2024 Picture Book Writing Challenge
What it is:
The 2024 Picture Book Writing Challenge is a year long challenge to write 10 new picture book manuscripts in various genres. Accepting the challenge will allow you to join a community of picture book writers, learn about different structures and forms of picture books, and push yourself out of your comfort zone. Plus it will be fun!
How it Works:
Register by commenting on this blog post. At the beginning of each month, I’ll share a guest blog post with information about that month’s genre of picture book. I will then share a top ten books list and a guest post or two from authors who write that type of picture book. Challenge yourself by writing a complete picture book manuscript in that genre! It doesn’t have to be perfect! No one else has to see it! Have fun with it! (This is a personal challenge for yourself, and no critiquing or sharing manuscripts is involved.)
Outcome:
By the end of the year, you’ll have 10 new picture book manuscripts! And hopefully you will have been pushed out of your comfort zone, tried something new, and had fun doing it.
The Schedule:
Fable Retellings
Movement Picture Books
Mindfulness Picture Books
Environmental Picture Books
Community Picture Books
Identity Picture Books
Picture Books about Milestones
Picture Books for Older Kids
Scary Picture Books
Why You Should Try Writing Scary Picture Books with Bree Despain
The Secret to Writing Scary Stories for Children.......Humor with Ashlee Ridlon
Religious Picture Books
(Coming Soon)
Check out these blog posts from 2023!
Social Emotional Learning Picture Books
Expository Nonfiction Picture Books
Journey Picture Books
Memoiristic Picture Books
Global Historical Fiction Picture Books
Mystery Picture Books
Chronological Picture Books
Family Tradition Picture Books
Activism Picture Books
Holiday Picture Books
Check out these blog posts from 2022!
Concept Picture Books
Cumulative Picture books
Wordless Picture Books
Picture Books with Surprise Endings
Dual Narrative Picture books
Historical Fiction Picture Books
Picture Books with Refrains
Nonfiction Science Picture Books
Board Books
Epistolary Picture Books
Check out these blog posts from 2021!
Fractured Fairy Tales
Biographies
Picture Book Poetry Collections
The Joy of Writing (and Reading) Picture Book Poetry Collections by Sam Smith
From Inkling to Inked: Crafting a Haiku Collection by Betsy Snyder