It's Writer's Wednesday:

Here are more SCBWI Critiquenic Thoughts to Consider while revising your picture book manuscript.

Thought #2 Word Choice: Avoid "began to" - "started to" - "tried to" as they slow the action -- go straight for the verb instead: began to run = ran, etc. Use the active "jumped" over the passive "was jumping."

Thought #3 Watch those adverbs: "walked quietly" could be: tiptoed, skulked, crept, etc. Each word lends a different shade of meaning. A writer's job is to find the exact word to convey the thought or action.

Yes, your writing should be descriptive, but with only 500 - 1,000 words to play with, every word must do more than merely describe. Let your picture book language engage the reader, provide insight into character, and suggest the motivation behind the action.

Check out "Kill Adjectives and Adverbs" for more on descriptive language.