MO Day #15 Judy Cooper Loves to Learn

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Judy Cooper Shares Thoughts on Learning

“I am still learning” is a quote often misattributed to Michelangelo who was believed to have said it later in life. It is actually from a letter written by Seneca, a Roman philosopher, statesman, dramatist and satirist, when he was almost 70 years old.

So if continual learning was practiced by this distinguished figure in 65 AD, who are we to believe we know all there is to know?

I’ve been actively studying the craft of picture book writing for the past five years, and am still learning and growing in the art. Personally, I believe that picture book writing may be the most challenging genre to write. To quote Mem Fox, “Writing a picture book is like writing ‘War and Peace’ in Haiku. There is so much to learn and put into practice before it becomes ingrained into your automatic thought process.

As a newer writer, if you have never read Ann Whitford Paul’s, Writing Picture Books, you should. It is the Rosetta Stone for learning all the intricacies of the craft. And if you are a seasoned writer, it’s a fabulous refresher course.

Another great book on craft is Steven Pressfield’s, Nobody Wants to Read Your Sh*t: And Other Tough-Love Truths to Make You a Better Writer. Don’t be put off by its irreverent title. It’s a fascinating read in “bite-size” chapters. And even though the information doesn’t directly address picture book writing, almost all of the craft instructions relate.

In Chapter 95, Pressfield teaches, “What are the universal structural elements of all stories? Hook. Build. Payoff. This is the shape any story must take. A beginning that grabs the listener. A middle that escalates in tension, suspense, stake, and excitement. And an ending that brings it all home with a bang. That’s a novel, that’s a play, that’s a movie.”

And yes my friends, that’s a picture book!

If you have difficulty with “telling” instead of “showing”, you may want to invest in purchasing

The Emotion Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to Character Expression. It will assist you in conveying emotion to the reader in a unique, compelling way.

Perhaps you struggle with using language that is more adult versus kid-centered. Then a great tool for you would be the Children’s Writer’s Word Book.

For support and encouragement in living a creative life, treat yourself to Elizabeth Gilbert’s Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear. Gilbert declares that “it’s your birthright as a human being to live a creative life, so do it with a cheerful heart.”

She adds, “You do not need a permission slip from the principal’s office to live a creative life. Or if you do worry that you need a permission slip – THERE, I just gave it to you. I just wrote it on the back of an old shopping list. Consider yourself fully accredited.

Now go make something.”

PRIZE: Judy will be giving away a copy of her Writer's Planner to one luck winner. See link below for more information.

BIO:

Judy Cooper is the Inbox Coordinator/Administrative Assistant for Rate Your Story.

With her passion for inspiring and nurturing creativity in young children, she has designed a curriculum for and taught arts enrichment classes to children in grades PreK-4th.

Judy is a 2021 award recipient of the SCBWI FL Rising Kite writing contest. Her story, The Candy Monster, was selected to be a part of the Make A Wish Foundation’s compilation publication titled, Quinn’s Monsters.

Judy has co-created a weekly planner for writers with Dea Lenihan which you can find at: https://www.facebook.com/commerce/products/i-am-a-writer-planner/5098571093509733