Part B) Syncopated rhyme, my process of futzing with words...

Most of my process has been about the art on this web. Some know that I've published a few pieces on writing in the SCBWI's Bulletin (as well as a few other places from Children's Writers and Illustrator's Market:2004 and instructional articles on Yellapalooza's website and others) not only on illustration but also on writing. I thought I'd share a few thoughts about the W-i-p and a little about my thought process on writing.

The first thing is to actually write it all down, even if it stinks.Realize some of this writing is actually REwriting, after you've got something down on the page, and I'll write a bit more in depth about that on Monday.

I've said I dream a lot, and it's a truth. There have been times the line or the image will hit me (sometimes enough to wake me up, others it was strong enough to haunt me in my awake times.

There were so many trepidations for me writing my friend Ann's story. First I'm not an African American, though I was a good friend to her and goodness knows she inspired me. Second, as much as I love Old Orchard Beach, I didn't live in the time period, and the very layout and character of the beach could and did change, often from year to year with fire, the economy, changing times, weather and construction. Because ultimately though she and her family accomplished a great deal, some of her story is groups of people's history, not just her own. I wasn't qualified, I wasn't empathetic enough, I didn't know enough, I wasn't talented enough...

The very first thing anyone has to do is give yourself permission to tell the tale.

When Ann passed, I realized I'd been given this huge gift not only of her friendship, but also the story, her permission and encouragement.

And if I didn't tell it, who would?

Once over that hurdle, amazingly the first line POPPED into my head:

"Sun's UP! Out of bed!"

Sounds easy but it wasn't, it took a long time to get to that point, and it was a matter of remembering her and her joie de vivre, and wondering what she would have been like as a child and there it was. Sometimes finding the right words can be real work, it's not a matter of difficulty it's a matter of what fits, what tells the story.

Once you have them, funny thing, it often feels inevitable. Too often novice writers don't have enough faith in themselves. A lot of time is spent on telling the mundane tale, and hardly anytime is spent on the choice of words.

Anyone can (and probably has) written that bunny story. Beatrix Potter wrote it because she LIVED with them. Unless you live with them (the bunnies, not Beatrix Potter, because THAT would be a story), why do it? The whole point is to share what you alone can share. And once you find it, being patient enough to find the inevitable words. You find those and I guarantee you've hooked your reader--- I believe there's something visceral when you find them, better than any incantation, because it's the flower of your book. Monday I will blog again, and go into more depth than this about how I actually write my syncopated rhyme. Hope you'll tune in then...

Rocky road Annie...

I've had a hard time letting this one go. Somethings I know if someone else could take over; I don't mind the collaboration. But this project, has been particularly difficult on all kinds of levels. First it's not my story. It's a good friend whom I loved. Second, I knew her, the place, the history, but I didn't live in her time, didn't actually know the actors other than Ann, and I'm not African-American/First Nation (okay we do have the First Nation in common, and I think her dad did hie from Canada as my grandfather's family had, so we weren't totally unaligned, still this wasn't about our shared heritage, and I recognize the tale I tell is an undertold one that has meaning for a lot of people I don't know, and could be argued I don't have a particular sensitivity to). Still I am sensitive to her, the area, the history, the story. Part of the difficulty was feeling even qualified (I had her permission and help with this, so it was self-doubt).

Annie wasn't about the color of her skin, she was about living her life well, with joy and grace and determination, and I want that as well. So perhaps it is my tale to tell. The idea such a rich life might not be shared, pushed me into finish writing.

I also knew if I went traditionally, more than likely I wouldn't be able to do the illustrations. This was a toughie. Back and forth. I don't have a name, and more than likely I'd be paired with an African American illustrator, and many of my favoritest illustrators are black. But I love history. I love Old Orchard Beach, I love Ann. I would be okay with the idea and then get cold feet at the idea, because the idea of illustrating it just set my heart to beating. Truth be told I love the text but I wrote it for the illustrations, lol.

So self publishing, here I come.

The books by Tom Bancroft, I got for Margot's project and it helped immeasurably, impacted this as well. I will post the first two renderings of the first page (still unfinished, need to adjust a few things, and figure out what I'm doing with the text, whether using type (Perpetua) or calligraphic self-designed lettering as I'd first intended...

and here's an illustration I can't use, though I loved doing this drawing (hey loved it so much there's five different versions SOMEWHERE) but give you an idea of the feeling I want with the text...