The Rules
July 14th, 2008 by SaraA while ago, I had a friend read the opening chapters to my novel. He was very supportive, but he said that there wasn’t enough momentum to my story. Not enough momentum?! What does he know? He’s an illustrator. He reads picture books and graphic novels. He doesn’t know ANYTHING about young adult books!
Okay. Maybe he does. Maybe he was right.
The main problem with my book was that it wasn’t exactly sure where it was going. Or actually, it knew where it was going, it just wasn’t sure how to get there. And it didn’t know what the rules were.
Rules are what give your story boundaries. They give your words room to stand up and stretch. Plot points can be powerful and huge, or quiet and small, because they know exactly how far to go. And the reader can get comfortable, too. They may not know what’s going to happen, but at least they know what game is being played.
Another friend of mine said to me, Fantasy writers spend so much time creating their worlds, no wonder they write sequels and series. You wouldn’t want to have to start over!
The same thing is true for contemporary fiction. Each story has to have its own set of guidelines. How far are your characters willing to go? What principles lead them through life, determining what they would do, and what they would never do, even if it would be so convenient for your plot. And how far are you, the author, willing to go? Are your character’s lives in jeopardy, or just their lunch money?
My book has a foot in both worlds. It takes place in a contemporary setting, but all kind of unusual, supernatural things are happening. The reader never feels comfortable, if they don’t understand what the rules are. Magic wishes cannot be unlimited. Super heroes cannot be completely invincible. And life cannot always be fair. It is the limitations, and what the characters do with them, that gives your story power.
Posted in Characters, Revision, Writing
July 20th, 2008 at 5:14 pm
as the aforementioned bastard illustrator, i still feel badly about causing you so much consternation and grief that i’ve cut off 3 toes.
and to clarify, i do read more than just picture books and graphic novels- i also read the backs of cereal boxes and the comics page in the daily newspaper. (yes, i still like getting printers ink on my fingers as i peruse the day’s news:)
Books of the Week: Issue Books
November 9th, 2007 by Sara
Stories are, above all, a way for us to understand the world. When we see a character having the same feelings as us, going through the same experiences, reacting in the same way, we discover we are not alone. Lying, teasing, being frustrated, being jealous of a friend, does not make us a bad person. It simply makes us human.
Picture books are essential in this respect. Children need to see their own situations, actions, and feelings reflected back at them. It helps them to understand and accept what is happening around and inside them. Here are a few stories that do this wonderfully.
The Show and Tell Lion written by Barbara Abercrombie and illustrated by Lynne Avril Cravath is an excellent and funny book about lying. The lovely part of this story is that the motive and imagination behind Matthew’s lie is as important as what he decides to do about it. Matthew manages to find a creative way to explain his ’show and tell lion’ to his classmates and though he still faces the repercussions, 
he is quickly understood and forgiven.
You’ll Be Sorry by Josh Schneider and If I Had a Dragon by Tom and Amanda Ellery are both excellent books about being annoyed with your younger sibling. These exaggerated, silly stories take sibling irratation to the extreme, helping kids identify, accept, and laugh off their feelings of frustration.
Fred stays with Me written by Nancy Coffelt and illustrated by Tricia Tusa is a book about moving back and forth between divorced parents. The genius of this book is its focus on the child’s dog, rather than the child herself.
Recess Queen written by Alexis O’Neill and illustrated by Laura Huliska Deith is a colorful, fun book about bullies. The characters are strong, the rhyme is great, and the solution is believable.
Little Donkey and the Birthday Present written by Rindert Kromhout, illustrated by Annemarie van Haeringen, and translated by Marianne Martens, and That’s mine, Horace by Holly Keller are books about wanting someone else’s toys. They both 
show the true yearning the characters have for the coveted toy, the details they love about the objects. Each deals in a loving manner with the feelings, never down-playing them or berating the characters.
*Special Mention: Max by Rachel Isadora is about a baseball playing boy that discovers he also loves ballet. This is a great story and a great character that tiptoes into the realm of being different without being bogged down by deeper issues.
Good issue books are extremely difficult to write, but these stories succeed by creating wonderful characters that we can love. By focusing on the stories, by using the issues as a catalyst instead of the focus, the subject matter sneaks up on you. These books entertain and comfort us as we see our own misbehaviors, problems, and fears laid open on the page.
Don’t forget to check out what else I’ve come across on my quest for 1000 picture books!
Posted in Books of the Week, The Great Picture Book Read, Picture books, Characters, Books, I heart this book, Writing
November 13th, 2007 at 12:54 pm
Mmm. I am intensely interested in this topic. Thanks, Sara!!
November 13th, 2007 at 8:50 pm
It’s funny that there is a whole category of picture books that are called “issue” books because I like to think EVERY good book is going to be dealing with SOMETHING, SOME ISSUE that readers can relate to - like Max being ANGRY in Where the Wild Things Are - but is that an “issue” PB? Though I supposed some PBs, like “Pssst!” are just fun adventures and not very “issue” oriented (though throughout it there’s the whole idea of animals wanting to escape captivity…) or am I reading too much into it?
Thanks for this fun post!
Lee
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. :)
Channeling Faye
August 13th, 2007 by SaraI’m brain deep in character development, right now. Unfortunately it’s for Faye, the main character of a novel I’ve been writing on and off for 4 years. Same novel. From the very beginning, I knew Faye. Who she was. What she wanted. The concept in my head was brilliantly clear. Unfortunately, my writing wasn’t. 
After 3 revisions, Faye’s personality still isn’t coming across in my writing. I keep getting critiques (like the one at the conference) where people say they don’t want to spend an entire book with my character. To say that’s a big problem is like saying ‘I kinda want a book contract.’
And it’s not fair to Faye. I’m not doing her justice. Yes, she’s a little angsty. Yes, she might be crazy. But she deserves the reader’s affection or, at least, their undivided attention. She is, after all, the heroine.
And I think I’ve uncovered the problem. It isn’t that I don’t know who Faye is, but more I don’t know what Faye does. In the same way that you can love someone deeply, but not really know them until you’ve lived with them and discovered that they leave blobs of toothpaste in the sink and cute post-it notes scattered around the house.
So, I’m moving with Faye. Ransacking her CD collection. Mooching her chocolate hidden in the butter compartment of her fridge. Wearing her thrift store clothes out dancing. Peeking in the box of stuff shoved under her bed.
Unfortunately, since Faye lives in my brain, this is a bit trickier than it sounds. So I’m trying unorthodox methods. I’m desperate. I’ve made a mix for her/my ipod. ‘Get me away from here, I’m dying’ by Belle and Sebastian, ‘Psychobabble’ by Frou Frou, ‘Homesick’ by Kings of Convenience, are just a few of her songs. So, maybe she’s not so cheery. Give her a break, she’s 15.
I’ve also found a picture of Faye. She looks like the above picture of Juliet by John William Waterhouse, minus the renaissancey outfit. I’ve filled a shoebox with things that make me think of her. Pictures of Maine, smooth river rocks, packets of coffee.
There’s also some note cards in the box. I’ve jotted down questions I have for her, possible new scenes, food she likes, pretty much anything that comes to mind.
Hopefully, some of these things will help me channel Faye. Before I need an exorcism.
Posted in Characters, Revision, Writing
August 13th, 2007 at 4:30 pm
Super exciting stuff!!
Getting down and dirty. Spelunking. Sounds fun and rewarding!!
August 15th, 2007 at 9:20 am
Faye is lucky to have you! Erin wishes that her writer would spend a little more time doing things like that…
I know where you are with this. I’ve been trying to come up with a good system. For the record, I like Faye. I have to reading suggestions for you: The Story of a Girl and THe Year of my Mysterious Reappearance. Both feature characters who could be unappealing but aren’t.
August 26th, 2007 at 7:47 am
Hey, this is so cool! It makes Faye so REAL to you, and that will surely translate on the page. I especially like your finding a picture of her - okay, so the outfit’s all wrong, but there’s something cool about having a ’snapshot’ of your character as a springboard. It reminds me of what Tamara Pierce said, that she’s constantly cutting out pictures of people from magazines and putting them in a file, so that when she needs a new character, she just flips through her “casting” photos! I love that idea!
Rah! Rah! Saaa-rah!
August 29th, 2007 at 3:35 pm
Damon has drawn me pictures of my character. And even though I thought I had visualized her so thoroughly and told him exactly what to draw, he still made some things different than I imagined, which then inspired . . .
It really helps!!
