When I’m beginning to think about a picture book story, I go straight to a thesaurus and look up the main words that have popped into my mind. It will often send me off in a totally different direction, or give an extra depth to a story.
It’s my version of what Michelle does:
I do use an online thesaurus, but my favourite is still my old Collin’s thesaurus that I bought when I started writing 20 years ago. Yes, it is mine, borrowed by my son when he was studying English for the International Baccalaureate.
I also love The Usbourne Illustrated Thesaurus for children - I bought it for me, not for my sons...
It has fab, often inspirational illustrated entries, like this one on fire. Some, like for ‘fantasy’, ‘pirates’ and ‘space’ have full page illustrations.
In a great article called “ Everything You Need to Know About Writing Successfully – in Ten Minutes,” Stephen King has, as his rule number 5
Never look at a reference book while doing a first draft
Yep! I’d agree, I only use reference books during the thinking, brain storming, note-making process. I don’t stop to check anything while writing a first draft.
But Stephen King also advises
"Better yet, throw your thesaurus into the wastebasket."
Nooo-ooo! I think that would be a terrible
What do you think?
