Banana Peelin' with Ame Dyckman

BEEP. That's BOT for hello. Today marks the beginning of the Banana Peel Count Down to Halloween. This month, authors from some of my favorite festively ghoulish books will be featured. I am super excited to have Ame Dyckman here today. She is incredibly funny and she has this great book called BOY + BOT. Now, BOY + BOT isn't necessarily a Halloween book, BUT it does include a robot and what Halloween is complete without a robot or TEN?! Please welcome AME DYCKMAN!!!!

BANANA PEELIN’ POST

Ame Dyckman

            Hi, guys!  Want to read my big Banana Peelin’ moment?  And how I finally picked myself up and brushed banana bits of my pants?

            Okay, here goes:

            My first picture book manuscript was called BLACKBERRY, THE FLYING GOAT. There are several good reasons why you’ve never heard of it:

·         BLACKBERRY was 1,423 words long. 

·         It had a grown-up protagonist. 

·         And it was a love story.  (Not with the goat.)

Yeah, I hadn’t done my homework.  So naturally, I was convinced my manuscript was awesome! 

In March, 2008, I took BLACKBERRY to my very first NJ SCBWI event.

I was positive the editor would adore it.

I expected her to write “A+++” all over it, like the teacher in A Christmas Story.

I thought she’d hand me a contract over dessert.

I could not have been more mistaken. 

After my critique, I went home and:

·         Cried.

·         Ate all the ice cream and blamed it on a freezer malfunction.

·         Got a shovel and buried BLACKBERRY in my backyard.

Then I rolled up my sleeves (which were really muddy from all that digging), and I got to work.

I signed up for every single NJ SCBWI event I could.

I went to First Page Sessions and Mentoring Workshops and Annual Conferences.        And I listened to all the feedback and advice.

What I heard most was, “If you want to write picture books, you have to read them.”

I read picture books to my kid, of course.  But I needed to read them to me.

So I got the biggest tote bag I could find and I went to my local library and checked out 50 picture books—the max you can check out at one time.

I went home and read those 50 picture books and brought them back and got 50 more.

And then I got a library card in my kid’s name so I could check out 100 picture books at a time.  (If you bake for your librarians—which you should do anyway—they will pretend not to notice when you do this.)

I got a Picture Book Haul every week.  (And I still do. )

And I kept going to NJ SCBWI events.  (And I still do.)

With all that reading, my writing and my feedback improved.  Editors said my writing was funny, but there was a little problem.

My subject matter was too… weird. 

I was told there wasn’t a big market for a picture book about a were-chicken. 

Or a talking bowl of fruit. 

Or a dead goldfish. 

After contemplation (and more ice cream), I realized the editors were right.  I needed a protagonist with wider appeal—not banana peel.

And my first thought was, “Well, everybody loves robots!”

Like her book, Ame is awesome. She has offered to giveaway a copy of BOY + BOT plus some swag.  All you need to do is leave a comment below describing the strangest premise for a book you have ever had OR a book you have read that has haunted you ever since due to its wackiness! (My "friend" offers a personal example: a girl with a pet hairball, named Harriett.) Thank you so much for reading! Good luck!

WHAT AM I DOING?!

WHAT AM I DOING?! WHAT AM I DOING?!

If it appears that I am shouting, it's because I AM!

Here's why:

I submitted my macho manuscript three weeks ago and for some reason it has seemed like an ETERNITY!

In this time I haven't written anything new. Too nervous. Nor have I reread any of my work. Again, too nervous. Why would I be nervous to read my own stuff?

 If you give yourself enough time away from your work you have a better chance of seeing it with an outsider's perspective, right? But what if I reread my work and realize that it stinks a big one? The longer I hold off on rereading my work, the more anxiety ridden I become and the more anxiety ridden I become the more I begin to doubt myself as a writer for children. WHAT AM I DOING? Ack!

So you see, I am in a bit of a rut. Blech.

So I paint. Yup. I've painted all things wooden or plastic in my sight the last week. I heart spray paint.

And I sew.  Just finished a hooded cape for Humbug and am thinkin' I should start a new trend for grown women.

I go to school and get all worked up about things like deadlines and losing my flash-drive and trying  to remember where I parked my bike.

I watch shows like Fringe that have me convinced that there is another parallel universe where I am a successful children's author, possibly with some kung fu moves and a holster.

For the record, in this time, I also:

- attempted to make decoupage jewelry. No comment.

- made lanterns out of tin cans and drilled holes in my leg. (Actually, I exaggerate. It was just one hole. Wasn't pretty. Shiver.)

But all of these things make me feel farther and farther away from what I want so badly... to write for children.  And the farther  away I feel, the more doubt seeps its way into my little noggin. I begin to ask myself, "Can I do this?  Should I still attempt to write and be published? Is this crazy?"  I feel a little like a lost puppy.

Thankfully, I have you and this here blog to keep me plugged in. And despite however big the cloud of self-doubt  is that looms over my head, I will always have the trusty Banana Peelers to get me through.

This month we will be gearing up for Halloween with authors of some wonderfully creative books that relate to the holiday, or at least in my mind do. =)   So far, we have AN AMAZING LINE UP of authors who I guarantee will make you LAUGH, not to mention at least two giveaways! Get ready for this month's banana peelin' authors:

Ame Dyckman

Anne Marie Pace

Kelly DiPucchio

Bwa, bwa, bwa. (Vampire laugh. See? Already laughing.)

Also, we have a winner from Deborah Underwood's, The Christmas Quiet Book giveaway...

Congratulations............................

DANA CAREY!

Woot! Thanks so much for your support and efforts to promote the blog, Dana!  You will be receiving a copy of this latest book straight from the publisher! So excited for you and slightly jealous, but in the best way possible. =)

So, before we go, I leave you readers with these two questions:

What do you do when you are waiting?

What the heck do you do when you doubt yourself?

Thanks so much and see you this Thursday, when BOY + BOT's, Ame Dyckman shares some memories of when she started writing for children. =)

Banana Peelin' with Deborah Underwood

The last few weeks I have had the authors of some of my most favorite books on the blog to celebrate my first year writing for children. As sad as I am that the month is coming to an end, it just wouldn't be any kind of celebration without hosting the author of one of my most cherished reads, The Quiet Book. 

After reading it for the first time, I sat and stared at the last page for what seemed like the longest quiet moment of my life, just marveling at the book's brilliance and perfectness. I began to stalk the book at the library. I would return it every other week just to check it out again. Thank goodness they picked up another copy for their shelves. (Little Timmy and I would surely have had a run in had they not!) It wasn't until a couple of months ago that I bought my very own copy. It is one of the books that sits on my desk, out of reach from MY CHILDREN (I know, so ironic and evil) reminding me what magical pieces of art picture books really are. With that said, I am so grateful to have the wonderful Deborah Underwood on the blog today!

I’ve made plenty of mistakes in my children’s writing career, but my biggest banana peel moment took place before I started writing for kids. It went something like this.

INT. APARTMENT - DAY

I decide I’m going to be a world-famous screenwriter. Knowing that film industry success is built on personal connections, I dutifully contact my college alumni office to ask if any graduates work in the film industry.

CUT TO:

 The alumni office sends me the names of several film industry people, and I mail a letter to each one, asking them for advice. Do I take two minutes to research what they DO before I write to them? Nooooooo.

 CUT TO:

 A few months later, my phone rings. The guy on the other end of the line says he got my letter and is calling to check in and see how I am doing. I tell him what I’ve been working on, and then, in what turns out to be the most mortifying sentence I ever utter, I ask him exactly what his connection to the film industry is. Since I didn’t do my research, I don’t know if he’s a sound designer, or a key grip, or what. He tells me he is a writer, we chat for a few more minutes, then we hang up.

 CUT TO:

 I search for him online to find out if he's actually had any of his films produced. Well, it turned out that he has. One of them was a little movie called The Sting. It won that screenwriting award thingy--what’s it called? Oh yeah. An Oscar.

 

MONTAGE:

Me whacking my head against my table, me yelling, me pacing around my apartment, me muttering to myself, me drafting a groveling letter of apology for not having done my homework.

 

If I'd known who he was, maybe I would have had some useful questions prepared. Instead, I wasted an amazing opportunity and felt like a total idiot, to boot.

 

I learned a heck of a lesson, though. I’ve had to do a number of interviews for my kids’ magazine and nonfiction work, and I’ve prepared like a maniac for every one of them. If you prepare, you get better material from the subjects--and frankly, it’s just good manners. You shouldn’t make an Oscar-winning writer explain to you that he’s a writer; that’s just wasting his time. Likewise, you shouldn’t make a scientist explain elementary facts about her field that are easily accessible online.

 So all in all, my banana peel moment may have been worth the slip. I met the writer years ago at an alumni event, and he seemed to have forgotten the incident, or at least graciously pretended he did. But I still can’t watch The Sting, which I love, without an inner wince.

 

Now, I know what you are thinking. When the heck is the Christmas Quiet Book coming out? ( I have wondered this many times myself.) Well, ONE lucky dog (or person) has the chance to win this newest book of Deborah's by doing one or more of the following:

 

1. Tweet a blurb about the gist of the Banana Peelin' blog series (eg. what one can find here.)

2. Promote the Banana Peelin' series on Facebook

3. Become a follower of the blog

4. Like my Facebook page 

5. Or if you're really feelin' gutsy, you can post a blurb about the perks of the Banana Peelin' series on your own blog. (Two extra points for that!!!)

 

Please mention which of the following you have done in a comment below. Each promotional act will get your name entered one time, so if you do all five, you'll have a better chance at winning the book!  Best of luck!

A Fancy Post

Nothin' fancy in this post...UNLESS YOU LIKE FREE BOOKS and INTERVIEWS and SHARON CREECH! (All unrelated by the way.)

Let us announce the winners for the giveaways held here on the blog over the last couple of weeks...

The winner of Cori Doerrfeld's, Little Bunny Foo Foo is...

                                                                Cathy Mealey

(whose name I couldn't get center for the LIFE of me!)

And the winner of last week's giveaway with Kathryn Fitzmaurice, The Year the Swallows Came Early is...

 Rosi Hollinbeck

Congratulations ladies! WOO, WOO, WOO! (Arsenio Hall arm pump.) Now, if you didn't win, don't fret. This week's author, Deborah Underwood (Eek!) is giving away a copy of her newest book, soon to hit the shelves. So come back Thursday for a chance to win!

And now, I leave you with three things:

The first is a homework assignment I completed in my Digital Media and Online Learning course. I tied in International Dot Day because, well, I'm obsessed with children's literature.  It features some unknown music, kid art, The Dot and my silly family. It's a 30 second clip.

The second is the interview of yours truly that Kathryn Fitzmaurice so kindly conducted and posted on her blog. I mentioned it last week but just in case you missed it, it is still up. I reveal an extremely intimate fantasy I have about myself and a certain chocolate river. So risque, I know. Oh, look. I blush.

The  third is a quote that I loved from Sharon Creech's newest novel, The Great Unexpected, about the power of a story.

"A year or two later a teacher read a story about a young knight on a quest. I remember none of the story except that the description of the knight's shining armor and his sturdy horse and the golden woods drew me in, and while the teacher read, I was the knight on the horse riding through the golden wood. I was that knight as surely as I was ever anyone else. I saw what he saw, felt what he felt, and when the teacher stopped reading I could not move because I was still in the book."  (p. 71)

Wasn't that magical? Now if you haven't, go run an read Sharon Creech's books. Because she is that awesome all the time. =)

Happy writing. Or reading. Or day dreaming. Or napping.

Banana Peelin' with Kathryn Fitzmaurice

I am so lucky. Lucky, lucky, lucky. In celebration of my first year writing for children, this month has been nothing short of amazing with the authors of my favorite books on the blog. Today, my luck continues with the warm and generous, Kathryn Fitzmaurice, author of The Year the Swallows Came Early and A Diamond in the Desert.

 I fell in love with the characters in The Year the Swallows Came Early on page one and therefore was extremely excited when Kathryn agreed to share her experiences with us. I was even more excited to receive my very own copy of A Diamond in the Desert in the mail, (Still glowing. Thank you, Kathryn!) Not surprisingly, I ADORED it. And I now anxiously  await the release of her third novel, Destiny Rewritten. This woman has talent! (And she is SO nice, which is just icing on the cake!)

Additionally, on this glorious September day, Kathryn and I have a two-for-one deal going on. If you ever get that nagging feeling, like you  can never really get enough of Bananabeth, Kathryn has actually interviewed me over on her blog! So if you want,  you can just flip-flop between us. Kathryn, Elizabeth. Elizabeth, Kathryn. I suddenly have the urge to sing... It's raining blogs! Hallelujah! ...Oh yeahhhhhh....Heeeee...

Eh hem.

 I feel just so honored to have her on the blog today. Please welcome the lovely, Kathryn Fitzmaurice!

Thank you, Elizabeth, for asking me to participate in your banana peelin series.  I am delighted to be included and could share many different moments where I was caught off guard, but one in particular stands out. 

 

In August of 2009, after my first middle grade novel, THE YEAR THE SWALLOWS CAME EARLY, was released, I received an email from my wonderful editor at HarperCollins informing me that the book had been nominated by SCIBA (Southern California Independent Booksellers Association) for their annual book awards.  I was so excited to be included in the nominations along with Michael Grant for his book entitled, HUNGER, and DJ MacHale, for his book entitled, PENDRAGON BOOK 10.  The awards ceremony was to be held the last weekend in October, on the exact same day as a Society of Children’s Book Writer’s and Illustrators conference in Ventura, CA, where I was scheduled to speak as a spotlight presenter.  As a spotlight presenter, I was to give a ten-minute speech about my road to publication, my personal experiences about writing, etc. etc. There were four authors giving spotlight speeches, all fit neatly in between editors and agents.  

 

Just so you know, and for those not familiar with southern California freeways, to get to Ventura from my home in Monarch Beach is at least a two-hour drive (without traffic).  Then to drive back down to Los Angeles after my speech was another one and a half hours (again, without traffic).  I had committed to giving the speech months before I knew about the awards ceremony, and was looking forward to being a part of the conference, so I did what any writer would do: I left at five am to get to Ventura before the traffic hit, gave my ten minute speech, (a PowerPoint, entitled Dear Ghost of Eleanor Robinson, about the influence my grandmother, an author of science fiction novels, had on me), and then at lunch time, I left in order to have enough time to arrive in Los Angeles for the awards ceremony. 

 

I checked into the hotel so I could change my clothes and waited for my amazing agent, Jennifer Rofe, to knock on my door so we could attend together.  When she arrived, we decided to have a quick drink at the bar, (I had water, of course), and we got to talking about this and that, when I realized we were a bit late.  So we immediately rushed to the ceremony only to walk in AS IT WAS STARTING!  Someone (I think a woman) was welcoming everyone at the podium, talking into a microphone, there was applause, and then everything sort of stalled in my mind.  I was SO COMPLETELY and TOTALLY EMBARRASSED.  I had to thread my way through the huge crowd, through tables with fifteen people seated at each one, as everyone in the room watched (at least if felt like everyone).  When I finally found my seat, which seemed to take several minutes, I settled in and waited, listening to the other awards being named.  When the award for the middle grade book came up, Michael Grant was chosen as the winner.  I remember Jennifer turned and gave me sort of a sad face, but deep inside, although I was disappointed, I was really okay.  I got to sit back and listen to his very funny speech, (Michael Grant is a funny guy), and the whole time I kept thinking what an honor it was to be nominated, even though for those few minutes as I walked into that huge room with what felt like hundreds of people watching me find my seat, I completely wanted to disappear!

Kathryn is so incredibly kind and generous, she has agreed to give away a signed copy of The Year the Swallows Came Early ! Please leave a comment below indicating you are interested. The winner will be chosen through random.org and will be announced next week!

Banana Peelin' with Cori Doerrfeld

As a female, I feel I can do it all. I can work, I can blog, I can mother, I can wife, I can neighbor, I can student, I can write, I can read, I can be a fitness goddess.... Ah, well, something's gotta give. We are amazing, us women. And Cori Doerrfeld is no exception. Please welcome the author/illustrator Cori Doerrfeld, a woman who did it all and lived to tell about it.

At some level I feel my entire career as an author/illustrator of picture books has been one banana peel moment after another.  Even though I have published books, that real people can buy at real bookstores, I still somehow struggle to feel successful.  I will say that yes, getting that very first book deal is not easy.  That is often what people want to know from me.  How does one get a book published?  How does one even get a manuscript read by an editor or illustrations seen by an art director? And those are all good questions…but I feel like people don't often think about what happens next.  What IF you get that book deal?  What is it really like to make a living as a freelancer?  I want to share the banana peel moments that I never even saw coming…because I too had never thought beyond my first book deal.

 I did not write my very first published picture book, Brooke Shields did.  And I know that getting to do a book with a celebrity is a once-in-a-lifetime, amazing, true luck experience.  I AM grateful.  But it was not exactly what I imagined it to be.  The book did not lead me to fame and fortune.  First off the fame…no I  never met Brooke Shields.  In fact I never even spoke with her…not even over e-mail.  But that's actually very typical for any author and illustrator working on a book…communication is all done through the editor.  But still…to this day if someone finds out about my book, the first thing they ask is, "Did you get to meet Brooke Shields?" That is what gets people excited, not the book itself.  So naturally I disappoint. 

 As for fortune, I left my full-time job to illustrate the book thinking I would be completely financially secure with a sure best-seller.  Everyone loves celebrities, right?  The reality is that most books don't turn into best-sellers.  I received one royalty check and that is all.  I'm not sure if people consider that as a freelancer,  you truly have no control over whether you make money or not. I know it was a big reality check for me.  The Brooke Shields book was a wonderful experience, but in the end I made more as a nanny…and that income was guaranteed.

 Now the first book did well enough that they hired me to illustrate a second book with Brooke Shields.  This is what lead to perhaps the biggest banana peel of my career.  As I pointed out above, I was in no position to turn down work.  Having left my job, I needed to agree to any book that came my way so I could continue to pay basic bills.  So even though I was about to give birth to my first child, I agreed to illustrate the book.  I know now that I simply didn't understand what having a baby would be like.  Most women take a maternity leave.  Nobody is crazy enough to think that they can give birth and immediately begin work on a very demanding, high-profile job. 

I know now that I was wrong.  I slipped the hardest I ever have in my entire life.  Now for the moms out there, I don't need to go into how exhausting a newborn can be, or how you need to recover not only physically, but mentally, and emotionally.  Life is never the same after a baby is born.  I never considered being up all hours of the night with a colicky baby.  I never considered the strain it would put on my marriage.  I never considered that I wouldn't be able to somehow both care for my tiny infant and create 32 pages of hand-painted, full color art in less than three months.  I guess it is no surprise that I ended up with postpartum depression and a sense of inadequacy about myself as both a creator and a mother that still haunts me today. 

The ironic thing about it all, is that Brooke Shields herself is famous for her battle with postpartum depression.  A fact that didn't really buy much sympathy from the publisher, although they did send me a copy of Brooke's book, "Down Came the Rain".  In the end I did manage to finish the book on time with a small deadline extension.  Seeing the art now is like looking at something painted by someone else.  I cannot even remember how or when I painted that book…but I did. 

My daughter is now four years old, and even has a little brother.  The second time around, I had nothing to work on.  My son's birth and babyhood has been mine to savor.   On the flip-side, nothing to work on does mean no money…but I think being able to treasure the first months of your child's life with even a shred of sanity is worth all the fame and fortune in the world. 

Cori has offered to give away one of my family's favorite books, Little Bunny Foo Foo.  Just leave a comment below describing when you plopped a little too much onto your plate. (This book is fabulous for those times when you DO have too much going on and just feel like bopping something/someone on the head.)

A Week of Ups

And it's off. My macho manuscript is off to two publishing houses in New York. I don't think I've mailed something to New York since the time I ordered some magic hair potion advertised in the back pages of Teen Magazine!

As you can see, it didn't help.

Fingers are crossed. (For both the manuscript and the long awaited results of the hair potion.)

I would say that this is the "Up" in, Banana Peelin': The Ups and Downs of Becoming a Writer. In fact, this whole week has been an "up": One manuscript as ready as it will ever be in the mail, a new manuscript coming to me in sleep, and a banana peelin' blurby blurb from one of my favorites, Sharon Creech.

But oh wait, it gets better. One of my most cherished writing buddies, Heather Newman, wrote the most flattering write-up about ME,( yes me!) on Marcie Colleen's wonderful Friendspiration series. I was and still am taken aback by the effort and kind words not only contributed by Heather, but also by many other writing friends that I have come to know and love this past year. Thank you so much all of you.

But oh wait, it gets better. This week I have two more things to which I can look forward.

Wednesday, I will be on author, Susanna Leonard Hill's, Would You Read It? series, where I will share an awful picture book pitch that is dying to be pruned. Feel free to come help this sista out by leaving your suggestions.

Thursday, I have the wonderful author/illustrator Cori Doerrfeld, on the blog, sharing her experiences balancing work and a new family. I think as passionate driven people, we have all had too much on our plate. Cori's heartfelt and honest post is part of my month long tribute to authors of my favorite books. In case you don't have your copy of Cori's, Little Bunny Foo Foo, I highly recommend picking one up. It is silly, demented in the best way possible, and beautifully illustrated. A must have for our family!

Banana Peelin' with...Sharon Creech? A Little Blurby-Blurb

So this month marks the end of my FIRST YEAR writing for children.  I have found my passion.  I have always loved children's literature. As a teacher I would try to stuff it down my students' throats. I made whole semester-long units based around a single book. After my own kiddos came into the picture, I finally had a reason to flood our bookshelves with wonderful picture books. Last Fall, inspired by a Literature for a Multicultural World course (Thanks Dr. Bercaw!), I was inspired to create my very own stories. It just made sense. It clicked. Light shined upon my little head and angels sang.  I know I am a newbie, a small, and tender newborn in what literary agent Brenda Bowen calls a, "bunny eat bunny" industry, but please don't judge me, yet.

You see, my goal was to get the authors of my favorite children's books to post this month on the blog. A celebratory event, if you will. Well, I just idolize Sharon Creech. I think her writing is quirky and beautiful, rich and profound all rolled into one. So I contacted her via Facebook. Do you see how I can have a whole blog dedicated to Banana Peel moments? I just set myself up for them. I mean, I was contacting Sharon Creech for Pete's sake! What was I thinking?!

But luckily, she was kind enough to reply with a blurby blurb for which I will be forever grateful! I have adjusted the font size to create the illusion it is longer. =) How's that for more bang for your buck?!


Here's one: Several years ago, while traveling, I stopped in a bookstore. Noticing that Creech titles were well represented, I offered to sign them. The clerk eyed me suspiciously. "Do you have any proof of identification?" she asked. All I had was ID under my (other) married name. I opened one of the books and showed my photo. She studied it. "Doesn't look like you," she said. She did not let me sign my books.

Woo hoo! Yes. Her words graced my inbox folks...my inbox! Now, let's all go out and buy her latest middle grade novel, The Great Unexpected, out this week. Be sure to  check her blog or her website for a list of her work as well as her upcoming releases. Did I mention she writes so beautifully that it'll make ya wanna laugh AND cry and sometimes do both at the SAME TIME?!

AND stay tuned this month for real-life, blog visits (of normal length and font size) from authors of some of my most cherished books!

Blue Light Anniversary Special

Hear ye, hear ye. By the royal banana peeler vested in me, I announce this month's blue light, anniversary special:

To celebrate my first year writing for children, the authors of some of my most favorite books will be on the blog!!!

Cori Doerrfeld of Little Bunny Foo Foo
Kathryn Fitzmaurice of The Year the Swallows Came Early
Deborah Underwood of The Quiet Book
and this week, a blurby blub from Sharon Creech of Walk Two Moons!

Woot! It shall be a royal, mushy, wonderful mess!

Banana Peelin' with Jeannie Mobley

I feel so incredibly fortunate to be a part of this week's author's, book birthday blog tour. (Whew! Say that five times fast! Actually, scratch that. I  just tried and it wasn't too difficult.)  Ya know, my husband is a huge football fan. Me, not so much. Each Fall and Winter I am exposed to the muffled crowd cheers and the spurts of "yeah, baby!" screams, but rarely do I participate.

When I do choose to root and hoot, it is because there is a reason, a purpose. Like if I find out that so-in-so's quarterback was raised on a banana boat and though he had nothing, he helped little old ladies cross the street until he was drafted to the NFL, I'll watch. It interests me. I hope they do well because they have worked hard or they are nice people.  That is how I feel about this week's author. I have not read her book yet, but I will read it as soon as I can get my paws on it AND I will also buy all of her subsequent work because of the story she shares with us today. I am a loyal, rootin', hootin', fan of this week's author, Jeannie Mobely!

 On August 28th, I celebrated the release of my debut novel, KATERINA'S WISH. Like most debut authors, this was hardly the first manuscript I wrote, or even the first one I sent out in the world seeking publication. And like so many who came before me, my road to publication was strewn with banana peels.

The manuscript that was to become KATERINA'S WISH, however, had some fairly unique slip ups of its own, that I don't think are common to most writers. Most authors think of their first books as their beloved children. That is not quite my story.

The idea for KATERINA'S WISH began with a dream, in which a fish granted me a wish. It was a very vivid, realistic dream, and I woke and lay in bed thinking it would make a good novel. But what  really stuck with me about the dream, and what I set out to capture in my novel, was not the characters or setting, which I changed, but rather a feeling. I was intrigued by the idea of writing a book in which a seemingly magical wish is made and ultimately comes true, but maintaining ambiguity about whether the things that happen are the result of the wish and its magic or are because of what the characters do once hey believe magic helping them.

I wrote a reasonable story, but I didn't capture the feeling, and so I was disappointed with it. I thought I might be able to improve it, but my critique group all liked it as it was, so, against my better judgment, I sent it to my agent. She liked it enough to circulate it, but it came back from four or five editors with the same comments--it was underdeveloped, too skeletal, too simplistic in the plot. My agent and I agreed that it should be pulled from circulation and revised to address those concerns before going out again. Actually, it is what she said, and I nodded my head as if agreeing, but inside I was thinking, "See everybody, I told you so. This manuscript is garbage."

Those of you familiar with tropical fruit, will at once spot many little flashes of yellow in the above paragraph. I, of course, didn't see them for several years.

The first was not trusting my own instinct, and being wooed into disregarding my judgment because it was the easiest rout to go. So I KNEW the story wasn't what it should be, or more importantly what it COULD be, and I sent it out anyway. This has probably been my biggest self-sabotaging flaw throughout my writing career. It is my special cocktail: one part impatience, one part ego, one part laziness, and two parts banana peels. Slippery every time!

Thus far, I think my experience isn't that unique, but what happened next is where it gets weird. I tried to read over the manuscript with an eye toward revision--after all the editors had told me what they wanted. It should have been easy, but as I read, I was filled with a strong revulsion to it--embarrassed that I had ever  thrust such a dreary thing onto my agent and other industry professionals. The characters were dull, the setting more dull, the plot the dullest of all.  Horrified that I had showed it to anyone, I buried it deep in the bottom of a drawer and wrote something else. This slip landed me right on my tailbone!

First, I wrote a flippant little tongue-in-cheek fantasy about a girl who dooms the world with her birthday wish. I thought it was hilarious, so much more interesting than that last ugly manuscript I didn't want to think about!

This manuscript was my rebound relationship--something totally different, uncharacteristic for me, out of control and careless. My agent told me she wanted to strangle my  main character, and asked, "What about Magic Carp?" (the original title of Katerina's Wish).

I got it out, read the first paragraph, and wanted to puke. The revulsion was stronger than ever. So I put it away and went back to an old pet project of mine, one of my favorite story ideas that I originally wrote years ago, before I had the writing chops to pull it off. I wrote happily, savoring my favorite characters, my lovely setting, my exciting and twisting plot.

My critique group hated it. I mean, hated it. One said the plot was predictable, another hated the main character, the third said she could only keep reading because she had to, as my critique partner. The forth smiled kindly and didn't offer a scathing criticism, but kept asking, "What about Magic Carp? I really liked Magic Carp."

Uugh. I hit a new low. How could I ever make it at as a writer if I was this blind? The things I loved, others hated. The thing I hated, everyone else loved. What was wrong with me?

By the time I got Magic Carp out again, nearly two years had passed. Two years without a manuscript on submission, because I couldn't come up with anything that I loved and others loved as well.  So, feeling doomed and at the end of my rope, I pulled Magic Crap (as I was affectionately calling it) out again. I read most of the first chapter before dissolving into tears and deleting the entire file from my hard drive. I absolutely couldn't face it.  Couldn't. Face. It.

So, I began the rewrite from scratch, not revising anything old, but starting over completely. I hated the character. I hated the plot. I hated the ugly, boring, awful setting. And mostly, I hated myself for being such a total loser that I couldn't see the difference between good and bad.

Except for that last part--the scarring self-loathing part--my revulsion turned out to be a good thing. Because my failure to identify with the character meant I wasn't sinking into her character as I wrote, so I could focus more on my craft--on the actual words I was putting on the page. And as for hating the ugly, boring, awful setting? Well, that's exactly how the MC feels about her setting, so it wasn't too hard to capture her misery.

Still, I kept sending chapters to my critique group, thinking, "this is the chapter where they will finally agree that this is boring garbage and I can stop writing it."  But my critique partners kept telling me it was great, they loved it, they couldn't wait to see what happened next. And I kept saying, "really? It isn't horribly dull?"

I tried to quit several times, and was nagged into continuing by those critiquers. I flung manuscript pages across the living room in three-year-old tantrum style more than once. I angrily scribbled out passages so hard that the pen went through the paper and scarred the table top.  Yeah. I was totally mature about it all. It was, without a doubt, the most miserable six months of my writing career thus far (and hopefully ever!) But at the end of it, I sent the manuscript to my agent, who said she loved it, and who sent it to an editor, who also loved it, and it sold.

This is not a trajectory to publication that I would wish on anyone, but the lesson I learned, all too late in the process, is to trust the advice of others. I know, this contradicts my earlier statement, to follow my own feelings, but I think I had to learn a balance.

I struggled for months after the sale of the manuscript, because I still didn't like the main character. Trina seemed dull, utterly flat, predictable. And yet, everyone who liked the book talked about how much they liked her. I was at an utter loss as to why, until my agent told me, '"you can't see what's great about her, because she's too close to you. She's just like you, so she seems ordinary and predictable to you, but what makes her a great character is what makes you a great person."

Of course, being wrapped in my own loathing and self-pity, I thought, "oh, great, I'm just as boring as my character." And I spent a long time feeling guilty and hypocritical, because the theme of KATERINA'S WISH is to persevere and make your dream happen, against all odds, and the manuscripts that were my dreams were moldering in a drawer while the one I didn't believe in was getting published.

In the immortal words of Homer Simpson, "Doh!" That was my final banana peel. Because I was just like Trina. I had achieved the dream of publication against some pretty large odds--working through and persevering with the manuscript that had promise, even when I couldn't see it. Putting my faith and determination into something, even when it wasn't coming easy to me.  How could I not see that?

 I finally saw it when the book was all formatted and my first pass pages came to me. These are camera ready pages, looking exactly as they will in the final book.  By then, it had someone else's title (my editor came up with it),  the artist's vision on the cover and interior pages, the designer's choice of font, etc.  In other words, I got some separation because it was no longer my manuscript, it had transformed into Simon and Schuster's book. And I read through and discovered, "there's some good stuff in here. So that's what they've all been talking about!"

I feel pretty good about the book now. I can embrace it, and it's characters.. It is my debut novel, the critics have spoken well of it, and it's got one sweet, tough character who people love, and who might even be a bit like me. And as for all those banana peels? I'm using them as compost to fertilize the garden of my muse.

Banana Peelin' with Sarah Frances Hardy

I was first drawn to author Sarah Frances Hardy after reading a particularly banana peely guest post she did during the promotion of her picture book, Puzzled by Pink. I thought to myself, "Self, we must get this woman on the blog!"  I can think of no better way than to kick-start the Banana Peelin' series-a-la-back-to-school than with the experiences of this lovely lady, right here. See. There she is. Down to the left. Great picture, huh?  Please welcome, Sarah Frances Hardy!

Hi all! Thank you Elizabeth for having me today.

 I was directed to your fabulous Banana Peel series by one of my readers who commented on this blog post in which I tell the story of a particularly horrific critique. Plus, it happened when I was a wee babe . . . okay, not so wee, but fairly new to this whole writer roller coaster.

 Did I let it stop me??

 No. I did not. I’m a little tougher and wiser because of it, and I’m happy to say that my debut picture book PUZZLED BY PINK which I both wrote and illustrated was released by Viking Children’s Books in April. It’s kind of a “Wednesday Addams meets Fancy Nancy” story.

I thought all those embarrassing moments would end once I grabbed that brass ring and had a book on the shelves with a Big Six publisher. Right. I can hear all of you Banana Peelin’ readers laughing.

Here’s my most recent moment (and I’m sure that there will be many, many more to come):

Several months before my book came out, I decided to be proactive on the PR front since publishers do precious little for most debut authors. I sent out postcards, contacted media, worked on a website for a birthday party inspired by my book (I still haven’t officially launched it yet--but it’s here if you want to take a look, and I set up book signings at every indie bookstore I could find within driving distance--and we’ve got lots of great indies in Mississippi.

My book was still just a few weeks out and I’d had some successful regional signings as well as a killer launch party at my hometown bookstore. Flying high and proud, I hit the highway toward a small Mississippi town about an hour away. I brought my giant wooden cutouts of my book characters, coloring pages, and spider rings. I was dressed in my black dress with my pink jewelry. I was ready for story time, my friends.

I took a couple of wrong turns but made it to the bookstore with fifteen minutes to spare. The store had pink and black balloons out front, and the owner came out to greet me. As I was pulling out my characters, she said, “Where are the books?”

I stopped. Stared. Cocked my head to the side.

“Wha . . .?”

“The books? Oh my god. You forgot the books??!”

“I’m sorry,” I managed to squeak out. “What books? Don’t you have the books?”

“Well, no. Every time we’ve had authors, they’ve brought their books.”

“I’ve never brought books,” I say. “I mean, you’re a book store.”

“Oh. You must have been doing signings at big stores,” she said.

“No . . . small indie stores . . . so what do we do?” I asked as little girls started showing up. It hit me that she was used to dealing with people who had self-pubbed.

“Look. I’ll get in the car and drive up to Oxford and get them for you.”

“That’ll take two hours there and back, and here’s the thing . . . I don’t have any books.” And this was true. My publisher gave me a box of fifteen free books which I gave away for promotions. It had dwindled away to nothing. “I mean we could go and buy some from Square Books, but these kids aren’t going to wait for two hours. And I doubt they’ll come back.”

We stood out in the parking lot a little longer, just kind of staring.

“I’m doing a signing next weekend at a store thirty minutes away. I’ll bet they’ve already got the books. Call them.”

So she called, and she drove frantically to another small Mississippi bookstore (one who’d ordered the books ahead of time). Meanwhile, I’m at her store crawling on the floor with the precious little girls who had shown up. We colored. We talked.

And then I literally read every single picture book in the store to them. Every. Single. One. (Even a self published one that a local preacher had written with his son and it was illustrated with crayons.)

Everything worked out fine, and I honestly appreciated the owner’s willingness to make the drive to save the day. But whew!! Lesson learned. I now carry a box of books in my car at all times.

AND I had a signing a couple of weeks ago, and the bookstore ran out of books. Woo hoo!!! Luckily, I could pop my trunk and replenish the supply without missing a beat.

Cheers,

Sarah Frances

www.sfhardy.blogspot.com

Write On Con, Write On....

Ahhhhh! My EYES. MY EYES!

Just got finished with my first year as an attendee in Write On Con, heretofore referred as WOC. As a free, online writer conference, I think it is fair to say that this blogger's tushie was planted in front of a computer, still in her pjs mind you, for a total of two days. While this was fabulous for my soul, it wasn't so great on the old eyes.

Now in a new set of pjs and with teeth brushed, I bring to you a brief description of my impression of WOC. 

Let me say, I am oober impressed with the organizational skills of the founders and by the amount of passion and heart of everyone involved. So much great information was offered by industry agents, editors, and authors. WOWZA!

But my favorite part, my most favoritist part in the whole entire world, was to read finally get to read the work of my friends. I feel so lucky to share the same cyberspace with these people. I would especially like to send the world a fair warning that the following people will be invading your bookstores sometime in the near future:

Bethany Telles
Carter Higgins
Julie Hedlund
Marcie Colleen
Pamela Courtney

As you can see, this list is in alphabetical order by first name for ease of reference once their books hit the stores! ;)

On another note, I am also soooo happy to announce that NEXT THURSDAY (once my old ojos have recovered from all the wonderful screen time), the BANANA PEELIN' series will be back in full effect!  Ka-POW! Can't wait and I hope to SEE you then! (Crossing my fingers on so many levels!)