Struggling to write a compelling picture book?

Here's a secret:

YOU'VE BEEN MISSING A CRUCIAL STEP.


On November 8th, learn how to master the missing step of picture book success:

Creating an Exciting, Rock-Solid Premise that Makes Editors, Agents & Readers Say WOW!

Look familiar? Going straight from idea to writing all but assures that you're going to create a manuscript that lacks both emotional resonance and a cohesive narrative flow.

Taking the time to plot out your picture book is a big step forward, so kudos if you're already at this step!

But there's still a big problem:

Plot is just what happens in a story.

You still haven't addressed the most crucial factor: Why should anyone care about this book?

Creating a Rock-Solid Premise is the Missing Step to Success as a Picture Book Writer.

Your favorite picture book authors know this. Now it's your turn to learn this exceptionally important skill.

Join Natascha Biebow, award-winning picture book author & editor, for an exciting workshop that will teach you exactly how to create a rock-solid premise for your next picture book manuscript.

You'll learn the techniques the pros use to create picture books with WOW! - books that are unique, powerful and memorable.

Picture books with a heart. And a soul.

And a WOW!

Natascha Biebow, picture book author, editor and a 2008 recipient of the MBE (Member of the British Empire) for her services to children’s book writers and illustrators.


WHAT'S A PREMISE?

Every great picture book is about more than the basic idea that sparked it and the plot points that see it through to the end.

There's something else. Maybe you thought it was magic. Or an expression of a level of talent you feel you may not have.

You're wrong. It's simply that those books were built on a Premise, not just a series of events leading to a conclusion.

The Premise is the core concept that gives your book a reason to exist. It's what takes an idea that many other writers may have had, and makes it uniquely yours.

On November 8th (with lifetime on-demand replay), Natascha will personally guide you through the process of building your premise.

You'll learn how to:

  • Brainstorm any idea into a rock-solid premise that will bring your unique voice to the story, making your initial idea stronger and more original.

  • Grab the attention of editors & agents by presenting a manuscript with real depth and originality.

  • Use your premise to add drama and tension to your plot arc.

  • Surprise - and delight - your reader.

  • Ensure that the plot is child-centered.

  • Add a powerful emotional core to your story.

  • Make the story universal and marketable.

  • Use your rock-solid premise to craft your book's hook for query letters, pitch parties, editor/agent meetings and more.

Here's how the power of Premise can transform an idea from ordinary into WOW!

Let's look at Laura Numeroff's If You Give a Mouse a Cookie to see the the importance of building a Premise - and how it differs from Idea and Plot:


IDEA The Initial inspiration for the story. The reason why the book is being written.

If You Give a Mouse a Cookie's Idea:

A story that shows young readers how getting everything you ask for is not always a good thing. It can lead to never being satisfied with what you have. And it can wear out the people who take care of you.

Plenty of other books have been written with this idea. And many are very didactic and very ordinary.

If You Give a Mouse a Cookie succeeds because it has a brilliant premise that reveals the core idea in an unexpected way.

Read on.....


PREMISE The unique way you're going to develop that idea into a compelling, marketable picture book with resonance and impact.

If You Give a Mouse a Cookie's Premise:

Instead of a typical parent/child dynamic, the characters will be a boy and a mouse.

The boy (representing the parent) starts the cycle by being polite and giving the mouse something he wants. This compels the mouse (who represents the child) to ask for another related thing.

The book will unfold in a series of humorous cause-and-effect scenes, with the requests getting bigger, and the boy scrambling to keep up. The last scene will bring the reader back to the beginning, showing that this cycle could go on forever unless one of the characters chooses to stop it.

By writing the story in second person (If you give a mouse a cookie, he's going to ask for a glass of milk) the reader will be invited to experience the boy/giver point of view, without telling the reader what to think.

Now - and only now - are you ready for....


PLOT The specific actions that move the characters from scene to scene, and create tension and a satisfying, surprising ending.

If You Give a Mouse a Cookie's Plot:

A boy offers a nearby mouse a cookie. Mouse then asks for a glass of milk, and follows by into the house to get it. After the boy pours the mouse a glass of milk,
the mouse asks for a straw. Then the mouse asks for a napkin and to
be held up to the mirror to make sure he doesn't have a milk mustache, etc. etc.....

Imagine if Laura Numeroff had gone straight from idea to plot.

Would the book be a beloved classic?

Would it have even gotten published?

THAT'S THE POWER OF PREMISE.

SAVE MY SEAT NOW

Price stated will include $20 presale discount!

On November 8th (with lifetime on-demand replay), Natascha will fill in the missing step to your success.

Whether you're writing fiction or nonfiction picture books, you'll be armed with the skill that the professionals use to craft memorable picture books.

Join us for...

The Missing Step to Picture Book Success:

How to Create a Rock-Solid Premise

A Comprehensive Workshop with Lifetime On-Demand Replay & Handouts

Your Instructor: Natascha Biebow

Natascha is the founder of literary consultancy Blue Elephant Storyshaping and Editorial Director of Five Quills Press.

Her deep understanding of what makes a picture book successful has been honed over the past 25 years through her work with such award-winning authors and illustrators as Jane Clarke, Kes Gray, Garry Parsons, Marion Deuchars and Kate Petty.

Natascha is the author of The Crayon Man: The True Story of the Invention of Crayola Crayons, illustrated by Steven Salerno, winner of the Irma Black Award for Excellence in Children’s Literature. Her other titles include Elephants Never Forget, and Is this My Nose?

Natascha has a BA in Developmental Psychology from Smith College and a Diploma in Montessori Early Childhood Education Pedagogy.

She is a member of the SCBWI Advisory Council.

In 2018, Natascha was awarded an MBE (Member of the British Empire) for her services to children’s book writers and illustrators.

SAVE $20 ON REGISTRATION RIGHT NOW!

November
8

Wednesday, November 8th

From the comfort of your home 

  • 11 AM (Pacific)
  • Noon (Mountain)
  • 1 pm (Central)
  • 2 pm (Eastern)
  • Lifetime On-Demand Replay


Price stated will include $20 presale discount!


You'll also get an exclusive PDF handout filled with additional tips, links to industry resources & more!

It's going to be an fabulous workshop. So join us on November 8th (with next-day, on-demand replay).


This session is pure instruction, it's complete (nothing more to buy afterward) and nothing additional will be sold. 

Your purchase includes a PDF takeaway and lifetime access to the video replay.


WOO-HOO! REGISTER TODAY AND SAVE $20!

The cost for everything is just $47! Like any of our WriteForKids Workshops, it will be among the best investments you make this year in developing your writing craft and career.

Please note — this special price is only for folks who register now. Once the class takes place and the recording is put up for sale to everyone else, the price will go up to $67. 

Even if you can't make it live, buying now will lock you in for the lifetime replay at this one-time-only price.

Reserve your $47 spot now by clicking below:

Price stated will include $20 presale discount!

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