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MO Day #28 Cindy Schrauben Writes What She Loves

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Using Mentor Texts

to Write What You Love

By Cindy Williams Schrauben


As authors we seek out information about the current market – What do agents want? What are publishers looking for? What is selling? It is human nature to use such information to guide our journey. But, sometimes, that practice can lead us astray – away from our true passions and strengths.


I will never forget an SCBWI session in which a highly regarded editor listened to the common advice we had heard on the street including “Don’t write with a lesson in mind” and “Don’t write in rhyme.” After her jaw dropped open, she chuckled and asked emphatically, “Who tells you people this stuff?” And quickly added, “Write what you love to write!”


I love to write in rhyme and my new picture book This Could Be You has a message and no plot (another no-no). I wrote it anyway, but not without careful preparation.


Mentor texts were a valuable tool in my journey, but simply reading them was not enough. Here are a few tips…

  • Find successful mentor texts and ask, “what makes this book work?”

I turned to some of my favorite rhyming picture books like The Three Ninja Pigs by Corey Rosen Schwartz. It works because:

  1. The rhyme is impeccable (if you’re going to do it, do it right).

  2. The rhyme adds to the ‘fun’ factor (refrains, humor, language techniques, etc.)

  3. The rhyme scheme is lively (it must fit the tone of the book).

This mentor text helped me hone my rhyme skills.

  • Study those mentor texts for technique (specifically those areas in which you struggle.) For example, alliteration/assonance, simile/metaphors, onomatopoeia, dialogue, etc.

  1. Write the text out by hand. (you’ll be surprised what you notice)

  2. Read them aloud. (What areas grab your attention? What parts do you read with the most enthusiasm? Why?)

  3. Challenge yourself to write additional pages/stanzas in the same style.

A Girl Like You by Frank Murphy, Carla Murphy and Kayla Harren helped me see how beautiful a book with no plot and multiple characters could be.

  • Strive to emulate those techniques.

  1. Take classes

  2. Attend conferences

  3. Participate in challenges









For Every Little Thing: Poems and Prayers to Celebrate the Day, edited by June Cottner and Nancy Tupper Ling and illustrated by Helen Cann demonstrated how well poetry and rhyme can work in a picture book.


Keep learning…


  • Read blogs and articles written by the authors of your mentor texts. Read their other work, as well.

  • Get feedback, participate in challenges, and study, study, study.

  • Finally, let those books inspire you – if they can make it work, so can you

Last but not least, read every picture book you get your hands on and don’t give up. Write what you love.

BIO: Cindy Williams Schrauben lives in Michigan where she writes books for kids that range from the truly serious to the seriously silly. Before embarking on this path, she held positions as a preschool administrator, teacher, and assistant director of a children’s museum -- always striving to empower kids. When not writing or honing her craft, Cindy might be found dissecting her grandsons’ shenanigans for story ideas, reading on the floor in the bookstore, or eating ice cream… ideally all at once.



PRIZE: Pending...


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