Brainstorming without consequences
October 31st, 2007 by Sara
I’ve had the pleasure this week of looking over a couple of friends’ fantastic picture book manuscripts. Since picture books are my life right now, what I’m reading, what I’m writing, even what I’ve been dreaming about, it’s been a bit of a greedy endeavor.
It’s wonderful to be presented with delicious stories and get to dream alongside the creators. I don’t have the stress of actually having to come up with the ‘right’ solution. I don’t have to judge the worthiness of my ideas. I just hand them over to someone else who has to do the tough stuff. It’s brainstorming without consequences.
The experience has taught me a lot about my own revision process. The pressure and restrictions I put on myself to ’solve’ my problems. Now, I hope to bring some of the freedom and creativity that I felt on the sidelines into my own work.
Posted in Picture books, First draft, Revision, Writing
November 2nd, 2007 at 11:24 am
Hi Sara,
I love the notion of “brainstorming without consequences” - and it made me think about how sometimes when I’m trying to solve a problem in a story, I can come up with a solution - but if it’s the first solution, it might not be the best - I usually try to think of at least one more before I decide which is best. I bet if I forced myself to come up with MORE, like five solutions, I’d have a really inventive, unexpected one in there to use…
That’s the great thing about revisions - you can really take it to the next level.
And with the picturebooks especially, you get the chance to make every word count. (Okay, okay, I know I need to make every word count in a novel, too) - but you get where I’m going with it, right?
Write On!
Lee
Kapow!
October 29th, 2007 by SaraHowdy folks. There’s been a dry spell for writing round these part. Ayep. Couldn’t find two syllables to rub together. No siree.
Till tonight. We had ourselves a brainstorm. Kapow!
I’ve had ideas roaming around my head for weeks and I finally got a stampede. Now it’s 3:30 in the morning. I’m feeling a little loopy, as you might have noticed, but good.
Thanks to my 100 days,1000 picture books scheme, my brain’s been working overtime solving problems with old picture book stories and coming up with new ideas all the time. And now I’ve got a rough draft of a new story down on paper. It feels pretty great.
Though maybe not as great as sleeping.
Posted in The Great Picture Book Read, Picture books, Writing
October 29th, 2007 at 1:24 pm
When It rains it pours! gotta love it! Sending creative juices torrenting in your direction!
LOL
Books of the Week:Terrible, horrible, no good, very bad characters
October 26th, 2007 by Sara“The night Max wore his wolf suit and made mischief of one kind and another, his mother called him “WILD THING!” and Max said “I’LL EAT YOU UP!” so he was sent to bed without eating anything.” - Maurice Sendak, Where the Wild Things Are
What is it that makes wild, stubborn, grumpy, characters so much fun to read about? Is it that they say and do exactly what we want to when we’re feeling bad? Or that they throw out the rules and hold a wild rumpus instead? Or is it the end of the story that we like, when despite their atrocious behavior, someone still loves them enough to leave supper for them. “And it was still hot.”
I think it’s D. All of the above.
There’s nothing I love more than a character who’s a little bit unlovable. I admire their fearlessness. I want to romp around in Max’s wolf suit and be queen of the Wild Things. Here are a few of my other favorites Wild Things.
No, David! by David Shannon
The sheer energy and out-of-controlness of ‘David’ bursts out through David Shannon’s wild illustrations. David’s monstery grin and inability to listen, make 
him both impossible and fantastic. Despite the havoc David wreaks, we still want to hug him along with his mother at the end of the story.
Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day written by Judith Viorst and illustrated by Ray Cruz
Poor Alexander. He wakes up with gum in his hair, gets no toy surprise in his cereal, has to eat lima beans (he hates lima beans), has to wear his railroad-train pajamas (he hates his railroad-train pajamas!), his mickey mouse night light burns out, and even the cat decides she likes his brother better. And that’s barely the beginning of his terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. Who hasn’t had days like 
this? How could you not feel sorry for this very grumpy boy? The best part of this book is its clever and perfect ending. Judith Viorst brilliantly side-steps the sappy ending trap. But I’m not going to ruin it for you.
I’d Really Like to Eat a Child written by Sylviane Donnio and illustrated by Dorothee De Monfreid
This is a slightly outrageous book about a alligator who, you guessed it, wants to eat a child. He refuses sausages and bananas, and sets off to reach his goal. Only when he finally meets a child, do we realize how small he really is. Does he learn his lesson about eating children??? Guess you’ll have to read it to find out.
“I’m not cute!” by Jonathan Allen
This fluffy owl chick despises being called cute by the forest animals around him. He insists instead that he is “a huge and scary hunting machine with great big soft 
and silent wings.” Not quite yet, but you gotta love his gusto!
Honorable Mention: Olivia by Ian Falconer
Though Olivia is incredibly likeable, she still loves to create a mess and do what she likes. Ian Falconer takes a softer tone on the classic stubborn, unbeatable spirit.
Don’t forget to check out what else I’ve been reading!
Posted in Books of the Week, The Great Picture Book Read, Picture books, Characters, I heart this book, Books
October 31st, 2007 at 11:57 pm
Great, great theme for a round-up! I can’t wait to check out I’m Not Cute! Thanks!!
November 2nd, 2007 at 12:17 am
Oh, I think it goes without saying that I adore these other books. (That’s why I didn’t say it.) You and I are in synch like that. :)
What would you bring?
October 24th, 2007 by Sara
I stare mesmerized at the tv. Orange flames erupt from everything. Skeletons of houses blaze and tumble into ashes. All those homes. All those people.
I wrack my brain, trying to think of where all my friends live. Who might need help. Who might need a place to stay. Meanwhile, the days stay hot. Golden light filters 
through the clouds. Like it’s late afternoon all the time. Like some holy sign will be delivered from heaven, any second.
What would you take if you just had a minute? How about five minutes? An hour? I load up imaginary computers, manuscripts, stuffed animals, photographs into my imaginary truck as I go through the fantasy again and again. Switching love letters for a picture album this time. Leaving my favorite necklace that time.
Over and over again. Until it’s a mantra. Until it’s a story.
As a story, I can understand it. Wrap my head around it. What would this character save? Who started it? Did they feel guilty? Happy? Terrorized? I create a parallel world inside my head, but in this one, I have control. I can let everyone escape unharmed. I know the awful mistake that started it all. I can douse the flames when I need to.
But it is only the illusion of control. So I go over the scenario again. The dogs, my laptop, medicine… What would you bring?
*Pictures from the Los Angeles Times*
Posted in Not-so-nifty happenings, Writing
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Ice Cream for Dinner
October 22nd, 2007 by SaraLately, I’ve been jumping from story to story. I’ll get an idea, get excited, and work on it for a few weeks. Then I’ll get another idea and switch projects for a while. Whenever I tell people that I’m working on a new story, I cringe, ready for them to tell me I’m being flighty or avoiding work. Today, I remembered that it actually didn’t matter what anyone else thought.
This may not be a revelation to some of you, but I live in dread of the day when the police raid my house and put up yellow tape reading “Caution: Imposter.” They’ll print up my terrible rough drafts and distribute them as informational pamplets about How Not To Do Things. They’ll take away my pajamas and tell me that I must wear real clothes while doing my work. And tell me that, no, reading picture books doesn’t count as being productive.
Yes, I’m a person who’s spent most of my life trying to be good. To do things the right way. But now I’m realizing two important things.
1.Being ‘good’ is not such a great thing to be. Being good means doing what other people want. Not a very satisfying way to live.
2. There is only ‘my way’ and ‘other people’s ways’. And they don’t have to be the same thing.
Sometimes I forget about the best parts about being an adult. Eating ice cream for dinner. Watching that movie before you get all your chores done. Working on the projects you think are important.
Posted in Writing
October 24th, 2007 at 11:00 am
Hi Sara,
Yup. Ice Cream for Dinner sounds great. But we’re smart enough as adults to know that we probably wouldn’t feel great eating Ice Cream for Breakfast, Lunch AND Dinner - we need some nourishing food, too, right?
I say go for it - Follow your muse, sow all these seeds, and remember to give yourself the time and grace to nourish and let each seed grow into the amazing story it’s destined to become…
I guess this writing thing (and perhaps, by extension, life) is a balancing act between inspiration and stick-to-it-ness so we complete our works of art and heart.
Just my take that I wanted to share,
Lee
Books of the Week: Old Favorites
October 19th, 2007 by Sara
When I’m perusing the picture book shelves and come across a favorite book from my childhood, it’s like crawling under the blankets, snuggling up with a stuffed animal, and sipping a cup of cocoa. With mini marshmallows. Those tiny pillows of delight. Spongey icebergs in a sea of chocolate. Morsels of fluffy happiness.
Ahem. Reading my old favorites brings instant security and comfort. And I can’t seem to get any perspective on them from my adult, writer brain. It’s too busy building a pillow fort.
So this week is dedicated to those books that highjacked my imagination and my filled my room with friends.
Miss Nelson is Missing written by Harry Allard and illustrated by James Marshall
The best part about this book is that the truth about Viola Swamp isn’t revealed directly in the text. It only hints (though not subtly) about the relationship between the two teachers and the pictures give you 
additional clues. As a result, you feel extremely clever and pleased with yourself for figuring out something that the characters in the book couldn’t. The writer and illustrator nudge you and wink, including you in their joke.
Bread and Jam for Frances written by Russell Hoban and illustrated by Lillian Hoban
“I do not like the way you slide,
I do not like your soft inside,
I do not like you lots of ways,
And I could do for many days
Without eggs.”
To this day, Frances’s quiet song about soft boiled eggs and her determined attitude about what she likes and dislikes, bonds me to her. Rereading this book after so many years brought no disappointments, only joy and the distinct sensation of childhood.
Jumanji by Chris Van Allsburg
Ignore the movie. This book is vivid and thrilling. I remember reading it with my sister and feeling the danger and excitement of a game gone wrong. The hot breath of the lion. The destruction wrought by the 
monkeys. Chris Van Allsburg knows the way into the depths of our imaginations, even if Hollywood doesn’t.
SPECIAL MENTION: George and Martha by James Marshall
George and Martha is clever, funny, touching, ridiculous, and so very reassuring. These two hippopotamus friends cover the breadth of human experience, jealousy, pride, irritation, loneliness, vices, love, all within the context of compelling mini-stories. If you haven’t read the George and Martha stories they should be first on your list. And like mini marshmallows and cocoa, they’re best when shared with a friend.
Want to see what other books I’ve been reading?
Posted in The Great Picture Book Read, Books of the Week, I heart this book, Books
October 19th, 2007 at 10:14 am
Oh joyful joyful!! My favorite moments and memorized phrases pouring out after the fiftieth read of these books. No books could make me happier and seeing them always gives me a strong urge to run up to a stranger, sit them down and read them our stories and see their face as they hear it for the first time. :)
Meg
October 19th, 2007 at 1:55 pm
How happy has this post made me?? How happy has the way you articulated it made me??
> And I can’t seem to get any perspective on them from my adult, writer brain. It’s too busy building a pillow fort.
That’s it, exactly.
Tortugranja!
October 17th, 2007 by Sara
Turtle Farm!
Our visit to the turtle farm on Isla Mujeres was definitely a highlight of our trip to Cancun. No, there weren’t turtles roaming over the open plains. Carefully labeled nests of incubating eggs were protected behind tall fences. Masses of tiny turtles, no bigger than your palm, endlessly swarmed around circular tanks. Growing turtles glided past each other in large, ocean holding pens. It’s a place like no other, where a kid can be a kid. Turtle kids, that is.
Every year under the cover of night, sea turtles crawl up onto the beaches of Isla Mujeres and Cancun to lay their eggs. The female turtles return to the same beach where, as hatchlings, they dug their way out of the sand and first journeyed to the ocean. No one is completely sure how they find the exact same spot after so many years ago, but the earth’s magnetic fields probably have something to do with it.
But a turtle’s chances aren’t very good. Even if the mother braves the tourists, disorienting lights, and lawn chairs littering the sand, their babies still have to be incredibly lucky. Animals or poachers can steal the eggs. The buried eggs can be squished as machines move across the beaches, smoothing the sand. Newly hatched baby turtles can get turned around and head towards the bright lights of the hotels, instead of the ocean.
This is where places like the Turtle Farm come in. Volunteers patrol the beaches from May to September, looking for nesting turtles. The eggs are collected and taken to Tortugranja where they’re incubated in the sand. Once they’re hatched, the turtles are moved to tanks, then holding pens, and finally, when they’re big enough to have a fighting chance, they’re released into the ocean.
I felt giddy being so close to these graceful giants. Green Turtles flew through the water, propelling themselves with long flippers, expelling a blast of air as they rose to the surface. I wanted to touch their marbled shells. To swim with them as they glided through the water. I longed to be a part of their elusive underwater world.
But I couldn’t. Despite my turtley dreams, they are wild animals. They belong out in the ocean and seperate from my person-centered world. But I feel lucky to have visited such a place. And though I hope my close presence didn’t affect the turtles very much, they definitely affected me.
Posted in Nifty happenings
October 18th, 2007 at 9:28 am
Sara,
What I love about great writing is that it takes you somewhere you haven’t been and shows you something new. I don’t just mean fantasy books, and I think your post on the Turtle Farm proves two points:
You took me somewhere and showed me something new (non-fiction, even!)
It felt like I got to take a mini-vacation in seven paragraphs!
The other thing it proves is what a darn great writer you are!
The turtles sound AWESOME!
Keep the good stuff coming,
Lee
October 18th, 2007 at 5:36 pm
Lovely.
Lovely photos, too.
Ooh, you should submit to the you-know-who magazines.
The Morning Gift
October 14th, 2007 by Sara
HaikuReview:
The Morning Gift by Eva Ibbotson
Vienna so sweet,
It could only be fiction.
Delectable tale.
Posted in I heart this book, Haiku review, Books
Max Dare and the fantabulific picture book
October 11th, 2007 by Sara
Adam Rex (aka Max Dare… if you like anagrams) gets a gold star and a gazillionbillion exclamation marks. And maybe, even, a couple of smiley faces.
His picture book, Pssst!, is wonderful, fabulous, and so very, very funny. The style of his pictures, the hilarious details, the 
surprise of the story blow me away.
It has everything a great picture book needs. An engaging story that keeps you reading. Strong characters that you care about and can relate to. Kid (and adult) friendly pictures with a definitive style and a clear focus. And, most importantly, a ‘zing’ at the end that leaves you satisfied.
These elements are much harder to weave together than they sound. It’s even harder to do it brilliantly. As a result, there are very few ‘perfect’ picture books out there. This is one of them
Adam Rex, you’re my hero.
Posted in The Great Picture Book Read, Picture books, Illustration, I heart this book, Books
Beach Books!
October 8th, 2007 by Sara
What do you read while reclining on sugar-white beach under a thatched umbrella? This is a difficult and very serious decision. Only a professional should undertake a dilemma of such proportions. I mean, how can one paddle up to the poolside bar with a substandard book in hand?
I suppose the more relevant question is, how does a person such as me (ie. starving artist), find myself in a position to make such a decision? Simply put, dumb luck. Through a series of strange happenings, Tony and I won two (2) swankity-swank trips to Cancun. We’re heading out on Wednesday for the second (2nd) one. Yee and Haw!
So yesterday, I found myself faced with the all important ‘beach book’ selection. Here are the results:
Beach Book #1: The Morning Gift by Eva Ibbotson.
This is my eating-guacamole-and-sipping-a-margarita book. I’ve recently discovered this collection of non-fantasy, YA books by Eva Ibbotson. In the past, I’ve loved her very funny, younger, fantasy books such as Secret to Platform 13 (before Harry Potter) and Which Witch. But these YA’s are very different from her other writing. They’re historical romances, told in a airy, to-good-to-be-true way. And they’re delicious. Like a fluffy croissant, they melt in your mouth, are filled with plenty of air, and leave you licking your fingers. With the tagline, ‘A Secret Marriage,’ it can hardly dissappoint.
Beach Book #2: A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly.
This is my savoring-while-gazing-out-over-turquoise-waves book. It might not have the appropriate ‘beach’ fluff quotient, but it’s bound to be good. As a Printz Honor Book, it makes up the ’substance’ part of the equation.
Beach Book #3: A Ring of Endless Light by Madeleine L’Engle.
My quiet-mornings-on-the-beach book. In honor of the wonderful writer, I’m re-reading 
my favorite book of hers in the perfect setting.
Bonus Book: The Game by Diana Wynne Jones.
This is the stuck-in-the-airport book. Tony and I are reading this out loud to each other. Because Diana Wynne Jones is always a good way to make the tedious moments fly by.
Let’s hope these wonderful books can make those tropical breezes bearable!
Posted in I heart this book, Nifty happenings, Books
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