R.L. Toalson's Blog, page 4

The People who Inspired THE COLORS OF THE RAIN: an Examination

Every book is inspired by some person or location or event in a writer’s life. Writers of realistic fiction can, of course, make up something in their imagination, and many do. Most, however, also draw inspiration from their everyday lives—past, present, and imagined future.

As I’ve shared elsewhere, The Colors of the Rain began with the main character, Paulie. But as he told me his story, it began to sound more and more like a story my mother had told me when I was a girl—about a favorite un...

Why Write a Novel in Verse: a Wondering Answered

People have asked me why I chose the poetry form with which to tell Paulie’s story in The Colors of the Rain (and at least one reviewer said she did not find it an effective choice, but that’s neither here nor there; writers learn quickly that you can’t please them all). The answer to this question is two-fold.

Poetry is a natural form for me; I have written poetry nearly all my life. I grew up reading the poetry of Shel Silverstein and Jack Prelutsky (in fact, one of my favorite poems is sti...

5 Things You Should Know About Paulie

Writers have many different ways of beginning a story—through setting, through plot, through character, through theme. The Colors of the Rain began with a character.

Paulie spoke to me when I, fortunately, had my writing notebook open in front of me. While I was working on something else at the time, I jotted down his words, knowing in my gut that I didn’t want to lose them. Over the next couple of weeks, he spoke to me more and more, and I jotted down notes in the margins of my poetry notebo...

The importance of difficult stories for young people

Hard stories exist all around us.

I’ve been listening to some of them. I’ve been sitting with people who survived challenging circumstances when they were kids, who turned around and stamped “beautiful” on their lives. I am humbled and inspired by their tales of finding brilliant color in the rain.

My sons have, so far, lived regular lives, as far as their childhood is concerned. They are fortunate enough to have two parents still deeply in love with one another; they have security in a home...

An Author’s Hopes for THE COLORS OF THE RAIN

The Colors of the Rain examines some weighty issues—alcoholism, death, abandonment, racism, family secrets that hide family lies—and I’ve been asked many times why I chose to write such a heavy story.

It’s a complex question that has many answers. But all those answers boil down, essentially, to one: Because kids need Paulie’s story.

I doubt there is a kid-lit author who believes otherwise about their own books; we are all driven to write the stories we write because we want to make a differe...

How to Chase a Dream: an Analysis of Persistence

There is a red oak tree in my yard that I thought would have curled up and surrendered years ago. My sons have plucked its leaves, snapped off its branches, shoved past it in their haste and excitement to get to the trampoline that sits beside it. They have abused it; not on purpose, but because they are regular boys playing a regular game of see-who-gets-there-first, and they don’t heed the things that get in their way.

My husband and I planted this tree the first week we moved into our home...

The Inspiration Behind THE COLORS OF THE RAIN

Three years ago I was folding clothes in my bedroom when this young boy’s voice came to me. It was not the voice of any of my sons. I had five sons at the time. This boy was older than my oldest, who was then five. This boy, it seemed, was around eleven. The only thing he said to me was, “I heard the gunshot from nine miles away.”

It was an odd phrase. I’ve never heard a gunshot from nine miles away. I don’t know anybody who has. But I wrote the phrase down in my notebook and thought that was...

The Process of Writing THE COLORS OF THE RAIN

For a couple of years I partnered with a photographer friend on a creative endeavor that nudged me to write at least a couple day a week. At the time, I was working a full-time job, and I had newborn twins, along with three older boys 5 years old and younger. Life had taken a crazy turn, and two days of writing a week was about all I could ask (I hadn’t yet learned the magnificent art of writing in short bursts).

My photographer friend, Helen Montoya Henrichs, would send me two photos a week....

(Belated) Cover Reveal: THE COLORS OF THE RAIN

The day my editor sent me the cover for The Colors of the Rain, I was not expecting to cry.

I was working on my computer, on another story I’ve been writing for the last six months, and I had reached a point where I needed a break. Normally, I work without access to things like email and social media, and I turn my phone to “do not disturb,” but this day I clicked over to my email. I broke my own rules.

And there it was, in all its beauty.

An email from my editor.

In it, she had shared two po...

Things You’ll Hear During Tech Time: a Record

Somebody has a sling
A sling?
Yeah
What’s a sling?

Well, I might as well die now
Where is it?
Aw, man!
May I please finish this race?

There it is!
I hate this game!
I love this game!
Yes!

Why don’t you buy some
souvenirs from him?
What was that?
My turn!

Mama, he’s not letting
me have it.
Mama, he’s still on there!
Mama!

(Photo by Georgie Cobbs on Unsplash)