by Michael Mahin | Blog, Character Development, Children's Writing, Picture Books, Story Development, Writing Advice, Writing Exercises, Writing Tips
Whether you like to plan out your stories first, or whether your “story” is something you discover after your first draft, being able to identify what kind of story problem you are exploring is a critical step in refining and focusing your narrative.... 
by Michael Mahin | Blog, Children's Writing, Creativity, Picture Books, Story Development, The Writing Process, Writing Advice, Writing Exercises, Writing Tips
Plotter? Panster? Planster? When I first started writing, I was really obsessed with getting it right. I thought there was a right way and a wrong way to write. So I spent a lot of time reading about how the best writers do it. And it turns out, they do it in as many... 
by Michael Mahin | Blog, Children's Writing, Picture Books, Story Development, Writing Advice, Writing Exercises, Writing Tips
A story question is little more than your book’s theme stated as a question. It’s not a particularly revolutionary idea, but it’s a great trick for quickly and easily determining what your story is about. And why do you need to know what your story... 
by Michael Mahin | Blog, Children's Writing, Picture Books, Writing Advice, Writing Tips
Incidental vs. Cause-and-Effect Action: Do You Know the Difference? This is Part 2 of my look at Ann Whitford Paul’s Writing Picture Books: A Hands-On Guide From Story Creation to Publication (Writers Digest Books, 2009). You can read Part 1, which is about the one... 
by Michael Mahin | Blog, Children's Writing, Picture Books, Writers on Writing, Writing Advice, Writing Tips
Ann Whitford Paul’s Writing Picture Books: A Hands-On Guide From Story Creation to Publication (Writers Digest Books, 2009) is considered one of THE standard books on the craft of writing picture books. (See the Amazon carousel below for some of my favorites). And for...
