How to Write a Children’s Book Plot and Plan Illustrations

I share one simple method to kick of your children’s book journey!

Plotting is like building a roadmap for your story, and every story shares similairtes in structure. I share one of my favorite methods to getting started with a simple story structure that is one I’ve personally used in my career.

And don’t worry, this method isn’t complicated. Every year I teach a specialized one-week workshop at an art museum where children as young as six have used this method to craft some incredible results.

In the video we will craft a story together.

How to Write Your Children’s Book Story

Start off by drawing a grid of 4 columns and 3 boxes.

The left column will be labeled Beginning, Middle and End.

Now lightly divide each box in half, these represent a spread (two facing pages in your book).

Not accounted for here is your Title Page, Copyright Page, Series/Dedication Page or About the Author pages, etc. as those will be formatted outside of this structure since they aren’t a part of the story.

Each box will move through the plot points of your story.

1. Introduction to Main Character
2. Problem (Inciting Incident)
3. Attempt to solve the problem #1
4. Failure to solve the problem #1
5. Attempt to solve the problem #2
6. Failure to solve the problem #2
7. Attempt to solve the problem #3
8. Failure to solve the problem #3
9. Main Character is full of doubt and despair
10. A Resolution Happens (Light at the End of the Tunnel)
11. Success for Main Character
12. Ending

Now in each of these boxes, you will illustrate what is happening. With a clear plot the illustrations start to become easy to envision as you clearly know what each page should depict.

A fun addition is visually the book can become darker as we reach the failure and lighter as we pass that moment, visually representing the mood of our main character. Of course, this isn’t necessary but is a fun way to think about how color and tone can help shape mood.

And there you have it!

If you’d like to have a print out of the boxes to fill out yourself join my Patreon page where I share all things publishing.