Planning Pictures for Your Story

Picture books, comics and illustrated stories use words and pictures to tell the story together. If you want pictures in your book, a little planning makes them much better.

Pick the moments that matter

You can't draw every sentence, so choose the moments readers will most want to see. Good picks are big surprises, funny moments, new places and the first time we meet a character.

• The opening scene, so readers can step into your world.
• The moment the problem appears.
• The most exciting or funniest part.
• The ending, so readers leave with a happy (or spooky!) picture in their heads.

Let pictures show what words don't say

The best pictures add something new. If the words say Fin went into the kitchen, the picture can show the cat stealing a fish behind Fin's back. Now the reader knows something Fin doesn't!

Write a picture note

For each picture you plan, write a short note: who is in it, where they are, what's happening and how they feel. This keeps your characters looking the same from page to page.