OH NO!
Got your attention, didn't it? As a storyteller, if you really want to capture the attention of young listeners—if you really want their eyes to widen and their faces to freeze in attention, there’s something your story must contain. I call it the “OH NO” moment. It’s that moment in your picture book manuscript when something has gone wrong for the character. Maybe dreadfully wrong, or maybe just a little wrong. Maybe wrong in a silly way, or maybe wrong in a gasp-and-hold-your-breath kind of way. But the “OH NO” moment makes things interesting. It gives the story a little tension, a little suspense, and sometimes a little humor. I’ve found that when I critique manuscripts for other writers (or my own manuscripts) and the story feels somewhat dull or missing a spark…it’s that “OH NO” element that is missing. Recently I experimented with six three-year-olds, telling them a picture book story aloud. I paid attention to their eyes, which tend to wander all around the room. But suddenl...