On Saturday, I helped excavate a small test pit with my local archaeology group. It occurred to me that editing the first draft of a picture book text is a bit like being on a dig.
- At the start, it's hard to see what's there. You begin to strip away at it.
2. Layers are essential, but some layers just need removing, like this corrugated iron sheet.
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If something’s blocking the flow of your text, cut it out - even if it is easier to leave it in there and walk away! |
3.You don’t want to miss anything, so sieve through it carefully.
4. You are likely to discover many broken things.
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Can anything be pieced together? Discard a lot. Keep some. Either way, preserve a record. You might want to look at things again sometime. |
6. It's hard work, but it's fun, especially if your join in with others who share the madness.
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If you're looking for like-minded and helpful people, check out the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators |
Jane was once an archaeologist, but is now a full time writer. Her latest picture book is Leap Frog, illustrated by Britta Teckentrup. For those who are interested, the test pit revealed a lot of rubbish - but also 3 shards of fifteenth century earthenware, 2 of late Anglo- Saxon pottery and a worked flint (probably Mesolithic). There was no sign of any structure. The dig was carefully recorded on a University of Leicester data base.
1 comment:
Excellent analogy!
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