I love it! The title alone, PENGUIN CHA-CHA, makes me want to read it!
I love revision, because only then do I feel what was in my heart really comes out on paper.
Great post! I too can't wait to read Penguin cha cha. Be open to huge change should be stamped on first drafts. Thanks!
Very good advice…big things first, little details later. I'll keep that in mind.
I like the process you went through until you found the perfect combination for Penguin Cha-Cha. Thanks for sharing. The story sounds good and the illustrations are beautiful.
Sounds like you had to keep searching until you found the right dance partner for the penguins. Love your illustrations!
The idea of a cha-cha with a penguin is hilarious!
I get lost in revisions as I find my stories can go several ways. Deciding which way to go is the hardest part of revising.
I hear you loud and clear, Kristi. Thanks for the post!
Great post and great girl in the red dress! I've often been told that my idea isn't unique enough – I need to work on that.
I tend to get lost in the details too. You're right, it is so hard to let go of those details when they no longer work in the story. But the stories are better for it in the end. Thanks for your post!
Great post! It makes it much SO much harder to revise when all those nice bits are there that you don't want to move or change. Big picture first is my new mantra.
This is excellent advice! I am in the process of rewriting an old mss AGAIN, trying to get the big idea just right. Thanks for the inspiration!
Thankyou, thankyou, thankyou Kristi for this great post. Now I have an idea of how to turn my book round and (hopefully) make it work better. Am definitely bookmarking this post. Thankyou again!
Thank you Krisi! I needed this one. I'm guilty of getting lost in the minutiae before settling the big picture as an author/illustrator.
Although it has helped me further flesh out those works and expression, micromanaging a page can also derail progress and the natural flow of a story for me. The outcome seems forced.
Thank you again for some wise words from an author/illustrator pro.
I loved reading how your story got from A to B. I definitely spend a lot of time on the details when I need to step back and look at the bigger picture first. Thanks so much!
Oh my gosh! What gorgeous illustrations, especially the expression of pure delight on your little dancer's face!
Details bog me down. I see the over all picture but then when I get to details I can hyper focus and get stuck there, frustrating the whole project. Then, of course, nothing gets completed.
I, too, focus on small details too soon. Great advice to help me remember the better way to write my PB.
Those illustrations of the girl in the red dress are just stunning, Kristi. Can't wait to see more where that came from. Thank you for your tips on re-envisioning my manuscripts…I will surely use them.
Wonderful illustrations and great point! Thanks Kristi!
Thanks for this reminder to stay focused on the big picture. It helps in more ways than just getting that great story!
You are so right, Kristi. It's very tempting to get caught up in delicious small details too soon. Thanks for reminding us to hold back on the details until we're sure the bigger picture is well designed.
This is a great reminder to step back and look at the picture.
My kids just got Penguin Cha-Cha from the library and love it!
Love to hear Penguin Cha-Cha is in your library!
Time to look at the "big picture", thanks for your insights…and beautiful illustrations.
Such great advice! I know that revising will be the hardest for me. I have gotten attached to stories and fixing the small things is my way of procrastinating. Thanks for sharing. love your new book!
Crazy, but I love to revise. Good thing, I have done quite a bit. I am always amazed at how different the original story can be from the final manuscript.
I have the same problem, Kristi, not getting the big picture perfected first. I'd love to get your help with that. Your dancing penguins are very cute!
Kristi, that is such great advice. I do need to focus on the big things first.
Have a clear story vision before you go in for the close up! Great advice. Thanks, Kristi.
Thanks for the reminder, Kristi!
Great post, Kristi. I think focusing on the details is a form of avoidance for me. Dealing with the big problems of structure and unique concept can be daunting so it's a comfort to concentrate on the details and feel as if I'm getting something done.
CORA is another fun one I loving sharing at my school visits. I'm visiting a school in a couple weeks that is making pancit for the visit!
I tend to get lost in the details. Thanks for the reminder. I'm going to look again at manuscripts with eyes on the big picture. Thank you, Kristi!
Kristi, this sounds so similar to the way in which I work through a MS. I nurture a version to long and then start a revision. I was worrying I was wasting time but this makes me see the good side of getting lost in those versions of a story. Thank you for a great post!
Your art is splendid, Kristi!
Fascinating look into your process, Kristi. Revisions are hard work but so, so worth it. Thanks!
You're right, it is so easy to miss out on seeing the big picture. Sometimes, though I don't know what that is and can only figure it out by digging into the smaller problems of the manuscript. All in all, a matter of trial and error.
Kristi, I couldn't wait till Christmas to give PENGUIN CHA-CHA to my 18 month old niece. She pointed out all the penguins. Great picture book!
Yay! I'm so glad she liked the penguin book, Manju! And it was wonderful to meet you at the SCBWI Member Luncheon!
Very helpful post! I find it so much easier to look at the big picture with manuscripts I'm critiquing than with my own! Looking at the big picture first is a great idea.
I love your illustrations! Thank you for sharing your process.
Look at the big picture – what great advice, Kristi! Like you, I have found myself concentrating on the details and end up with an unsatisfying story. I'm going to make a conscious effort to follow your advice – thanks!
Cute illustrations! Thanks for sharing your process from first draft to final product.
Love your illustrations – and the story idea! Thanks for the post.
Thanks for the advice and for sharing the story behind PENGUIN CHA-CHA. I love hearing how a book developed!
This totally describes me: easily lost in details when I should be looking at the big picture. Great advice–thanks!
I love penguins and dancing. I needed your advice:) Thank you.
Thanks for the great advice, Kristi, and congratulations on PENGUIN CHA-CHA. The illustrations are gorgeous, full of sweeping movement.
Great reminder to stay out of the weeds at the beginning of the process. There's plenty of time for that in revisions. 🙂 Thanks!
Love the illustrations so much! Good advice too!
What a fun post! And I love those illustrations! Thanks, Kristi!
Great post. Love your illutrations too! Thanks for the great tips.
Thank you for your advice. Your book looks absolutely beautiful.
Kristi – Thanks for sharing your process, providing advice and granting permission to tackle what's next in the way that suits each of us best. Terrific post.
I'm guilty of looking at the little things first. I'm going to work on stepping back and really looking at the whole story first. I think this will take some work but I need to do it.
Hi Kristi – I love your illustrations! Thanks for the advice!
I'm so glad you didn't give up after the first attempt with dancing penguins. Thanks for sharing your story!
Thanks Kristi! I appreciate your approach for revision. The details can be so tempting!
Girl in the red dress illustrations are amazing!
I will need to get better at ignoring grammatical problems and looking at the big picture when I revise my stories, which is a very good idea.
Thank you for helping me understand to take revisions in bits. Your Penguin Cha-Cha is wonderful! Consider one sold to me!
Oooooooh! YOu sure do draw children!!!!
Thanks for telling us to work the way we do. It seems to work pretty well . .
Such helpful advice. Thank you Kristi. Your artwork is stunning!
I wish Penguin Cha-Cha was already out! I also tend to get stuck on details. Last night I solved that by drawing in the near-dark. Since I could barely see, I could only focus on the big shapes in my drawings. And they don't look to bad in light of day either!
PENGUIN CHA-CHA is already out! It came out in August, 2013, so it should be in your local bookstore (and if not, they can order it). What a fun idea to draw in the near-dark!
Loved reading about your revision process and seeing the big picture first. Your illustrations look adorable!
Thank you for sharing your process. Love the illustrations!
I hope to submit a dummy sometime within the next year so to hear anything about the process is awesome 🙂 Thank you for sharing!
Great post, Kristi! Especially true for those people who write in rhyme. It can take weeks/months to perfect the meter and it is all a waste if plot line changes. (i learned this the hard way!) Now I show my agent a very rough draft!
Also loved seeing how your penguin story evolved!
Such a good point, Corey! That's another reason why writing rhyming picture books is so dang hard.
It is hard to remember the big picture! Thank you for the reminder! I look forward to reading Penguin Cha-Cha–looks like much fun!
Very helpful advice. I tend to get stuck in the details too early.
Your new book looks like it must have been a joy to illustrate!
Love it, the process and the book. My granddaughter is going to love Penguin Cha-Cha!
Not sweating the big picture or small details. Just writing. Thanks, Kristi.
Thanks! I love hearing every one else's process. Penguin Cha Cha looks terrific.
I also have trouble looking at the small details too soon. Thanks for the reminder to get the big picture first.
What a cute concept! I'll have to pick up a copy. As creative people we're all so different…there's no formula for the best way to edit. I think the most important thing when it comes to "the process" is do what works best for you!
I too have issues with "Big Picture" thinking. I tend to go by instinct.
That said, you make fair points in the post above.
Sometimes I think writers (Myself included) don't like revision because even when you KNOW what's wrong in the "Big Picture" knowing it, and being able to fix it, are sometimes two different things…I too can't wait to read the book featured above and your others.
My kiddos loved Penguin Cha-Cha! Thanks for sharing!
Kristi – What an excellent point! I am so prone to getting caught up in the details instead of looking at the big picture – I really needed this reminder. Your illustration of the girl dancing in the red dress is gorgeous. I will be sure to read PENGUIN CHA-CHA with my daughter.
I enjoyed reading your post today and also found your fun and fabulous blog through your website. Your new book of dancing penguins looks like so much fun. Love your drawings too. Wonderful work and a lot of joy revealed.
They need to make an adult version of that red dress w/ the yellow polka-dots. That, or one for a kid for Halloween.
You are correct, every idea has to be unique to survive in the market. So true! I'm taking Julie Falatko's advice and merging some of my PiBo ideas together. It's worth a shot. 🙂 If that doesn't make things unique I don't know what will.
I want my red dress as a real dress too! In a picture book I just illustrated written by Danielle Steel, there's a whole lot of fashion so I got to design lots of dresses I wish I had in real life!
Ah, a graduate from CCAD! I'm originally from Columbus and know their reputation. Like you, I fix grammar & wording & need to get big picture earlier! Would love a big pic crit of one of my mss! Penguin Cha Cha is so cute- I love the penguins dancing and tapping!
Thank you so much Kristi! You inspired me to redraw a face this morning. I also love faces! And characters! Thanks for reminding me to strike the balance in my work.
Lovely post and I also enjoyed your beautiful illustrations. Thank you!
Thanks, Kristi, for a thought provoking post. I'm glad you indicated that not every approach is right for everyone. My mother used to tell me I did things the hard way, but they didn't seem hard to me. Blessings your Christmas celebration!
Indeed we can get buried in the details and not see we have a flat story or just an incident. I like how you shared the story process in finding the right framework to make your idea a home run..Thank you for sharing.
It was good to read how many different versions your penguin story took. I am trying all different versions on a story of my own and I'm beginning to feel confused. Pieces of one version are great as well as pieces of another. I wish I could just combine the great things into one great manuscript, but it's just a bit harder than that.
Most of the time I feel that my stories come in full-blown, but then after I settle down and look at it with fresh eyes a week later, I see it's going to take time. So glad I could help inspire you to revisit your older ideas!
Kristi, I absolutely adore this spunky girl in her swirling red dress! She has so much attitude and JOY! Thank you for creating her!
Seeing someone's process is very helpful! Thank you for sharing.
I will remember that: focus on the big picture. Thanks.
Thank you for sharing your process. Revisions are so important to a good story. I have watched some of my own writing start as one thing, and through revision, become a completely different story. So I definitely can relate to your post. Thank you again and best of luck!
Love your illustrations — especially of the girl beaming. It's true, I do get lost in the details but have learned too that it's important to nail down the big picture first. Thanks for the reminder.
Kristi, Your art work rocks! I wish I could draw. Thank you for sharing your process and reminding us about the big picture!
What a great post! This is a great reminder.
Thanks for a great post. It is so nice to hear of someone else (especially someone with such a lovely book published) who struggles with the same issues. Revisions are rough, especially once you have the art. Thanks for the little kick I needed to get moving!
Cha-cha-cha-CHING! Make the dough, THEN add the chocolate chips! Thanks, Kristi.
Love that analogy! Also, do the hard work of rolling out the dough, cutting out the shapes, and baking before you can frost those cute cut-out cookies and add the sprinkles for eyes!
Kristi, thank you for the words of wisdom. I loved hearing about your creative process(es).
Thanks, Kristi! I tend to get lost in details way too soon. Maybe I should print this article and hang it over my computer!
Big picture first then bring in the details.
I LOVE Penguin Cha-Cha! Thanks for the great post. Getting the story structure to work is always the most challenging for me and just what I was playing with today.
Ok thinking big picture and plot and pacing first. It is easy to get lost in the details sometimes. Thanks for this post!
Thank you so much! Great advise.
Your book sounds adorable, Kristi! This is a great post filled with helpful advice. Thank you so much for sharing with us today!
Such a great reminder to focus on big picture. The details kind of work themselves out after that. Thanks for the reminder and sharing your beautiful work.
Wow, that was a very insightful post. I hadn't looked at it that way, but I have made the same mistakes. Thank you for that great advice!
Kristi, this is great advice. I find it so hard to "kill my babies." But lots of those details have got to go in the revision process. Thanks!
Your artwork made me smile!
Great post with wonderful tips and reminders. Thanks!
Love your art. Thanks for the advice, too.
Beautiful illustration (and I love saying "tap, flap, cha-cha-cha.") I think there's value to what you said about maybe having to go through the process with other stories before finding the one that worked….and great advice to look at the big picture.
Thanks, Buffy! I was just looking at your website and list of books the other day. Great to meet you here!
Your artwork is beautiful. Wonderful advice.
This sounds like a funny book! Thanks for the great tips too!
Great post about the revision process. It's a long haul, but it's worth it!
I LOVE your line work in your illustrations!!!
I read Penguin Cha Cha. Read it again and again. I got lost in the illustrations, in the emotions Julia felt, in the minds of those sneaky penguins. I loved her being in the tree — great spot to see what's really going on. I read this book backwards and forwards. Loved the story, loved the illustrations. It was a delight to read it. Thanks for creating it.
Also thanks for the tips here. I think many of us delve into the little details first — the grammar, punctuation, typos, word swapping — because when our stories first pour out, we're so pleased. First, because it's there, which influences us to think the second, that it's so good. A week or so away from the ms, and we realize it certainly does need work. Your post will help me dive right in to improve my mss without having to wait those weeks.
Thanks, Carol, for your enthusiasm for PENGUIN CHA-CHA! You're so right that we think the manuscript is wonderful when we first write it. And then I think we sometimes need that week away from it to see it with a fresh eye. It's so hard to set it down for a week though!
Love the illustrations! I actually followed your lead about making postcards when I saw the article on your site!
Oh good! I'm glad to hear the postcard article was helpful.
Thank you for such an important reminder! I often go for the little details first, and spend a lot of energy on a concept that is probably not ready to fine tune! I will work harder to look at the big picture first from now on. Great idea!
Great advice about the big picture and doing a bit of research to make sure your great idea isn't already in print. Beautiful illustrations!
Great post! Thank you! I needed this reminder. I tend to hone in on the littlest things first. I know that's not how you are supposed to do it, but sometimes I forget. Good reminder.
Thanks so much because this posting I'm sure we all can relate to. It's very easy to get side tracked by all the small details and lose sight of the big picture. I really appreciated also the importance of speaking to your agent about these things before you start. It's wonderful to have an ally/professional in the industry to bounce things off of first. Great advice!
Kristi, your art is gorgeous! I can't wait to read this one. And your comments ring true, as it's also taken me years to realize that I was spending too much time on refining the details before putting the big picture craft issues in place. Terrific post!
It sounds so cute! Congrats on your book. And you are right that often we don't want to change what the real issue is. I have that problem… hummm….
Great post. Love your advice. Thank you for sharing how initial plotlines for Penguin Cha-Cha faltered. I would love to hear sometime how you overcame it and were able to keep finding new angles.
Great idea for another post!
Your dancing girl is beautiful. Neat to read about the changes you made.
Wonderful advice to pause and step back! Thanks for the inspiration!
I am SUCH a tree person – thanks for reminding me to look at the forest first (or at least at some point LOL). Great post – and Penguin Cha-Cha looks WONDERFUL. Thanks so much!
Thanks, Kristi! I love the joy and movement in your illustrations. Lovely! And I copied down the list of "big picture" items like pacing, plot, and strong or unique concept to refer to as I consider my ideas.
Your work makes me long to be an artist. Loved the post, thanks.
Kristi! Always been a giant fan of your lovely work! Great advice. I know about big picturing, but need to be reminded constantly! So thanks for that!
Being open to changes is essential, and sometimes it is a gift. Love your illustrations! Thanks for a wonderful post!
Kristi enjoyed your illustrations, as well as your suggestion to look at the big picture when writing. It's easy to get caught in editing minute points.
It's good to know that someone else's stories warp inot completely different ones than they were at the beginning.
I just love your style of illustrations . . . especially the girl's expression and her "dancing skirt"! Thanks for your words of encouragement!
I appreciate your suggestion to start with the plot, characters, etc, first — before jumping into editorial mode. I think sometimes we jump the gun on this, especially those of us who are good with grammar, etc, because it can be less of a challenge than telling a compelling story!
Thanks, Kristi! Love your work!
Fabulous advice. I love the movements in your artwork. Very light and expressive. Thanks, Kristi, for sharing your thoughts with us.
Oh, wow, do you have me pegged. Okay, back to looking at the overall concept for the 5 picture books whose ideas are shouting for my attention out of the 30+ ones that appeared on my horizon through PiBoIdMo! Thanks!
Thank you for sharing the earlier versions of Penguin Cha-Cha; it's so interesting to see how a story progresses! Thanks for the big-picture advice!
Sometimes I just let the words fall where they may in my first draft and sometimes I revise as I go. I think, for me anyway, it has a lot to do with how I feel about a particular idea. Congrats on your newest book and thanks for a lovely post of things to keep in mind during the writing/revision phases of our manuscripts!
Your advice here has really hit a chord. I am going to go back through my ideas and play around a bit. Thanks!
I really needed to read this advice today! Thanks, Kristi! Sometimes, seeing with new eyes and making the necessary changes is difficult but it's all part of the process. And like you said, it helps one become a better story teller.
It is reassuring to know that others have stories that have morphed more than once from their original idea. Thank you for letting us know that this is not a bad thing!
Thanks for the post, Kristi! My current story has gone through a similar transition. It's good to know that a good idea can have many iterations before the final story is written!
I never looked at revision as details vs big picture, but I will from now on. Thanks for shedding light on your process and sharing your gorgeous illustrations.
I tend to get lost in the details too. Thanks for the reminder to work on the big picture first.
Kristi, your timing is perfect. I started in on some of my ideas and was immediately bogged down in the details. Time to let them go and get to writing! Your book looks absolutely delightful. Thanks for the great post!
It is so easy to get caught up in what's grammatically correct instead of looking at the big picture. I do it every time! Thanks for the reminder and helpful post! Penguins ChaCha looks absolutely adorable…thank you for sharing!
I love your final story and the beautiful red dress! Thanks for sharing with us the details of getting from your first idea to the final "big picture" story.
Totally agree with this approach! Love it.
I like your Big Picture revision process. Your illustrations are gorgeous.
I am new to the pic book writing scene. This post helped…..I think!
What a wonderful post! Thank you so much!!!
Thank you so much for your wisdom Kristi. It has inspired me again to look with new eyes at my stories.
I love the movement in your illustrations! I have been working on writing and illustrating pb dummies, as well. Great tips – thank you!
Your advice is dead on with me. I also get lost fixing tiny things to make a perfect story that just plain Does. Not. Work. And may I say, the Dancing With the Stars wardrobe department has nothing on that Penguin ChaCha girl's dress!! Sweet!
Ha! Some of their outfits are pretty amazingly gorgeous already, but I'd love to design the Dancing with the Stars clothes. I'm make them far more modest and lots of fun!
Great illustrations and a great story. Thanks for sharing!
I do like these post pibo posts. Thanks for this one and good luck with your books.
Great post, Kristi. You gave us the big picture and the fun details. Thanks!
Thank you, Kristi for such a helpful detailed post. I know exactly what you mean and I am training myself to get a solid idea down first before I spend many hours doing changes to stuff that shouldn't be on the page.
Kristi, thanks for the helpful post. This is great advice!
I've done the exact same thing…tweaking before the big-picture is figured out. Thanks for the reminder that we all have our own ways!
I love your illustrations, Kristi! And am astounded that I draw the face first instead of the body. I will certainly practice doing the body first. I guess my thought was spending all that time on hands, feet, and body could be ruined by a wonky face. But thanks to Photoshop we can cut and paste the right face on the right body!
I draw entirely in Photoshop, even my sketches. So I move things around a lot. But it still helps to quickly get down the whole drawing before focusing on the details. That said, I don't do color studies ahead of time very often like I should to truly stick with the big picture first. I'm a fly by the seat of my pants gal for color since editing is so easy in Photoshop.
Happy to see I'm not the only one missing the forest for the trees. Love the art for Penguin Cha-Cha!
Thanks for sharing the process. Looks like a great book. Will definitely check it out.
Tara, Thanks for keeping the inspirational posts going, and Kristi thanks for the motivational message and the revision suggestions. Looking forward to reading Penguin Cha-Cha.
Thanks for letting us peek at your process. Love the idea of penguins dancing!
And you can still salvage lovely bits from your initial story for future stories. I've done that.
Your illustrations are gorgeous, Kristi! Love Penguin Cha-Cha! I came across it not too long ago at the library. Two thumbs up!
Love to hear it's in your library!
Great reminders, Kristi. Look at the big picture instead of bogging down in detail. I can see that's what I've done on at least one of my stories last month. Back to work. Thanks for all the help. Ditto, Tara. Learning so much each day!!
Your penguin book looks wonderful. Thank you for the post and your encouragement.
Great post, Kristi! Penguin Cha-Cha is a really fun book and I love your illustration style. So true about the process–it definitely takes time!
Its good to know what the big picture is, what we should be aiming for, thanks!
Great post. Love your illustrations. Thanks. And thank you Tara for "stringing' us on with PiBoIdMo. Don't want it to end.
Too true – thanks for this post! I need me some cha-cha-ing Penguins in my life.
Great post. I LOVE your dancer–she's beautiful!
Congrats on Penguin ChaCha! Neat to see the evolution of the story. I think I may be resisting that on one of my pre-PiBoIdMo MSs and maybe that's why I can't square away the ending. Love your cute, little penguins and their new, human partner! Her skirt lines are so fluid and spontaneous! They beautifully match and compliment her expressions!
This is a great example of the evolution of a story and how it can transform into something unique. I love the movement and expression of your illustrations Kristi. Best of success with Penguin Cha Cha.
I love your illustrations! Can't wait to read your book!
I think everyone gravitates towards drawing faces first, maybe because we look first at faces when we see someone. At least I do. Maybe some people look first at elbows.
Yay! Go buy PENGUIN CHA-CHA for your aunt! And buy pizza on Wednesdays! Yes!
Thanks for the great post! I'm always a sucker for details, so it's a great reminder – not to get so bogged down that I forget the big picture! Congratulations on Penguin Cha-Cha, looking forward to reading it.
I think I tend to dive into the details as a way to postpone the deep revisions that are usually needed. Maybe the detail work should be the reward for doing the harder work first!
Hi Kristi! Great to see you on here! Way to go! Great tips and so true!
Not wasting time pouring over the difference between the tiniest of word choices before revising the heck out of the storyline itself … makes a lot of sense when I read it, yet oddly has not really ever occurred to me! 🙂 Thanks for the insight!
Yep, this happened to me with a manuscript that I wrote from a PiBoIdMo 2012 idea. Finally whipped it into shape, but would have gotten it done a lot faster if I'd looked at the big picture sooner. Lesson learned!
Thanks for this! I have a tendency to fix the little things on most of my drafts (while I'm tackling the big things). I can't seem to help it. Hopefully it's good practice for later drafts.
You've got me thinking about the big picture…thanks.
The big picture is indeed the first step and sometimes the hardest one to take! Thanks for the great reminder and for sharing your own process.
As an artist first, I can definitely relate to obsessing with the details and missing the big picture. Now I need to apply it to writing as well. Thanks!
Such great advice. I always fail to look at the "big picture" first. BTW – your illustrations are amazing! Thanks for sharing them.
I like that no matter what you do first–details to inspire or big picture to find the right concept–the process helps strengthen stories.
Thanks for sharing. Great advice!
Thanks for sharing your process. Love your illustrations.
Very sound advice; I love playing with the words but often my story/structure is not strong enough. I still have a long way to go but PiBoIdMo has furnished me with lots of new ideas and inspired me keep going. Thank you!
GORGEOUS illustrations, Kristi! I can't wait to get my hands on this book!
Linda, do I know you from SCBWI? Your name is so familiar. Maybe I've seen your books recently. Anyway, hope you enjoy getting your hands on PENGUIN CHA-CHA!
Great advice. So many times we beginners forget to see the overall story before we try to fix it. Thanks for reminding us.
Great post, Kristi! I agree–ideas are the heart of a story. Without a solid idea, the other components of storytelling don't matter.
Thank you, Kristi! And thank you for sharing your artwork and your process with us!
This is sound advice, Kristi. I found myself nodding in agreement as I read it – yes, I'm guilty of playing around with the small details. Thanks for reminding me of the importance of looking at the big picture.
Great reminders. Thanks for posting!
Kristi, I love your dancing girl and her penguins! There is so much joy in your art.
Thanks for your words of advice. I find it very difficult to even write a draft, I want to correct and edit as I go which can be very discouraging. I am continually reminding myself to let go of the details. I guess I am not the only one that must do this!
Thanks for the confusion at the end…haha! I agree, if you get the big picture right, the details are the fun part.
Thanks for sharing how your idea changed and became Penguin Cha-cha.
It's fascinating to hear about the evolution of the Penguin Cha-Cha storyline. Congratulations on your publication! Thanks for sharing.
A colorful & encouraging contribution!
Thanks for a great post. It is so natural for me to see the details…both in picture books and in life…rather than the big picture, so your advice really hit home. Plot is the hardest part of writing picture books, at least for me!
Great post! I have such a tendency to be so picky with the details while I *avoid* the big picture!!! I'm getting better at looking for the big things. Thanks for the wonderful post. I can't wait to read Penguin Cha-Cha! It looks so adorable and fun!
Great perspective, and Penguin Cha-Cha looks like a fun book!
This is a timely reminder for me. I do that too….go over fixing the small details instead of looking at the 'big picture' first. Congrats on Penguin Cha-Cha!
Thank you for the encouragement to not get bogged down in the details. Can't wait to read Penguin Cha-Cha. The art work is beautiful. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for the big-picture inspiration!
Congratulations on your book success! And I appreciate how you explained that the final product was nothing like the original inspiration.
Thanks for the post. Your illustrations for your book look AMAZING, I can't wait to get my hands on it!
Your post is very encouraging. Thanks!
Good to remember that any time spent on a ms. is part of the process, even though it may feel like a waste, it's time well spent.
Thanks for this perspective, Kristi. I often do get bogged down in the details, so will aim to keep the big picture in mind on my next project.
Thank-you, Tara, for keeping PiBoIdMo going while we try to sort through all these great ideas!
Kristin, thank you for sharing your revision story, and how you kept revising until the story was the one you'd wanted to tell.
awesome to see the path of a story nugget to the final book. thank you!
A ha! Makes so much sense. I love learning from your experience. Realizing I have been heading down the same path. Thank you for sharing!
Great advice! I started my first draft this week and I'm sure this will all be VERY helpful. Thanks so much!
So easy to get caught up too early in the details, especially in rhyme!
Kristi, your art is outstanding! Penguin Cha-Cha looks like fun!!
Thank you for the great post! I think critique groups can help with this process as well. I have worked with mine for four years. If they tell me they are not getting the jist of the story then it's time for me to look again…at the big picture.
Yes! Critique groups can be a huge blessing in shaping up a story. Or even an online critique partner. A fresh set of experienced eyes is always a good thing.
What beautiful illustrations! Thank you for the great post!
Big picture! Thank you! That's what I needed to hear today.
Thanks for the great advice! I tend to start with the little details too, and I think it makes it that much harder for me to start over with the story if I have to.
Yes, Too many ideas do give me a headache, and I have trouble trying to decide where do I begin now. Also, liked you book idea about the dancing penguins which reminded me a little bit of Happy Feet!
Happy Feet came out not too long after I created my first draft for PENGUIN CHA-CHA, and I was so disappointed that my fun idea of dancing penguins seemed to be out there already. But then I watched the movie, or rather part of it, and didn't enjoy it enough to even finish the movie. So after pouting a bit, I decided to keep going with my own dancing penguins anyway since they were so different. Glad I did!
Thanks for sharing your journey. I love love your illustrations. The girl is full of personality. Can't wait to read the book.
Kristi, I hadn't really thought about this, but I do believe you're right. Thanks for the good advice, and much continued success to you!
Thanks Kristi for your help laying out the basics besides just writing the story. It does take me multiple drafts to get something unique and I go about it all different directions. A smooth step by step plan would work better. I don't even try the illustrating part.
Yes! It's the big picture that needs the revisions first but sometimes it takes working the small things to see that. Thanks.
great post – very practical advice – thanks!
Great post! And your illustrations are so fun- so full of life and energy! Great work!
Thanks, Kristi, for helping me focus on the big picture. Sometimes I bog down on details when I revise when, like you suggest, it's the idea that needs to be tweaked.
I find this advice very helpful. I also see myself getting so involved in a story that ends up not being very marketable and it's SO hard to tear myself away from it enough to rewrite . . . those tiny little details creep into my mind and it's hard to invite "new ideas". Thanks Kristi!
Is it too late to comment? I'd love a PB critique.
What an adorable illustration. I love the turned down wrists. Great advise too. It's kind of like trying to see the forest through the trees.
Congratulation on you PB success.
Thanks for your fabulous post, I will now focus on the big picture and leave the minor, easier revisions for later. Wow!
I think I first saw your work at the scbwi conference in 2006, were you there? Maybe I just saw it a round that time. Anyway, I've always loved your fluid, energetic lines. Perfect for this story! Loved your part about "wasting time perfecting tiny details"…I need to work on that!
Yep, Gail, I believe I went to the Midsouth and to the Indiana SCBWI conferences in 2006. Thanks!
Thank you for showing us all the stages your manuscript went through. Very interesting!
Your illustrations seem to dance on the page, Kristi. You capture the joy and movement so beautifully! I will need to get Penguin Cha-Cha for my family. Thanks for the advice on starting with the big picture. Your description of getting lost in the writing details is exactly what I have been experiencing, so point taken. Thank you!
Yes, commas can wait. Thanks for the reminder!
Kristi, You are an absolutely wonderful illustrator. I look forward to seeing more of your work in the future. Thank you for the post.
Kristy, thank you for the insightful info about the large story versus details. Love your illustrations.
Great to hear about your process and the "joy" of revising!
Thanks for the advice. Your Penguin Cha-Cha illustrations are adorable!
I love hearing how artists work and the comparison to starting with the face first, and then discovering nothing else fits, really makes sense to me. Thanks.
A great post. Thank you Kristi!
Thanks for sharing your words of wisdom, Kristi! I do focus too much on the details and forget the big picture…all the time. I vow to stand back and see the forest first from now on. 🙂 And next time I see you, hopefully soon, I will have you sign Penguin Cha Cha for me!
I tend to write the story, get opinions then change as needed. Great advice!
Thank you for the advice, Kristi. I'm attempting to messily write three books at once, I haven't arrived yet at the revision stage, but this will be most helpful when I do get there. It's also a great reminder to just do rough illsutrations at the start and not get caught up in being a perfectionist in those roughs.
Those cute little pegiuns make me want to cha-cha right along with them!
Love the illustrations of the penguins! Thanks for your advice. It's too easy to get involved with the non-essential editing part.
Revision is my favorite part of writing. I find it more fun to make an idea better, stronger, richer than I do in getting the idea in the first place. Thanks for your tips, Kristi!
I've noticed that every book I write seems to have a slightly different process to it! Sometimes it's details first, other times big picture, other times a completely backwards approach that somehow results in a manuscript!
At first I thought it was because I didn't know what I'm doing – now I just expect it as part of the process.
I definitely tend to focus on the details. Thanks for the reminder to look at the big picture!
beautiful illustrations and good advice on revision. thanks!
Wow. I really need this reminder. I'm much more of a line-by-line editor, even though I want to be able to put those "big picture" lenses on sometimes. Thanks for this post!
I enjoyed reading your process and how Penguin Cha Cha developed over time. Can't wait to read it!
Great reminder before I start diving into details!
Being a tree person myself, glad for the reminder to look at the forest first, before getting mired among the trees. Thank you!
I absolutely love the guidance here. It is a great reminder for me to keep the big picture insight. Beautiful illustrations! Lovely.
I tend to nit-pick the first draft and bog down before looking at the overall story and marketability. I have started to do it, but this was a perfect nudge and reminder. I read Penguin Cha-Cha when it first arrived at the library new book shelf. Super fun and original! Good job!
Great to hear it's on your library shelf!
Those are great tips Kristi! I think I sometimes tackle the grammar and nitty things because it seems easier than solving the story problems. It's helpful to halt and try to do it your way. Congrats on your book, it looks lovely.
It's so hard to start over when you put so much time and energy into something, but when you get it right, it's worth it. Thanks for this lovely post!
I love the penguin cha cha💃! I (luckily) happened to pick up this book card at the SCBWI in LA this summer and loved the illustrations and the title. It's so nice to hear how this book came to be and get some inspiration from that!
I can't wait to read Penguin Cha Cha! What fabulous illustrations, and a great post too!!!
I have the hardest time with faces…I feel like the harder I try, the worse they look. So I keep it simple. I LOVE your faces. They're beautiful.
Thank you, Kristi. I love your work. I'd also love it if you'd call me daily to remind me to keep to the big picture first when I start in on my dummies! When I find a favorite spot it's so easy to get bogged down there. I hate starting over.
This is the exact advice I needed today sitting here in a pile of manuscripts each needed more work after so much work has gone into them. Thank you Kristi for a better process.
I love your illustrations! Thank you for the advice.
Very timely post for me. I can easily get bogged down in the details and ignore the big picture. Thanks!
Thanks for your big picture ideas. BTW your big pictures are lovely and the book looks like a lot of fun.
I love your post, it is wonderful like your illustrations.