September 2024 - Picture Book People

Picture Book Prompt 69

“Pick an object, describe it … as though you’re an alien who’s never seen this thing before, and have them draw the mysterious thing you describe.”
―Liz Ainslie via Bianca Bosker

If you’re an illustrator, find a partner and do this exercise with them. If you’re a writer, do the exercise in writing; then, share it with a friend and see if they can identify the object from your description.

Picture Book Prompt 68

“A poem begins with a lump in the throat; a home-sickness or a love-sickness.”
—Robert Frost

What most recently gave you a lump in your throat? Write about it from the point of view of a four-to-eight-year-old child.

Picture Book Prompt 67

“I am not in a good place. And I am no painter.”
—Michelangelo

This is more a reminder than it is a prompt. Michelangelo wrote those words while working on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. But he continued to paint. If you sometimes feel that you are “no writer,” but you want to write picture books, keep going. You might just create something timeless.

Picture Book Prompt 66

“I have to tell you this, whoever you are”
—Philip Appelman

What do you really want the children in your world to know? Write a letter to them about it.