3 Simple Steps to Creating Engaging Illustrations for Your Book

Scene from Chapter 2 of “The Conjurers” middle grade fantasy series.

Middle school books for all ages are not just books for kids. They are books that can be read by any age group and provide a wide range of topics. They have more complex plots, themes, and issues that are more engaging to the reader but still appeal to younger readers as well.

The goal of middle school books for all ages is not to scare anyone away. It is more about catering to different age groups while still discussing relevant topics like bullying, death, or divorce in a way that is accessible to a range of people. Of course, doing this in a fantasy setting makes these topics a little easier to confront.

And I like to think adding a ton of illustrations makes it even more enjoyable for all ages. Illustrated novels have always felt more alive to me. That’s not to say I don’t enjoy a dense spy thriller every now and then. But drawings add another layer of magic.

Take for instance the drawing I posted above. It’s from the opening of chapter two. Now obviously there’s not a ton of action or anything exciting going on, so why include it? It gives a visual punch to the difficult situation our heroes find themselves in: stranded on an island covered with a foreboding jungle. In a split second you set the scene in your readers mind. And as you’ll see in upcoming illustrations, that forebooding danger escalates.

Today I’m posting three simple steps to creating engaging book illustrations. And it’s hard to keep them simple. I could prattle on forever about drawing. Hopefully these are boiled down enough to help. But if you do have more questions, drop me a line.

1. What are you Drawing? What will your Audience Notice?

A well-designed illustration can make or break a visual and textual message. A fascinating drawing could be the difference between average and effective communication.

You could simply pick a random scene from a story and draw it. But if you put in the time and think about why you should draw that scene, it’ll make your book more powerful. Does it enhance the story? Will it create an emotional response in your reader? You may not always know the answer to these questions and that’s fine. The key is putting in the time to ponder them.

2. How Much Detail Do You Want to Include in Your Drawing?

The goal of the drawing is to give a general concept and not a detailed picture. And that’s coming from someone who loves a ton of detail. Here’s the rub. If I added the amount of detail I would like to my drawings, I would never finish them.

A common mistake beginners make is being too detailed in their drawings. They might include a lot of minute details like shading or shading in the background. You can get lost in the joys of crosshatching. The important thing is to stay focused on what you want the drawing to convey to the reader. Once you have that down, adding more is limited by your deadlines.

3. Study other Examples of illustrations online and Trace Inspiration from Them!

Tracing inspiration from others is a great way to get started on your own work.

Looking for inspiration on the internet can be difficult. You can either find something that is far too similar or not in the same style as what you want to create. So, how do you know which images are worth tracing? Well, this is where the study of other examples comes into play. And there are plenty of examples online to look at! One example that most people know about is Disney movies and how they were made with pencil drawings and then colored digitally by animators.

For various reasons, tracing gets a bad rap. People see it as cheating. It is cheating only if you take credit for the drawing. However, when I tell students they should trace and trace a lot, I clarify that this isn’t about taking credit for someone else’s skills. It’s about improving your own abilities. From that perspective, tracing is one of the best methods for training your drawing muscles.

In fact, it’s the fastest way to get better. You still need to study anatomy and perspective, however, including tracing in those studies is like uploading that knowledge straight into your brain.

Next time, we’ll venture into the Conjurian jungle!

5 Writing Tips for Middle Grade Novelists

Illustration from “The Conjurers” book three middle grade fantasy series.

Today’s preview of “The Conjurers” book three comes from the end of chapter one. One of my favorite tips for writing any story is to pull the reader from one chapter to the next. Theres a bunch of ways to do this. My favorite is mini cliffhangars. As you can see from the drawing above, chapter one ends with a ship wreck (technically a “carriage” wreck. If you’ve read the first two books you know what that means).

I try placing an illustration at the end of every chapter. It helps amplify the “what happens next” element of the text. In this case, the reader is left wondering about the fate of our heroes. From a technical aspect, I drew the ocean with a lot more ink than I had in book two. I wanted the drawings in book three to have more bite. The kids are a little older, a little more mature and so are the readers. The heavier lines and tocuh of realism softens the cartoony aspect the previous books.

And here are a few more simple tips for writing middle grade novels:

1. Conduct thorough research and include dialogue and scenes to create authentic prose

We need to ensure that we are not crafting a cookie-cutter story.

The first step is to conduct thorough research and include dialogue and scenes to create authentic prose. We should start with the basics and ask ourselves, what kind of story do I want to tell? What do I want the readers to take away from my article? Who is my audience? What are their needs, wants, desires?

2. Use simple grammar, sentence structure, and vocabulary to make the reading experience pleasurable

This is a beginner's guide to writing in a more human-like way, and it's not as hard as you might think.

The main obstacle is the preference for simple grammar, sentence structure, and vocabulary.

For example, "I love to eat chocolate" is less complex than "I really enjoy the scrumptious taste of chocolate."

We also need to use verbs instead of adjectives when describing someone or something.

Instead of saying "The apple tastes sweet," we can say "The apple tastes delicious."

3. Know your audience and what they like in their books e.g. funny dialogue, character development, or suspenseful plot twists

Know your audience and what they like in their books.

For example, if you are writing a book for children, you'll want to make sure that it is filled with funny dialogue. If your book is more action-oriented, develop the characters so the reader can get invested.

4. Seek feedback from publishers or writing organizations such as SCBWI

Although this is not a group you should join to find a publisher, it will help you narrow down your list of publishers to send your work to. If you are unsure what publisher would be the best fit for your book, SCBWI is an invaluable resource for writers in children’s publishing.

SCBWI stands for the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators and it is an organization that provides resources and networking opportunities to those who want to get started or advance in children's publishing. It also offers workshops, webinars, conferences and regional events for its members.

Every year SCBWI publishes the Writer's Market which contains up-to-date listings of all the agents, editors, publishers, contests, festivals and more in the children’s

5. Take classes on how to write middle grade novels from an experienced teacher so your project can be successful

For those who are interested in writing novels for young readers, there are a few guidelines to follow.

1) You should always come up with a backstory for your protagonist even if you have not revealed it to the reader.

2) There are a few common mistakes that writers commonly make when they build their plots. One of the most common is focusing too much on their protagonist and neglecting other characters or events. This can lead to a story that has no suspense, tension, and conflict.

3) Keep your sentences as short as possible and make sure that you use descriptive language.

4) Use simple words that children can understand instead of big words.

Key Elements of a Good Middle Grade Novel

Some key elements of a good middle grade novel would be:

- The main character should be relatable to the reader.

- The story should have an interesting plot that is not too predictable.

- The book should have likable characters and a happy ending.

- It should focus on aspects of the world that children are most interested in, such as school, friends, family, pets, or hobbies.

Five Bonus Tips for Writing Great Middle Grade Books

1. Write with a child's voice in your head

2. Ask yourself, "What would make this an interesting story?"

3. Make sure all the stakeholders are on board before you start writing.

4. Aim for a diverse cast of characters to help readers see themselves in the story.

5. Create a full character arc to give readers someone to root for.

That’s it for today! Again, send any and all questions my way and let me know if you’re enjoying these posts.