Marcia Thornton Jones's Blog, page 86
February 28, 2020
"...Came In Like a Wrecking Ball....
By Charlotte Bennardo
This month, the first topic is about Hot Breakfast month but I rarely do hot breakfasts because it's easier just to eat a bowl of Raisin Bran. Everyone is out of the house very early so there's no one to cook for and I taught my boys in middle school they have to be responsible not only for their own laundry, but for their own breakfast.
The other topic for the month is how do I get started on a project.
I'm in a restaurant, or walking down the street, or reading the news- and BAM! A new idea hits me like the wrecking ball in that Miley Cyrus song/video. My brain goes into overdrive, instantly formulating plot, twists, endings, characters. In a few minutes of frenetic brain activity, I have a general concept for a new book. Hopefully I remember to write it down, because the next day, another idea might hit me and crowd out the details of the other brilliant idea.
Once written down, I go to Wikipedia (hush for a moment, you'll see where I'm going with this) and get basic information. At the bottom of each Wikipedia page is a list of citations. I sort through those which are solid: academic papers, news reports, memoirs, non-fiction books, etc. (See? not all Wikipedia is bad). I probably spend several days Googling info because I get sidetracked, as more thoughts about plot and characters and possible other stories slam around in my head. Sometimes, it gets a little crowded in there...
Photo by
Ana Bregantin
from Pexels
I make copious notes. As a former newspaper reporter, magazine writer, and paralegal who had to write concisely, I don't want to omit anything that might be important to the story later on. Many times, I have too much information, which requires me to sort through for the most salient facts. Many times throughout a manuscript, I refer back to my notes, or have to do more research, so that's on ongoing thing. Plus, I try to find pictures either of the characters or something that has to do with the idea. With Sirenz 3: A New Trend, I kept a copy of Sirenz 2: Back In Fashion on my desk because it has the picture of Hades and it helped me remember his character (such a suave beast).
I always have a beginning and an end, so it's that whole middle part that's tough. Over the years I've discovered that being a 'pantster' (writing by the seat of your pants- whatever comes to mind) is great for beginning a novel, but not sustainable for the whole book. So now I outline; one sentence per chapter. Then I'll go back and make it several sentences per chapter. Usually I try to create bios for my main characters: what they look like, their flaws, a secret they have, a bit of background, etc. I don't like to make their profiles too specific because they have to tell me about themselves as we more forward into the story.
And then I write, for hours on end when I can, or every 15 minutes I can take a break from other things that need to get done in my life like cooking, cleaning, errands, etc.
Once the draft is done, I put it away as I work on revisions for a previous manuscript. I always have several I'm working on, whether it's a #NaNoWriMo project from a previous year, or an old manuscript in the 'fix me' drawer. After that revision is done, it's back to my new project to do the first of many run throughs and revisions.
Not rocket science, but it works for me.
This month, the first topic is about Hot Breakfast month but I rarely do hot breakfasts because it's easier just to eat a bowl of Raisin Bran. Everyone is out of the house very early so there's no one to cook for and I taught my boys in middle school they have to be responsible not only for their own laundry, but for their own breakfast.
The other topic for the month is how do I get started on a project.
I'm in a restaurant, or walking down the street, or reading the news- and BAM! A new idea hits me like the wrecking ball in that Miley Cyrus song/video. My brain goes into overdrive, instantly formulating plot, twists, endings, characters. In a few minutes of frenetic brain activity, I have a general concept for a new book. Hopefully I remember to write it down, because the next day, another idea might hit me and crowd out the details of the other brilliant idea.
Once written down, I go to Wikipedia (hush for a moment, you'll see where I'm going with this) and get basic information. At the bottom of each Wikipedia page is a list of citations. I sort through those which are solid: academic papers, news reports, memoirs, non-fiction books, etc. (See? not all Wikipedia is bad). I probably spend several days Googling info because I get sidetracked, as more thoughts about plot and characters and possible other stories slam around in my head. Sometimes, it gets a little crowded in there...
Photo by
Ana Bregantin
from Pexels I make copious notes. As a former newspaper reporter, magazine writer, and paralegal who had to write concisely, I don't want to omit anything that might be important to the story later on. Many times, I have too much information, which requires me to sort through for the most salient facts. Many times throughout a manuscript, I refer back to my notes, or have to do more research, so that's on ongoing thing. Plus, I try to find pictures either of the characters or something that has to do with the idea. With Sirenz 3: A New Trend, I kept a copy of Sirenz 2: Back In Fashion on my desk because it has the picture of Hades and it helped me remember his character (such a suave beast).
I always have a beginning and an end, so it's that whole middle part that's tough. Over the years I've discovered that being a 'pantster' (writing by the seat of your pants- whatever comes to mind) is great for beginning a novel, but not sustainable for the whole book. So now I outline; one sentence per chapter. Then I'll go back and make it several sentences per chapter. Usually I try to create bios for my main characters: what they look like, their flaws, a secret they have, a bit of background, etc. I don't like to make their profiles too specific because they have to tell me about themselves as we more forward into the story.
And then I write, for hours on end when I can, or every 15 minutes I can take a break from other things that need to get done in my life like cooking, cleaning, errands, etc.
Once the draft is done, I put it away as I work on revisions for a previous manuscript. I always have several I'm working on, whether it's a #NaNoWriMo project from a previous year, or an old manuscript in the 'fix me' drawer. After that revision is done, it's back to my new project to do the first of many run throughs and revisions.
Not rocket science, but it works for me.
February 27, 2020
Eating What Faulkner Ate for Breakfast Doesn't Make You Faulkner
In 1950, William Faulkner was so famous that he was pretty sick and tired of people wanting to come to Oxford, Mississippi, to get a look at him. He was also annoyed with the fan mail he received. "Now I get stacks of letters asking what I eat for breakfast and what about curves and linear discreteness," he wrote to a friend. "Suppose I ought to answer them, but I don't."
Why would anyone care what William Faulkner ate for breakfast? Because he was William Faulkner.
At this very moment, I could read any number of articles online or in magazines that will tell me which eye cream Jennifer Lopez uses or what trick Kerry Washington swears by for her glowing skin or which diet plan Jennifer Aniston follows to stay so slim and trim. And I could buy said eye cream or try said trick or eat said food and guess what? I would still not look like J-Lo, Kerry, or "Rachel."
But hey, the eye cream might be worth a try, right?
Same thing with writers. People always want to know the "tricks" or routines successful writers use. And sometimes they're especially helpful. No kidding--I'm reading a book right now that lays out which page of a manuscript each plot point should fall on, and it's amazing. But if William Faulkner ate squirrel dumplings for breakfast every morning, that doesn't mean that if I do the same, I'll suddenly become the writer that Faulkner was. (Thank goodness because I don't want to eat squirrel dumplings.)
So far, the only successful "trick" I know of for writing comes from a shoe company: JUST DO IT. Work steadily and work hard.
Of course, if you know of anything easier and more foolproof, I'm all ears. Just as long as I don't have to eat a squirrel.
Ginger Rue is the author of the Aleca Zamm series from Aladdin and the Tig Ripley series from Sleeping Bear.
Why would anyone care what William Faulkner ate for breakfast? Because he was William Faulkner.
At this very moment, I could read any number of articles online or in magazines that will tell me which eye cream Jennifer Lopez uses or what trick Kerry Washington swears by for her glowing skin or which diet plan Jennifer Aniston follows to stay so slim and trim. And I could buy said eye cream or try said trick or eat said food and guess what? I would still not look like J-Lo, Kerry, or "Rachel."
But hey, the eye cream might be worth a try, right?
Same thing with writers. People always want to know the "tricks" or routines successful writers use. And sometimes they're especially helpful. No kidding--I'm reading a book right now that lays out which page of a manuscript each plot point should fall on, and it's amazing. But if William Faulkner ate squirrel dumplings for breakfast every morning, that doesn't mean that if I do the same, I'll suddenly become the writer that Faulkner was. (Thank goodness because I don't want to eat squirrel dumplings.)
So far, the only successful "trick" I know of for writing comes from a shoe company: JUST DO IT. Work steadily and work hard.
Of course, if you know of anything easier and more foolproof, I'm all ears. Just as long as I don't have to eat a squirrel.
Ginger Rue is the author of the Aleca Zamm series from Aladdin and the Tig Ripley series from Sleeping Bear.
February 25, 2020
Writing the First Draft of Your Novel: Don’t Fear the First Draft Mess – Holly Schindler
My first draft is a complete and utter…
mess.
What it is not is disorganized or unruly or chaotic.
Doesn’t make much sense, does it? We’re trained to think of a mess as something out of control. Something untamable, even. Something that needs to be fixed.
After going through the first-draft process as many times as I have, I’ve come to welcome the mess. I’m also able to deal with it in a much more streamlined way—because I’ve learned to accept the mess.
Here’s my process:
1. Outline.This is also not a neat process. It’s not some tidy little outline with points A, B, C, subpoints 1, 2, 3, all laid out. It’s paragraphs. It’s sketches. It’s a giant wad of brainstorming. I write about the characters—their wants, their needs. I figure out the main plot points. I branch off into the possible subplots.
2. I REVISE MY OUTLINE. I’m not kidding. I hone it, get rid of points or characters that I don’t think will work. I figure out the shape of the overall novel. (You might want to check out some books on plotting here—you can start with Save the Cat or even Googling the beats for your genre.)
3. I write random chapters. This works because I also use Scrivener for drafting. Each chapter appears in the “Binder” on the left side of the screen. I write whatever appeals to me that day—whatever scene I find the most intriguing.
4. I REVISE MY OUTLINE. This is inevitable. After a few chapters, I’ve happened upon a few ideas that I never could have anticipated. It gives me new ideas for how the story should be structured. What the turning-point should be. What the best sub-plots are.
5. I write more random chapters. See #3.
At this point, the whole thing looks like an apartment that’s half-moved-into. Open cardboard boxes all over the place. And it will probably get messier, because I'll alternate between #4 and #5 for a while.
But don’t worry, because we’re soon on to the next step, which is one of the most fun:
6. Move the chapters into order. In Scrivener, you can just drag and drop your chapters.
7. Finally, I write a narrative thread connecting all the scenes and linking the chapters together.
Voila! The first full draft of the novel is now complete. And it’s complete because I embraced the mess right from the beginning. Seriously—it’s soooo tempting to write chronologically. To go for that edited-as-I-go nice neat draft. In my experience, the “neat” drafts are deceiving. There’s far more work tht needs to be done to a draft written chronologically and tidily than to one written messily.
Go for it—embrace the mess!
February 22, 2020
A True Story: Smack Dab in the Imagination by Dia Calhoun
A five-year-old boy zooms up on his bike on my walk through the neighborhood.
“Who are you, lady?” he asks.
“I’m a woman who writes poetry to the moon.” I had just spent the morning writing a poem to the moon.
“You are not." He keeps pedaling. “Where do you live?”
A little girl runs up.
“I live," I say, "in a house on the other side of the moon.”
“You do not," he says.
“Yes, I do, in my imagination. You can live anywhere in the house of your imagination." I stop walking and look at both children. "What house do you live in, in your imagination?”
“A house on a rainbow,” the little girl says.
“Wonderful!’ I say as a second little girl runs up. I start walking again and all the children follow me.
“Tell me where you really live!” the little boy demands.
“I did," I say. "The other side of the moon.”
“You're lying! I’m a policeman. I’ll lock you up for lying. I’ve got handcuffs.”
I hold out my hands. “OK. Put them on.”
He hesitates. “They’re in the house.”
“Well," I say, "then use imaginary ones.” I keep holding out my hands.
He looks at me. Looks at my hands. Something hangs in the balance. I wonder if he can do it, relinquish the concrete, the literal, and enter imagination.
"OK!" At last he slaps on imaginary handcuffs. "There!"
I look around at all the children. They're all grinning now. “Who has the key to let me out?”
“I do, I do!” cries Rainbow Girl. “I’ll unlock you.” She does.
“Thank you so much. That feels much better." I rub my wrists and start walking. The children, now joined by another small boy, run after me. I'm starting to feel like the Pied Piper. "Goodbye. I have to go home now."
“TELL ME WHERE YOUR REALLY LIVE!” First Boy just can’t stand it.
I stop. “I’ll tell you where I really live, if you tell me where you live in the house of your imagination.”
He squints.Taps his head under his helmet. “Right here.”
“I live yonder.” I point in the distance.
"I lied!" the little boy crows. "I live there." He points to his very concrete house.
“I have to go now," I say. "Remember, you can always live anywhere in your imagination. Bye.” I start walking again. The children still run after me, all grinning wildly.
“I live in the Blue in my imagination,” Second Girl calls.
“That's lovely! "Smiling, I shoo the children away with one hand. “Run along home now.”
They grin and all run back to their houses.
This is an almost verbatim report of my conversation with those four children a few days ago. I was struck by how hard it was for the boy to engage in imaginary play, although the other three children seemed overjoyed. Maybe at last they had found an adult who knew how to play. And maybe, they need more adults in their lives who know how to play.
“Who are you, lady?” he asks.
“I’m a woman who writes poetry to the moon.” I had just spent the morning writing a poem to the moon.
“You are not." He keeps pedaling. “Where do you live?”
A little girl runs up.
“I live," I say, "in a house on the other side of the moon.”
“You do not," he says.
“Yes, I do, in my imagination. You can live anywhere in the house of your imagination." I stop walking and look at both children. "What house do you live in, in your imagination?”
“A house on a rainbow,” the little girl says.
“Wonderful!’ I say as a second little girl runs up. I start walking again and all the children follow me.
“Tell me where you really live!” the little boy demands.
“I did," I say. "The other side of the moon.”
“You're lying! I’m a policeman. I’ll lock you up for lying. I’ve got handcuffs.”
I hold out my hands. “OK. Put them on.”
He hesitates. “They’re in the house.”
“Well," I say, "then use imaginary ones.” I keep holding out my hands.
He looks at me. Looks at my hands. Something hangs in the balance. I wonder if he can do it, relinquish the concrete, the literal, and enter imagination.
"OK!" At last he slaps on imaginary handcuffs. "There!"
I look around at all the children. They're all grinning now. “Who has the key to let me out?”
“I do, I do!” cries Rainbow Girl. “I’ll unlock you.” She does.
“Thank you so much. That feels much better." I rub my wrists and start walking. The children, now joined by another small boy, run after me. I'm starting to feel like the Pied Piper. "Goodbye. I have to go home now."
“TELL ME WHERE YOUR REALLY LIVE!” First Boy just can’t stand it.
I stop. “I’ll tell you where I really live, if you tell me where you live in the house of your imagination.”
He squints.Taps his head under his helmet. “Right here.”
“I live yonder.” I point in the distance.
"I lied!" the little boy crows. "I live there." He points to his very concrete house.
“I have to go now," I say. "Remember, you can always live anywhere in your imagination. Bye.” I start walking again. The children still run after me, all grinning wildly.
“I live in the Blue in my imagination,” Second Girl calls.
“That's lovely! "Smiling, I shoo the children away with one hand. “Run along home now.”
They grin and all run back to their houses.
This is an almost verbatim report of my conversation with those four children a few days ago. I was struck by how hard it was for the boy to engage in imaginary play, although the other three children seemed overjoyed. Maybe at last they had found an adult who knew how to play. And maybe, they need more adults in their lives who know how to play.
February 20, 2020
The Ordinary Inspired Life
The inspiration for all my books has come from very ordinary, every day experiences.
The character of Ratchet was inspired by my knowledge of how to take apart and put together a small engine.
My inspiration for Abigail came from my awkwardness during my own childhood.
The inspiration for Just Like Me came from my daughter's experience as an Asian adopted by an American family.
The inspiration to write a book set in the Okefenokee Swamp came from my own fascination with this mysterious place full of history and folklore.
The character of Samantha, who visits her grandma at a condo complex in Florida, came from my own summer experience of spending time at a similar place.
The early reader series I am currently working on is inspired by Ginger, our five-pound, Toy Cockapoo.Finding ideas to write about is not magic. All it takes is paying attention to experiences, memories, and interesting people and places. And once you get into the habit of doing that, you'll realize there are amazing ideas around every ordinary twist and turn of your daily life.
Happy Reading & Writing,Nancy J. Cavanaugh
February 19, 2020
The Origin of Writing Ideas
I would like to think that ideas for novels arise from some fantastical, magical place. In stardust that makes its way to earth, from the roots of a dream in full slumber under a full moon, beneath an old stone bridge in the cold creek rushing by.
The truth is – ideas come from everywhere. For me, it’s often in the most common of places. And quite often, in inopportune places. The shower, for example, or during a family meal. During a midday nap. Or an outdoor jog. Times when I can’t easily or not-rudely reach for a pen or my phone to sketch down the idea. In which I profess to myself, “I’ll remember that idea even if I don’t write it down.”
Sometimes I don’t remember that idea if I don’t write it down.
Okay, most of the time I don’t remember that idea if I don’t write it down.
I suppose the good news is that ideas are renewable. They replenish as we live life and go about our most normal of days. Sometimes I think these are the best ideas – not the magical ones just above reach – but rather the ones that relate to everyday life and people.
To be a good writer, you also have to be many other things. You have to gain experience and meet new people and engage yourself in the world. Sometimes, out of your comfort zone. It’s how we bend and change and learn the world – and also learn ourselves. It is in these places that the best writing ideas come from, I think.
Simply living our lives.
The good news? That means we all have the chance to become a writer, and to stay a writer.
Just keep living.
Happy reading!
February 16, 2020
Writing is a lot like skating, by Michele Weber Hurwitz
This month, we're reflecting on how we get started on projects -- research, new books, revisions. This topic always makes me think of ice skating, which I did as a kid and teenager for many years. Often when I'm at my desk, hands on the keyboard, working on whatever I'm working on, I think back to those practice sessions on the ice. The enormous concentration it took, the many times I fell while learning a new skill, and the dedication it required. A lot like writing.
Actually, a lot like learning and attempting to master anything -- an instrument, a sport, an artistic pursuit.
Whenever I first glided onto the ice, there was always a little thrill that ran through me. I would think about how I was balanced on a 3/16 of an inch piece of metal, a fact which seemed to defy logic. Feeling the cool air on my face, holding out my arms, then pumping, picking up speed, finally circling the rink in a whoosh. It honestly took my breath away and I loved being out there.
I try to remember that feeling when I'm getting started on a writing project, because it's essential. That thrill and passion I had then for something I loved to do. Because there are times that ten-page edit letter can feel insurmountable to tackle, or I'm stuck on a difficult revision.
For my new middle grade novel releasing this spring, Hello from Renn Lake, the way I began drafting was not the way I ended up writing the story. I knew my first draft was missing thrill and passion -- that whoosh. Initially, the story was alternately narrated by two girls who weren't friends, one of whom had been an abandoned infant, and the focus was on the search for her origins.
But as I thought more, that wasn't exactly the story I wanted to tell. Abandonment was part of it, but I realized it wasn't about searching, but about the girl putting down roots in the place she was left. I wondered, as I started to feel that whoosh, what if we aren't able to find an answer to our deepest, most troubling question? How do we come to terms with that?
That moment led to a different story, including the girl's connection with the lake in the town, and her unwillingness to abandon it after it's closed due to a harmful algae bloom.
And I knew the lake needed to narrate the story as well as the girl.
I glided through the next draft, writing it in a few months. I'm so excited for this book to jump into the world on May 26. It's a definite whoosh.
Find Michele online at micheleweberhurwitz.com.
Actually, a lot like learning and attempting to master anything -- an instrument, a sport, an artistic pursuit.
Whenever I first glided onto the ice, there was always a little thrill that ran through me. I would think about how I was balanced on a 3/16 of an inch piece of metal, a fact which seemed to defy logic. Feeling the cool air on my face, holding out my arms, then pumping, picking up speed, finally circling the rink in a whoosh. It honestly took my breath away and I loved being out there.
I try to remember that feeling when I'm getting started on a writing project, because it's essential. That thrill and passion I had then for something I loved to do. Because there are times that ten-page edit letter can feel insurmountable to tackle, or I'm stuck on a difficult revision.
For my new middle grade novel releasing this spring, Hello from Renn Lake, the way I began drafting was not the way I ended up writing the story. I knew my first draft was missing thrill and passion -- that whoosh. Initially, the story was alternately narrated by two girls who weren't friends, one of whom had been an abandoned infant, and the focus was on the search for her origins.
But as I thought more, that wasn't exactly the story I wanted to tell. Abandonment was part of it, but I realized it wasn't about searching, but about the girl putting down roots in the place she was left. I wondered, as I started to feel that whoosh, what if we aren't able to find an answer to our deepest, most troubling question? How do we come to terms with that?That moment led to a different story, including the girl's connection with the lake in the town, and her unwillingness to abandon it after it's closed due to a harmful algae bloom.
And I knew the lake needed to narrate the story as well as the girl.
I glided through the next draft, writing it in a few months. I'm so excited for this book to jump into the world on May 26. It's a definite whoosh.
Find Michele online at micheleweberhurwitz.com.
February 15, 2020
Whole Lotta Ideas
Where do ideas come from? Everywhere. Friends, Family, Nature. Love. Music. History. Write what you love in a way that makes your readers understand why you love it. Make them fall in love with it, too.
This Valentine’s Day, we celebrate love in all its inspirational forms.
‘I should not dare to leave my friend’
--Emily Dickenson (1830 – 1886) Complete Poems. 1924
I should not dare to leave my friend,
Because—because if he should die
While I was gone—and I—too late—
Should reach the Heart that wanted me—
If I should disappoint the eyes
That hunted—hunted so—to see—
And could not bear to shut until
They ‘noticed’ me—they noticed me—
Here’s a view of the handwritten manuscript housed at the Houghton Library, the Emily Dickenson Archive.
Listen to David Sylvian sing a haunting version of the poem.
The Soote Season
--Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey (1516-1547)
The soote season, that bud and blome furth bringes,
With grene hath clad the hill and eke the vale:
The nightingale with fethers new she singes:
The turtle to her make hath tolde her tale:
Somer is come, for euery spray nowe springes,
The hart hath hong his olde hed on the pale:
The buck in brake his winter cote he flinges:
The fishes flote with newe repaired scale.
One of the first sonnets written in English, this poem describes the coming of summer and the various ways in which a world previously in a sort of stasis or hibernation is now springing into life. (‘Soote’ in ‘Soote Season’ means ‘sweet’.) For the full poem, see here.
somewhere i have never travelled, gladly beyond-- E. E. Cummings (1894-1962) From Complete Poems: 1904-1962 by E. E. Cummings, edited by George J. Firmage.
somewhere i have never travelled, gladly beyondany experience, your eyes have their silence:in your most frail gesture are things which enclose me,or which i cannot touch because they are too near
your slightest look easily will unclose methough i have closed myself as fingers,you open always petal by petal myself as Spring opens(touching skilfully, mysteriously)her first rose
or if your wish be to close me,i andmy life will shut very beautifully, suddenly,as when the heart of this flower imaginesthe snow carefully everywhere descending;
nothing which we are to perceive in this world equalsthe power of your intense fragility: whose texturecompels me with the color of its countries,rendering death and forever with each breathing
(i do not know what it is about you that closesand opens; only something in me understandsthe voice of your eyes is deeper than all roses)nobody, not even the rain, has such small hands
Listen to e.e. cummings recite his poem here.
For the musical version, this video comes from Beauty and the Beast (1987), with the indomitable Ron Perlman reciting the poem to Lisa Angelle's song, The First Time I Loved Forever.
What is your favorite inspiration?
February 13, 2020
Ideas Are Everywhere, by Chris Tebbetts
One of the most frequently asked questions I get from kids has always been, “Where do your ideas come from?”
I think part of this is because getting started can feel like an insurmountable obstacle for some young writing students (not to mention their adult counterparts!). On the one hand, kids have a kind of direct line to their own imaginations that I only wish I still had. But on the other hand, when it comes to translating that imagination into a written story, the process can be a bit mysterious, or even overwhelming.
So I've put the question right into my author talk, and always cover this with the classes I visit. It starts with the question itself, of course.
And the first answer, I tell my students, is a relatively simple one for me. Where do my ideas come from?
As a writer, I tell them, I’m always on the lookout for ideas--and I always have my radar attuned to the things I see, the people I overhear, and the places I go. Because you never know when an idea is going to reach out and grab you, if you're paying attention.
Put another way, I tell them, I look for ideas in my….
And what do I mean by that?
Well, for starters, I think about things that have happened to me in the past, like that time when I was twelve, and my cousin and I got lost in Central Park. I've always thought that might make a good story--or part of oen--someday. I think a lot about the things that happened to me when I was the same age as the characters I write about today, and try to mine those memories for material.
Or maybe there's something I see in my present-day life that piques my curiosity. Like for instance, the day I was driving on a back country road, and saw this giant pink thing (which turned out to be a bean bag chair) just sitting there by itself….
When I see something like this, I tell students, I don't just wonder "What is it?" I think--What's the story here? How might this giant pink beanbag have landed in this spot? Or, what might happen next now that it has?
And thirdly, I tell them, when I say I get ideas from my future, I’m also saying that I ask myself something that people (not just storytellers) ask themselves all the time.
What if? is the most basic building block we have, when it comes to creating stories. What if I were shrunk down to two inches tall? What if it were always dark on our planet? What if…what if…what if….? And the cool part of that is, it's the kind of thing we do naturally. The trick is to take note of the questions as they pass through our heads, and maybe even write them down for later, so that when it comes time to write a story, you already have a list of ideas that have come to you along the way.
The point I try to make most of all is that ideas are available to us everywhere and all the time. Which isn't to say that writing--much less getting started--is easy to do. But it can be easier if we stop to notice just how much is available to us, everywhere and all the time.
I think part of this is because getting started can feel like an insurmountable obstacle for some young writing students (not to mention their adult counterparts!). On the one hand, kids have a kind of direct line to their own imaginations that I only wish I still had. But on the other hand, when it comes to translating that imagination into a written story, the process can be a bit mysterious, or even overwhelming.
So I've put the question right into my author talk, and always cover this with the classes I visit. It starts with the question itself, of course.
And the first answer, I tell my students, is a relatively simple one for me. Where do my ideas come from?
As a writer, I tell them, I’m always on the lookout for ideas--and I always have my radar attuned to the things I see, the people I overhear, and the places I go. Because you never know when an idea is going to reach out and grab you, if you're paying attention.
Put another way, I tell them, I look for ideas in my….
And what do I mean by that?
Well, for starters, I think about things that have happened to me in the past, like that time when I was twelve, and my cousin and I got lost in Central Park. I've always thought that might make a good story--or part of oen--someday. I think a lot about the things that happened to me when I was the same age as the characters I write about today, and try to mine those memories for material.
Or maybe there's something I see in my present-day life that piques my curiosity. Like for instance, the day I was driving on a back country road, and saw this giant pink thing (which turned out to be a bean bag chair) just sitting there by itself….
When I see something like this, I tell students, I don't just wonder "What is it?" I think--What's the story here? How might this giant pink beanbag have landed in this spot? Or, what might happen next now that it has?
And thirdly, I tell them, when I say I get ideas from my future, I’m also saying that I ask myself something that people (not just storytellers) ask themselves all the time.
What if? is the most basic building block we have, when it comes to creating stories. What if I were shrunk down to two inches tall? What if it were always dark on our planet? What if…what if…what if….? And the cool part of that is, it's the kind of thing we do naturally. The trick is to take note of the questions as they pass through our heads, and maybe even write them down for later, so that when it comes time to write a story, you already have a list of ideas that have come to you along the way.
The point I try to make most of all is that ideas are available to us everywhere and all the time. Which isn't to say that writing--much less getting started--is easy to do. But it can be easier if we stop to notice just how much is available to us, everywhere and all the time.
February 12, 2020
Roosevelt Banks: Good-Kid-In-Training: New Book From Laurie Calkhoven
I’m delighted to feature a book from former Smack Dab member LAURIE CALKHOVEN who talks about her new novel ROOSEVELT BANKS, GOOD-KID-IN-TRAINING, published in January by Red Chair Press (distributed by Lerner).
When ten-year-old Roosevelt Banks discovers that his two best friends are planning a bike and camping trip, he wants more than anything to go along. There's just one problem―he doesn't have a bike. Roosevelt's parents agree to buy him a bike if he can manage to be good for two whole weeks. How can Roosevelt be good and be the same fun guy his friends want on the camping trip? Trying to be good leads to more trouble than expected―and to the discovery that being a good friend is more important than any bicycle.
THREE THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT ROOSEVELT
1.His parents are American history professors, which explains the family’s penchant for presidential names. Roosevelt’s full name is Roosevelt Theodore Banks. His younger sister is Kennedy Johanna Banks, and their dog is named Millard Fillmore.
2. He writes and illustrates his own stories to express his emotions. When he finds out that his two best friends are going off on a bike/camping trip without him, his reaction is to write a story in which the two boys are almost eaten by a bear – that is until Roosevelt comes to the rescue.
3. Roosevelt is a big-hearted prankster. He wreaks havoc wherever he goes, but that comes from a desire to please his friends and make them laugh.
THREE THINGS ROOSEVELT HATES
1.Most of the fun things there are to do in the world are exactly the same things that will get a kid into trouble. Not fair!
2. His desk chair isn’t on wheels and doesn’t swivel. It would be a lot more fun if it did. Just saying.
3. Lima beans, especially when paired with turkey meatloaf. Even Millard Fillmore won’t eat lima beans, and he eats socks (the dog, not the president).
Debbie Palen’s illustrations are a delight, and Kirkus praised the books for its broad humor and nuanced friendships.
Laurie Calkhoven has never swallowed a frog, knocked over a rabbit hutch, or sung too loud in music class, but she is the author of more than 50 books for young readers. Recent titles include the G.I. Dog series, and You Should Meet Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
When ten-year-old Roosevelt Banks discovers that his two best friends are planning a bike and camping trip, he wants more than anything to go along. There's just one problem―he doesn't have a bike. Roosevelt's parents agree to buy him a bike if he can manage to be good for two whole weeks. How can Roosevelt be good and be the same fun guy his friends want on the camping trip? Trying to be good leads to more trouble than expected―and to the discovery that being a good friend is more important than any bicycle.
THREE THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT ROOSEVELT
1.His parents are American history professors, which explains the family’s penchant for presidential names. Roosevelt’s full name is Roosevelt Theodore Banks. His younger sister is Kennedy Johanna Banks, and their dog is named Millard Fillmore.
2. He writes and illustrates his own stories to express his emotions. When he finds out that his two best friends are going off on a bike/camping trip without him, his reaction is to write a story in which the two boys are almost eaten by a bear – that is until Roosevelt comes to the rescue.
3. Roosevelt is a big-hearted prankster. He wreaks havoc wherever he goes, but that comes from a desire to please his friends and make them laugh.
THREE THINGS ROOSEVELT HATES
1.Most of the fun things there are to do in the world are exactly the same things that will get a kid into trouble. Not fair!
2. His desk chair isn’t on wheels and doesn’t swivel. It would be a lot more fun if it did. Just saying.
3. Lima beans, especially when paired with turkey meatloaf. Even Millard Fillmore won’t eat lima beans, and he eats socks (the dog, not the president).
Debbie Palen’s illustrations are a delight, and Kirkus praised the books for its broad humor and nuanced friendships.
Laurie Calkhoven has never swallowed a frog, knocked over a rabbit hutch, or sung too loud in music class, but she is the author of more than 50 books for young readers. Recent titles include the G.I. Dog series, and You Should Meet Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
