The general advice in the field is DON’T DO IT. However, many of us break into children’s writing doing exactly that. The more correct advice is LEARN TO DO IT WELL.

Rule Number One: Have the Right Attitude

When novice writers approach rhyme, they often do it from the idea that it’s easy to make something good enough in no time.

True, some books you read will have rhyme that you could write in your sleep (for a discussion of what’s going on when you see that, click here.) But, you won’t rise out of the slush thinking that way.

My agent once said that some of the books he represents make him thankful that the author was born. Aim for that.

Rule Number Two: Learn Your Stressed Syllables

Rhyme only works if everyone reads it the same way. That means that your stressed syllables must be the same as it is when spoken in normal conversation for the majority of people who speak your language. And in my experience, it’s the most common mistake.

Umbrella–um-BREL-la
Chicory–CHI-cor-y
Again–a-GAIN

No rhyming about the GLO-ry of Chic-O-ry.

And don’t forget your dipthongs! They’re part of how we speak and therefore how your work will be read. I about drove my crit partner nuts insisting that ‘fire’ had only one syllable.

Fire — FI-yer

Rule Number Three: Perfect Rhyme is best

So far, knock on wood, I haven’t been forced into a near rhyme situation. For me it’s an article of faith. If I can’t say it in perfect rhyme, then I’m supposed to be saying something else.

This is your new best friend. I own a rhyming dictionary, but I find them difficult to use. This website gives me all the rhymes I can stand in two seconds and helps me not get married to any particular word combination.

Rule Number Four: Make Your Rhymes Clever

The cat climbed up the tree, you see.
And looked right down at me, yippee!

Not good. I KNOW Dr Seuss rhymed cat, hat, and sat all the time, but 1) he was writing EASY READERS, which are not picture books 2)  he was an author-illustrator. Most of us are NOT. He didn’t sell that text to a company who then spent thousands of dollars to hire an illustrator to bring to life those brilliant rhymes. His was a WHOLE PACKAGE. (And a ground-breaking package at that!)

For another good example of this, see No David! by David Shannon. The title is pretty much the text as well. Author-illustrators can get away with writing text that we couldn’t sell for a nickle because it’s an entirely different medium. The words can play second fiddle to the pictures.

Rhyme important words. Words that carry the STORY. Don’t mark time and toss in adjectives, exclamations, and cliches just to get a rhyme. Make the rhymes important and clever.

My best writer friend wrote Hush Little Dragon, about a mama dragon trying to feed her baby some kings, princesses, and knights for dinner. At one point, she rhymes ‘magician’ and ‘nutrition.’ Very cool.

Follow these four rules and you’ll be well on your way to writing great rhyme.

Ivory