet? What is holding you back?
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I think it's good to write in more than one genre. Most successful authors do. If you have picture book ideas, you should try writing the stories and see where it goes. You can still write middle grade.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Natalie! Great advice!
DeleteWho knows, that picture book story might surprise you!
ReplyDeleteYes, it probably would. Thanks, Alex!
DeleteIt's easy for us to say GO FOR IT and I know the mental battle that goes on behind the scenes, but will you regret it one day if you don't try? That's the real question.
ReplyDeleteSo true. Sometimes it's good to get out of your head and just do it too. Thanks, Crystal!
DeleteI think we do it all to be creative and it doesn't matter if we share the lot with the world. It's the act of learning something new and trying new things like writing in middle grade or working on a picture book.
ReplyDeleteIt all comes from the same place. I'm happy to say. Enjoy the journey.
Anna from elements of emaginette
Yes, so true. I love what you said about it all being about being creative, emaginette!
DeleteI hope you continue to try it! Rooting for you!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Yvonne!
DeleteMy father used to ask me why I don't write for "real people," meaning adults. I write PBs and MG. The reason is clear to me: I am not drawn to write about sexuality, which is a part of adult reality if one is to write books that delve deeply. I have no compulsion to change from the two genres I am drawn to write.
ReplyDeleteHa! I guess that's what a lot of people think, but writing for kids is very hard. I write for kids for similar reasons, but mostly because that's where my most vivid experiences and inspiration comes from.
DeleteWe can only know the answer if we try. So go for it.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the encouragement, Nas!
DeleteI think books for children are the hardest to write. I've definitely never wrote one, and I don't think I can. But I have the deepest respect and gratitude for the writers who do it. When I was a kid, I appreciated books written for my age specifically, and there wasn't that many to start with. Each one was precious.
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful comment, Olga! The books from our childhood are so precious. They are the ones I remember the most.
DeleteI hate it when people talk about things that are hard as if they're impossible. Picture books may be an extra hard market to break into, but other people have done it. That proves it is possible. So if it's something you really want to do, learn whatever you need to learn, look at the example of others who've already done it, and give it your best shot!
ReplyDeleteHi, Jennie! I'm not sure what a picture book is--a book for children? Where would the illustrations come from? I'm certainly inspired by the creativity of books I read to my young niece. What? Said Grandma was hilarious (if you know that one), and I enjoyed Corduroy as a child.
ReplyDeleteGo for it, Jenni! You're a teacher and well-read in children's literature. I hope you get that SCBWI grant!
ReplyDelete