How to Write Rhyming Picture Books
Three Top Picture Book Authors Reveal the Secret to Crafting Great Verse
"This was the best webinar yet. So much "hands on" info. I haven't been this excited about using new skills in a long time. I loved every minute. . .and twice!"
- Dee H.
"All I can say is WOW! Great information and excellent presentation."
- Norma Jean R.
"Terrific for learning mechanics. Loved the examples chosen. Helped to breakdown for easy understanding. Thorough and easy to follow! Feel very motivated to read and write with the information provided. Thanks so very much for the insight!"
- Carol K.
Publishing Myth #1:
Editors Don't Want Rhyming Picture Books.
The Truth:
Editors love rhyming books.
That's because rhyming books consistently rank among children's best-sellers.
See for yourself:
So yes, publishers absolutely want to see rhyming manuscripts.
They just don't want bad rhyming manuscripts.
Unfortunately, that's typically all they get.
But that doesn't mean you have to follow the crowd. You - yes, you - can create beautiful rhyming picture books, easy readers and poems.
Start your journey now, as three acclaimed authors and mentors will teach you the fine art of writing rhyming picture books and poetry that editors will adore.
"I box in yellow Gox box socks."
Dr Seuss, One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish
Rhyme. When done right, it's as beautiful, captivating and memorable as anything a children's author can achieve.
But rhyming, they say, is hard. Really hard.
At least that's what most writers believe. But for those lucky folks who know The Rhyme Doctors, spinning wonderful verse isn't nearly the battle you might think.
Michelle Schaub, Eileen Meyer and Patricia Toht are three award-winning picture book authors who are masters in the art of rhyme.
The Rhyme Doctors will teach you how to follow in their footsteps, by crafting rhyming picture books, easy readers and poems that will delight young readers.
And blow away editors.
With their award-winning picture books, delightful poems and in-demand editorial service, The Rhyme Doctors are playing an important role in keeping good children's rhyme alive, thriving and growing.
In this hands-on workshop, Michelle Schaub, Eileen Meyer and Patricia Toht will show you that anyone can write superb rhyme - including you!
What makes this workshop particularly powerful is that each Rhyme Doctor will teach a segment focused on their own specialty, giving you an inside look at three distinct rhyming markets:
Patricia Toht, author of such award-winning rhyming books as All Aboard the London Bus, Pick a Pine Tree, Pick a Pumpkin and Dress Like a Girl, will start things off by teaching you how to write fictional rhyming picture books. This is a cornerstone kidlit market, and home to some of the greatest children's books of all time.
Next up, Eileen Meyer, author of The Superlative A. Lincoln: Poems About Our 16th President, Ballpark! and Sweet Dreams, Wild Animals! A Story of Sleep, will show you how rhyme fits beautifully into the world of children's nonfiction. This is a hot market, and Eileen is uniquely qualified to help you start on this path.
Poet, author and language arts teacher Michelle Shaub's award-winning poetry collections include Fresh-Picked Poetry: A Day at the Farmers’ Market and Finding Treasure: A Collection of Collections. Her rhyming picture books include Dream Big, Little Scientist and Kindness is a Kite String. In this portion of the workshop, she'll guide you through the steps of crafting beautiful standalone poetry and poetry collections.
This 90 minute+ workshop will give you the knowledge, tools and inspiration to become part of children's literature's most cherished tradition - rhyming picture books and poetry.
In this comprehensive class you'll learn:
- The 4 things all writers must learn to quickly improve their rhyming skills.
- The difference between character-driven and concept-driven rhyming picture books - and how to work within each category.
- What makes some of today's best rhyming picture books succeed, and how to incorporate the techniques of each book into your work.
- The most important rhyming structures and how to choose the best one for your book.
- Why understanding scansion is so vital - and how to apply it to your work.
- How to pick compelling subjects and incorporate rhyme into nonfiction picture books. (Great for the School & Library market!)
- The right way to write lyrical (free verse) fiction and nonfiction picture books.
- How to write individual poems for magazines and anthologies, or publish your own poetry collection.
- How to determine if your poem is better suited for a picture book or as a standalone.
- Assonance, alliteration, anaphora, consonance and other key poetic devices.
...and much more.
That's a lot of powerful information in one workshop, and you can count on The Rhyme Doctors to make it all easy to follow and easy to put directly into action.
You'll also get a PDF handout that includes:
- Key Takeaways from each of the Rhyme Doctors' presentations.
- A detailed resource list, including full reading lists of the mentor texts used in the workshop and more.
"Clear, well-organized, and packed with information by obvious experts."
- Helen D.
"FANTASTIC webinar. My ideas are swirling in my head. Thank you Eileen, Patricia, and Michelle."
- Charlet J.
Your Instructor
Michelle Schaub, Eileen Meyer and Patricia Toht are three award-winning picture book authors who have teamed up to help writers master the art of rhyming, via their editorial service RhymeDoctors.com.
Together The Rhyme Doctors have published seven rhyming picture books, with five more scheduled for publication in coming years. They’ve seen four poetry collections hit the shelves and their poems have been featured in dozens of magazines and anthologies.
"My head is spinning. loved every word. Thank you for all this information. I need lots of help and I have found an answer by watching your presentation."
- Diane R.
"This was amazing! What a treasure trove of rhyming information!"
- Suzie S.