Marcia Thornton Jones's Blog, page 176
March 14, 2015
Nothing Lasts Forever: March Theme by Tamera Wissinger
For me, this month’s Ides of March/derailment theme has become about loss and staying on track while something good is ending. The truth is, not long ago I lost a dear friend and I am finding it very hard to focus on my work when I’m sad. As I was deciding how to approach this subject, I glanced at today’s date in my
Grace Notes: A Book of Daily Meditations
by Alexandra Stoddard and found a way. Here is the quote and Alexandra’s reflections:
Learning to live is learning to let go. Sogyal Rinpoche
Alexandra says, “…Nothing lasts forever. Whenever you let go you become open and free to receive something new, something unknown to you now. When you let go, you lose pain and gain insight.”
Letting go of pain and gaining insight – my friend would like that for me and so I will do my best to move forward.
For those of you who, for whatever reason, may also be stuck I wish you the freedom to become open to something new.
Be well, my friends.
Learning to live is learning to let go. Sogyal Rinpoche
Alexandra says, “…Nothing lasts forever. Whenever you let go you become open and free to receive something new, something unknown to you now. When you let go, you lose pain and gain insight.”
Letting go of pain and gaining insight – my friend would like that for me and so I will do my best to move forward.
For those of you who, for whatever reason, may also be stuck I wish you the freedom to become open to something new.
Be well, my friends.
March 13, 2015
Tracy Holczer Interviews Caroline Starr Rose about BLUE BIRDS (and the Lost Colony of Roanoke)
The Lost Colony of Roanoke is one of America's most enduring mysteries. What happened to the men, women and children who colonized there? No one knows for sure, although many theories abound. Author Caroline Starr Rose of the acclaimed novel May B (Schwartz & Wade, 2012) tells her version of the story in her newest middle grade, Blue Birds (Putnam, March 2015), based on the facts left behind.
I had the pleasure of reading an advanced copy of Blue Birds. I must admit that even as a lover of poetry, it usually takes me a minute to sink into a novel in verse. Maybe it has something to do with the visual element, the words on the page being so spare, or the condensed nature of verse that takes an adjustment. BUT, I had no such trouble with Blue Birds (or May B for that matter). The writing is so visual, the characters and situation so compelling from the very first page that everything goes away except for the story.
This is one of those books to savor…on your second read. Because good luck savoring as you wildly turn pages to see what will happen next. Also, it has one of the most beautiful covers I've seen. The art perfectly captures the telling.
From the promotional copy:
It’s 1587, and twelve-year-old Alis has traveled a long distance from England with her parents to help settle the New World. Alis is delighted to be leaving behind the dirty city streets of Longdon for the island of Roanoke, with its wide-open spaces and exquisite natural beauty. The forests and blue sky of Roanoke speak to Alis, but she’s still missing something from home: a friend.
The island is also home to the Roanoke tribe, who’ve watched the English arrive with unease. Though she lost her sister at the hands of the English, Kimi is a Roanoke girl who finds the English curious, with their strange clothes and different ways. When Alis and Kimi meet, they forge a special friendship despite the barriers of their cultures; they don’t even speak the same language, but quickly become close as sisters. With tensions rising between the Roanoke people and the settlers, the girls’ friendship is soon threatened. Willing to risk anything for the other, Kimi and Alis are determined to stay together, leaving Alis with a decision that will change her life forever.
Praise for Blue Birds:
“Composed in varying formats, the descriptive and finely crafted poems reveal the similarities the two girls share, from loved ones lost to hatred between the English and the Roanoke to a desire for peace… Fans of Karen Hesse and the author's May B. (2012) will delight in this offering.”— Kirkus Reviews
“A memorable account of a friendship that transcends culture and prejudice.”— Publishers Weekly
“An excellent historical offering and belongs on public and school library shelves.”— VOYA
“With two compelling main characters and an abundance of rich historical detail, Rose’s latest novel offers much to discuss and much to appreciate.”— School Library Journal
“An imaginative historical novel with two sympathetic protagonists.”— Booklist
And now, without further ado, Caroline Starr Rose answers some of my pesky questions.
BLUE BIRDS is a beautiful story about Kimi, a Roanoke girl, and Alis, an English girl, who find each other in the woods and become friends just before the famed English colony goes missing. How much of the story is true and how much is fiction?
While both Kimi and Alis are my own invention, the things that happened in their communities the first five weeks of the story are all true. On July 22, 1587, Governor John White and 116 other colonists were dumped at Roanoke island instead of the Chesapeake Bay area, where they had planned to settle. The English fort built two years before was abandoned. Vines grew through the windows of houses. Deer wandered about. Bleached bones lay scattered on the ground.
One week later, Englishmen George Howe Sr. was killed by the Roanoke. In an attempt to restore the friendship the English once had with surrounding tribes, John White tried to reach out to the Croatoan, a tribe on a neighboring island. Through his Croatoan interpreter, Manteo, White asked the Croatoan to spread word that the English wanted to meet in ten days to talk peace.
The English, however, didn't wait for the tenth day. On the ninth night, they crept to the Roanoke village and attacked. The Roanoke weren’t there, but the Croatoan were. Perhaps they’d come early to talk peace. Perhaps they were there to gather the corn the Roanoke had left behind. The English unknowingly attacked their only Native allies.
In just a matter of days, the situation for everyone had moved from bad to worse. By week five the Governor’s assistants had convinced him to sail back to England. He needed to send help. He needed to tell the supply ships where to find the colony.
The colonists never saw John White again.
I’ve held to this (unbelievable) unfolding of events in the story. Everything after the Governor’s departure comes from my imagination (expect for White’s tragic return in August, 1590).
It’s such a mysterious and fascinating story. It must have taken an incredible amount of research to get the details right. And the details were spectacular (including the mysterious footprint! Those who have read will know what I’m referring to). I really felt I was there. The time, the colony, the woods around them and the Roanoke people all came alive. Did you visit the area? How did you pull together such wonderful details?
Scenery from Fort Raleigh, courtesy of the
National Park ServiceI have yet to visit a place I’ve written about. Thank you for saying the story and the setting worked for you. As you can see above, what actually happened was both awful and unbelievable. I worried it might be difficult to follow, as events weren't always logical, and we don’t have ready information as to why things happened as they did.
I think historical fiction for children needs to be accessible. With that in mind, I tried to see everything through the eyes of Alis and Kimi. As children, not every detail would have been available or interesting to them. I truly feel readers don’t need to “get” every detail of what happened, but they do need to feel the emotions of the moment: the confusion, the fear, the anger. That’s how these characters would have lived it. That's the way it should read, too.
Now I’m even more impressed than I was to begin with! The elements of fiction that you wove in with facts makes perfect sense and very well could have happened that way. So let’s turn to story format. Talk a little about verse and prose. How do you make the decision about the best way to tell a story?
As strange as it sounds, verse has become my default. I find it a really in-the-moment way to write historical fiction. It’s immediate, spare, and lets us into a character’s inner life very quickly.
For this book in particular, verse also became a wonderful way to tell a story in two voices. Readers move quickly from Kimi to Alis and back again. And when the girls share a poem, I was able through line and stanza placement to “speak” their story visually, adding one more layer of communication. Verse is magical that way!
I admire the restraint of verse, the focus required to tell a story that way. It feels a little magical to me and I was especially moved by those scenes of the girls together, how they didn’t speak the same language, but understood each other just the same. Can you share a poem that didn’t make it into the novel and talk about why?
I am such an under-writer, Tracy. This just didn’t happen. I did add a good number, though. In addition to fleshing out what was already there, I wrote new poems to show Alis and Kimi’s developing friendship. I also added more to the climax…or maybe I wrote the climax that was never really there to begin with!
The work is truly beautiful and has such great kid appeal. A fascinating story I hope will inspire kids (and adults) to look further into our history. I can’t wait to recommend this one!
Caroline Starr Rose spent her childhood in the deserts of Saudi Arabia and New Mexico, camping at the Red Sea in one and eating red chile in the other. As a girl she danced ballet, raced through books, composed poetry on an ancient typewriter, and put on magic shows in a homemade cape. She's taught both social studies and English in New Mexico, Florida, Virginia, and Louisiana. In her classroom she worked to instill in her students a passion for books, an enthusiasm to experiment with words, and a curiosity about the past.
Caroline lives in New Mexico with her husband and two sons.
I had the pleasure of reading an advanced copy of Blue Birds. I must admit that even as a lover of poetry, it usually takes me a minute to sink into a novel in verse. Maybe it has something to do with the visual element, the words on the page being so spare, or the condensed nature of verse that takes an adjustment. BUT, I had no such trouble with Blue Birds (or May B for that matter). The writing is so visual, the characters and situation so compelling from the very first page that everything goes away except for the story.
This is one of those books to savor…on your second read. Because good luck savoring as you wildly turn pages to see what will happen next. Also, it has one of the most beautiful covers I've seen. The art perfectly captures the telling.
From the promotional copy:
It’s 1587, and twelve-year-old Alis has traveled a long distance from England with her parents to help settle the New World. Alis is delighted to be leaving behind the dirty city streets of Longdon for the island of Roanoke, with its wide-open spaces and exquisite natural beauty. The forests and blue sky of Roanoke speak to Alis, but she’s still missing something from home: a friend.
The island is also home to the Roanoke tribe, who’ve watched the English arrive with unease. Though she lost her sister at the hands of the English, Kimi is a Roanoke girl who finds the English curious, with their strange clothes and different ways. When Alis and Kimi meet, they forge a special friendship despite the barriers of their cultures; they don’t even speak the same language, but quickly become close as sisters. With tensions rising between the Roanoke people and the settlers, the girls’ friendship is soon threatened. Willing to risk anything for the other, Kimi and Alis are determined to stay together, leaving Alis with a decision that will change her life forever.
Praise for Blue Birds:
“Composed in varying formats, the descriptive and finely crafted poems reveal the similarities the two girls share, from loved ones lost to hatred between the English and the Roanoke to a desire for peace… Fans of Karen Hesse and the author's May B. (2012) will delight in this offering.”— Kirkus Reviews
“A memorable account of a friendship that transcends culture and prejudice.”— Publishers Weekly
“An excellent historical offering and belongs on public and school library shelves.”— VOYA
“With two compelling main characters and an abundance of rich historical detail, Rose’s latest novel offers much to discuss and much to appreciate.”— School Library Journal
“An imaginative historical novel with two sympathetic protagonists.”— Booklist
And now, without further ado, Caroline Starr Rose answers some of my pesky questions.
BLUE BIRDS is a beautiful story about Kimi, a Roanoke girl, and Alis, an English girl, who find each other in the woods and become friends just before the famed English colony goes missing. How much of the story is true and how much is fiction?
While both Kimi and Alis are my own invention, the things that happened in their communities the first five weeks of the story are all true. On July 22, 1587, Governor John White and 116 other colonists were dumped at Roanoke island instead of the Chesapeake Bay area, where they had planned to settle. The English fort built two years before was abandoned. Vines grew through the windows of houses. Deer wandered about. Bleached bones lay scattered on the ground.
One week later, Englishmen George Howe Sr. was killed by the Roanoke. In an attempt to restore the friendship the English once had with surrounding tribes, John White tried to reach out to the Croatoan, a tribe on a neighboring island. Through his Croatoan interpreter, Manteo, White asked the Croatoan to spread word that the English wanted to meet in ten days to talk peace.
The English, however, didn't wait for the tenth day. On the ninth night, they crept to the Roanoke village and attacked. The Roanoke weren’t there, but the Croatoan were. Perhaps they’d come early to talk peace. Perhaps they were there to gather the corn the Roanoke had left behind. The English unknowingly attacked their only Native allies.
In just a matter of days, the situation for everyone had moved from bad to worse. By week five the Governor’s assistants had convinced him to sail back to England. He needed to send help. He needed to tell the supply ships where to find the colony.
The colonists never saw John White again.
I’ve held to this (unbelievable) unfolding of events in the story. Everything after the Governor’s departure comes from my imagination (expect for White’s tragic return in August, 1590).
It’s such a mysterious and fascinating story. It must have taken an incredible amount of research to get the details right. And the details were spectacular (including the mysterious footprint! Those who have read will know what I’m referring to). I really felt I was there. The time, the colony, the woods around them and the Roanoke people all came alive. Did you visit the area? How did you pull together such wonderful details?
Scenery from Fort Raleigh, courtesy of the National Park ServiceI have yet to visit a place I’ve written about. Thank you for saying the story and the setting worked for you. As you can see above, what actually happened was both awful and unbelievable. I worried it might be difficult to follow, as events weren't always logical, and we don’t have ready information as to why things happened as they did.
I think historical fiction for children needs to be accessible. With that in mind, I tried to see everything through the eyes of Alis and Kimi. As children, not every detail would have been available or interesting to them. I truly feel readers don’t need to “get” every detail of what happened, but they do need to feel the emotions of the moment: the confusion, the fear, the anger. That’s how these characters would have lived it. That's the way it should read, too.
Now I’m even more impressed than I was to begin with! The elements of fiction that you wove in with facts makes perfect sense and very well could have happened that way. So let’s turn to story format. Talk a little about verse and prose. How do you make the decision about the best way to tell a story?
As strange as it sounds, verse has become my default. I find it a really in-the-moment way to write historical fiction. It’s immediate, spare, and lets us into a character’s inner life very quickly.
For this book in particular, verse also became a wonderful way to tell a story in two voices. Readers move quickly from Kimi to Alis and back again. And when the girls share a poem, I was able through line and stanza placement to “speak” their story visually, adding one more layer of communication. Verse is magical that way!
I admire the restraint of verse, the focus required to tell a story that way. It feels a little magical to me and I was especially moved by those scenes of the girls together, how they didn’t speak the same language, but understood each other just the same. Can you share a poem that didn’t make it into the novel and talk about why?
I am such an under-writer, Tracy. This just didn’t happen. I did add a good number, though. In addition to fleshing out what was already there, I wrote new poems to show Alis and Kimi’s developing friendship. I also added more to the climax…or maybe I wrote the climax that was never really there to begin with!
The work is truly beautiful and has such great kid appeal. A fascinating story I hope will inspire kids (and adults) to look further into our history. I can’t wait to recommend this one!
Caroline Starr Rose spent her childhood in the deserts of Saudi Arabia and New Mexico, camping at the Red Sea in one and eating red chile in the other. As a girl she danced ballet, raced through books, composed poetry on an ancient typewriter, and put on magic shows in a homemade cape. She's taught both social studies and English in New Mexico, Florida, Virginia, and Louisiana. In her classroom she worked to instill in her students a passion for books, an enthusiasm to experiment with words, and a curiosity about the past.Caroline lives in New Mexico with her husband and two sons.
Tracy Holczer Interviews Caroline Starr Rose about BLUEBIRDS (and the Lost Colony of Roanoke)
The Lost Colony of Roanoke is one of America's most enduring mysteries. What happened to the men, women and children who colonized there? No one knows for sure, although many theories abound. Author Caroline Starr Rose of the acclaimed novel May B (Schwartz & Wade, 2012) tells her version of the story in her newest middle grade, Bluebirds (Putnam, March 2015), based on the facts left behind.
I had the pleasure of reading an advanced copy of Bluebirds. I must admit that even as a lover of poetry, it usually takes me a minute to sink into a novel in verse. Maybe it has something to do with the visual element, the words on the page being so spare, or the condensed nature of verse that takes an adjustment. BUT, I had no such trouble with Bluebirds (or May B for that matter). The writing is so visual, the characters and situation so compelling from the very first page that everything goes away except for the story.
This is one of those books to savor…on your second read. Because good luck savoring as you wildly turn pages to see what will happen next. Also, it has one of the most beautiful covers I've seen. The art perfectly captures the telling.
From the promotional copy:
It’s 1587, and twelve-year-old Alis has traveled a long distance from England with her parents to help settle the New World. Alis is delighted to be leaving behind the dirty city streets of Longdon for the island of Roanoke, with its wide-open spaces and exquisite natural beauty. The forests and blue sky of Roanoke speak to Alis, but she’s still missing something from home: a friend.
The island is also home to the Roanoke tribe, who’ve watched the English arrive with unease. Though she lost her sister at the hands of the English, Kimi is a Roanoke girl who finds the English curious, with their strange clothes and different ways. When Alis and Kimi meet, they forge a special friendship despite the barriers of their cultures; they don’t even speak the same language, but quickly become close as sisters. With tensions rising between the Roanoke people and the settlers, the girls’ friendship is soon threatened. Willing to risk anything for the other, Kimi and Alis are determined to stay together, leaving Alis with a decision that will change her life forever.
Praise for Blue Birds:
“Composed in varying formats, the descriptive and finely crafted poems reveal the similarities the two girls share, from loved ones lost to hatred between the English and the Roanoke to a desire for peace… Fans of Karen Hesse and the author's May B. (2012) will delight in this offering.”— Kirkus Reviews
“A memorable account of a friendship that transcends culture and prejudice.”— Publishers Weekly
“An excellent historical offering and belongs on public and school library shelves.”— VOYA
“With two compelling main characters and an abundance of rich historical detail, Rose’s latest novel offers much to discuss and much to appreciate.”— School Library Journal
“An imaginative historical novel with two sympathetic protagonists.”— Booklist
And now, without further ado, Caroline Starr Rose answers some of my pesky questions.
BLUEBIRDS is a beautiful story about Kimi, a Roanoke girl, and Alis, an English girl, who find each other in the woods and become friends just before the famed English colony goes missing. How much of the story is true and how much is fiction?
While both Kimi and Alis are my own invention, the things that happened in their communities the first five weeks of the story are all true. On July 22, 1587, Governor John White and 116 other colonists were dumped at Roanoke island instead of the Chesapeake Bay area, where they had planned to settle. The English fort built two years before was abandoned. Vines grew through the windows of houses. Deer wandered about. Bleached bones lay scattered on the ground.
One week later, Englishmen George Howe Sr. was killed by the Roanoke. In an attempt to restore the friendship the English once had with surrounding tribes, John White tried to reach out to the Croatoan, a tribe on a neighboring island. Through his Croatoan interpreter, Manteo, White asked the Croatoan to spread word that the English wanted to meet in ten days to talk peace.
The English, however, didn't wait for the tenth day. On the ninth night, they crept to the Roanoke village and attacked. The Roanoke weren’t there, but the Croatoan were. Perhaps they’d come early to talk peace. Perhaps they were there to gather the corn the Roanoke had left behind. The English unknowingly attacked their only Native allies.
In just a matter of days, the situation for everyone had moved from bad to worse. By week five the Governor’s assistants had convinced him to sail back to England. He needed to send help. He needed to tell the supply ships where to find the colony.
The colonists never saw John White again.
I’ve held to this (unbelievable) unfolding of events in the story. Everything after the Governor’s departure comes from my imagination (expect for White’s tragic return in August, 1590).
It’s such a mysterious and fascinating story. It must have taken an incredible amount of research to get the details right. And the details were spectacular (including the mysterious footprint! Those who have read will know what I’m referring to). I really felt I was there. The time, the colony, the woods around them and the Roanoke people all came alive. Did you visit the area? How did you pull together such wonderful details?
Scenery from Fort Raleigh, courtesy of the
National Park ServiceI have yet to visit a place I’ve written about. Thank you for saying the story and the setting worked for you. As you can see above, what actually happened was both awful and unbelievable. I worried it might be difficult to follow, as events weren't always logical, and we don’t have ready information as to why things happened as they did.
I think historical fiction for children needs to be accessible. With that in mind, I tried to see everything through the eyes of Alis and Kimi. As children, not every detail would have been available or interesting to them. I truly feel readers don’t need to “get” every detail of what happened, but they do need to feel the emotions of the moment: the confusion, the fear, the anger. That’s how these characters would have lived it. That's the way it should read, too.
Now I’m even more impressed than I was to begin with! The elements of fiction that you wove in with facts makes perfect sense and very well could have happened that way. So let’s turn to story format. Talk a little about verse and prose. How do you make the decision about the best way to tell a story?
As strange as it sounds, verse has become my default. I find it a really in-the-moment way to write historical fiction. It’s immediate, spare, and lets us into a character’s inner life very quickly.
For this book in particular, verse also became a wonderful way to tell a story in two voices. Readers move quickly from Kimi to Alis and back again. And when the girls share a poem, I was able through line and stanza placement to “speak” their story visually, adding one more layer of communication. Verse is magical that way!
I admire the restraint of verse, the focus required to tell a story that way. It feels a little magical to me and I was especially moved by those scenes of the girls together, how they didn’t speak the same language, but understood each other just the same. Can you share a poem that didn’t make it into the novel and talk about why?
I am such an under-writer, Tracy. This just didn’t happen. I did add a good number, though. In addition to fleshing out what was already there, I wrote new poems to show Alis and Kimi’s developing friendship. I also added more to the climax…or maybe I wrote the climax that was never really there to begin with!
The work is truly beautiful and has such great kid appeal. A fascinating story I hope will inspire kids (and adults) to look further into our history. I can’t wait to recommend this one!
Caroline Starr Rose spent her childhood in the deserts of Saudi Arabia and New Mexico, camping at the Red Sea in one and eating red chile in the other. As a girl she danced ballet, raced through books, composed poetry on an ancient typewriter, and put on magic shows in a homemade cape. She's taught both social studies and English in New Mexico, Florida, Virginia, and Louisiana. In her classroom she worked to instill in her students a passion for books, an enthusiasm to experiment with words, and a curiosity about the past.
Caroline lives in New Mexico with her husband and two sons.
I had the pleasure of reading an advanced copy of Bluebirds. I must admit that even as a lover of poetry, it usually takes me a minute to sink into a novel in verse. Maybe it has something to do with the visual element, the words on the page being so spare, or the condensed nature of verse that takes an adjustment. BUT, I had no such trouble with Bluebirds (or May B for that matter). The writing is so visual, the characters and situation so compelling from the very first page that everything goes away except for the story.
This is one of those books to savor…on your second read. Because good luck savoring as you wildly turn pages to see what will happen next. Also, it has one of the most beautiful covers I've seen. The art perfectly captures the telling.
From the promotional copy:
It’s 1587, and twelve-year-old Alis has traveled a long distance from England with her parents to help settle the New World. Alis is delighted to be leaving behind the dirty city streets of Longdon for the island of Roanoke, with its wide-open spaces and exquisite natural beauty. The forests and blue sky of Roanoke speak to Alis, but she’s still missing something from home: a friend.
The island is also home to the Roanoke tribe, who’ve watched the English arrive with unease. Though she lost her sister at the hands of the English, Kimi is a Roanoke girl who finds the English curious, with their strange clothes and different ways. When Alis and Kimi meet, they forge a special friendship despite the barriers of their cultures; they don’t even speak the same language, but quickly become close as sisters. With tensions rising between the Roanoke people and the settlers, the girls’ friendship is soon threatened. Willing to risk anything for the other, Kimi and Alis are determined to stay together, leaving Alis with a decision that will change her life forever.
Praise for Blue Birds:
“Composed in varying formats, the descriptive and finely crafted poems reveal the similarities the two girls share, from loved ones lost to hatred between the English and the Roanoke to a desire for peace… Fans of Karen Hesse and the author's May B. (2012) will delight in this offering.”— Kirkus Reviews
“A memorable account of a friendship that transcends culture and prejudice.”— Publishers Weekly
“An excellent historical offering and belongs on public and school library shelves.”— VOYA
“With two compelling main characters and an abundance of rich historical detail, Rose’s latest novel offers much to discuss and much to appreciate.”— School Library Journal
“An imaginative historical novel with two sympathetic protagonists.”— Booklist
And now, without further ado, Caroline Starr Rose answers some of my pesky questions.
BLUEBIRDS is a beautiful story about Kimi, a Roanoke girl, and Alis, an English girl, who find each other in the woods and become friends just before the famed English colony goes missing. How much of the story is true and how much is fiction?
While both Kimi and Alis are my own invention, the things that happened in their communities the first five weeks of the story are all true. On July 22, 1587, Governor John White and 116 other colonists were dumped at Roanoke island instead of the Chesapeake Bay area, where they had planned to settle. The English fort built two years before was abandoned. Vines grew through the windows of houses. Deer wandered about. Bleached bones lay scattered on the ground.
One week later, Englishmen George Howe Sr. was killed by the Roanoke. In an attempt to restore the friendship the English once had with surrounding tribes, John White tried to reach out to the Croatoan, a tribe on a neighboring island. Through his Croatoan interpreter, Manteo, White asked the Croatoan to spread word that the English wanted to meet in ten days to talk peace.
The English, however, didn't wait for the tenth day. On the ninth night, they crept to the Roanoke village and attacked. The Roanoke weren’t there, but the Croatoan were. Perhaps they’d come early to talk peace. Perhaps they were there to gather the corn the Roanoke had left behind. The English unknowingly attacked their only Native allies.
In just a matter of days, the situation for everyone had moved from bad to worse. By week five the Governor’s assistants had convinced him to sail back to England. He needed to send help. He needed to tell the supply ships where to find the colony.
The colonists never saw John White again.
I’ve held to this (unbelievable) unfolding of events in the story. Everything after the Governor’s departure comes from my imagination (expect for White’s tragic return in August, 1590).
It’s such a mysterious and fascinating story. It must have taken an incredible amount of research to get the details right. And the details were spectacular (including the mysterious footprint! Those who have read will know what I’m referring to). I really felt I was there. The time, the colony, the woods around them and the Roanoke people all came alive. Did you visit the area? How did you pull together such wonderful details?
Scenery from Fort Raleigh, courtesy of the National Park ServiceI have yet to visit a place I’ve written about. Thank you for saying the story and the setting worked for you. As you can see above, what actually happened was both awful and unbelievable. I worried it might be difficult to follow, as events weren't always logical, and we don’t have ready information as to why things happened as they did.
I think historical fiction for children needs to be accessible. With that in mind, I tried to see everything through the eyes of Alis and Kimi. As children, not every detail would have been available or interesting to them. I truly feel readers don’t need to “get” every detail of what happened, but they do need to feel the emotions of the moment: the confusion, the fear, the anger. That’s how these characters would have lived it. That's the way it should read, too.
Now I’m even more impressed than I was to begin with! The elements of fiction that you wove in with facts makes perfect sense and very well could have happened that way. So let’s turn to story format. Talk a little about verse and prose. How do you make the decision about the best way to tell a story?
As strange as it sounds, verse has become my default. I find it a really in-the-moment way to write historical fiction. It’s immediate, spare, and lets us into a character’s inner life very quickly.
For this book in particular, verse also became a wonderful way to tell a story in two voices. Readers move quickly from Kimi to Alis and back again. And when the girls share a poem, I was able through line and stanza placement to “speak” their story visually, adding one more layer of communication. Verse is magical that way!
I admire the restraint of verse, the focus required to tell a story that way. It feels a little magical to me and I was especially moved by those scenes of the girls together, how they didn’t speak the same language, but understood each other just the same. Can you share a poem that didn’t make it into the novel and talk about why?
I am such an under-writer, Tracy. This just didn’t happen. I did add a good number, though. In addition to fleshing out what was already there, I wrote new poems to show Alis and Kimi’s developing friendship. I also added more to the climax…or maybe I wrote the climax that was never really there to begin with!
The work is truly beautiful and has such great kid appeal. A fascinating story I hope will inspire kids (and adults) to look further into our history. I can’t wait to recommend this one!
Caroline Starr Rose spent her childhood in the deserts of Saudi Arabia and New Mexico, camping at the Red Sea in one and eating red chile in the other. As a girl she danced ballet, raced through books, composed poetry on an ancient typewriter, and put on magic shows in a homemade cape. She's taught both social studies and English in New Mexico, Florida, Virginia, and Louisiana. In her classroom she worked to instill in her students a passion for books, an enthusiasm to experiment with words, and a curiosity about the past.Caroline lives in New Mexico with her husband and two sons.
March 12, 2015
Writing Pitfalls:Negativity and Other Demons, by Darlene Beck Jacobson
For me, many of the so called writing pitfalls begin like that childhood game of telephone. A whispered word or phrase that gets repeated over and over again until it becomes so distorted, it is unrecognizable. Instead of a brief visit, these demons can wedge themselves into the psyche and derail our attempts at creativity and writing.
Here's my demon list:
Doubt
Indecision
Stagnation
Procrastination
Fear
Worry
Angst
Envy Even foul weather can make us feel these things.
I'm sure you can add a few of your own. Instead, let's try this:
Write each word on a scrap of paper. Then tear it up and release it so it no longer holds power.
There's one quote that has always resonated with me - We cannot control the actions of others, only our response to those actions.
We CAN control those negative derailing thoughts by turning that telephone message into something positive that fuels our writing.
Here's my demon list:
Doubt
Indecision
Stagnation
Procrastination
Fear
Worry
Angst
Envy Even foul weather can make us feel these things.
I'm sure you can add a few of your own. Instead, let's try this:
Write each word on a scrap of paper. Then tear it up and release it so it no longer holds power.
There's one quote that has always resonated with me - We cannot control the actions of others, only our response to those actions.
We CAN control those negative derailing thoughts by turning that telephone message into something positive that fuels our writing.
March 11, 2015
What's Stopping Me (from Jody Feldman)
In 4 days, the Ides of March will be upon us. If that's supposed to make me quake, it doesn't and never did; not for writing, not for anything else. As a kid, though, it made me wonder exactly what I was missing, exactly what bad thing should have happened to me on that particular day.
Now though, with full certainty, I can say the Writing Ides, those traps and pitfalls, occur on any given day. And I've learned to go with it all.
Below, in no particular order, are the Top Ten things that have kept me from being productive in just the past three days:
The fault, at least 80% of it, is entirely mine. And yet, my word count magically increases ... though nearly not as much as I'd like. What's stopping you?
Now though, with full certainty, I can say the Writing Ides, those traps and pitfalls, occur on any given day. And I've learned to go with it all.
Below, in no particular order, are the Top Ten things that have kept me from being productive in just the past three days:
The fault, at least 80% of it, is entirely mine. And yet, my word count magically increases ... though nearly not as much as I'd like. What's stopping you?
March 10, 2015
March Theme: I'Ds OF MARCHby Marcia Thornton JonesJust sa...
March Theme: I'Ds OF MARCHby Marcia Thornton Jones
Just sayin'...
Just sayin'...
March 8, 2015
BEWARE THE MIDDLE
SOOTHSAYERBeware the ides of March.
CAESARWhat man is that?
BRUTUSA soothsayer bids you beware the ides of March.
How bold is that? Brutus echoes the warning––knowing full well that HIS plot is the reason Caesar should beware.
I have a different reason to beware the ides. The word actually means the middle. I hate and fear the middle of a manuscript. The mushy middle. The meandering middle. The mucked-up middle.
When I get to that point in a manuscript, my initial energy has dissipated. I doubt the project. I doubt my entire writing life. I never know how to proceed––or why I should bother finishing the novel. It clearly isn't going to be any good anyway. My characters just sit around, mumbling to each other, "What do you want to do?" "I don't know. What do you want to do?"
This has always been true for me. My first novel, Nature Girl , is about a city girl named Megan who gets lost in the woods. I started the novel in a notebook, as I always do. My daughter, who was ten at the time, began reading my pages. She loved the beginning! She begged for more! I was so happy! I had found my voice as a writer at last!
All celebrations ceased when I got to the MIDDLE of the book and my daughter lost interest. She didn't exactly refuse to read on, but she no longer cared about what was going to happen next. I was devastated.
After a day or two of moping, I realized that I could actually pinpoint when my daughter lost interest. I found the section where Megan had literally stopped her journey and gotten involved with a group of sketchy characters. I got rid of them and put Megan back on the trail.
Since then, every time I get to the MIDDLE, I remind myself of what I learned. There are parallels between taking a journey and writing a novel. You start out with great energy. But sooner or later, you'll get tired and feel like you have lost your way. You may even have actually lost your way. That shot cut or scenic route may turn out to be a dead end. THAT'S OKAY. Retrace your steps. Remind yourself of what you loved about your idea. Replenish your supplies. AND KEEP GOING.
I did. And Megan and I both achieved our goals.
(Oh by the way, my daughter had to fix the ending of my book too. But that's a different story.)
CAESARWhat man is that?
BRUTUSA soothsayer bids you beware the ides of March.
How bold is that? Brutus echoes the warning––knowing full well that HIS plot is the reason Caesar should beware.
I have a different reason to beware the ides. The word actually means the middle. I hate and fear the middle of a manuscript. The mushy middle. The meandering middle. The mucked-up middle.
When I get to that point in a manuscript, my initial energy has dissipated. I doubt the project. I doubt my entire writing life. I never know how to proceed––or why I should bother finishing the novel. It clearly isn't going to be any good anyway. My characters just sit around, mumbling to each other, "What do you want to do?" "I don't know. What do you want to do?"
This has always been true for me. My first novel, Nature Girl , is about a city girl named Megan who gets lost in the woods. I started the novel in a notebook, as I always do. My daughter, who was ten at the time, began reading my pages. She loved the beginning! She begged for more! I was so happy! I had found my voice as a writer at last!
All celebrations ceased when I got to the MIDDLE of the book and my daughter lost interest. She didn't exactly refuse to read on, but she no longer cared about what was going to happen next. I was devastated.
After a day or two of moping, I realized that I could actually pinpoint when my daughter lost interest. I found the section where Megan had literally stopped her journey and gotten involved with a group of sketchy characters. I got rid of them and put Megan back on the trail.
Since then, every time I get to the MIDDLE, I remind myself of what I learned. There are parallels between taking a journey and writing a novel. You start out with great energy. But sooner or later, you'll get tired and feel like you have lost your way. You may even have actually lost your way. That shot cut or scenic route may turn out to be a dead end. THAT'S OKAY. Retrace your steps. Remind yourself of what you loved about your idea. Replenish your supplies. AND KEEP GOING.
I did. And Megan and I both achieved our goals.
(Oh by the way, my daughter had to fix the ending of my book too. But that's a different story.)
March 5, 2015
Holly Schindler Interviews Deborah Lytton about SILENCE
I am really excited to share with you the release of my new YA novel, SILENCE. And my interview with Holly Schindler about the book.
Holly: Congrats on your latest release! Tell us all about SILENCE.Deborah: SILENCE is a story about a 15 year old girl who suffers a tragic accident and the teen boy who is the only person she can understand. He promises her 17 days in which he will show her the world in a different way.
Holly: Will readers of JANE IN BLOOM be surprised by SILENCE? Why / why not?Deborah: I think readers of JANE IN BLOOM will recognize similar themes of grief and hope as well as self-discovery through creative expression. I also think that readers who connected with Jane will relate to Stella and her honest emotions.
Holly: What was the inspiration behind this book?Deborah: I wanted to write a story about a girl who loses her identity and then take her on a journey of rediscovery with the help of a boy who is also searching to find his place in the world. Stella and Hayden’s story grew from there.
Holly: How did this book find its publisher? We always talk about the first "yes," but I often find that subsequent books can be just as hard to place. Did you find that to be true? Deborah: I think the biggest obstacle to placing a second book is the writer. There is more freedom when we have no expectations. But when we have the pressure of placing our follow up book, it can become limiting. I found myself in that position and what made the difference for me was trusting myself. I needed to write the book that was in my heart just like I wrote JANE IN BLOOM, not knowing if anyone would ever publish it, but just wanting to tell the story. After I finished the manuscript, my agent sent it out and SILENCE found a home with Shadow Mountain. I think you have to work just as hard to get your second book published as your first.
Holly: Tell our readers why they need this book--not why they should want it. Why they need it. Deborah: Readers need this book because it will remind them to hope. And to believe in possibilities.
Thank you so much, Holly, for interviewing me! For more information about SILENCE, visit my website, www.deborahlytton.com.
Holly: Congrats on your latest release! Tell us all about SILENCE.Deborah: SILENCE is a story about a 15 year old girl who suffers a tragic accident and the teen boy who is the only person she can understand. He promises her 17 days in which he will show her the world in a different way.
Holly: Will readers of JANE IN BLOOM be surprised by SILENCE? Why / why not?Deborah: I think readers of JANE IN BLOOM will recognize similar themes of grief and hope as well as self-discovery through creative expression. I also think that readers who connected with Jane will relate to Stella and her honest emotions.
Holly: What was the inspiration behind this book?Deborah: I wanted to write a story about a girl who loses her identity and then take her on a journey of rediscovery with the help of a boy who is also searching to find his place in the world. Stella and Hayden’s story grew from there.
Holly: How did this book find its publisher? We always talk about the first "yes," but I often find that subsequent books can be just as hard to place. Did you find that to be true? Deborah: I think the biggest obstacle to placing a second book is the writer. There is more freedom when we have no expectations. But when we have the pressure of placing our follow up book, it can become limiting. I found myself in that position and what made the difference for me was trusting myself. I needed to write the book that was in my heart just like I wrote JANE IN BLOOM, not knowing if anyone would ever publish it, but just wanting to tell the story. After I finished the manuscript, my agent sent it out and SILENCE found a home with Shadow Mountain. I think you have to work just as hard to get your second book published as your first.
Holly: Tell our readers why they need this book--not why they should want it. Why they need it. Deborah: Readers need this book because it will remind them to hope. And to believe in possibilities.
Thank you so much, Holly, for interviewing me! For more information about SILENCE, visit my website, www.deborahlytton.com.
March 3, 2015
Pit-Falling Down: Striving for Balance
Last week a link popped up on my Facebook feed to an essay by writer Theodora Goss about how she manages to get by as a writer. Like many of us, she cobbles together work beyond writing, in her case teaching full time at a university and part time in a low-residency MFA. She also has a family, and a life, so the balance gets tricky. In order to make a living, her writing, "fits into the nooks and crannies. It fits in whenever I can fit it in. I suppose it fits in where other people would be watching television? Or knitting, I don’t know."
Knitting is one of those things I don't do anymore, and my husband and I long ago gave up cable, and now stream only our favorite shows. Most nights, though, after the kids go to bed, I don't settle in on the couch, but back at my desk to work. Work for me is my writing, of course, but also being a mother to two small children and schoolwork (I am pursuing a doctorate in Library Science.) I'm also drafting a proposal for a book for educators, freelancing for a local publisher, and trying to do all the promotion stuff that writers need to do. There's always something that needs doing, especially with the work that you fit into the nooks and crannies. The pitfall is always doing it.
Later that same day another post about making it work came across my social media stream. This one from Jessica Lahey, one of my favorite writers on education, and was part of something called The Balance Project. It felt a bit like the universe trying to speak to me via social media, perhaps not the best venue to speak to someone trying to find balance in her life. Like Lahey, I have a lot of guilt around the issue of work-life-other work balance:
Hearing that other people struggle with this issue is certainly good for my psyche, but it does not mean I have conquered this pitfall. I think, When my kids are older, it will be easier. I think, When I have a more steady job again, it will be easier. Maybe that is true. Right now my studying seems to expand to fill all available space. Working, studying, writing, and living at home means it is exceptionally easy for boundaries to blur. I need to figure out how to leave open spaces for my writing, especially when no deadlines loom. Perhaps even more vitally, I need to figure out how to set aside and shelter time for myself and my family.
I've written about this issue before, back when I was still working full time as a librarian. It's been five years and I don't feel like I've gained any great insight except, perhaps, that I need to be a bit more forgiving of myself, and that I shouldn't try to take two classes in one semester while working on major revisions. Has anyone actually figured any of this out? I realize that this post might come off as a bit of a downer. That's probably because I am very tired. But the truth is I know that I am in a fortunate position. When I left my full time job as a school librarian, a colleague said, "You are lucky to have so many things you are passionate about." And she's write. I am lucky to write, lucky to be in a vibrant academic community, and lucky to have my family. I think I am just striving, like so many other people, to find the even terrain.
Knitting is one of those things I don't do anymore, and my husband and I long ago gave up cable, and now stream only our favorite shows. Most nights, though, after the kids go to bed, I don't settle in on the couch, but back at my desk to work. Work for me is my writing, of course, but also being a mother to two small children and schoolwork (I am pursuing a doctorate in Library Science.) I'm also drafting a proposal for a book for educators, freelancing for a local publisher, and trying to do all the promotion stuff that writers need to do. There's always something that needs doing, especially with the work that you fit into the nooks and crannies. The pitfall is always doing it.
Later that same day another post about making it work came across my social media stream. This one from Jessica Lahey, one of my favorite writers on education, and was part of something called The Balance Project. It felt a bit like the universe trying to speak to me via social media, perhaps not the best venue to speak to someone trying to find balance in her life. Like Lahey, I have a lot of guilt around the issue of work-life-other work balance:
What part of “balance” can you just not seem to figure out?The whole “I’m guilty when I’m playing because I feel as if I should be working and I’m guilty when I’m working because I feel as if I should be playing” thing. Work is play to me. I love my job so much, and it’s really easy to let that take over every moment of my day. ... I also have trouble focusing on my family when I’m inspired by a work idea, and because I work at home, it can be hard to draw boundaries. I’m still working on that—pun intended.
Hearing that other people struggle with this issue is certainly good for my psyche, but it does not mean I have conquered this pitfall. I think, When my kids are older, it will be easier. I think, When I have a more steady job again, it will be easier. Maybe that is true. Right now my studying seems to expand to fill all available space. Working, studying, writing, and living at home means it is exceptionally easy for boundaries to blur. I need to figure out how to leave open spaces for my writing, especially when no deadlines loom. Perhaps even more vitally, I need to figure out how to set aside and shelter time for myself and my family.
I've written about this issue before, back when I was still working full time as a librarian. It's been five years and I don't feel like I've gained any great insight except, perhaps, that I need to be a bit more forgiving of myself, and that I shouldn't try to take two classes in one semester while working on major revisions. Has anyone actually figured any of this out? I realize that this post might come off as a bit of a downer. That's probably because I am very tired. But the truth is I know that I am in a fortunate position. When I left my full time job as a school librarian, a colleague said, "You are lucky to have so many things you are passionate about." And she's write. I am lucky to write, lucky to be in a vibrant academic community, and lucky to have my family. I think I am just striving, like so many other people, to find the even terrain.
On Writing & Flying
As I considered what to write for this Ides of Writing post, my mind felt like it was full of jumping beans: Ego! Perfectionism! Fear! Jealousy! The writing path is riddled with potholes and washed-out bridges and fallen trees, that's for sure. But the Sinkhole of All for me seems to be the propensity I have for wandering around in the labyrinth of my mind -- without my heart. Thinking too much, abandoning my heart. I get caught up in craft: how to write great dialogue, narrative arcs, character development. The mechanics of flying instead of just flying.
And I know why it happens, I do. It's easier to focus on mechanics. It's safer. Those Ego! Perfectionism! Fear! Jealousy! jumping beans, they can take a nap when I focus on mechanics.
But what I want to create is art. And Holy Synchronicity, I found the perfect passage to describe what I'm talking about in Jandy Nelson's gorgeous book I'LL GIVE YOU THE SUN:“Listen, it is not the charcoal that draws the picture. It is you. It is your hand, which is attached to your body, and in that body is a beating heart, okay. You are not ready for this.” He takes the stick of charcoal out of my hand and throws I onto the floor. “Draw him without it. Use only your hand. See it, feel it, draw it. All one thing, not three things. Don't take your eyes off of him. See, feel, draw. One verb, go now. Do not think. Above all else: Do not think so much. Picasso, he say, 'If only we could pull out our brain and use only our eyes.' Pull out your brain, CJ, use only your eyes!”
All one thing, not three things. Do not think. Use only your heart.
Fly.
