7. My book is about
______________________________
______________________________
_____________________________.
(But underneath that, it’s really
about
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________.
8. My book is about three kids
whose families are part of a
secret society to protect the
world’s artifacts & they go
racing through the Costa Rica
rainforest, searching for a lost
society artifact.
But underneath that, it’s really
about the things we choose to
hide…and the reasons we
choose to hide them.
9. My book is about a future
world where killer tornadoes
are widespread and four kids
at a science camp who are
trying to stop them but
discover a terrifying secret.
But underneath that, it’s really
about using your powers for
good.
10. My book is about
______________________________
______________________________
_____________________________.
(But underneath that, it’s really
about
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________.
37. More Ideas…
• Map the setting – note important
events
• Chapter by chapter timelines
• Plot charts with rising/falling action
• Outline (after writing) to identify
weak chapters
38. Big-Picture Story Chart -
What characters,
settings, objects, jokes,
themes, and threads are
important in your
project? Are they
woven consistently
throughout the text?
39.
40. What elements will
be included on your
Big-Picture Story
Chart?
• Characters
• Objects
• Running jokes
• Themes
• Threads
Why I love revision – feeling like a competent writer.Drafting: vision in my head comes up against the reality of the writer I am today.“The book in my mind” poemRevision is what allows us to bring the book on the page closer to that dream-book
When you see this symbol…. Fire up your laptop or get your notebook ready.
REVISION IS ABOUT SEEING IDEAS IN A DIFFERENT WAY
Linda calls this “the spine” - What is at the center of your work? Why does it even exist? Why does this story need to be told? Universal human truth – even in funny books.
Start with the starting over part – so that by the end of this two hour workshop you’ll like me again.
2008 I sent agent a manuscript - Her thoughts: love character, funny, but….seasonal?Eesh.“Does it really have to be about the Nutcracker? Could it be about a school play or something?”
So this sea monster walks into his therapist’s office….
EM Kokie - I have 40k words of cut scenes - mostly school scenes - from the first few drafts of Personal Effects because for the first several drafts, I had my main character's motivations all wrong. I was forcing the story because I wanted it to be something it wasn't. It's only when I really started listening to the character and realized what he wanted, and stopped judging him for it, that the book really started to work.
Jo - In the early versions of Lessons From A Dead Girl, Leah doesn't die! The book leads up to Lainegettnig the courage to face her in the hospital. Obviously, it had a different title then. :-)
Jody Feldman wrote a book called “The Eleventh Level” personal mystery + story about secret society – agent asked her to strengthen the secret society part, but then the book was 80K – too long for this particular MG. Split it off – secret society book is this one – other book might be for another day.
Sarah Aronson changed a major character from a guy to a girl and rewrote – found that the story worked much better and allowed her to develop a main theme of the book.
Nova Ren Suma - IG began as a short story, for adults, about two sisters—no fantastical elements or magical realism at all. But after a summer writing workshop, I decided it wasn't enough as is and I wanted to do more with it and turn it YA. I also wrote about 200 pages of a whole other version of the novel for NaNoWriMo one year... Still no magical realism. I thought that draft was horrible and was blocked for months afterward and then serendipitously (or cruelly) my laptop's hard-drive died and I had no backups, and it was unrecoverable. So I lost those 200 pages. Then I started from scratch again, because I had to, combining the sisters from the story and the ideas from the lost novel even though I didn't have the pages in front of me, and that's what became IMAGINARY GIRLS at last and when the fantastical started showing up. (I also back up my hard-drive obsessively now... lesson learned.)
Both this and courage has no color –started as picture books and grew into MG. And I think this is a great idea – that our books can grow into any number of things…
Writing workshop at NESCBW a couple years ago - It was a poetry workshop with Kelly Fineman – but I used it to develop this MC’s father in EOTS. I can’t remember the original assignment – but this is what grew out of it and it was important for me and for Jaden’s dad. (By the way – you should feel free to do this, too – if you come up with something better during writing prompt, do your better thing and you can credit me when you give your workshop later on)
Idea from teaching – BLOG – teach mentor texts - but one authors can use, too.
Three false starts – back to brainstorming/outlining every time.
Mystery organizer – crime in the middle – then elements – suspects, motives, clues, false clues, etc. You can make your own – just list important elements of your particular genre.
Class schedules – when would Claire & Natalie be together? How would they grow apart? Develop friendship troubles issue.
General words & phrases are your enemy. Green shirt – there are a million kinds of green – new grass green, alligator pond green, pine woods green – and you’ll notice that my metaphors all come from nature because that’s the world I love best – a kid might describe his shirt as “cafeteria peas green” or “my mother’s emerald earrings green”Be surprising – the best descriptions describe us because we’ve never thought of it that way before – even though that’s the perfect word or phrase.
Ponytail – What would that stick look like to the girl on the right? Coming at her face like that? And then you can do sounds, smells…etc.
Smirk on her face – character inspiration for Sarah in WAKE UP MISSING.
Also went on twitter – other than blushing, what do you do when you’re embarrassed?
Inspiration boards – don’t worry about people “stealing” your ideas. Really.
SUGAR AND ICE – Claire & the maple farm - Green – scenes on farm, salmon – lake placid – purple-competition – red – sabotage -
Titles change – a lot. Be ready for this and be at peace with it. Marketing dept. etc. Let them do their job. BRILLIANT FALL OF GIANNA Z. – SWINGER OF BIRCHES – MAPLE GIRL, “THAT STUPID LEAF COLLECTION BOOK”
Known issues while working – starting place List after 1st read-through after completion
Why I love revision – feeling like a competent writer.Drafting: vision in my head comes up against the reality of the writer I am today.“The book in my mind” poemRevision is what allows us to bring the book on the page closer to that dream-book
