In many ways, writing a rhyming picture book is similar to writing a song. You’re thinking about rhyme, rhythm, and lyricism. You’re imaging the artistic effect that you want the words to have—the way they’ll wash over the reader and evoke a certain feeling.

Song lyrics and rhyming picture books both grow on the tree of poetry, but they represent different branches. Many aspects are related, but writing a rhyming picture book is not the same as writing a song. Why?

Books don’t come with sheet music.

Have you ever opened up a document full of comments and tracked changes and wondered where to begin? Even when you’re excited to begin, revisions aren’t always a linear process, and that can sometimes feel overwhelming. Here’s the system I often use when I’m ready to start revising—and especially if I’m feeling stuck.

In this post, I talk about the editing process, but these tips are equally applicable to working with beta readers and critique partners (and even to other types of writing!).

When you’re writing a rhyming picture book, the rhyme and metre are just as important as the story. But what if you’re not sure how to pronounce the word? You need to know which syllable is stressed for your metre, and you need to know the pronunciation for your rhymes. That’s when it’s time to break out a dictionary! If you’ve only used a dictionary for definitions in the past, this post will teach you how to read a pronunciation guide too.

A picture book wouldn’t be a picture book without illustrations! But the artwork comes into the picture (pun intended) later than you might think. So how do you know when to illustrate your picture book?

The answer depends on which category you fall into: author pursuing traditional publishing, author pursuing self-publishing, or author/illustrator.

On any given day in any given Facebook group for writers, you’ll find posts asking about everything from comma placement to catchy phrasing.

Social media can be an incredible resource, especially when you need speedy input from as many people as you can find. Writers want to help each other, and that’s a wonderful thing. But editing requires expertise.

If you’re asking for editing help online, make sure the answers you get really do help.

If you understand how to form a perfect rhyme and how to write in a clear metre, you have the tools you need to write a rhyming picture book. Now it’s time to make sure that every word of your book is working to enchant your readers.

Can you have “too much of a good thing” in a book? Absolutely. You don’t have to use every good idea you have.

When you’re writing your book, go ahead and indulge your creativity; the goal is just to get your words on the page. When you’re revising, you can pare it back until only the best ideas remain.

But what does that have to do with burgers?

In a picture book, where there’s rhyme, there’s metre. Whether you’re writing in rhyming couplets or a different rhyme scheme (e.g. ABCB), your readers will be unconsciously expecting you to use metre to guide them from one rhyme to the next.

The metre of a poem is its rhythm. More specifically, it’s the pattern and number of stressed and unstressed syllables that give a poem or story its distinctive cadence.

Children and adults alike are delighted by the creative, sometimes unexpected ways that rhyme can add sparkle to a story. Writing an excellent picture book is hard work. Doing so with the added complication of incorporating rhyme and metre is even harder.

This multi-part series will take a look at the things you need to consider to write an effective picture book. In part one, you'll see which books work well in verse, learn to form a perfect rhyme, and get an introduction to metre.