Last leg of revision. Time to read and reread and then do it all over again. This is my favorite part of the process. When I’m almost there. When I can read my story from start to finish and can see that the pieces are all there. When I’m on the precipice of sending to Trish. When I’m on the verge of having created something real.
How about you? What’s your favorite part of the process? Brainstorming? Outlining? Marinating? First draft? Revision?
Gram rockin’ 100
Meet my 100-year-old inspiration, I call Gram. At her tallest (which is not now) she was 4’10”. Proof that inspiration comes in small packages. Until she was 99 ½, she worked every day. Every day. She put her butt in her desk chair and wrote the newspaper for her condo association. And while she was older than most and smaller than everyone, she was strong, her work ethic fierce and her voice respected. She didn’t take lightly to ads or articles that were turned in late or poorly written. Her sense of commitment and dedication has been her trademark for her entire life. As a young, married woman she worked with my Grandpop Mickey in their used furniture store at a time in our country when most women didn’t even think about work. Strength, she had it then and she has it now. In spades.
When I write, I often think of her. If she could put her 99 1/2 year old butt in her chair, then I can do the same. So I do. Happily. Day after day after day. And then I call her to share what I’m working on. Of late, her ability to stay in the moment and remember has begun to fade. Sometimes when I call, she knows everything about me, but sometimes, she puts on a brave voice and I know she’s not quite sure who I am. In those moments, I miss her. Not the voice, but the real her. Thankfully, her 100 years of amazing moments are etched in my heart. Recently, my family celebrated her 100th birthday with her. A day filled with hotdogs (her favorite), McDonalds fries (another fan favorite), coleslaw and balloons. And many many laughs. We spent the day listening. Listening to her share her wisdom, her thoughts, herself with us. Treasured moments.
So, this small, but mighty woman, inspires and motivates me every day. And maybe when I grow up, I’ll be just like her!
Want to know more about what makes this woman so rockin’ special, click on The Birthday Party, a narrative story about Gram and all those who love her, created by my son, Josh.
Elly
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Working like a dog!
Working like a dog all day. Revising. Revising. Revising. What’s happening today at your desk? coffee shop? kitchen table?
Elly
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What’s the point? I ask myself this question often. It keeps me focused while I write, and to be honest, while I live. I’m the kind of gal who likes to understand and identify my purpose, my goals and my motivations. Quite simply, I like clarity.
So, what’s the point?
I thought about this the other day when I went for a run. I was listening to Take Me Home, Country Roads by John Denver, Happy by Pharrell Williams and Brave by Sara Bareilles. These songs made my soul dance in a way that was in rhythm with the rest of my body. I felt a sense of purpose and singular focus. I was committed to the emotion that emanated from the notes in the best possible way. I was present. That’s the point.
That’s what I want as a reader and certainly, what I strive for as a writer. I want my readers to feel connected, to feel moved. I want them to feel present. I want them to FEEL something. Some people write to make you think, to make you reassess your beliefs, to act. I write to make you feel. Emotional connection is at the core of everything I do. So for me, that’s the point.
What’s yours? What do you want as a reader? As a writer? What’s your point?
Next up on my read list: Divided We Fall by Trent Reedy
Elly
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Fear. Nothing paralyzes or re-routes me like fear. Bungee jumping – not happening. Snakes – I’ll take the long way down the mountain. You get the point. So, while attending the VCFA writers’ retreat at Vermont College (huge shout out to Sarah Aronson and Cindy Faughnan for once again putting together an amazing retreat ) when speaker and author extraordinaire Jennifer Jacobson shared that I had to uncover where I wouldn’t go in my writing and then write about that, I did a double-take. What? Embrace fear. For years, I’ve been happily detouring around it. So now what?
Well, since I’m not writing a travel book about extreme sports or a reptile guide to hiking, I had to identify the fear that I’d been tiptoeing around. That didn’t take me long. I’m fairly well acquainted with the things that terrify me. So there it was. MISUNDERSTANDING. That’s what keeps me awake at night and makes me cringe in the middle of a movie. I loathe misunderstanding, misassumptions, and erroneous conclusions. Hate me, love me, I’m good either way. But, please don’t decide based on erroneous information.
So, I’m mid-revision and it’s clear that Eric needs to be misunderstood. People need to believe something about him that just isn’t true. Even if it pains me. And, guess what? I does pain me, but it’s working. Wrapping my arms around my fear is allowing me to emotionally connect with Eric on a whole new level. No re-routing. So thank you, Jennifer!
To those who are writing, rewriting, reimagining, I say take Jennifer’s advice and go ahead and embrace that place where your first instinct screams retreat. For those whom we write for, I say give it a try. Ask that girl to the prom, sit at that lunch table, raise your hand in class. Nothing gives us strength like wrapping our arms around what terrifies us.
Elly
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Guilt. It swallows you up, then spits you back out. We all know the weight, the angst, the twisting gut that attaches with guilt. I’ve recently spent a lot of time with guilt. My latest revisions center around the guilt felt by a thirteen-year-old boy for something horrible he may have done. He’s not sure. He just can’t remember. Stupidity, forgetfulness and now guilt plague his days. As I’ve sat with Eric and explored with him how he’ll navigate these feelings, I’ve wondered what lines he’ll cross to find the truth. Will a good kid do something bad to undress the guilt? I’ve also come to learn that guilt needs a place to go. Someone to share the burden. A friend, a parent, a teacher.
Guilt is a ravenous emotion with an insatiable appetite. And, not in the mouth-watering-pie-devouring kind of way. But, in the ugly-tear-at-your-insides kind of way. To the kid who’s worried he’s responsible for something – big or small – talk to someone. Let the guilt out. Don’t let it swallow you. Remember, forgiveness is never far behind.
Elly
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When does being alone not feel lonely?
Writing, as we know, is a solitary sport. I create, write, edit, revise and begin again, alone in my office with my dog Oscar. Thus, the logical conclusion is that I feel alone. But, that’s the funny thing about writing for kids. I’ve never felt alone. Along the road to YES, I’ve become a part of this amazing community of children’s writers. They’re gracious, smart, kind, and genuine. From my EMLA agency family, to my VCFA writing retreat gang, to my writing group and writing friends, I’ve always felt connected. When I need inspiration, counsel, or a fresh set of eyes, they’re always there. And, when I cross the finish line to my ISBN number, I know they’ll be there, too. This group of amazing talent fills my community, my writing world. So even when I’m writing at my computer in my office with just my dog at my feet, I’m never truly alone.
This sense of connection and belonging is important for children’s writers and their readers, alike. Everyone needs to know who’s got their back when it’s the worst-kind-of-day and who will cheer the loudest when the tides turn and a happy moment is in need of sharing. Kids, like those who write for them, need to know they’re part of something bigger then themselves. They need to feel connected to their peers, to the books they read, and the characters that star in them. Community is our safety net, it’s what grounds and sustains us. So, the next time you find yourself in a solitary moment, remember you’re not alone, someone always has your back.
To my writing community (and of course the family and friends who make up my life community), thanks for never letting alone ever feel lonely.
Book I’m reading: Heck Superhero by Martine Leavitt.
Elly
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Be brave. A phrase not often heard, but very much needed as a writer. While I’m never jumping from a plane or balancing on a high wire (actually never ever doing either of those), each time I sit down to write I feel like I’m bearing my soul. Writing is so much more than words on a page. It’s heart and creativity and soul all mixed into characters and adventures. When I share my writing with my agent, my crit group, an editor, a friend or my family, I’m sharing a piece of me. A big chunk of me. In between all those words and under all those characters are emotions I’ve experienced in some form at some time in my life. To me, it’s like standing in front of a group of complete strangers naked. Not one shred of clothes to hide behind. Baring it all. (Not that I’m every actually doing that! So my family can now exhale.) That’s what it feels like to hand over my words and characters and story to someone to read.
This need for bravery, is what I believe makes writing for children so authentic. Children in elementary, middle and high school need to be brave every single day. Finding a lunch table, taking a test, trying out for the play, fitting in, connecting with others. Every moment of every day they need to dig deep, and find the courage to just be who they are. The guppies swimming in my stomach when I wonder if what I’ve written makes sense, hooks the reader, is true to the character or is just plain old terrible, are the same guppies swimming in my readers’ stomachs when they walk into the cafeteria and don’t know where to sit. It’s this shared uncertainty and need for bravery that keeps me feeling connected and true to my readers.
So, to all those writing or in search of a lunch table, be brave. We’ve totally got this!
What I’m reading now: Small as an Elephant by Jennifer Jacobson
