This week I am focusing all of my editing energy into a rhyming picture book that I've been working on for about a year and a half now. I know there are "BEWARE" and "TURN BACK" signs posted all along the road to creating a rhyming picture book. I even tried to go back and rewrite this story several times as a picture book without rhyme. It's just one of those books that has to be told in rhyme.
To be honest, I LOVE this manuscript. It makes me laugh every time I read it. I just have to make sure editors feel the same way.
I spend a substantial amount of time at a site called Rhymezone. I find words that rhyme that I never would have thought of on my own. Although some days I find myself stuck and trying to force a rhyme that sounds pretty lame and only takes away from the story.
Maybe one day I'll post a blog about the journey this manuscript took from the initial thought to its publication, but for now, I'll keep editing. Yes, this part of the writing process can often be tedious, but when I find the perfect word for the perfect sentence, a mundane editing day can quickly become a fun time.
I don't rhyme, but I know what you are going through. In my writing, I try to get a rhythm to the words, and the hardest thing is to make sure a new paragraph flows out of the previous paragraph, especially the last sentence the prior graph. Sometimes I spend twenty minutes or more until I get it right. I look at my books as a ski slope. Once people start reading, I don't want them to be able to stop until the end. I'm sure your book is going to be great. Good luck.
ReplyDeleteNathan, I love that you look at your books like a ski slope. Neat way to put it. The difference between a book with great rhythm and one without can really be amazing. I LOVE to read a story with great rhythm and flow. Good luck with your books. Thanks for your comment!
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