Thanksgiving ‘07.

I brought my daughter’s copy of THE GIVER by Lois Lowry on our annual Thanksgiving trip to the east coast. Kai lauds THE GIVER as her favorite book “of all time.” Not a surprise. It sported the worn and tattered look of a well-loved book.

To my delight, THE GIVER was an excellent holiday read. You see, I’ve grown weary of all the holiday hullabaloo pressuring us into a spending frenzy. Don’t get me wrong. One of my favorite things about the season is gift-giving. However, what is the true meaning of gift and giving, especially in today’s culture? These words have been stripped of their true lustre thanks to the bombardment of holiday advertising, spend-now-pay-later deals and other commercial trappings. THE GIVER pulls us in, neck deep, into rushing waters forcing us to tread on the genuine meaning of giving and receiving.

A riveting tale set in a pristine, ideal community, THE GIVER suggests that a smooth ride in life is not without bumpy, disjointed truths, or dangerous consequences, even if things are perfect. I love Lowry’s voice—her expert build-up of tension, clarity of storytelling and poetic description satisfied me to the bone. Although it took me away from my NanoWriMo writing, the story was a welcome distraction. I was inspired and rejuvenated by Lowry’s words, secretly wishing that her gift of language would rub off on me. (Okay, it’s not a secret anymore.) THE GIVER earned the prestigious Newbery Medal in 1994.

Photo: My friend’s daughter, Sophia. Too cute!

Today, I’m sharing kid lit wisdom in the form of “Threebies,” a trio of kid lit insights and quotes from veteran authors & illustrators. Enjoy!

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“I write and illustrate picture books because I’ve never outgrown a deep childhood urge to enter a magical world.”

~ Elisa Kleven

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WHEN I’M STARTING A NOVEL, I’m like a dog circling and circling before it settles down to sleep. I might circle for days, weeks, or months before dropping into the focused, dreamy state in which a story becomes so engaging and alluring that it pulls me along. Sometimes it feels like a fight to find the main thread of a story, and during those times my writing schedule is more erratic. But overall, I’m very disciplined, in the sense that once I commit to a story I see it through, no matter how long it takes.

~ Deborah Davis

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Select excerpts from Aaron Shepard’s intro chapter in his book, THE BUSINESS OF WRITING FOR CHILDREN

DANGEROUS MYTHS AND TERRIBLE TRUTHS
By Aaron Shepard

MYTH: Children’s books are easier to write than adult books.
TRUTH: Good writing is difficult no matter what the reader’s age—and children deserve the best.

MYTH: Picture books are the easiest children’s books to write.
TRUTH: Picture books may be the hardest—because they demand conciseness, simplicity, and a visual sense. Also, the competition is greater, because more people try them.

MYTH: A children’s book writer must first write for magazines.
TRUTH: Writing for magazines can teach you a lot, but it is different in some ways from book writing. And though magazine credits may catch a book editor’s eye, they won’t sell your manuscript. If books are your goal, you might do well to jump right in.

MYTH: Children’s stories should teach lessons.
TRUTH: Good children’s stories do not preach. Instead, they educate for life, by exploring significant themes—as do good adult stories.

MYTH: Since my kids/neighbors/students like my story, it will make a great book.
TRUTH: Your kids/neighbors/students may like it only because it’s yours, or because they enjoy your reading. This does not impress editors.

I’m doing NaNoWriMo! November is National Novel Writing Month. I signed up October 31st and started off with a new Alphasmart on my doorstep and a story at my fingertips.

However, there were a few obstacles. The Alphasmart model I received was defective. After several email and phone conversations, the helpful folks at Renaissance Learning are sending another one on the way. Also, the Nano site was extremely slow and had glitches in the widget word count program, so that’s been off-limits for a few days.

This less than perfect start hasn’t deterred me from writing though. I was able to carve out bits of time to write and am currently at 4563 words in my YA novel. FYI, YA is definitely not the norm for me. I tend to write short pieces like poetry and PB’s. In 2005, I had started Nano on the second week and I proudly reached 35k words. I know I’ll need to pick up my pace to reach 50k this time. I want to earn a Nano medal. And if I get a decent story from this, all the better.

The above image is from the Nano store. I will buy myself one when I reach 25k words—half-way to the finish for a shiny, new red mug!

Here’s something I conjured up for Virago Theatre Company’s latest production, Mankind’s Last Hope, a family show (the first family show ever for Virago!), featuring disgruntled human whittlers, rubberband balls and aliens. When I’m not writing or drawing for kid lit, I “do” graphics.

Main Ingredients:

1 oz. Rubberband Ball (Royalty-free art shown above)…

… 1 oz. Line-art Image of Jiggy the Alien (Art by Alana Dill), and…

…1 Whole Photo of Human Workers. (Photo by Chuck DiGuida)

Begin with a raw concept and prepare each main ingredient separately. Chop out the colors and sauté the rubberband ball to a nice shade of brown. Using a virtual spatula, flip and filter the alien image into a believable, finely muted shadow. After slicing and dicing the background from the group photo, blend in color along the bottom of the image.

Sprinkle in some words, taking care not to burn or overcook the typefaces. Let simmer in Photoshop for 2 days, allowing for 1 hungry director and a few other taste-testers to give it a sampling.

While it sets in production, apply a fine glaze—the final touch for turning it into a tasty 4 x 6 postcard. Yum!

I’m taking my family to see the play at Rhythmix Cultural Works. Can’t wait!