THE CHILDREN'S BOOK ACADEMY
  • Home
  • WRITING
    • Craft & Business of Writing Childrens Picture Books
    • The Chapter Book Alchemist
    • New!! Middle Grade Mastery Instant Access
    • Mastering Graphic Novels
    • 2022 Kidlit Palooza >
      • 2022 Palooza Program
      • 2022 Palooza Faculty
  • ILLUSTRATION
    • NEW!! Craft & Business of Illustrating Children's Books Instant Access
    • Never a Dull Moment Workshop
  • TECH
  • About Us
    • Why Us?
    • Meet the Faculty, Lives & GT Judges
    • Testimonials
    • Books by Students
    • Our Bookshop
    • As Seen In
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact Us
  • Blogfish
  • MN Course Access
  • Community
    • Our Bookshop
    • Come Play With Us!
    • Resources
    • Course Scholarships >
      • Yuyi Morales Picture Book Scholarship
      • Andrea Davis Pinkney MG CB Mastery Scholarship
      • Rafael Lopez Illustrating Childrens Books Scholarships
      • Larissa Marantz Merit & Need Scholarship

Mining Memories: 5 Steps to Using Our Childhoods to ‘Write Funny’...by Marcie Colleen

10/25/2013

3 Comments

 
Picture
There is something about Halloween that evokes a lot of childhood
memories for me.

I get a teary-eyed smile when I see the little trick-or-treaters
out gathering their candy. I remember eating donuts and drinking cider while carving pumpkins and toasting their seeds.  Getting all upset when my mom tells me I have to wear a coat over my costume.  Eagerly waiting for “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” to be aired (of course this was before DVDs and On-Demand viewing).  

One particular memory that has me laughing every time has to do
with a robot costume made out of a large cardboard box covered in aluminum foil, a dark driveway,  a vicious poodle and shaky footing. Yeah.  Such great memories.

Of course, any bookstore is just brimming with Halloween themed
picture books right now.  Jerry Seinfeld did a great job of capturing the Halloween experience for those who grew up in the 70s and 80s in his picture book, Halloween.  I question whether it would be enjoyed more by adults than children, but it is really quite funny and obviously autobiographical.

But we aren’t all stand-up comics.  So how do we capture the “funny” from our childhood and turn it into a picture book?

Marcie’s 5 Steps for Mining Memories to Create Funny Picture Books

1) List 5 memories from your childhood that make you laugh.  You know, those stories that get shared at family get-togethers?  Now these should be vignettes.  Moments.  We aren’t going for an epic novel here, only a short picture book.  

2) Pick one of those 5 memories and create a stream-of-consciousness list.  Remember your 5 senses.  Flesh out the memory, listing all you can remember about the sights, sounds, smells, tastes and feelings of that moment.  

3) Regress, yet stay present.  Go back in time.  Reconnect with the younger you.  But remember, this is a story
for today’s kids, not adults, so you want to be sure to have a kid-perspective that today’s kids can relate to. Might require some jiggling.  Not sure kids can relate to the costumes in the “cardboard box with the cellophane top” that Seinfeld talks about in Halloween.  

4) Fill in the holes.  These are stories.  They are based on truth, yet as a writer you are able to take artistic license.  Is your memory foggy is parts?  Who cares!  You are a writer.  Give yourself permission
to write and create.  Embellish and exaggerate. Remember, kids books are about the main character’s BEST or WORST day.  So pump it up and think big!

5) Mash and Twist.  Is your memory about your pet dog?  What if you change it to a dinosaur in your re-telling?  How does that change things?  How does that add humor?  Have fun with it.  Think of Peter Brown’s Children Make Terrible Pets.  It was inspired by a childhood memory, however I don’t think Peter was ever a female bear or that he was captured in the woods by one.  Yet, he twisted the memory and what we have is a brilliantly funny
book.  Remember, you are telling a story here.  Up the ante to up the fun! 

So what are you waiting for? Mine those memories and have some fun!

PS.  A very special thank you to Brianne and Marissa for the use of your childhood photos!

Picture
In previous chapters Marcie Colleen has been a teacher and theatre
educator, but now she splits her days between chasing the Picture Book Writer dream and chasing toddlers on the playground as a nanny. Both are equally glamorous!

Her blog, The Write Routine and her Teacher’s Guides, can be found at www.thisismarciecolleen.com.  You can also follow her on Twitter. 
Additionally, Marcie is the Education Consultant for Picture Book Month. She  contributes the 4th Friday of the month, as a Blogette, right here, posting on humor in picture books.

She lives with her fiancé and their mischievous
sock monkey in Brooklyn, NYC.

3 Comments
Wendy Greenley link
10/25/2013 12:48:03 am

Great post!

Reply
Donna L Sadd link
10/25/2013 02:29:06 am

Great tips, Marcie, especially with PiBoIdMo approaching. :0)

Reply
Monette Pangan link
10/25/2013 04:34:22 am

Love the tips! I should print them out and keep them on my cork board for days when I get stuck. Thank you =)

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Meet the Friday Blogonauts

    First Fridays will feature Bryan Patrick Avery, published writer , man of mystery, and professional magician among other things.

    Second Fridays will feature  awesome multi-award winning author Marsha Diane Arnold who will be writing about character-driven and/or nature-based books and/or anything she likes :)

    Third Fridays
    will feature independent Aladdin/Simon & Shuster editor Emma Sector who has helped bring many books into the world.

    Fourth Fridays will feature the great Christine Taylor-Butler who has published over 70 award-winning fiction and non-fiction and nonfiction books including the acclaimed new middle grade series - The Lost Tribes.

    Fifth Fridays will feature the fabulous Carl Angel award-winning multi-published Illustrator and graphic designer.


    Join our Tribe

    and receive 7 Steps to Creative Happiness, access to free webinars, and lots more!

    Your email addresses are always safe and respected with us.
     
     

    Follow our Blog!

    Enter your email address:

    Delivered by FeedBurner

    Archives

    January 2019
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013

    Categories

    All
    Art Technique
    Authorartist
    Author Platform
    Author Visits
    Bitsy Kemper
    Book Marketing
    Books For Children
    COPPA
    Creative Flow
    Digital Books
    Diversity In Children's Books
    First Voice Multicultural Children's Books
    Illustrating Your Own Story
    Independent Publishing
    Magic In Books
    Marketing
    Maya Gonzalez
    Middle Grade Novels
    Picture Books
    Picture Books And Death
    Print-on-demand
    School Visits
    Self-publishing
    Understory
    Writer Platform
    Writing
    Writing Exercise
    Writing For Children

    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
Picture
Discover
Why Us?
Courses
Blogfish
Book Shoppe
About Us
Meet the Academy Faculty
Community
Contact Us

Privacy Policy
Join Us
Social Media
Join our Community and receive a fabulous free gift, yummy newsletters, scholarship info, contests, and more!

Like us on Facebook 
Join our interactive FB Group  
Find us on Twitter 
Follow us on ​Instagram  
Look for us on Pinterest
​
Watch us on YouTube
© 2012-2021  All content on this website is copyrighted. Sorry, all courses are non-refundable.
  • Home
  • WRITING
    • Craft & Business of Writing Childrens Picture Books
    • The Chapter Book Alchemist
    • New!! Middle Grade Mastery Instant Access
    • Mastering Graphic Novels
    • 2022 Kidlit Palooza >
      • 2022 Palooza Program
      • 2022 Palooza Faculty
  • ILLUSTRATION
    • NEW!! Craft & Business of Illustrating Children's Books Instant Access
    • Never a Dull Moment Workshop
  • TECH
  • About Us
    • Why Us?
    • Meet the Faculty, Lives & GT Judges
    • Testimonials
    • Books by Students
    • Our Bookshop
    • As Seen In
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact Us
  • Blogfish
  • MN Course Access
  • Community
    • Our Bookshop
    • Come Play With Us!
    • Resources
    • Course Scholarships >
      • Yuyi Morales Picture Book Scholarship
      • Andrea Davis Pinkney MG CB Mastery Scholarship
      • Rafael Lopez Illustrating Childrens Books Scholarships
      • Larissa Marantz Merit & Need Scholarship