Donna Bowman Bratton

Gone Revising

2012-01-25T12:06:00.001-06:00

Pardon the blog interruption while I hunker down for some serious revising.

I'll be back mid-February.

Happy writing!

Author interview: Cynthia Levinson

2012-01-16T22:34:00.006-06:00

Cynthia Levinson enjoyed a twenty-five year career in various corners of the educational system, helping make schools, classrooms, and policies better for kids. She's also written extensively for children's magazines like Odyssey, Faces, Dig, Cobblestone, Highlights, Stepping Stones, and others. Her evolution into the role of book author seems a natural progression.

Last week, I posted a review of Cynthia's powerful middle grade nonfiction book, WE'VE GOT A JOB: THE 1963 BIRMINGHAM CHILDREN'S MARCH (Peachtree, February 2012.) The book hasn't officially released yet, but it has already garnered starred reviews by Kirkus, Publisher's Weekly, and Booklist, and is racking up similarly glowing reviews from School Library Journal and others.

Cynthia very kindly agreed to a Q and A interview for me. So, let's dive right in to hear the story behind the story.

What inspired you to write about the 1963 Birmingham Children's March?

In May 1963, I was a high school senior in Columbus, Ohio—just a little older than and half a world away from three of the four “main characters” I interviewed extensively for the book. We had a “colored” maid, who lived on her side of town. But, other than Betty, I didn’t know any black people—which is why I grew up only half a world, not a whole world away from Birmingham.

My father loved talking about history and politics at the dinner table. So, I knew that people in the South were protesting segregation and that some of them were being assaulted by dogs and water canons. What I didn’t know was that those people were children. And I continued to be oblivious of this crucial fact, even though I later taught American History in middle school and high school. The moment that I made that belated discovery, while researching an article on music in the civil rights era for Cobblestone magazine, I knew I had to write a book.

From initial idea to completed book, what was your journey to publication?

With sharp twists and turns, long slogs up steep slopes, and precipitous drops into ravines, the journey was definitely queasy-making. After spending three months reading everything I could find on the Children’s March and on civil rights in Alabama, I developed a proposal. Chris Barton generously looked at it and, even more generously, shared it with his agent, Erin Murphy, who signed me! That was the first peak. The next one—making a sale—took another 18 months and entailed 18 or 20 rejections. (It’s still too depressing to count them all. As I recall, one publisher rejected it twice.)

Once we found an interested—actually, very enthusiastic—publisher, two others quickly followed. And the book went to auction! The offers were wonderful in different ways, and it was a deliciously hard decision. But, after choosing Peachtree, I’ve never looked back, especially when I see the terrific book (shameless self-promotion) that my editor, Kathy Landwehr, helped me produce. I, literally, could not have done it without her.

Of the four thousand young people involved in the historic march, why did you choose Audrey Hendricks, Washington Booker, III, James Stewart, and Arnetta Streeter as your point of view characters?

First of all, they’re wonderful, candid people who want young people to know the story of the Civil Rights Movement in Birmingham, especially what young people can accomplish. (I use the present tense here, though, sadly, Audrey died two years ago.) Also, because of their different backgrounds and involvement in the movement, each of them provides a window into black life, politics, and history there. The situation was complex and nuanced, and they offer personal ways to convey essential information. As well, every reader has someone to identify with. Maybe most importantly, Audrey, James, Arnetta, and Wash were willing to let me interview them for hours at a time over several years. I pursued one other person, who was ambivalent about participating but had great stories to share, for almost a year. In the end, she needed to retain her privacy, for understandable reasons.

You've done a remarkable job of weaving in direct quotes and photos, while laying a contextual foundation about the political environment of the time as well as the ever-evolving Civil Rights Movement. What kinds of research was involved?

Thank you!

As I mentioned, I started by reading. Fortunately, much has been written about the Civil Rights Movement in Birmingham. The events there were so melodramatic—beatings, hoses, dogs, jails. I started with two hefty Pulitzer-prize-winning tomes and, then, went on to other prize-worthy texts, including children’s books (though, at the time, nothing was available for kids on the Children’s March). I read solidly for three months.

At about that time, I discovered the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute (BCRI), which has an excellent website, and, even better for my purposes, video interviews with hundreds of civil rights activists. I watched snippets of these interviews online and read many dozens of transcripts.

Finally, I was ready for my first trip to Birmingham. In addition to spending days in the BCRI and Birmingham Public Library archives, I wanted to meet the people I had been reading about. But, as a new writer, with only magazine articles to my name, I wondered if busy, professional people would be willing to meet with me to talk about events of 45 years ago. Many did! I interviewed not only black people who had marched in 1963 but also white people, including a policeman, about their perspectives. This trip convinced me that onsite research is invaluable, and I ended up taking two more trips to Birmingham—one for the 45^th anniversary of the March and another with my editor.

Then, while writing the book, I listened to spirituals, gospel music, civil rights songs, sermons, mass meetings. Hearing the voices of the times and the place lent a tone to the text and inspired me to keep writing.

What were the most difficult aspects of writing the book?

There were two main problems I had to grapple with. Above all, everyone knows the outcome. How do you keep readers engaged when they already know what happened? One solution, I discovered, is that, while readers know the end result, they don’t know the steps that led to it. So, including the daily details, just as the four marchers experienced them, maintains the suspense.

Some of these details, however, were arcane. In the midst of the marches, Birmingham was holding mayoral and city council elections. Figuring out how to convey the importance of municipal politics, of all things, without losing readers was tricky. Perhaps some of your readers will tell me how well I succeeded.

Is there anything else you'd like to share? Perhaps an anecdote or some such that didn't make it into the book?

There is a funny story that didn’t fit in the final book. One of the inmates in James’ cell was a man, wearing a business suit, who got swept up in the mass arrests as he walked to work on Thursday morning, May 2, 1963. Repulsed by the tasteless food, he asked a jailer, “Excuse me, do you think I could have some hot sauce?” Even the jailer laughed. The kids, not knowing his name, called him “Hot Sauce.” They’d say, “Hey, Hot Sauce, see if you can get us scotch and soda.”

What do you hope young readers will take away from WE'VE GOT A JOB: THE 1963 BIRMINGHAM CHILDREN'S MARCH?

I hope for layers of knowledge and understanding, and I hope for action. That is, the story of what children accomplished in Birmingham is not well known. So, first, I want this episode to become as familiar in Civil Rights lore as Rosa Parks and the Freedom Riders. Beyond that, the fight for desegregation was not simply a matter of good guys versus bad guys or blacks versus whites. The story is complicated, and I think it’s important for young people to absorb and appreciate the complexity of society and of change. Finally, I would love to see Peace Ponies sprout around America. (For your blog readers who don’t know what I’m referring to, I urge them to read the book, including the dedication.)

What can we expect to see from you next?

My editor has two picture book manuscripts, one of which focuses on Audrey, that I hope we'll all see some day! And, I’m working on a longer piece that also shows remarkable things that children can do.

Learn more at Cynthia Levinson's website. She also blogs with her agent mates at Emu's Debuts.

Review- WE'VE GOT A JOB: THE 1963 BIRMINGHAM CHILDREN'S MARCH

2012-01-10T18:33:00.006-06:00

In WE'VE GOT A JOB: THE 1963 BIRMINGHAM CHILDREN'S MARCH (Peachtree, February 2012), author Cynthia Levinson has shone a light on a dark, oft-forgotten chapter in the American struggle for civil rights. Impeccable research, including direct quotes from protestors/marchers themselves, has resulted in an expertly crafted, three dimensional true story. More than a must read, this is a potential catalyst to spark a conversation with children and teens about civil rights and humanity.

In 1963, Birmingham, Alabama was the most segregated city in America. Racist white, dictatorial community leaders had twisted into oblivion the U.S. Supreme court ruling that declared segregation of public facilities unconstitutional. Birmingham was a dam of injustice ready to burst.

Levinson introduces the ensuing flood of events through the accounts of four pivotal young protestors, Washington (Wash) Booker, III, James Stewart, Arnetta Streeter, and the youngest marcher, nine year-old Audrey Hendricks.

African American citizens wanted nothing more than to see the end of segregation. Though black participants of the civil rights movement abided by their own "Ten Commandments of Nonviolence," they frequently fell victim to the KKK, bombings in homes and churches, intentional attacks by police dogs, and the full force of fire hoses.

"When video of children being hosed across asphalt and charged by growling dogs appeared on the news that night, America started to pay attention to how Birmingham treated its Negro population. One child was photographed holding up a hand-lettered sign that read, 'We're Human, Too.'"

When negotiation efforts repeatedly failed, organizers like Martin Luther King, Jr, Fred Shuttlesworth, and James Bevel became desperate. It was decided the only way to draw attention to Birmingham's civil rights crisis was to peacefully and intentionally get arrested. The crusade was informally dubbed "Project Confrontation or Project C."

"Project C would pit blacks against whites in nonviolent ways by sitting at segregated lunch counters, parks, city hall. They picketed businesses and let Birmingham know that they would no longer 'endure the laws and custom of segregation, brutal treatment by the police and injustice of the courts...' They were willing to fill up the jails."

But, when the adults had to return to work to earn a living, four thousand young people eagerly rose to the challenge. They came in droves, in peaceful protest, until the city, county, and surrounding county jails were beyond capacity.

"Since the beginning of Project C, less than five weeks earlier, a reported 2,425 people, almost all of them students, had been arrested. The jails and fairgrounds were filled to bursting. Downtown businesses were empty. The whole world was watching."

The world continued to watch until change finally came to Birmingham. "Sobered. Angry. Determined. This is the way many people of Birmingham, the country and the White House felt in September 1963. Sobered by racism. Angry about violence. Determined to gain civil rights."

Archival photographs, informational sidebars, a timeline of Birmingham's segregation challenges, and a map of the city are included as a supplemental bonus.

The events in WE'VE GOT A JOB pre-date my generation yet I'm left wondering why I've never heard of Children's March. How could I not have known about the brave young people who, despite unimaginable adversity, shifted the balance of the civil rights movement? Children! The story, as in the era, is about cruelty, injustice, bravery, determination. It's a story about humanity that is woven into our collective history. As they say, if we do not know where we come from, how can we know where we are going?

Though Levinson herself was an Ohio teenager during tenuous 1963, and remembers reading about the marches and the treatment of protestors in her youth, it wasn't until she was researching civil rights music for Cobblestone magazine that she learned the role of children in the Birmingham crusade. In Levinson's words, "Many people, I realized, needed to know how a Children's March changed American history. So, I set out to learn what happened."

I, for one, am very glad she did.

Stay tuned for my interview with author Cynthia Levinson.

Blank Pages and a new Muse

2012-01-03T12:08:00.000-06:00

There it is in all its blank glory. The only gift I asked Santa for. Well, that and a new car. Santa's budget clearly looks alot like mine.

There's something exciting, and invigorating, and, yes, a bit scary about having a stack of giant blank pages in front of me, ready for scribbles, and plots, and voices, and magic to spill forth like seeds in a garden. It's bound to get messy, dirty, downright muddy at times. But, for 2012, my muse resolves to reveal white space as opportunity. I'm confident that, if I tend to the words every day, something marvelous will blossom.

My Herb Garden Fairy by Mark Roberts

And, speaking of my muse, my sweet hubby surprised me with this Herb Fairy on Christmas day. We had recently spotted this little guy in a designer store and I was immediately smitten. He's sparkly, whimsical, and cheery. But, don't let his fairiness fool you. His eyes watch me with expectation. Though I'm not a "stuff" kind of gal, this cutie pie was destined for my desk.

I know the obvious name for the little guy would be Herb, but I don't know if that fits him. What do you think? Any other ideas?

Happy 2012 to you all. May your own blank pages be filled with life, joy, and art.

Donna's 2011 Reading List- (At least most of them)

2011-12-27T14:50:00.002-06:00


Meet Mittens. Promoted from paper weight to list keeper.

In January 2011, I pulled out a crisp new spiral notebook and penned the words "Donna's Reading Log" on the front. My plan was to list every book I read in 2011. I've posted previously about the fluid picture book log I keep, complete with word counts, publishers, and reading levels. But, that list has always been alphabetical. I had never tallied how many books I read in a given year.

So, here we are at the end of 2011 and I'm staring down the inked-in pages of said new spiral. Some of these titles were pulled for study purposes, some for recreation, some to satisfy a curiosity. Now that I've added up the whole shebang, my exceeded book buying budget and my perpetual library late fees make a bit more sense. This list won't mean anything to you but, for me, it's an interesting reflection of my reading year and writing focus. I'll do the same for 2012 and see how my interests morph. And, as a bonus, my eleven year-old son has decided he wants to start his own reading log. Yes!

In no particular order, except for genre, I offer my 2011 reads.

NF and historical fiction Picture books
STAGECOACH SAL by Deborah Hopkinson
UNDER THE QUILT OF NIGHT by Deborah Hopkinson
ABE LINCOLN CROSSES A CREEK by Deborah Hopkinson
SWEET CLARA AND THE FREEDOM QUILT by Deborah Hopkinson
YOURS FOR JUSTICE, IDA B. WELLS by Philip Dray
I, MATTHEW HENSON: POLAR EXPLORER BY CAROLE BOSTON WEATHERFORD
HUMMINGBIRDS: FACTS AND FOLKLORE FROM THE AMERICAS by Jeanette Larson
DARWIN by Alice B. McGinty
WHEN ABRAHAM TALKED TO THE TREES by Elizabeth Van Steenwyk
MOONSHOT by Brian Floca
HALLELUJAH FLIGHT by Phil Bildner
DAVE THE POTTER: ARTIST, POET, SLAVE by Laban Carrick Hill
ABRAHAM LINCOLN COMES HOME by Robert Burleigh
SO SAID BEN by Michael McCurdy
SUSANA OF THE ALAMO by John Jakes
QUEEN OF THE FALLS by Chris Van Allsburg
LINCOLN AND DOUGLASS by Nikki Giovanni
GEORGE WASHINGTON'S TEETH by Deborah Chandra
FOOTWORK: THE STORY OF FRED AND ADELE ASTAIRE by Roxane Orgill
THE WATCHER: JANE GOODALL'S LIFE WITH CHIMPS by Jeanette Witner
STAND STRAIGHT, ELLA KATE: THE TRUE STORY OF A REAL GIANT by Kate Klise
BALLET FOR MARTHA by Jan Greenberg
HONDA:THE BOY WHO DREAMED OF CARS by Mark Weston
BALARAMA: A ROYAL ELEPHANT by Ted & Betsy Lewin
POP! THE INVENTION OF BUBBLEGUM by Meghan McCarthy
THE POT THAT JUAN BUILT by Nancy Andrews- Corbel
THE LAST BLACK KING OF THE KENTUCKY DERBY by Crystal Hubbard
IF WALLS COULD TALK: FAMILY LIFE AT THE WHITE HOUSE by Jane O'Connor
CATCHING THE MOON: THE STORY OF A YOUNG GIRL'S BASEBALL DREAM by Crystal Hubbard
LOST BOY: THE STORY OF THE MAN WHO CREATED PETER PAN by Jane Yolen
PAUL ROBESON by Eloise Greenfield
BLACK ELK'S VISION: A LAKOTA STORY by S.D. Nelson
JULIA MORGAN BUILT A CASTLE by Celeste Davidson Mannis
JIMI SOUNDS LIKE A RAINBOW:A STORY OF THE YOUNG JIMI HENDRIX by Gary Golio
HOME ON THE RNAGE: JOHN A. LOMAX AND HIS COWBOY SONGS by Deborah Hopkinson
LIBERTY'S VOICE: THE STORY OF EMMA LAZARUS by Erica Silverman
ROUGH, TOUGH CHARLEY by Verla Kay
WHAT CHARLIE HEARD by Mordicai Gerstein
ODETTA: THE QUEEN OF FOLK by Stephen Alcorn
ODD BOY OUT: YOUNG ALBERT EINSTEIN by Don Brown
LOUISA: THE LIFE OF LOUISA MAY ALCOTT by Yona Zeldis McDonough
FOR THE LOVE OF MUSIC: THE REMARKABLE STORY OF MARIA ANNA MOZART by Elizabeth Rusch
LIPMAN PIKE: AMERICA'S FIRST HOME RUN KING by Richard Michelson
SAWDUST AND SPANGLES: THE AMAZING LIFE OF W.C. COUP by Ralph Covert
THE DARING MISS QUIMBY by Suzanne George Whitaker
A PICTURE BOOK OF HARRY HOUDINI by David Adler
HARRY HOUDINI: ESCAPE ARTIST by Patricia Lakin
THE GREAT HOUDINI: WORLD FAMOUS MAGICIAN AND ESCAPE ARTIST by Monica Kulling
BEN FRANKLIN: HIS WIT AND WISDOM FROM A-Z by Alan Schroeder
EAT YOUR MATH HOMEWORK by Ann McCallum
THE MULTIPLYING MENACE by Pam Calvert
THE MULTIPLYING MENACE DIVIDES by Pam Calvert
SHE LOVED BASEBALL: THE EFFA MANLEY STORY by Audrey Vernick
RON'S BIG MISSION by Rose Blue
LINCOLN TELLS A JOKE by Kathleen Krull

Fiction Picture Books
ALL THOSE SECRETS OF THE WORLD by Jane Yolen
HARVEST HOME by Jane Yolen
WEINER WOLF by Jeff Crosby
SISTER BEAR: A NORSE TALE by Jane Yolen
SPARKY THE FIRE DOG by Don Hoffman
ROSCOE AND THE PELICAN RESCUE by Lynn Rowe Reed
___
= 61 picture books

Nonfiction Chapter Books (and a few crossovers)
TO FLY: THE STORY OF THE WRIGHT BROTHERS by Wendie C. Olde
KAKAPO RESCUE: SAVING THE WORLD'S STRANGEST PARROT by Sy Montgomery
THE VOICE THAT CHALLENGED A NATION by Russell Freedman
HARNESS HORSES, BUCKING BRONCOS, & PIT PONIES by Jeff Crosby and Shelley Ann Jackson
HEART AND SOUL: THE STORY OF AMERIA AND AFRICAN AMERICANS by Kadir Nelson
THE BOYS WAR by Jim Murphy
LINCOLN: A PHOTOBIOGRAPHY by Russell Freedman
CAN I SEE YOUR ID: TRUE STORIES OF FALSE IDENTITIES by Chris Barton
MARCHING FOR FREEDOM: WALK TOGETHER, CHILDREN, AND DON'T YOU GROW WEARY by Elizabeth Partridge
WE'VE GOT A JOB: THE 1963 BIRMINGHAM CHILDREN'S MARCH by Cynthia Levinson
MUSIC WAS IT: YOUNG LEONARD BERNSTEIN by Susan Goldman Rubin
DIGGING FOR TROY: FROM HOMER to HISARLIK by Jill Rubalcaba and Eric H. Cline
MYSTERY ON EVEREST: A PHOTOBIOGRAPHY OF GEORGE MALLORY by Audrey Salkeld
SHH! WE'RE WRITING THE CONSTITUTION by Jean Fritz

CAN'T YOU MAKE THEM BEHAVE, KING GEORGE? by Jean Fritz
_____
= 15 NF chapter books

Novels
MASTERPIECE by Elise Broach
ESPERANZA RISING by Pam Munoz Ryan

ALIEN INVASION by Brian Yansky
PHANTOM TOLLBOOTH by Norton Juster
WHAT THE MOON SAW by Laura Resau
ANOTHER WHOLE NOTHER STORY by Dr. Cuthbert Soup and Jeffrey Stewart Timmins
WAITING FOR THE MAGIC by Patricia MacLachlan
THE ADVENTURES OF NANNY PIGGINS by R.A. Spratt
HOW NOT TO BE POPULAR by Jennifer Ziegler
A THOUSAND NEVER EVERS by Shana Burg
TRUTH WITH A CAPITAL T by Bethany Hegedus
TUESDAYS AT THE CASTLE by Jessica Day George
SASS & SERENDIPITY by Jennifer Ziegler
THE PRIVATE THOUGHTS OF AMELIA E. RYE by Bonnie Shimko
Oy MG by Amy Fellner Dominy
CALLI by Jessica Lee Anderson
ODD GIRL IN by Jo Whittemore
AL CAPONE DOES MY SHIRTS by Gennifer Choldenko
BEAUTY QUEENS by Libba Bray
SNOW IN SUMMER by Jane Yolen
MOON OVER MANIFEST by Clare Vanderpool
THE DAY THE FALLS STOOD STILL by Cathy Marie Buchanan
THE HELP by Kathryn Stockett
COMMITTED by Elizabeth Gilbert
______
= 24 novels

Adult Nonfiction- just for fun
SURVIVING TITANIC by Violet Jessop
SELF PORTRAIT WITH SEVEN FINGERS by Jane Yolen and J. Patrick Lewis
INVENTING NIAGARA by Ginger Strand
NIAGARA: A HISTORY OF THE FALLS by Pierre Berton
INVENTING THE VICTORIANS: WHAT WE THINK WE KNOW ABOUT THEM AND WHY WE'RE WRONG by Matthew Sweet
THE TALENT CODE: GREATNESS ISN'T BORN. IT'S GROWN by Daniel Coyle (my current read-will finish by week's end)
____
= 6 Adult nonfiction

Books about the writing craft
WRITING FOR STORY: CRAFT SECRETS OF DRAMATIC NONFICTION BY A TWO-TIME PULITZER PRIZE WINNER by Jon Franklin
ANATOMY OF NONFICTION by Margery Facklam and Peggy Thomas
SAVE THE CAT : THE LAST BOOK ON SCREENWRITING THAT YOU'LL EVER NEED by Blake Snyder
SECOND SIGHT: AN EDITOR'S TALKS ON WRITING, REVISING, AND PUBLISHING BOOKS FOR CHILDREN AND YOUNG ADULT by Cheryl Klein
___
= 4 books on craft

Scholarly Books and Sources related to my Works-in-Progress
Sorry...Keeping a lid on my extensive list of research titles
and scores of historic newspapers and journals related to my as-yet-unacquired works-in-progress. That list to come later

Grand total= 104 books in 2011.
It's almost time to turn the page where 2012 will begin.

My 2011 Favorite blogs to follow

2011-12-22T09:36:00.000-06:00

2011 has been a great year to follow our favorite publishing professionals through their individual blogs.

Today, I direct your attention to the blogs I've followed throughout the year. Trust me, you'll want to follow them, too.

Drum roll, please.

BLOG ROLL 2011

My 2011 Recommended Books about the Writing Craft

2011-12-20T11:43:00.003-06:00

My shelves are full of books on craft and I've mentioned many in this previous blog post. Today, I offer the best craft books I've read in 2011. I recommend them all.

**Special note: Reading craft books is a great way to improve your literary education, but don't forget to put your own words on the page, too. Lots and lots of words.

SAVE THE CAT! The Last Book on Screenwriting That You'll Ever Need by Blake Snyder (Wiese, Michael Productions, 2005)

Yes, this trilogy is aimed at screenwriters, but it is perfectly applicable to the novelist, too. Beginning with the all-important "log line" Snyder breaks down the crucial "beats" of a successful story and brings forth examples of popular movies to make his points. Writers are sure to benefit from Snyder's BS2 "beat sheet."

SAVE THE CAT! Goes to the Movies (" 2007)SAVE THE CAT! Strikes Back

SAVE THE CAT! Strikes Back (" 2010)

ANATOMY OF NONFICTION: Writing True Stories for Children by mother/daughter team Margery Facklam and Peggy Thomas (Writer's Institute Publications, 2011)
Finally, a book specific to writing nonfiction for young readers! This comprehensive title is chock full of advice for organizing, focusing, and writing the nonfiction project. Topics include, but are not limited to: Brainstorming, Research (including many recommended sources,) Revisions, Queries, Outlines, Voice, Biographies, Science and Nature, How-to Genre, Marketing.

WRITING FOR STORY: Craft Secrets of Dramatic Nonfiction By a Two-Time Pulitzer Prize Winner. By Jon Franklin (Penguin, 1986)
This book was recommended to me by numerous nonfiction authors, so I had to have a copy for myself. This is the craft book to fully explore the nonfiction novel or short story.
Franklin pioneered the field of creative nonfiction by applying fiction's classical complication-resolution form to standard nonfiction (specifically to news stories, most of which, he states, are generally "endings without beginnings attached"). Instead of focusing on style, grammar, and word use, as do many books on writing, Writing for Story provides a rigorous lesson in building a nonfiction story (short or long) that has structural integrity. Franklin advocates starting with an outline, writing the climax first, and engaging in other grueling tasks that seem like hard work because they are.

Research Resources- Start Growing your Cyber Library

2011-12-05T22:37:00.011-06:00

I'm blogging a bit differently for the month of December. Today, I share some online sources that have either been helpful to my own research, or that are part of my cyber-library for future reference. Naturally, this isn't an all inclusive list (like that would ever be possible) and it's a bit of a hodge podge, but it's a place to start. I hope you'll find some treasures here, whatever genre you write.

Do you know of an online source that should be added to this list? Please add it in the comments section and we'll watch this list grow.

Throughout December, I'll continue to share my favorite sites, blogs, and books. Pop back in when you get a chance.

Enjoy!

Style and Grammar
Grammar Handbook by the University of Illinois-Urbana
Chicago Manual of Style online
Modern Language Association (MLA)
The Elements of Style
Purdue Online Writing Lab https://owl.english.purdue.edu/
Purdue " " APA style is especially well covered here
Long Island University "Citation Style for Research Papers"
Citing Sources (Duke University Libraries)
Citing your Sources (University of California Berkeley)

Free Bibliography software
Easybib
Bibme

Sites about agents
Query Tracker
Agent Query
Publisher's Marketplace (see who's moved where and who's sold what)
Literary Rambles (Casey McCormick blog)

Language Translation
Yahoo Babel Fish
Google Translate

Online Dictionary/Thesaurus
Dictionary.com

Geography and history
World Factbook

World Clock

Want to know the reading level and number of words in a published book?
Rennaisance Learning

Sources for hard to find Books
WorldCat
Fetchbook
Alibris.com
Abe Books

Research Sources-History (no particular order)
Library of Congress
Colossal Directory of Children's Publishers

History.org (Colonial history)
History of the USA
History.com
A Research Guide for Students (for writers, too. Find style guides, and how-tos)
World Almanac for Kids
In the First Person (index to letters, diaries, oral histories, and personal narratives)
Calisphere- University of California- primary sources and more
Early America archives- primary documents from 18th century.
Smithsonian Magazine
National Archives
Ancestry.com (a little pricey, but it's a convenient way to track a life)
National Parks Service
National Security Agency (NSA)
Chronology of American History
Archive.org (nonprofit digital library)
Google Scholar

General Reference- Ref Desk
Highbeam Research
Newspaper archives
New York Times archives
Chicago Tribune Historical archives
Oxford Journal Historical archives
U.S. Census Bureau
Historical Census Browser

ArtCyclopedia
Oxford African American Studies Center

Your public library like offers electronic access to EBSCO, Oxford Reference Online,
WorldCat (find resource material from other libraries as well)
Questia
Gale Virtual Reference Library (look who's got ebooks now)

Money
Current value of old money. Convert money values as far back as 1600's

Fashions from history
Fashion Era
History of the 20th Century
Fashion Institute of Technology
Fashion History Museum

Official Museum Directory

Online image source and historical photos
Library of Congress Prints & Photographs
U.S. National Archives
istockphoto
istockvideo
Life Magazine
Various historical societies, museums. university archives,
photos.com
Shutterstock.com
Corbis Images
Smithsonian Photographic Services

Addendum. 12/19/2011- Special thanks to Ms. Hernandez, teacher at a California charter school, for passing on a student's list of additional resources. Many have been incorporated into this list. Yay for students with initiative!

Life Cycle of a Book

2011-11-29T15:22:00.013-06:00

Ever wonder how a manuscript becomes a published book? Publishing Trendsetter, a site dedicated to publishing professionals, not only put the process to a flow chart, they include video clips from professionals at every stage; writer, agent, editorial, production, digital, design, marketing, publicity, sales, distribution, and book buyer. They call it Life Cycle of a Book. It's worth a peek.

Then, for a bit of motivation, pop over to read my previous blog interview with Cynthia Leitich Smith.

Happy writing!

Reviews- Sister Bear, Snow in Summer, Self-Portrait with Seven Fingers

2011-11-25T13:15:00.001-06:00

Among the most prolific and award-winningest authors of our time, Jane Yolen has authored more than 300 books, including OWL MOON, and HOW DO DINOSAURS SAY GOODNIGHT? Here are just a few of her newest releases.

SISTER BEAR: A NORSE TALE (Marshall Cavendish, 2011) ages 5-8    Yolen has retold an old Norse folktale that has been published in differing versions many times, first appearing in English in 1888. Yolen may be the first author to change the gender of the main character. In her words, “…I thought it was about time to show what a girl could do.”
     In the wintry land of Finnmark, young Halva discovers an abandoned white bear cub in the woods. Though her parents originally object to the idea of a bear in the house, certain they would eventually become dinner, Sister Bear, as the cub is named, becomes a lovable protector with a unique talent. She likes to dance. Halva and Sister Bear set out to show off the bear’s talent to the King of Denmark, in time for Christmas. The last thing they expect is to be faced with a band of trolls who make it a holiday tradition to terrorize a woodland family. Halva and Sister Bear, the unlikely heroine, must come to the rescue.
     This is a romping good holiday tale not only for families, but for classroom units about folktales and fairytales. Linda Graves’ illustrations are rich in Scandinavian-inspired details and exquisite physical features. The colorful lifelike images seamlessy transition into the fantastical elements of the story. Beautiful!

SNOW IN SUMMER: FAIREST OF THEM ALL (Philomel, 2011) ages 10+   When Summer loses her mother and baby brother during childbirth, her father sinks into a deep depression. So, when Papa brings home a new bride, Summer is hopeful that she and her father will both have someone to love. But, over the course of a few years, she discovers Stepmama is armed with potions, a magic mirror, and many dark secrets.
     Papa seems to be under a spell that leaves him oblivious. Summer is left to endure cruelty. When she is thirteen years old, her situation comes to a head when Stepemama takes her to her own “church,” far into the Appalachia mountains. Stepmama wants the ultimate sacrifice. Summer must find the strength and allies to help her survive.
     Set in Appalachia in the 1940’s, SNOW IN SUMMER is told in the alternating points of view of Summer, her beloved Cousin Nancy, and Stepmama. This book is best described as a novel-length fairytale complete with motherless child, wicked stepmother, magic mirrors, high intensity peril, even seven little men with great big hearts.

SELF-PORTRAIT WITH SEVEN FINGERS: THE LIFE OF MARC CHAGALL IN VERSE by J. Patrick Lewis and Jane Yolen (Creative Editions, 2011) A very visual biography, SELF-PORTRAIT includes fourteen paintings by the famous Russian-Jewish artist. Tribute is paid to each portrait through the use of poems in verse, while biographical information is paced concurrently in prose on each page. The highs and lows of Chagall’s life offer revealing insight into his creativity. Readers will appreciate his all-too-human experiences, of childhood in his beloved Russia, duties during WWI, his later arrest by Hitler’s Nazis and ultimate foot-escape over the Pyraneese Mountains that led to his immigration to America.

This book is marketed to adults, but I think this would also be a fabulous read for any child interested in Chagall, or art history.

To do something with seven fingers is a Yiddish expression meaning to do something well or adroitly. The expression would be appropriate in describing the authors of this very book.

Five Writing Tips From Jane Yolen:

1. Anchor your characters with action.

2. Find the right word.

3. Read what you've written out loud.

4. Exercise the writing muscle.

5. Have fun writing.

(printed with permission of Jane Yolen and Raab Associates, Inc.)

From Befuddled to Eureka- Clarifying my narrator's lens-P.B. Biography

2011-11-03T09:18:00.001-05:00

My currrent work-in-progress has had me befuddled. That's a good word, isn't it? Befuddled. My Webster's Dictionary defines the word as, "To confuse or stupefy." Yep, that sums it up.

Said manuscript is complete and it's not half bad. Yay! I've got a compelling story with suspenseful scenes and historical significance. But, my inner-editor has been nagging that something's not working. My basic dilemma is varying the action of multiple scenes to avoid redundancy. I can't disclose the specific subject of this picture book biography, but suffice it to say that the man's claims to fame were earned in a grand, but physically limiting setting. So, now that I'm in polish mode, I realize I have too many scenes depicting my character somewhat like a bendable Gumby. Ugh!

After a great deal of therapeutic chocolate consumption, it occurred to me that the real problem isn't my character's limited setting. The issue is my narrator's limited lens. Currently, there's too much looking AT, and telling ABOUT my character. That can be boring, especially for young readers. Maybe it's okay that his physical locale doesn't change drastically, if the text propels the story forward. It turns out the nagging voice is telling me to get closer to the character, to walk in his shoes, and get into his head. Instead of the text and illustrations looking AT him, I'll reposition my narrator lens to look through him. After all, I want my readers to see what my character sees, and feel what he feels. And, though it's tricky, I want to show my character as others of the day saw him, too.

I'm reminded of the reality TV show, Survivor Man. He's presumably all alone in some frighteningly remote place, simply surviving day to day. Sometimes the camera is aimed at him. When he eats those nasty bugs, we see the wince on his face. When he builds the temporary shelter, we watch him struggle and sweat.

Other times, he activates the small camera attached to his hat so that we see what he sees, as if we're laced right into his hiking boots. When he climbs the tree, we hear the branches snap. When he crosses the river on a rickety bridge, we feel the danger in the tremors of the ropes, and his own breath as it catches. His view is sometimes close and sometimes distant, but it always adds texture to the story.

So, here's my new word. Eureka! Webster's defines the term as, "used to express triumphant achievement." I think it's the perfect word for my new sense of clarity.

Eureka!

Who's On First- "Showing" Lessons from The World Series

2011-10-28T09:03:00.013-05:00

It's the curse of a writer to always be in critique mode. Once the inner editor is brought to life, there's no stopping it. When I go to movies, I subconsciously pick apart plot problems and character inconsistencies. When I pick up a magazine or journal, I zero in on structure and format. And, when I watch The World Series on television, I find metaphors for the writing process. You didn't expect that, did you? Neither did I.

Back in the days before television, imagine how exhilarating it would be to gather around the RCA radio, anxious to hear the rip of a ball against a bat and the rising ruckus of the lucky crowd. The commentator offered a play by play of the game, sometimes with the speed of an auctioneer. Listeners needed this "narrator" to tell what he saw in great detail. At home, radio listeners relied on two senses: Their hearing, and their imaginations. My, how times have changed.

Okay, non-baseball fans, stay with me here as I build up an important point that relates to writing... Last night was game six of the 2011 World Series between the Texas Rangers and the St. Louis Cardinals. (I obviously have a favorite in this game-it's my birthright as a proud Texan.) At this point in the seven-game series, Texas had won three games. The Cardinals had won two. This game would either decide Texas as the World Series champions, or tie the teams' tallies and move them both to the seventh game. For eleven innings, the game was a nail-biter with jockeying scores that remained mostly tied, right up until the last moment. And, yes, I was one of those folks who, long past my bedtime, leaned in ever closer with a racing heartrate. All that to say that there was a bit of tension in the air, on the field, in the stands, and at home.

Sports broadcasters don't offer the same kind of play-by-play today, because they don't have to. There are a bazillion cameras to show "who's on first," and "what's on second." We see every scowl, wince, anxiety, worry, frustration, and glee on the faces of players, coaches, managers, owners. Players must cover their mouths so that lip-readers don't "hear" them, for goodness sakes. The "telling" mode of the radio commentator/narrator has evolved with the "showing" wonders of camera technology. And, thanks to instant replay, we viewers relive injuries and errors in slow-motion, until we feel like we're there in the player's cleats.
No doubt, people will gather around water coolers and school lockers, this morning, to retell the most exciting moments of the game in vivid detail.

That's what writers aim for, too, isn't it?

But, there's one last observation I want to share. How many times did cameras span away from the field, zooming in on spectators? Our television narrators didn't have to tell us it was cold-We knew by the coats, gloves, hats, scarves, misty breaths. They didn't have to tell us how spectators were reacting, because we saw it on their faces. The same events elicited radically different emotional responses, depending on team loyalties. Folks in the stands were the emotional barometer for the game.
We felt that man's elation as he waved the toy squirrel at the end of a stick (don't go there;)
We felt that woman's silent prayer, as she looked skyward;
Those young men with team logos tattooed on their faces? We felt their youthful anticipation;
We watched Nolan Ryan's expression change from applause to glower;
We felt the anxiousness of the young ladies with linked arms and crossed fingers;
We watched that child's fear melt into ear-to-ear grin when Beltre almost plowed over the railing and into his lap, stopping himself in time to pat the kid on the head;

We saw.
We felt.
We were there, but in the comfort of our homes, in a way radio could never deliver.

Thank you radio for evolving into a visual medium. And thank you Mr. Narrator for "telling" us just enough. Because nothing beats "showing" to reveal a more three-dimensional look at the human experience.

Texas Book Festival 2011- My personal highlights

2011-10-26T10:28:00.003-05:00

The only photo I took was of Kadir Nelson.

Another Texas Book Festival has come and gone. Sigh! Thousands of people crowded the streets surrounding the state capitol, where a tent city housed book sellers, music, children's entertainment, and author readings and signings. Inside, seemingly every nook, cranny, chamber, and extension room of the capitol building was buzzing with sessions dedicated to literature.

It was difficult to choose which sessions to attend and oh how I wish I had brought something to take notes with. From memory, here are a few of my highlights.

From the session with Casey Scieszka and Steven Weinberg, I learned that a lifelong exposure to books (Casey's father is Jon Scieszka,) and an openness to diverse cultures can benefit in ways you never imagine. And that having a passion for one thing, like travel or studies, can blossom into a cause and a passion. Their own new adult/YA book TO TIMBUKTU is not the only thing to result from an 18 month travel to nine countries. Their experiences inspired their nonprofit, Local Language Literacy, launching literacy efforts in less fortunate countries. You can get a peek at the story behind their book through this Publisher's Weekly interview. Presentation-wise, I can honestly say I've never witnessed a more engaging and seamless tandem presentation. These two really can finish each other's sentences.

From the session with Molly Shannon, I learned how powerfully personal tragedy can be transformed into comedy/art; how laughter can be healing; and how profoundly a parent's presence, or lack of, can affect children. And how motherhood opens a new perspective about children. Her book, TILLY THE TRICKSTER, was released in September. Authors generally sneer at celebrities who knock out children's books without dedicating years to studying the craft and paying their dues. But, I can't help but like Molly Shannon. I hope, when I read her book, I'll find 32 pages of quality.

From the Newbery panel, with Rebecca Stead (WHEN YOU REACH ME) and Kate DiCamillo (BECAUSE OF WINN DIXIE and TALE OF DESPEREAUX,) I was fascinated by their individual writing journeys that led to their first books and to their Newbery winners. Rebecca is a busy mom and admits she has no regular writing schedule. Kate writes two pages per day. Period. As we all know, even when we're not physically plunking our fingers on a keyboard, our minds are working the tedium of story elements.
I've heard Kate speak before, and I think she's hilarious. This time I was most struck by how much a single college experience informed the rest of her writing career. When a professor held up her essay about a homeless man to share with the class, she was all puffed up with self-importance, thinking she was the greatest writer of all times. Then the prof. said he didn't choose it because of good writing. Ouch! He chose it because the writer "saw." It was a great way to drive home the fact that writers need to pay attention to details. We need to see the people or details that are generally unnoticed.
(Want to take a peek at Kate's early drafts for BECAUSE OF WINN DIXIE? Click here. And here.

From Kadir Nelson, who spoke about his newest book, HEART AND SOUL: THE STORY OF AMERICA AND AFRICAN AMERICANS, I learned that art can return figures to history that should have been there all along. And that family history can often be filled with history of a grander scale, lost to humble memories if not captured and recorded. And that writers and illustrators must really love the project they are working on. If not, it will show in the work.

In the nonfiction panel, we heard the stories behind the stories from Chris Barton about CAN I SEE YOUR ID, Jeanette Larson on HUMMINGBIRDS: FACTS AND FOLKLORE FROM THE AMERICAS and Elaine Scott on SPACE, STARS, AND THE BEGINNING OF TIME. Panel questions varied from research journeys, to organization, and how the intended reader age influences the writing process.

Check out recaps by these other authors, too. Greg Leitich Smith, Cynthia Leitich Smith, Nikki Loftin, Shelli Cornelison, Carmen Oliver

Finally, I was reminded how much I appreciate this remarkable talent-rich community to which I belong. More specifically, my fellow authors and illustrators active in the Austin SCBWI Community. From the moment I parked in the capitol garage, to the end of the day, I was shoulder to shoulder with colleagues as eager to soak it all in as I was. Between sessions, we exchanged notes, shared photos, stood in lines, laughed. To my Austin SCBWI peeps, and you know who you are, this journey wouldn't be nearly as wonderful without your friendships. Thank you all.

Texas Book Festival- It's tiiiiiime

2011-10-20T15:34:00.002-05:00

The 2011 Texas Book Festival kicks off this weekend, October 22-23. I'll join 40,000 of my closest friends at the State Capitol complex in Austin. I've lined up my own personal festival schedule, prioritizing which sessions, signings, and readings I simply can't miss. That's important because I'll be making multiple treks between this bookish slice of utopia and my son's baseball tournament, twenty miles away. It's an annual time juggling trick that I'm happy to perform.

Check out the TBF schedule here. I hope to see you there.

Mock Book Covers: Q & A With E. Kristin Anderson

2011-10-18T13:50:00.002-05:00

The first impression we have of a book always begins with the cover. The visual introduction makes promises about the story before the spine is ever cracked. Even in classrooms around the country, students are encouraged to illustrate covers to their stories. It's the final touch for the author and the first impression for the reader.

Well, my last post with Marc Tyler Nobleman about his use of mock book covers as a way to market an as-yet-unsold manuscript got me thinking. Maybe there's something to the idea of creating these preliminary covers for our manuscripts.

During National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), authors are encouraged to create mock book covers as added inspiration. Start a Google search and you'll find a slew of authors creating them for their own purposes. I didn't have to look beyond my own Austin community to find a strong proponent.

E. Kristin Anderson, co-founder of the popular Dear Teen Me blog (soon to be published as an anthology) creates mock book covers for her own young adult novel manuscripts. You can take a peek at those covers at her blog here. Emily was kind enough to share her perspectives.

Emily, thank you for chiming in.

Why did you decide to create mock covers for your manuscripts? Was it for your own benefit, or as a marketing aid, or both?-- I do it entirely for myself, really. And maybe just a wee bit to have an image on my website to put next to the synop -- readers on the web do NOT like the wall o' text, so having something -- anything! -- there is going to keep their eye on your page a bit longer. But, mostly, I just like having something that looks like a REAL book is very motivating for me as I work on a first draft, or even in the revision process. It makes me feel like the goal is surmountable.

What do you think are the pros and cons of attaching a visual image to an as-yet-unsold manuscript? -- Well, that depends on the writer, I think. As someone who's worked in page production (my job at The New Yorker was in the page makeup department...late night shift) I know how many changes can go through at the last minute. If you're prepared for that as an author, and if you can divorce yourself from the image you created, I don't think there really are any cons. I mean, almost no author really gets a say in their final cover, and, if they do, it's usually a last minute "do you like x or y better?" or a very simple "is this ok?"...at which point the publisher may or, likely, may not make changes. (Note: I'm VERY lucky in that the design team for Dear Teen Me has included me and my coauthor Miranda in the process. Wow! So unlike most design scenarios!) So....I guess what I'm saying is that if you can make a mock cover, and always think of it as that -- a MOCK cover -- go for it. If you have any delusions that a publisher is going to use your cover as inspiration when they buy your book, put them away.

What has your response been so far? -- Most of the response has been from folks on Facebook/Twitter who have kindly praised the design. (I am so not a designer, I just have a few photo shop skills and use way too many shortcuts.) Although I *do* believe that the few agents who contacted me for partials after seeing my website may have spent that extra ten seconds on my "books" page because of the covers. Like I already mentioned -- images break up the text for web browsing. You always hear that agents contacting unpublished authors based on their blog or website is about as rare as a unicorn fart -- this has happened to me three times. (Given, I haven't signed with any of them, but they all ended up reading fulls and giving tremendous feedback with requests to see future work.)

Do you have any advice for pre-published authors thinking of creating their own mock covers? -- At risk of sounding like an arrogant jerk, I'm going to say this: if you can't do it well, don't do it. I know that my mock covers aren't exactly New York Publishing House Calibre, but I think that they are fairly decent. And if you don't think you can make a cover that looks comparable to something on a book shelf in your genre, you might be better off not doing it. Also, do NOT use Papyrus, Comic Sans, or Courier fonts on your covers...or anywhere. Ever. (Admittedly, I type up manuscripts in courier, but that's the only good place for it, as far as I can tell.) If you use stock art -- which you probably will -- make sure that you are taking it from a place that you're allowed to take it from. I use morguefile.com and deviantart.com. BUT, some of these photographers have specific rules. Some artists on dA request that you contact them if you're going to use their stock art outside of the site, or they might require that you post a link to their page. Do NOT just grab stuff off of a Google image search and run the risk of getting in trouble with an angry photographer. This is doubly true if you decide to make those mock covers into REAL covers for, say, a self-published ebook, since most free stock art is for non-commercial use only.

Do you know of other authors who create mock covers? -- The only published author I can think of off the top of my head is Stephanie Meyer -- I remember reading on her website back in the day that she would create mock covers to print out and give to her family/beta readers with the manuscripts before she sent them to her editor/agent. I do this sometimes, too. Because I am a huge nerd.

Click here to see a previous interview with Emily about her participation in critique groups.

How Far Would You Go to Sell a Manuscript?. Marc Tyler Nobleman's "Picture Book Experiment"

2011-10-14T07:50:00.004-05:00

Most of us know what it's like to pour our hearts, soul, and time into a manuscript only to have it rejected by numerous publishers. But, how far would you go to market your manuscript? Marc Tyler Nobleman decided to kick the promotional energies into high gear with a well-targeted, public campaign with a visual twist.

Mock book cover by Kevin O'Malley

You may know Marc for his 70+ books for children, including the smash-hit picture book biography BOYS OF STEEL (Knopf, 2008.) He was kind enough to agree to an interview for me back on Nov. 23, 2010. A few weeks ago, I heard from Marc about his self-declared "picture book experiment." It's the ultimate example of being a champion for your own work. He graciously agreed to sit in the hot seat of my little blog for a Q&A about this latest campaign.

Welcome back, Marc!

Recently, you began an online initiative to garner attention for your as-yet-unsold manuscript titled Thirty Minutes Over Oregon. What editorial journey has led to this very unique public pitch campaign for the manuscript?

Up to a point, the journey was a familiar one; rejection is part of most writers’ experience. What stood out to me here was the WAY I was being rejected—the language the editors used to say no was not pat form letter praise. Quite the opposite—some editors seemed genuinely moved by the story (and I mean the events, not necessarily my telling of them, though some did say nice things about my writing, too). This is why I started my post with their words. With such humbling feedback yet no takers, I felt it was a challenge to find a way to overturn whatever it was that made their concerns trump their compliments.

You’ve shared some intriguing snippets about your story, along with a compelling flap copy summary on your blog. What is it about this story that speaks to you on a personal level?

Well, not combat! As I state in the post, I’m not a war buff—or a Japanophile, or an Oregon native. My connection to the story is wholly as an outsider. I think it boils down to a simple formula—it’s half action and half emotion. The first half—the war half—is not only edge-of-your-ledge harrowing, it’s also rich with opportunities for an illustrator. To wit, the opening scene is a plane launching off a submarine! The second half of the story spans 1962-1997 and is one of the most astounding accounts of reconciliation and redemption I’ve personally encountered. There are multiple moments that elicit a gasp or a gape or a choke, and none feel manipulative or cynical. The real-life story is a writer’s dream from start to poignant end.

Many writers (especially nonfiction) are guarded about their works-in-progress for fear that another writer will “steal” their idea. Do you have any concerns about this?

Not anymore! Now that the story has gone public via this experiment, I feel secure in believing that if anyone is going to get it into a picture book, it’ll be me.

You have shared the glowing responses from editors in your original blog post, and your post addendum on October 6th that includes feedback from teachers, librarians, and other readers. Why do you think the manuscript hasn’t been acquired yet?

Of course a thought that crosses every writer’s mind: maybe the editors like it less than they let on and are just trying to let me down easy! In this case, however, I think the reason no one has yet acquired the manuscript is indeed the reason many have given me: nonfiction is a tough sell, quirky nonfiction is way tougher.

A few also felt the story would suit an audience slightly older than the picture book crowd. I agree. But I feel it also needs to be told at the picture book level, and can be done so sensitively, as many have before on delicate topics ranging from the Holocaust to cancer. See Marc's related blog post here.

Besides, as more than a couple of the teachers/librarians have commented in response to my experiment, there is still a need for picture books in upper elementary and middle school—examples include boys who are not drawn to fiction and students reading below grade level.

Why did you choose to pursue mock book covers at this point? And how did you entice seven professional illustrators to volunteer their art?

Mock book cover by Justin LaRocca Hansen

Mock book cover by Julia Sarcone-Roach

Even though editors were recognizing the value of the story, none had yet acquired it, so I was interested in a way to further validate it. I could prattle on for paragraphs with reasons but thought it would make a bolder statement if OTHERS would go to bat for it instead.

I actually asked more than seven illustrators and was touched that more than seven were interested in contributing, but my preferred time frame was off for some; they had particularly pressing deadlines, travel, etc. Truth is, I was surprised that ANY were willing to do something that might not make any difference for me, let alone them! Truly selfless talents.

Someone asked me if I was nervous about this experiment. I was, but I think the most nerve-racking part was approaching the artists.

As for how I enticed them, I e-mailed them an impassioned manifesto about my story and quirky nonfiction in general (and that became the foundation for the blog post). It was rather long so some artists might’ve said yes because that was quicker than reading to the end. : ) (Note to readers: All seven mock covers can be seen on Marc's blog post.)

You mention this in your original blog post, so I have to ask; What are the “Thirty Reasons to Acquire Thirty Minutes?”

Ah, great question! Some were repurposed in my blog post. Others are in the reserves—to be trotted out if none of this works! But the key words are “first,” “only,” and “whoa.”

What responses have you gotten from editors and others in the publishing industry, since posting the mock book covers and launching your public pitch?

I’ve been compiling and sharing them in a follow-up post . One editor called my approach innovative. Some have praised my passion. My favorite editorial response to date is included at that post. Several editors have requested the manuscript since (in addition to some who had requested it before the post went up); I’m doing interviews like these to increase the chance that more editors will learn of this.

What’s the next step in this pitch campaign?

Follow up with editors! Find more booksellers, librarians, teachers, parents, and so on who want to see this manuscript become a book! Thank the mock cover artists any chance I get!

Any cautionary advice for writers tempted to contact illustrators to create art for their own work?

Another great question. I felt comfortable enough to do it for two reasons: one, I had gotten such positive feedback from editors and two, the illustrators knew me already. If both of these factors had not been the case, I would not have pursued this idea. In exchange I did offer the artists what I could, which was admittedly not as much as they deserved, but I wanted to be as fair I could; also, for whatever it’s worth, in promoting my experiment, I’m promoting the holy heck out of their work! My wife had an idea I love: if the book is to be published, include all the mock covers as endpapers (if the terms, whatever they end up being, are acceptable, of course!).

You are a tireless pro at promoting your published books through on-site sales, school visits, speaking engagements, social networking, and impressive blog content. Before a manuscript is sold, however, what other ways do you market yourself and manuscripts to editors?

I think you covered it! But before all that, I do what all we writers strive for: find a good, fresh story and try to tell it well.

I can add that before this Thirty Minutes Over Oregon experiment, all my pitches were more traditional—sending a selective group of editors a (private!) letter summarizing the story and the marketing points. Of course, that approach has worked for generations—and I hope this new one will work, too!

Local news of interest this week:

Philip Yates' adorable picture book, A PIRATE'S NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS, is available through Scholastic book fairs.There's something super exciting about seeing the title in the school-distributed order form.

Austin authors P.J. Hoover and Jessica Lee Anderson will be launching their respective titles with a joint book signing this Saturday, October 15th, 12-2pm at The Book Spot: 1205 Round Rock Ave #119 : Round Rock, TX 78681. I hope you'll join me in welcoming SOLSTICE (CALLI. For the most entertaining peek:

SOLSTICE book trailer:

CALLI promotional video clip:

And, don't forget the book launch/signing for Shelley Ann Jackson and Jeff Crosby, Sunday, October 16, 2011 at the Writing Barn. See previous post for more details.

What's coming up on my blog: My next post will be a Q&A with author E. Kristin Anderson about her use of mock covers as tools to inspire her writing.

Q&A Shelley Ann Jackson and Jeff Crosby- HARNESS HORSES, BUCKING BRONCOS & PIT PONIES

2011-10-11T16:41:00.015-05:00

(apologies for the inconsistent formatting. Blogger isn't cooperating)

In HARNESS HORSES, BUCKING BRONCOS & PIT PONIES (Tundra Books, 2011), author/illustrator team Shelley Ann Jackson and Jeff Crosby (who happen to be married, too) offer a gloriously illustrated and well- researched introduction to the earliest domestication of horses. Each of the chosen forty-three breeds highlighted in the book are introduced with their respective provenance, physical characteristics, and unique historical connection with people. Artistically, every sinewy line, muscle, and expression comes to life in vivid detail specific to each breed. And there's enough informational substance to the text to satisfy horse lovers of all ages.

I'm thrilled to spotlight this adorable and oh-so-nice husband/wife team. Shelley and Jeff answered these questions individually, choosing not to read each other's responses until after I had received them. I've chosen not to edit or combine answers because I think their different voices give a broader peek into their working relationship.

Miniature horses coming to the book launch


Shelley Ann Jackson and Jeff Crosby

What was your inspiration for writing HARNESS HORSES, BUCKING BRONCOS & PIT PONIES?

SAJ Our first collaborative book, Little Lions, Bull Baiters & Hunting Hounds: A History of Dog Breeds had just come out and was getting great reviews. One review said that they hoped we’d write more books on dogs, cats and horses. Our daughter was itty bitty at the time but already obsessed with horses. She made the clicking noise of horse hooves before she could even talk. So we thought horses would be fun to work on. Plus, they seemed a natural progression after dogs, considering the number of breeds of horses, their variety, and their popularity with children.

JC Well, it’s a bit of a sequel, or a companion, to our runaway, chart-topping hit, LITTLE LIONS, BULL BAITERS & HUNTING HOUNDS: A HISTORY OF DOG BREEDS. We wanted to do a second dog book since we only covered about 50 of the over 400 breeds out there and hadn’t included some very popular breeds such as the German Shepherd, Golden Retriever, and Schnauzer. However, our publisher, Tundra, wanted us to branch out, and horses made the most sense because of their varied appearances and jobs. Next, they want a history of cat breeds!

Writing and illustrating are generally solitary endeavors. How did your collaborative process work with regards to dividing specific tasks?

SAJ Everyone always asks this but it’s so hard to give a concrete answer. A lot of it depended on who had time to do what, who was interested or motivated at a given time, and what needed to be done. As far as process, we brainstormed and critiqued together at every stage. But as far as research, writing, revising and painting, we tried to divide that up evenly and we worked individually.

JC With both writing and illustrating we start with similar approaches. First we use a dart board and then proceed to rock-paper-scissors. We actually brainstormed ideas and then created our outline and storyboards together. Then we divvied up the research. For writing, we would each work on separate breeds to begin with but would both edit them down together. For the intro material, we would both work on it together since the info wasn’t as straight forward. Shelley tended to be the driving force with the writing, since she is better at writing, organizing, and communicating.

JC As far as the art goes, once we both figuredout what the concept was for each breed in the storyboards, I tended to be theone who took those to the tight sketch phase, since my strong suit is drawingfrom my head. Shelley did plenty of sketching too. By the time our drawingswere approved by Tundra, we had just a few months to crank out over a hundredpaintings. With the tight deadline, our painting process became very organic.Some illustrations we would complete individually, others we worked ontogether. I might do the background and Shelley would do the foreground or shemight start a painting and I would finish it.

As you mention in the book, thereare over two hundred breeds of horses around the world. How did you narrow itdown to the forty-three breeds you feature?

SAJ It was so hard!Just like dog breeds, even horse breeds that are closely related have their ownspecial quirks and interesting facts. If you look at the books we used forreference, you’ll see that just about every breed had the corner turned down atone point. Unlike dog breeds, which we knew quite a bit about going into thatproject, we were really starting at square one with horses. So every new breedI read about was my favorite and just HAD to be included! In the end, wefocused on showing as big of a variety as we could—as far as size, function,geographic origin and popularity. We cut any that seemed similar to another andtried really hard to pare it down so that we could have as many double pagespreads for the art as possible.

JC We wanted to include as broad a variety ofbreeds as possible. This meant finding breeds that were from all over theworld, performed different jobs, had different appearances, and were a varietyof rare and common breeds. We also wanted horses that had interestinghistories. As with our dog book, this criteria meant we had to leave out somepretty common breeds such as the Morgan and the Suffolk Punch.

The book is cleverly divided intobreed categories: Rapid Transit, Military Advantage, Horsepower, EquineEntertainment, Feral Horses. Did you approach research with thisorganization already in place, or did the different themes evolve?

SAJ The standard book about horses divides breedsby size or by temperament: heavy horses, light horses and ponies, OR hotbloods, warm bloods and cold bloods. But horses don’treally fit neatly into those categories. For example, a pony is defined as ahorse that measures under 14.2 hands high. Many pony breeds were bred in harshclimates with inadequate nutrition and will actually grow to horse height whenfed a nutritious diet. Many cultures find it insulting to call their nativehorses “ponies” and you’ll read that even though a specific horse is small itis always called a “horse” in its native land. This didn’t seem like a goodsystem. Neither did the blood-system. Plus, we wanted to focus on the horses’origins, so it seemed natural to separate them according to their first uses. Thefive distinct categories that we ended up with evolved as we researched. Wehoped that by dividing them this way, readers could observe how certainfeatures are suited to particular jobs. We still mention the standard ways ofdividing horses so that readers will be familiar with those concepts, too.

JC They evolved. We knew we wanted to divide the bookinto several categories, like we did with Little Lions, but we had to do ourresearch to figure out how to classify the breeds.

Were there other specific breedswith particularly interesting history that you wish could have been included?Wanna share here?

SAJ A couple years ago I mentioned to ourdaughter Harper that unicorns aren’t real and she cried like nobody’s business.I now know what it feels like to break a child’s heart. It would seem that shehas forgotten that nasty conversation because she keeps asking where theUnicorn and Pegasus are in our book. I’m not telling her again. So if there’s afollow up book, those two “breeds” might be in there. Other (real) breeds that I’d like to include are the Akhal-Teke, because it issuch an influential breed, and the Suffolk Punch, because I’m a sucker fordraught horses and it’s got a cool name. Speaking of draught horses, I lovethose gentle giants: Ardennais, Boulonnais, and Comtois are stunning and wedidn’t include any of them! You know the primary reason draught breeds are sodocile is that they eat the same food as lighter horses but have to support somuch larger body mass? I’m also really drawn to the native breeds that areshaped by their rugged conditions such as the Sumba from Indonesia. And I thinksome of the newer breeds like the beautiful gaited Rocky Mountain Horse, whichis, oddly enough, not from THE Rocky Mountains but rather used in rockymountains, are really interesting. Oh, and there’s the Haflinger…can youbelieve we didn’t include them? Oh, now you’ve gotten me started again, Donna!

JC The Pegasus and the unicorn.

What was your general path andtimeline to publication?

SAJ In July 2008 we first asked our agent histhoughts on the possibility of a horse companion to our history of dog breedsbook. Once we convinced him that horses did have as much diversity andpopularity as dogs, he looked into our publisher’s current list and advised uson how to proceed. We started by researching using mainly encyclopedic booksabout horses to find out the history and scope of domestic horses. We spent severalmonths choosing breeds and deciding how to organize the book. We sent ourpublisher, Tundra Books, an outline and cover letter in February 2009 andwithin a few days they wrote back to say that they would be happy to work withus again. (They had been hoping we’d do a book on cats next, but we wanted tofocus more on the “working with humans” aspect and let’s face it, most catswork exclusively for themselves!) We started researching right away, but didn’tget our contract till June 2009. These things take time! December 2009 weturned in the final manuscript. We sent in our first round of sketches in May2010 (I’m looking back at emails for the dates, lest you think I am some sortof savant!) June 15^th an editor was finally assigned our manuscriptand all of the fact-checking and editing began! By the end of July, themanuscript was finished and we were back working on art. Final art wasdelivered at the end of January 2011. Phew! Two and a half years sounds like alot of time, but when you consider that much of it was spent waiting forapproval, working on other projects, raising a child and moving to a new state,it’s not nearly long enough!

JC We had six months to write the book. Due toupheaval at the publisher, it took them months to edit our manuscript and wewere chomping at the bit to get started on the sketches. We wanted to be donewith edits before proceeding on to the sketches and the deadline for thefinished book was rapidly approaching. We had another six to illustrate it andended up getting another month extension.

Tell us a bit about your researchprocess for this book?

SAJ Research was loadsof fun! At the time we started, we lived in Castle Rock, Colorado, right nearthe county fairgrounds. We spent lots of afternoons at different horse events:barrel racing, vaulting, cutting—learning about the events themselves but alsotalking to owners, learning about the breeds and photographing horses inaction. We went to every rodeo we could find. And our biggest and mostproductive research trip was to the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington. They havelots of breeds there that are included in the book, and a fantastic “parade ofbreeds” where we got to see a variety of breeds side by side and in traditionalcostume. The Horse Park is also home to the Smithsonian’s International Museumof the Horse, where tons of information is to be found. They also house equinerelated objects such as period carriages, farm equipment and tack. We took lotsof notes and photos. The Horse Park and Museum staff was so friendly andhelpful—it was an amazing trip. We also stayed in a cottage on a working farmand got to meet and photograph horses there. We used a lot of books andinternet resources as well, but nothing compares to meeting your subjects inthe flesh! While in Kentucky, Jeff decided his dream horse was a Trakehner,Harper fell in love with an Appaloosa and I, well, my favorite depends what horseI’m looking at, at the moment.

JC Unlike with the dog book, we knew very littleabout horses to start with. We had to do loads of reading just to have a basicunderstanding of horses. Our research was mainly book-based, but we did talk toseveral horse owners and riders. At the time, we were living in Castle Rock, COand the county fairgrounds were just down the road from us. We spent a lot oftime there watching horse events, taking pictures and asking questions. Ourfour year old daughter, who is a horse fanatic, loved going with us. In theend, also, unlike the dog book, I feel like we just barely scratched thesurface of the equine world. There is so much to know about horses and theirbehavior, gear, sports, and care.

What medium did you employ for theartwork? How long was the illustration process?

SAJ We used acrylic onpaper for most everything except the maps, which are digital. For ourpaintings, we used technology to expedite the process at many stages, such asscanning sketches and printing them out onto watercolor paper rather than thepainstaking work of transferring them. It took about a year to do all theartwork. Again, we didn’t work on it constantly, but there are over 100illustrations in the book.

JC We used our giant Epson 4800 printer to printthe sketches onto watercolor paper made for that printer. Then we sealed thepaper and drawing with acrylic matte medium and used acrylic paints to completethe illustration. It took us eight? months for the art.

You’ve done a wonderful job ofdifferentiating the various horse breeds with your illustrations. What did youfind most challenging about the illustration process for this book?

SAJ I’m so relieved that you—a horse person—thinkso! The most challenging thing was definitely being able to see the differencesin the horses and translating that into the art. It’s so often said thatlearning how to draw is really learning how to see and I never felt it morethan on this project. Horses were new to us and their differences can sometimesbe subtle to the layman (or woman). We’re hoping to not get mail from horsefanatics saying, “That jibbah isn’t pronounced enough!” We did our best!

JC The horses themselves were very difficult.They were very hard to render accurately, especially since we were trying todistinguish the different breeds. Add to that, trying to get them in dynamicposes, fit them in the page with riders or vehicles, and get their gear right,and they amounted to a very challenging problem.

The reverse of the book jacket isfully illustrated as a poster. Whose idea was that?

SAJ That was someone at Tundra, either our editoror a designer, not really sure. They did the same on the dog breeds book and itwas a happy surprise for us. Although, I do get a little stressed thinking aboutall the sticky hands grabbing our naked books because the jacket is hanging onthe wall!

JC Tundra’s. They did the same for our previousbook and it was a complete surprise. We knew it was coming this time, butdidn’t know what image they would use.

How would you describe yourindividual artistic styles, and strengths? What’s your secret forblending them so seamlessly?

SAJ We’ve had mostly the same training (teachersand schools) and both paint naturalistically, so it isn’t too challenging tokeep the art looking consistent. The main difference between us is that Jeff isbetter at composing from his imagination and I’m more reliant on reference.Because of the time constraints of creating the book, I painted things that wehad reference for and Jeff more of the things that needed some imagination. Honestly,I look at the paintings and on many I can’t remember what parts I did.

JC We both work fairly naturalistically andnarratively. Shelley likes to mix her media though, while I stick with mypaints. We both went to the same art schools, so our styles are kind ofsimilar. We also like to paint a lot of the same subjects. Because there is somuch overlap in our art, it’s pretty easy to blend the two styles.

Finally, are there domestic or professionalchallenges to collaborating with your spouse? Survival tips?

SAJ Oy! There are so many challenges! I rememberthe early days when it was fun to pull all nighters together. We listened tolate night talk shows while we helped each other out with 48 hour deadlines.Now we’re getting older and I like to sleep at night. Our daughter wants toplay horses all day every day! Yes, that’s partly our fault. Point is, justworking from home is hard, setting boundaries between professional and personallives. Two people working from home is harder. But working from home togetherwith a kiddo and finding time to both sit down—uninterrupted—and focus on aproject…extra super duper hard! We might have to put our collaborations on holduntil a little someone starts school, or better yet, goes off to college. We’veeven talked about the possibility of dividing the work up more. For example,planning together but then I write and he illustrates. We’ll see…

Survival tips? You’vegot to approach it professionally. Schedule time to meet and discuss—and stickto it! Don’t take on more than you know you can both handle.

JC The main challenges we face are time related.How much time do we dedicate to our joint projects and how much to our ownindividual pursuits. Who’s turn is it to take time out to play horses withHarper and who’s turn is it to work. On concepts and executing ideas we’reusually on the same page and, if not, we’re pretty good at working it out. Inthe end, we have produced these two amazing books together with zero

casualties.

BOOK LAUNCH- OCTOBER 16, 2011 at the Writing Barn: 10202 Wommack Rd: Austin, TX

2:00pm- 4:00pm. Mini’s and Friends, a charitable organization benefiting disabled children, will be bringing along live miniature horses to be petted. Original art from the book will be on display, prints will be for sale, and copies of the incredible book will be available for purchase and signing. There will also be snacks available horsey games to play, and more! ***********************************************Postscript: This was a fantastic launch party. As you can see, I was a bit smitten with a particularly cute mini named Spirit.

Just Decide

2011-09-28T10:26:00.005-05:00

We're all faced with decision on a daily basis. But, what about those choices that cause sleepless nights and endless analysis? The cliche is right. The only thing worse than making the wrong decision is making no decision at all. Indecision, the unique blend of fear, spiced with insecurity, can lead to one heck of a chronic pain in the...gut.

It can be hard to find the courage to take action, even when that nagging voice in our head crescendos into a warning clang. When we know that a single decision might change the navigational course of our life, or career, it's no wonder we get scared.

Sometimes, it's because we're nice people and we don't want to hurt feelings.
Sometimes, we're comfortable in our discomfort.
Sometimes, change is downright scary.
Sometimes, we're insecure about which path to take.
"What ifs" can lock us into analysis paralysis.

As Jim Rohn once said, "It doesn't matter which side of the fence you get off on sometimes. What matters most is getting off. You cannot make progress without making decisions."

The next time you're faced with a whopper of a choice to make:

Be still

Be honest

Be prepared
Be brave

Buckle down

Hold on tight

Trust your instincts, your gut, yourself.

and

DECIDE. Then get out of your own way and move forward.

To quote another sage advisor, "One thing about trains. It doesn't matter where they're going. What matters is deciding to get on." (the conductor, from Polar Express, the movie)

Happy 60th Birthday to Sparky the Fire Dog

2011-09-17T18:04:00.006-05:00

Happy 60th birthday to Sparky the fire dog!

Meet Sparky, the adorable Dalmation spokesdog for The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA,) the leading advocate for fire safety. Since his debut in 1951, millions of people have learned about fire safety through Sparky's extensive educational programs.

NFPA teamed up with Charlesbridge Publishing and Emmy-award winning children's author Don Hoffman for a brand new Sparky adventure just in time for Fire Prevention Week, October 9-15. Illustrator Todd Dakins' charming art adds a whimsical appeal for young readers.

Follow Sparky and his newly-deputized junior fire inspectors, Roger Rhino, Ellie Elephant, and Iggy Iguana as as they inspect the animal neighborhood homes looking for fire dangers. By story's end, ten fire safety tips have been shared. Young readers will learn the importance of smoke alarms, fireplace and candle safety, cooking safety, safe storage of lighters and matches, BBQ grill safety, family escape plans, visible house numbers, and the 911 emergency phone number.

After reading this book, grab a young child and head over to Sparky's very own website full of fun activities, games, video clips, animated shorts, and additional safety tips.

From Picture Book to Interactive App - Lindsey Lane and SNUGGLE MOUNTAIN

2011-09-06T08:00:00.007-05:00

Austin author, playwright, and columnist Lindsey Lane, is a multi-talented writer and one of the nicest people in the world. Today, she shares her unique experience of re-birthing a picture book as an interactive app for IPhone and IPad.

Welcome, Lindsey!

First, tell us about the SNUGGLE MOUNTAIN story. What was the original inspiration?

Thanks so much for asking. I love telling this story. My daughter Gabi was about 18 months old. I was in bed, asleep. It was early morning. Presunrise. I hear a clunk coming from Gabi’s room. Then another clunk. Then a thud. Then pad, pad, pad into my room. Then I hear her breathing by the side of the bed, looking up at the sleeping lump that I am. I imagine that she is trying to figure out how to climb up to wake me up. I think these words rolled across the movie screen in my brain, “I’ll bet my bed looks like a mountain to her. I bet I look like a giant…” And there it was: the seed of an idea. When I got up, I wrote it down. Five years later, it was a book.

SNUGGLE MOUNTAIN was originally published as a hardcover picture book (Clarion, 2003) but, like so many others, eventually went out of print. Why did you decide to bring it back to life?

I think it’s the saddest thing in the world when a book goes out of print. It’s like it’s gone to this netherworld. It exists but not in a real “order a bunch of copies for a school visit or conference” kind of way. One of my biggest surprises (and delights) as an author is doing readings and presentations to children. It’s like having a ticket to fun land. Really. I love kids. Especially the wiggly, 3-5 year old set. When I learned that SM had gone out of stock in 2008, I had thought that I would try to find a smaller publisher to print a soft cover version of the book but I was just starting graduate school at Vermont College of Fine Arts and I put the thought on hold. When I graduated two years later in July 2010, the digital world of books was starting to explode. The IPad debuted. Amazon sold more digital books than hard covers. It seemed like the perfect time to bring Snuggle Mountain back to life in an entirely new format.

How did you reclaim copyright?

I contacted Aimee Bissonette of Little, Buffalo Law (Thank you, Cynthia Leitich Smith for the recommendation) who read the rights reversion clause in my contract with Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Fortunately, it was very standard and all I needed to do was write a letter requesting that the rights revert to illustrator Melissa Iwai and me. Because the book had been out of stock for two years, it was pretty clear that HMH wasn’t going to put SM back in print so the letter was a formality. Aimee basically looked over my shoulder and three months later, Melissa and I received the book on a disk.

Why did you choose to reintroduce it as an iPad/iPhoneapp instead of an e-Book?

Great question. Up until very recently, ebooks didn’t format well for picture books. Ebooks are text heavy and only show one page at a time. Picture books are a marriage of art and words. Illustrators use the two-page spread to tell the story. Ebooks chop the art in half. Apps are a different matter. You can see the entire two page spread on the screen. Much more satisfying. But guess what? I just read a blog post at e is for book that Elizabeth Dulemba has formatted her picture book Lula’s Brew for the Nook. She describes it as a very easy process. So once again, the landscape is changing.

Tell us about PicPocket Books and how they approached the digital transformation of SNUGGLE MOUNTAIN?

Lynette Mattke started PicPocket Books in 2009. As a mother, she saw the trend toward mobile devices and wanted to create family friendly content. Shortly thereafter, Lynette joined forces with a group of like-minded app developers and started Moms with Apps with the specific goal of developing family friendly apps.

There are quite a few reasons why Melissa and I chose PicPocket Books. What I love about Lynette’s company is that she respects the integrity of books and chooses not to turn them into games. With apps, you can add a lot of bells and whistles and a book can quickly become more game oriented. Sometimes, that’s not a bad thing but SM is a book for 3-5 year olds. Does that age group need a lot of extra stimulation? Melissa did add some pretty sweet animations to the artwork and I added some bits of dialogue for Emma but we stayed true to the book with its beginning, middle and end, plot-based structure.

Also, PicPocket had also been already the block, so to speak, in the app world. They were an approved Apple/ITunes app developer and had done about two dozen book apps when we came along. She had a software formatting team in place. I think we appealed to her because we had a ready-made book and she appealed to us because she knew how to make the print to digital transition. It felt like a great match.

Right away, I began writing extra dialogue for Emma to say as she climbed Snuggle Mountain. Melissa got busy reformatting the artwork for the iPhone and iPad platforms and adding bits of animation to her artwork. Once our part was done, Lynette found this wonderful narrator Sylvie Ashford to read the book as well as speak Emma’s bits of dialogue. In one month’s time, I was on a Skype call with Lynette seeing the app on her desktop. My mind was effectively blown by that event for several days. The only change I suggested was the dog bark sounded too yippy for the English sheep dog in the drawing.

Is the SNUGGLE MOUNTAIN app interactive?

Yes. Melissa added in a few animations so the dog’s tail wags and and his nose sniffs. Children can also touch the screen and hear the dog snuffle and bark, the cat meow and Emma say a few words. Melissa also added eyes in the covers to highlight the faces of the two headed giant in the bed covers. Again, we kept the integrity of the book but we opened up to the some of the possibilities of this new format.

How involved was your illustrator, Melissa Iwai, in the process?

Very. I can’t thank Melissa enough for being game to take this digital leap. I think Melissa and I compliment each other very well. As soon as we got the rights back, she and I started having regular phone conversations about app developers and ePublishers. We’d make a list of things to do and then check in by email as we learned more about the process and players. When we signed with PicPocket, she jumped in doing the animating and formatting. Really. I’m so grateful that she knew what to do and could enhance her artwork for the digital format.

How are prices determined for apps? And, how are royalties handled?

I think the price point for apps is pretty standard at this point. They start at $.99 and top out at $3.99 on the iPhone. It’s a little bit more for an iPad app but not much. Lynette suggested $1.99 for the iPhone app and $2.99 for the iPad app so we would stay in line with how apps are priced.

As for royalties, Apple has a standard agreement with all their approved app developers. Apple takes 30%; Lynette, Melissa and I split the remaining 70%. Apple does their accounting quarterly and guess what? We got our first check. Yea!

Do you have any advice for authors interested in this digital medium?

If you have an out of print book and you want to ePublish it, well, it’s a bit like the wild west right now. Lots of people creating apps. Publishers creating app departments to reformat their older titles for the digital platform. Do your research. Look at apps you like and find out who did them. Query those companies. It’s a wild ride. We picked a smaller boutique app developer. It suited us.

As for writers with unpublished mss, you have to do your research. App developers are interested in unpublished work. PicPocket welcomes those queries , for instance. But the landscape changes everyday so do your research.

Also I have a bit of cautionary advice: before your app is released, check to make sure that all the ways it is supposed to work, do, in fact, work. Typos are different in the digital world. There can be a software formatting problem and if you don’t check it, well, the app gets released with a glitch and that’s a drag. Of course, the good news is updates are sent out electronically and they can be fixed in relative jiffy.

You have a new perspective on digital books. What is your overall feeling about the traditional to digital trend?

You know, I know that when books starting coming out digitally, many people were worried that books would become extinct or that children would lose the experience of sitting on their parents’ laps reading books and turning the pages. I don’t think that’s going to happen. The advent of television didn’t make theatre disappear. If anything the digital trend might make books more available to more people because the price point is lower. I still think people are going to love books but screens are here to stay so why not have good books on them?

Is there anything else you'd like to add?

Yes. On October 8, Austin SCBWI is hosting a digital symposium called StoryTellingin the Digital Age at the St. Edward’sUniversity campus in Austin, Texas. I am joining a faculty of way smart folks to talk about the digital shift in storytelling and publishing. My presentation “from oop* to app” will focus on the aspect of transforming out of print picture books into apps. It should be a great, informative conference and I think there are still some spots available.

Oh, and I would be remiss if I didn’t link to iTunes where your readers can purchase the SM iPhone app or the SM iPad app.

Thanks so much for inviting me over to your blog, Donna and congratulations again on signing with Karen Grencik at Red Fox Literary.

*out of print

Enter to win a SNUGGLE MOUNTAIN interactive app (IPhone and IPad users only). To enter, comment on this post, include an email address or a link to an email address. Or you can email Donna directly at dbratton3@austin.rr.com with "Snuggle Mountain app" in the subject line.

This giveaway is compliments of author Lindsey Lane. Deadline to enter: October 1, 2011.

For extra entries (itemize efforts in your entry comment/email with relevant links):
Blog about this giveaway
Share the link to this post on facebook
Share the link to this post on Twitter
Like Lindsey's Facebook author page

Good Luck!

Also, read a guest post Lindsey wrote for Cynthia Leitich Smith at Cynsations here.

Where to Begin

2011-08-31T10:57:00.001-05:00

It's the toughest initial decision for me when I set out to write something new. Where should the story begin? And, truly, it's a dilemma for all genres, fiction and nonfiction. The latter is my current focus.

As we all know, biography is the story of a person's life. Some people suggest that picture book biographies should remain chronological, beginning with birth or childhood and ending before the subject's death. Having studied hundreds of titles, I don't believe in hard and fast "rules." There are as many styles as there are authors.

As a writer of picture book biographies, my openings are very different. I've started in the middle of a scene, at birth, and at mid-childhood. I think each of them works.

Ultimately, we have to try on different openings until we find the one that fits our story and compels a young reader to keep turning the page. It's an organic decision tied to the overall theme, voice, and focus.

Remember that not all picture book biographies are aimed at the same audience. There are books for ages 4-8 which tend to be simpler. And those aimed at ages 9-11 which are most often longer, include more context and subtext, and a more creative literary style. AND, not all biographies for young readers cover a full life. Sometimes, it's a set chunk of someone's life.

Let's not forget that writing is art and the author can and should think outside the box when appropriate.

Cynthia Leitich Smith's graphic novel of TANTALIZE is available

2011-08-26T13:09:00.004-05:00

Today, I just have shine a light on Cynthia Leitich Smith. She's the most generous, supportive A-list author in the world and certainly an angel to many writers on their way to publication. Including me.

The graphic novel version of Cyn's ever popular young adult novel, TANTALIZE, has just been released by Candlewick Press. To celebrate the release, Cyn is offering a Howling Giveaway. Hurry, because the deadline is Sept. 6th.

Cartoonist/illustrator/artist Ming Doyle did a superb job capitalizing on the visuals of this romantic, supernatural mystery for young adults. She offers a visual peek on her website.

Check out an interview with both Cyn and Ming here.

Emotion- Memory's Glue for the Reader

2011-08-25T14:23:00.005-05:00

Memory is a fickle friend. Some things we remember in minute detail; The birth of our children; The death of a parent; crouching in a closet after a tornado alert; The moment we heard Elvis was dead (I was playing with my brother's train set on my parent's living room floor. I cried.) The glue that binds our most vivid memories is, at its core, emotion.

When asked what my favorite books were as a child, I can spout off titles, but what I most remember is how each book made me feel. Without that emotional resonance the stories would fall victim to that wasteland of my memory marked "forgettable."

I find the same holds true today. I am an avid reader, as most authors are. I have my daytime reading that typically relates to my current work-in-progress, and my nighttime reading which is almost always a novel that, if compelling enough, holds my sleeping hours hostage. I read ALOT. Why don't I easily recall details from every book I read?

The answer might be in the way my brain processes them.

Hang on tight. This post is about to embark on a cooky ride. Yes, it is a total diversion from my typical blog posts. No, there is no entry fee. If I bus-jacked the MAGIC SCHOOL BUS, here's how I envision my memory would look.

The imaginary journey through my memory begins in a cavernous space divied up into separate rooms. I meander past a bazillion chambers identified by the particular event, people, or miscellany of my personal history. From Christmases, roller skates, horse shows, bad haircuts, April Fools pranks- they're all here. Off to the right, past the "vacation room" is a red vault marked "book memory?" I open the door and trip the "Jaws" theme song. (Ugh! There's no getting rid of that tune.) The room is dark and round like a grain silo, open at the top where a single beam shines like a spotlight. The room is cramped. Space is limited.

There are "snippet" columns of books, the varying heights indicating the extent of memory recall. (Notice my books aren't neatly shelved, but stacked on the floor.) A few go as far back as my childhood. Others are recent. For these titles, I remember only snippets about the book. Maybe a character, event, newly-learned fact, or impressive visuals. Most of these books are slightly shaded and a bit dusty. The columns are attached to the floor by velcro, or double-sided tape, (stay with me, here) a little unstable. At any moment, they risk oblivion when the next book lands in the chamber, threatening to replace them in my memory. They are barely hanging on. Ask me about one of these books and I'll likely remember at least one factoid about the story, but I'll have to dig for it.

Beyond the columns, a well-worn path leads to a large hole in the floor marked "forgettable." From the opening, I peer in at the cluttered heap of books that look only vaguely familiar to me. Like the island of unwanted toys, these tomes have subconsciously been discarded from my memory. Their crime? They didn't make me feel anything. There was no glue to keep them up top, under that revered light of consciousness. I suddenly feel guilty and hope that, despite my indifference to them, other readers may have loved these books. I am reminded of the subjectivity of reading and writing. But the reality is, if you ask me to recall something about each of the vanquished, I may return a blank stare.

As I look away from that pit of discarded memories, my eyes are drawn back to the bright middle of the room. Columns of books are illuminated, center stage. They are shiny and glittery (okay, I'm getting carried away.) I can still smell the ink and hear the turn of each page, and feel the weight in my hands. Ahhhh! These well-structured, expertly crafted stories were infused with the secret ingredient, the all-empowering answer to my book memory. Emotion. Here live the tales that made me; cry; laugh out loud; contemplate a universal truth; question a common belief; relate personally with the character, or hold on for a white-knuckled ride. They are a happy, sad, hysterical, furious, curious lot. Not only do I remember these stories, I'll tell other people about them.

Alas, the answer to my earlier muddled question about why my memory is long for some books and short for others is answered.

Readers may not remember the minute details of our stories' plots. But you can bet they'll remember how our books make them feel.

Rock Time- Quieting the Mind

2011-08-21T10:13:00.007-05:00


Temps of 105 degrees couldn't keep me and my un-pedicured toes away.

Eons ago, during a particularly stressful period of my life, an old friend quipped that I needed to head out for "rock time." In his estimation, I needed to find a big ole rock to perch upon as I pondered my way out of my predicament. (Like how to avoid unintended alliteration?) He was right. And, today, I embrace the practice.

Writing is a prickly endeavor. Despite all good intentions, sometimes I stare at the screen or page, determined to will the words into the right order, only to find that there's too much noise in my head. You know what I mean. Kids, guilt, laundry, bills, buried hurts, to-do-lists, wishes, worries, inner-editors, self-doubt, isolation. The list goes on. A bombardment of such mental din can be deafening. For me, that's when I know it's time to head outdoors.

I walk, bike, kayak, or head to the many trail options in my area, knowing I'll get sweaty, and dirty, and just plain tuckered out. Sometimes, I even go home to the ranch where I grew up. Surrounded by horses and space, my blood pressure drops and the volume of internal noise is extinguished. Away from my daily routine, my senses awaken. I can breathe, hear my heart beat, and soak in the natural wonders that fuel me. Miraculously, by the time I return to the page, that mental chatter has been compartmentalized and my focus returns.

Whether you feel stuck or distracted, I encourage you to give it a try.

Take a walk

and when you come to a sandy beach or a grassy knoll

take your shoes off and

feel your toes wince at the ticklishness

or crunchiness or prickliness of the earth.

Dip into the nearest water and

feel the coolness rise through your spine.

Watch the small efficiency of the bee, or butterfly,

or hummingbird hovering over a bloom that

holds promise and hope.

Hear the breeze bristle through the trees and the distant squee of birds in flight.

Introduce yourself to the movement

of the world around you.

Truly feel, so that when you return to the page,

your words will be felt.

Revision

2011-08-04T09:56:00.002-05:00


Returning to the research. Yes, all of this relates to one nonfiction picture book.

Rewriting is the essence of writing well—where the game is won or lost.
—William Zinsser

That big ole pile of paper and books in the above picture represents three years of research. Today, I return to the resulting nonfiction picture book. After rewriting and revising this manuscript countless times in the past, I'm surprisingly giddy about returning to it yet again. Partly because I just love this story. In fact, I'm proud of the manuscript as it already is. But, there's something exciting about the revision process. To me, revising is infinitely easier than filling white space with a first, second, or third draft. I'll once again be swept into another time and place as I look at expanding historical context and smoothing transitions. I'll get to walk in my subject's shoes again and revel in his life. Like a sculptor, I'll get my hands on the words, re-molding, re-shaping, re-polishing.

Reducing my great big story to a picture book length in the first place was a challenge. There was so much wonderfulness about my subject that had to be whittled away from the manuscript in order to keep the word count down. Now, I get to add the very best of it back in. Happiness!

I was sharing my expansion plans with a friend yesterday. We laughed that this is rather like adding hair extensions to a well-coiffed up-do. The challenge is breaking through the current hair spray without letting too many strands run wild.

Do you outline? Or do you write by the seat of your pants?

2011-08-02T08:38:00.000-05:00

Do you outline or write by the seat of your pants? It's a common question among writers. Samantha Clark has begun a fabulous thread on her blog about the subject.

Today, she very kindly featured me. Next in her lineup are authors Bethany Hegedus, P.J. Hoover, Nikki Loftin, and Jessica Lee Anderson.

Pop over to Samantha's website to check it out.

Do nonfiction picture books always have a story arc?

2011-07-13T22:01:00.001-05:00

An interesting question was posed during a recent critique group meeting. Do all picture book biographies need a story arc? Put another way, does every NF PB need dramatic highs and lows in physical and/or emotional elements? Opinions vary on the subject.

First, let's clarify that picture book biographies, as opposed to adult biographies, don't typically cover a subject's entire life. There simply isn't space. Rather, these shorter approaches introduce a subject through a specific event, accomplishment, or period of time in his/her life. In other words, the author's lens is zoomed pretty tightly.

Biographies for young readers are a different animal, and writers can't always rely on dramatic fiction structure to bring them to life. Forget The Hero's Journey, Nigel Watts' eight points to a story arc, or even the standard rule of three. For one thing, we're talking about nonfiction and not every worthy subject fits into a tidy, predictable story structure. Nonfiction authors must create a structure to fit the story.

I tend to analyze such questions by studying models, so let's look at a few worthy nonfiction biographies that work well.

FOOTWORK: THE STORY OF FRED AND ADELE ASTAIRE by Roxane Orgill (Candlewick, 2007)
summary: In 1905, four-and-a-half-year-old Fred Astaire put on his first pair of dancing shoes — and from that moment, his life was filled with singing, dancing, and fancy footwork. Fred’s older sister, Adele, was the real dancer, but Fred worked hard to get all the steps just right, and it wasn’t long before he was the one capturing headlines and stealing the show.

The 2762-word story is rich in details. This is a great example of a story that follows a traditional structure with defined low points and two small climaxes leading up to the ending. It's a fun and worthy read. Nowadays, as publishers are looking more and more for curriculum tie-ins, I'm happy to see interest in iconic figures as well.

BALLET FOR MARTHA: MAKING APPALACHIAN SPRING by Jan Greenberg and Sandra Jordan (Roaring Brook Press, 2010)
summary: Award-winning authors Jan Greenberg and Sandra Jordan tell the story behind the scenes of the collaboration that created APPALACHIAN SPRING, from its inception through the score’s composition to Martha’s intense rehearsal process. The authors’ collaborator is two-time Sibert Honor winner Brian Floca, whose vivid watercolors bring both the process and the performance to life.

I love stories that spotlight pre-successes. Here, the story's climax is subtle, revealing itself after the preparations for the first of what is now a famous ballet are complete. It comes with a simple question,
"As opening night grows near, the suspense mounts.
Will the world understand what they have done? October 30, 1944. The audience gathers."
It is here the suspense mounts for the reader as well.

THE WATCHER: JANE GOODALL'S LIFE WITH THE CHIMPS by Jeanette Winter (Schwartz & Wade Books, 2011)
Summary: Follow Jane from her childhood in London watching a robin on her windowsill, to her years in the African forests of Gombe, Tanzania, invited by brilliant scientist Louis Leakey to observe chimps, to her worldwide crusade to save these primates who are now in danger of extinction, and their habitat. Young animal lovers and Winter's many fans will welcome this fascinating and moving portrait of an extraordinary person and the animals to whom she has dedicated her life.

In 972 words, the author offers a welcomed look at Jane Goodall, beginning with a wonderful peak at her childhood. The story's climax is again very subtle, coming as Jane leaves Africa after living with the chimps she was studying.
"Jane's beloved chimpanzees were in danger of becoming extinct.
They needed Jane to speak for them."
This climactic statement comes in the last 1/3 of the book.

LINCOLN TELLS A JOKE: HOW LAUGHTER SAVED THE PRESIDENT (AND THE COUNTRY) by Kathleen Krull (Harcourt, 2010)
Summary: This unusual biography of Lincoln touches on the highlights of his life and presidency, focusing on what made his sense of humor so distinctive--and so necessary to surviving his tough life and times.

I love that this book introduces a little known side to one of the most written about men in history. We get a snapshot of the important stages of Lincoln's life and how he approached with wit. But, there is no real climax to the story. It is a youth to death biographical introduction with a slant toward his humor. But, the linear approach still works.

DAVE THE POTTER: ARTIST, POET, SLAVE by Laban Carrick Hill (Little Brown & Co, 2010)
Summary: Dave was an extraordinary artist, poet, and potter living in South Carolina in the 1800s. He combined his superb artistry with deeply observant poetry, carved onto his pots, transcending the limitations he faced as a slave. In this inspiring and lyrical portrayal, National Book Award nominee Laban Carrick Hill's elegantly simple text and award-winning artist Bryan Collier's resplendent, earth-toned illustrations tell Dave's story, a story rich in history, hope, and long-lasting beauty.

For the purposes of today's post, DAVE THE POTTER, in 1736 poetic words, is probably the best example of a picture book biography that works without a defined climax or story arc. The story focuses on Dave's process as he created pottery out of clay. Somewhat of a day in the life kind of snapshot with back matter that expands to include some of the poetry Dave inscribed into his pots. Yet, as a Caldecott Honor book, Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award Winner and numerous additional recognitions attest, the author's linear approach works in this story.

So, back to my original question, do all picture book biographies need a story arc?

I suppose it all depends on the author's focus and intention. And, in some cases, a story's climax is subjective, determined by the reader.

Why I Love Nonfiction Picture Books

2011-07-05T11:41:00.001-05:00

I love to read nonfiction picture books and the reason may surprise you.

As a kid, I was as interested in history as I was in learning to bake the perfect muffin in home economics class. Not! In the eons before home computers, internet, and narrative nonfiction, history meant dry, boring text books, and pop quizzes. Eewww! If I needed to find out what year Teddy Roosevelt was born (most likely because of a required book report,) I required a card catalog and glossary to find it. It was all just facts. Blah, blah, blah.

Not so today. Kids and adults can digest a smorgasborg of information about almost any subject through the internet. But we have narrative nonfiction authors to thank for turning all the facts into story form. I've read my share of lengthy scholarly tomes but, frankly, there's not always time to invest in them and even the greatest historical works can lull me to sleep.

I dedicated most of 2010 to studying nonfiction picture books because that's the genre I'm currently writing. (Check out my summer 2010 blog posts for a peek.) I was studying structure, voice, theme, story arcs, etc. Picture book biographies are short, tightly focused, and aimed at introducing the essence of a subject. It takes an enormous amount of research and time to craft a compelling picture book. Bravo to the authors who have succeeded!

As a reader, I love nonfiction picture books because they make me feel smarter without a huge investment of time. They are the perfect bite-sized taste of a subject. And, when social conversations spur historical reference, I've got ready-made material to contribute: Did you know George Washington had no teeth? Did you ever hear of the horse, Goliath, credited with stopping the 1904 Baltimore fire? Did you know there was a slave who mailed himself to Philadelphia to be free? Have you ever heard of the ballet of elephants? Did you ever hear the bet behind Dr. Seus' Cat in the Hat story? Did you ever hear of the French Fartiste? Do you know how the potato chip was invented? Did you ever hear about Teddy Roosevelt ditching his secret servicemen to camp in Yosemite?

Did you ever hear... No? Well, let me tell you a story.