Writing Exercise/Understanding Your Perspective by Jean Reidy

As my six-year old daughter and I end a short, TWO-day school week that was actually TOO long (LOL), I think it's quite appropriate to feature Jean Reidy, author of "Too Purpley!" and "Too Pickley!" I think she has just the right perspective to understand what too much is! I hope you enjoy Jean's exercise on perspective.

*.*.*.*

Picture Book Writing Exercise - Understanding Your Perspective by Jean Reidy

I'd like to take a poll. How many of you are teachers? How many are librarians? Parents? Childcare providers? How many of you once were kids?

This is terrific because you have this marvelous window into childhood and children.

However, it’s interesting how easily our perspective can get in the way of our writing. So often we want to teach or discipline or judge or convey a message. And this can get us into trouble as picture book writers.

So how do you get over your perspective? Well first you need to understand your perspective. Here's an exercise to help you do just that.

Choose a beloved picture book, like WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE or KNUFFLE BUNNY or maybe even TOO PURPLEY! and rewrite the story from an exaggerated adult point of view, teacher point of view, parent point of view - whichever most closely resembles you. Keep that adult thinking cap tightly on your head and really let those lessons, frustrations, messages and judgments fly from your pen to the paper.

What will this do for you?

Even the most exaggerated perspective holds at least some semblance of your actual point of view while writing your book.When you understand your perspective more clearly, it can’t sneak up on you in your writing.

NOW,  here's the skinny on Jean:

Jean Reidy's been told that a naughty little kid lurks somewhere inside her ... and she takes that as a high compliment. She eats crunchy peanut butter by the spoonful while she writes from her home in Colorado. You can visit her at www.jeanreidy.com.

Her books include:

TOO PURPLEY! (Bloomsbury 2010)
TOO PICKLEY! (Bloomsbury 2010)
MY OWN LITTLE PIECE OF THE UNIVERSE (Disney Hyperion 2011)
THERE'S A CORNER IN MY HOUSE (Disney Hyperion 2012)
TOO PRINCESSY! (Bloomsbury 2012)
Shop at Amazon.com!