I take this same approach when I am critiquing or studying some else's work. It is challenging to keep a critical eye when everything moves through you at once.
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Here is an example of a Focused Draft list by Jack Gantos, from his book, Writing Radar:

• Point of View Revise for consistency and explore different perspectives.

• Structure Make sure everything is in its proper place.

• Physical Action Revise for believable movement and rising action.

• Interior Life Look for the Internal plot in character motivations, thoughts, and imagination.

• Dialogue Create dialogue that builds well-rounded, believable characters and moves the action along.

• Descriptions Create poetry, and analyze the mood.

• Words Clean out the junk. Jeff Gantos suggests removing 'ands', 'ifs', 'buts', etc. Revise for engaging vocabulary.

• Clean Up and Polish Look for spelling and punctuation errors. Fix the rough parts and remove the repetitious parts.

​xx Cory

We Are Water Protectors is a non-narrative story. A call-to-action to stop the Dakota Pipleline. But instead of calling the pipeline by its name, Carole calls back to Indigenous folklore and refers to the pipeline by a metaphor, the "black snake." The illustrations help make the connection.​

​Imagine if she had chosen a more literal direction. It would have significantly less impact on the reader. The cultural imagery is a window into the ways indigenous people develop a connection with nature through stories. Now, the audience can also interact with the story and develop a connection with the cause as well.

Consider every word choice carefully, with intention, keeping a goal in mind. What is the purpose of your story? What kind of structure is best suited for the purpose? And finally, what words will best support the purpose?

xx Cory

When you step outside your comfort zone, getting stuck is inevitable. In that situation, it can be challenging to see the forest through the trees, as they say, and you may need someone who is in a position to know where you are at from the 300-foot level and point you in the right direction.​

​This kind of mentorship, a one-on-one learning model, is probably ideal for every creative person, but it is also tough to find outside of grade school and university. However, that does not mean that you have no other options.
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In Real Artists Don't Starve, Jeff Goins challenges common stereotypes. He argues,

Creative genius happens in groups. So connect with your peers in a collaborative, non-exploitative way.
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Here are a few ways you can collaborate with your peers:

1. Join a critique group.
2. Start a project with a team or partner, such as a story anthology or book collection. You may even market together through Kickstarter.
3. Co-write a story.
4. Guest post or blog (swap gigs).
5. Share a book event.
6. Write fan fiction.
7. Make a Reel or Tik Tok together.
8. Perform a live event together.
9. Write reviews for other writers.
10. Interview other writers.

xx Cory

Not everyone agrees with this approach. In Writing Magic, Gail Carson Levine says that she doesn't have many story ideas. She preaches,

Ideas are not precious, so if you are not the kind of person to whom inspiration comes easily, there is no need to worry.
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The craft is more important, so is consistency, dedication, and habit. With good craftsmanship, you can make any idea a masterpiece. With routine, you can complete your project and develop skills along the way.

xx Cory

When I first developed the style I used for my coloring pages, I was in a funk. And so I wanted to return to childhood creativity. Return to freedom and exploration.
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And I was going to do it by restricting myself in every way possible.

​The only way I could find the freedom to explore was to remove my tendency to sketch, erase, and correct. As I grew and developed my art, the strategies I learned also caused me to agonize over perfection I could never reach. So I restricted myself to a pen, a single page, and no preparation, setup, or references of any kind.

And this:

I felt good about it, better than I'd felt in a long time about my art. So I decided to explore it again. The result was a series of coloring pages that sprawl out across the entire page.

I see fantasy maps as a potential influence. I have been obsessed with them since childhood. Next, I see Benjamin Chaud, although he did not directly influence these pieces and some old Russian artists from children's literature that I can no longer name.

The key to developing a style is to stop worrying about getting things perfect. I know that advice sounds a bit enigmatic, but in practice, it means that you have reached your destination already, and now you must use the tools you have at your disposal to create. What comes out is truly you, the sum of your experiences, practice, and taste.
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I also stand by the concept that style is developed naturally without any effort at all. You create it over time in an effort to convey meaningful ideas as clearly as possible.
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Good luck on your journey.

xx Cory

Picture books are a great place to learn because children can gather information about the tone from textual and visual clues. Here is how you can convey tone through illustration:

1. Body language. It may be helpful to exaggerate body language in picture books to ensure that the message gets across. I feel this is quite rare, but it doesn't require detailed or complex imagery. Notice the reaction that most people have reading Elephant and Piggie for the first time. Mo Willems animated the illustrations in a powerful way that is surprising to most people.
2. Lighting. Dark lighting may add a touch of melancholy, while light may cast a happier tone. Dark, illustrated by Jon Klassen, uses light to create mystery, fear and even develop the characterization of darkness.
3. Show your readers what to expect from the very first page. For example, introduce characters, describe the setting, convey attitudes towards subjects or other characters without delay.
4. Text size and font style. It is incredible how much tone, mood, and atmosphere you can create with text alone as long as there is the freedom to explore. In the Book Without Pictures by BJ Novak, the author uses text wonderfully because of the limitation imposed on the story.
5. Symbolism. Motion lines, clouds above the head, a sizzle, or smoke, are not just cartoonish details; they are tools to convey tone and mood.
6. Color. Color may change the mood from page to page, but regardless, there is an overall tone that color patterns may represent*.* You may use black and white or even muted tones to express nostalgia. You may use bright colors to convey humor or energy.

There is an opportunity to use illustrations to teach children tone and build their reading comprehension. In turn, these steps will help you develop your story in powerful ways.

xx Cory

​I can think of several reasons to ignore this step. First of all, Maurice Sendak told me I could.

Second, it is a take on storytelling that ​requires you to change, adjust, or fix aspects of your storytelling to fit a specific audience and directly address their response to it.

xx Cory

xx

​Cory

The practice of beginning without an idea does wonders to release creative pressure. And it is easier than it may seem. For example, you may start to write by taking notes on something you read, summarizing a book, or beginning a journal entry. You may begin to paint by working out the details in the process, clipping textures out of a magazine for a collage, or using a reference image.
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One potential pitfall is to search the internet or Pinterest under the guise of looking for ideas. This practice almost always leads nowhere. Instead, do a quick Google search and pull the first image on page 3 as a reference. You could also open a random book from your shelf and blindly put your finger down on the page. Then, use the word or paragraph you found as a prompt.

xx

​Cory

Consider the ambiguity of the following sentence:
"I lost my tooth."

We don't have enough information to tell whether or not this is a good thing or a bad thing.
We can use some of the tools above to help convey the tone.

For example,
"OH NO, I LOST MY TOOTH!!"

"Good riddance, wobbly tooth!"

"I lost my tooth! It wasn't a popcorn kernel after all."

"The taste of blood and the feeling of a tooth rolling around my mouth like a popcorn kernel, left me without an appetite."

"I lost my tooth! It's my first one."
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"I lost my tooth on picture day, and as I sat on the barstool in front of the lights and cameras, I couldn't be happier."

xx

Cory