Then and Now
I grew up in Sioux City, Iowa. When I was young, I read so many books that the line between real life and fiction became blurred. For instance, I remember once riding a bus on a school trip and pretending that I was an orphan (as were all the other students, of course). I often went to sleep at night pretending I was an orphan. And there was one summer where I liked to pretend I was in mermaid training school. I half believed that I could breathe underwater.
Today people seem to own more books than I did when I was young. Yes, I did own books when I was a girl; and I loved the books I owned. But I really made use of the public library. I checked a gigantic stack of books out every week. This was before the days of automatic scanners, so I had to write my name on about 20 or 30 check-out cards, one for each book. My mother, a school librarian, brought home still more books (new ones, fresh off the press) for me to “test read.” I grew up considering myself a secret authority, responsible for selecting books for the city’s school libraries.
I didn’t think I would grow up to write books, though I did sometimes think I might like to illustrate them. That’s because, in addition to reading, I loved to draw. I’m still able to draw princesses, monsters, and trolls—the plastic kind with fluffy hair. Looking back now, I can say that my drawings were probably stories waiting to happen.
Today I live near Boston with my husband and two sons. I like reading and writing (obviously!). I also like to play the piano, ride my bicycle, and go on hikes with family and friends.
Today people seem to own more books than I did when I was young. Yes, I did own books when I was a girl; and I loved the books I owned. But I really made use of the public library. I checked a gigantic stack of books out every week. This was before the days of automatic scanners, so I had to write my name on about 20 or 30 check-out cards, one for each book. My mother, a school librarian, brought home still more books (new ones, fresh off the press) for me to “test read.” I grew up considering myself a secret authority, responsible for selecting books for the city’s school libraries.
I didn’t think I would grow up to write books, though I did sometimes think I might like to illustrate them. That’s because, in addition to reading, I loved to draw. I’m still able to draw princesses, monsters, and trolls—the plastic kind with fluffy hair. Looking back now, I can say that my drawings were probably stories waiting to happen.
Today I live near Boston with my husband and two sons. I like reading and writing (obviously!). I also like to play the piano, ride my bicycle, and go on hikes with family and friends.
Writing Novels
When did I write my first book? A better question is, when did I finish writing my first book? I was pretty old and had two children before I succeeded. Before I wrote The Book of Story Beginnings, my first published novel, I did try to write other books. I just didn’t get very far. It takes some discipline to get to the end of a novel, and I don’t think I really had it when I was younger.
I have worked as an editor for many years, and that job has taught me a manuscript can always be improved. In fact, I actually like the job of revising and rewriting more than I like writing a first draft. Because of that, when I write, I try hard NOT to revise until I’ve got to the end, or until I’m really stuck. Then I spur myself on by giving myself the “treat” of revising. For my first book, that’s exactly what I did. I pretended I was the main character and let the story happen. Only when I was pretty far along with the story did I go back and fix what was wrong (lots!). Luckily, I had friends and an excellent editor to give me suggestions and provide guidance.
I have worked as an editor for many years, and that job has taught me a manuscript can always be improved. In fact, I actually like the job of revising and rewriting more than I like writing a first draft. Because of that, when I write, I try hard NOT to revise until I’ve got to the end, or until I’m really stuck. Then I spur myself on by giving myself the “treat” of revising. For my first book, that’s exactly what I did. I pretended I was the main character and let the story happen. Only when I was pretty far along with the story did I go back and fix what was wrong (lots!). Luckily, I had friends and an excellent editor to give me suggestions and provide guidance.
Writing Picture Books
You might think, when you read a picture book written by one person and illustrated by another, that the author and artist had worked closely together. While that might happen sometimes, it’s often not the case. The author writes the story and the illustrator gets the manuscript and comes up with beautiful pictures. They might not ever meet or talk with each other.
Next time you’re at the library, pick up some picture books. You’ll see that most of them are exactly 32 pages long. That has to do with how books are printed. When I write a picture book manuscript, I’m aware of this “law” of picture books, and I write accordingly. Some authors make a document with thirty-two “thumbnail” page pages on it, paired up in twos because, when you read a picture book, you’re generally looking at two pages at a time. I make a table. The cells in two of the columns represent pages where the story is written. A column on the right is where I take notes on what I imagine the picture might be.
Seeing these “two-page spreads” helps me figure out how to tell the story in such a way that the simple act of turning a page will add to the reader’s suspense and enjoyment. It also helps me remember that the pictures are going to convey visual details. It’s my job as the author to tell what happens and what the characters are thinking and feeling.
Now, here’s the funny thing. I don’t share the table with the illustrator. I write the story, take it out of the table, and send in the manuscript to the editor. The illustrator never sees how I broke up the story into “two-page spreads.” And yet, for each of the picture books that I’ve written, the illustrator, who probably used thumbnails to plan the illustrations, ended up deciding to break up the story exactly as I had done in my table.
Next time you’re at the library, pick up some picture books. You’ll see that most of them are exactly 32 pages long. That has to do with how books are printed. When I write a picture book manuscript, I’m aware of this “law” of picture books, and I write accordingly. Some authors make a document with thirty-two “thumbnail” page pages on it, paired up in twos because, when you read a picture book, you’re generally looking at two pages at a time. I make a table. The cells in two of the columns represent pages where the story is written. A column on the right is where I take notes on what I imagine the picture might be.
Seeing these “two-page spreads” helps me figure out how to tell the story in such a way that the simple act of turning a page will add to the reader’s suspense and enjoyment. It also helps me remember that the pictures are going to convey visual details. It’s my job as the author to tell what happens and what the characters are thinking and feeling.
Now, here’s the funny thing. I don’t share the table with the illustrator. I write the story, take it out of the table, and send in the manuscript to the editor. The illustrator never sees how I broke up the story into “two-page spreads.” And yet, for each of the picture books that I’ve written, the illustrator, who probably used thumbnails to plan the illustrations, ended up deciding to break up the story exactly as I had done in my table.