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Click through to sign up for the National Poetry Month giveaway! Our culture at large has rather limited ideas about what poetry is. The average person on the street typically thinks of rhymed ditties about pretty panoramas, lovesick longings, or rainbow-laced dreams. Or perhaps broken-line ruminations on big topics like death, war, human nature, or tiny ones like butterfly wings, a twirling maple seed or tea leaves in the bottom of a cup. This sort of poetry, which focuses on description and feeling, is called lyric poetry.
But there's another whole branch that shares characteristics with fiction, like a plot, characters and sometimes even dialogue: narrative poetry. Narrative poetry comes out of oral tradition, when stories were shared around the fire. Rhythm, repetition, rhymes made the stories easier to remember and thus pass on from one hearer to another. Ancient, epic stories of adventure and valor, like The Odyssey and Beowulf are some of the earliest examples written down.
Over time, poets realized any kind of story could be made more memorable and even singable if set in verse. The troubadours of the Middle Ages told tales of tragic love, and talents like Geoffrey Chaucer wittily satirized the culture of the day through rollicking, bawdy tales in verse. Later, narrative poems became more like versified flash fiction, such as this striking piece by Robert Frost, "Out, out—".
Novels-in-verse are of course a type of narrative poetry. But like the epic poem form they derive from, each section tends to lose something when removed from the overall story. The sections or pieces are meant to be read as a unit. That aspect makes them trickier to write than one might initially expect.
If novels-in-verse interest but intimidate you, or you’re primarily a fiction writer wanting to try out poetry, short, free-verse narrative fiction is a great place to start. In fact, you might find benefit taking material you’ve already written and recreating it in verse format.
One of the poems in my collection Muddy-Fingered Midnights, “Storm Shelter” began as an experiment like this. I took a scene from my novel in progress, in which the protagonist’s boyfriend invites her to see his childhood secret hiding spot, and their relationship deepens because of it.
I summarized and trimmed the prose versions, worked in evocative vocabulary and sound patterns, and even experimented with portmanteau (blending two distinct words). There’s not a huge event at the center of this piece, but there is a plot arc, moving from entering the story world, to conflict, resolution and denouement. What makes it poetry is the condensed emotion, sparse words, sound patterns, and layers of meaning. (A more strongly plotted piece that wasn’t derived from prose is “North and South,” also reprinted in my collection.
Writing poetry a great way to develop not only your writing skills, but also your publishing credits. There are thousands upon thousands of literary journals seeking poetry submissions. If you’ve done any writing at all, you have raw material. (For ideas on how to turn delected scenes into poems, see my post Giving Life to Peripheral Stories.) Read, learn from, and emulate published poets, and you too can write stories that sing.
Laurel Garver is a magazine editor and author of the poetry collection Muddy-Fingered Midnights and the novel Never Gone. Her poems have appeared in Ancient Paths, Every Day Poets, Poetry Pact volume 1, Rubber Lemon, Daily Love and Drown in My Own Fears. An indie film enthusiast and incurable Anglophole, she lives in Philadelphia with her husband and daughter.
6 Comments on Stories that Sing -- Poems with a Plot: Laurel Garver, last added: 4/19/2013
My junior year in college I took my favorite course of all time, adolescent literature. It was the year I discovered books from my adolescence I hadn't known existed before, books like HATCHET and JACOB HAVE I LOVED. It was the year I fell in love with newer titles, like THE TRUE CONFESSIONS OF CHARLOTTE DOYLE and LONG NIGHT DANCE. It was the year Sharon Creech won the Newbery for her gorgeous WALK TWO MOONS.
I continued to read Sharon's books over the years, the impossible-to-put down ABSOLUTELY NORMAL CHAOS, the feels-like-home-to-this-gal-who-attended-international-school BLOOMABILITY, the simple and stunning verse novel, HEARTBEAT, and this gem, LOVE THAT DOG.
The poem below I started a few years ago after first reading DOG. Last year, after a second reading, I pulled it out and worked on it again.
With the #SharpSchu book club scheduled to discuss LOVE THAT DOG and MAY B. on April 24, this felt like the perfect time to share.
Thank you, Sharon, for writing words that pushed me to respond. The kindness of the children's literature community never ceases to touch me. Still pinching myself that the author I discovered in college knows who I am!
I love Sharon Creech too and her latest The Great Unexpected is also superb! Sharon Creech's Hate That Cat got me to look at poetry as something that is not scary. So happy to see you post on her today!
I am just finding your site! Where have I been? I read the entire Love That Dog in one sitting to my 3rd graders. I wait until they have been immersed in poetry for months. Then I take a quiet chunk of time and the listen intently. The learn so much from Jack and Miss Stretchberry. They are aghast when he says in the beginning, boys don't write poems, girls do....they know better. I love how they see that there is a way to tell a story in diary form, in verse, that honors, poets, poetry, teachers and kids. I also read Hate That Cat when I can fit it in. I love Sharon Creech for two many reasons to name. You might be interested in what I do with kids and I was a guest blogger on Irene Latham's Live Your Poem on April 7 for the Progressive Poem 2013. The gist is that poetry is at the heart of my literacy program. During the course of the school year the children learn over 40 poems by heart as a group, read tons of poems and write them, too. We perform at a June poetry recital to the joy and amazement of family and friends, but mainly their teacher! I can't wait to go back and read more of your blog. I can tell that I am going to love it and learn so much. I was having tech difficulties with scrolling about, but I saw a Paul Hankins interview and your acrostic poems. I can't wait to get to know you better!!. Janet F.
Janet, I adore this! I used to wrap up my poetry months with a "coffee house" for my sixth graders. It was such a celebration. Your room sounds like a place I'd love to spend time. And it sounds like your kiddos feel the same way.
Let me know if you'd like to be a part of National Poetry Month next year, I'd love to hear more via a guest post.
Oh, so sorry for the typos. A couple of theys are missing the y... if you can fix, thanks. I couldn't see how I could edit. Duh. When I rush I miss things. Yes, I would love to be part of your site next year. My email is jfagal at gmail dot com! If you get a chance to read my guest blog on Irene's blog, there is a link to a video of my kids at a recital, though not the one in June!! It has slightly less sparkle, but this is actually the best part. They have not been together since June and is end of Sept. Barely a rehearsal, either. I have an old website called poetryonparade dot com if you want to check it out. There is a lovely poem written by a woman who does our school's PR, but she is someone who loves the poetry nights and it does capture what we do. I am going to subscribe by email so I can get your posts and keep up with what you are doing. I love to find kindred spirits online. I am looking for some closer to home. I am recently retired after a long career but am launching a second one as a visiting poet and poetry teacher in the schools! I volunteer in my old school in a friend's 3rd grade so I can keep on doing poetry. I always get the same reaction. The kids adore poetry "my way".....no pressure, no test, no homework....no requirement to participate yet they all do. And it teaches so much in such a short package. I could go on and on. Are you still teaching? I blend in poems the kids write with a wide variety of published poets' work. I also do not underestimate what 3rd graders will be interested in!!!
I stopped teaching four years ago, as I was having a hard time doing everything well. But I miss it. That's what makes school visits so fun. I'm writing down your email for next year. Off to see your post at Irene's!
Thank you for sharing this...and yep I am tearing up. It is so true what you say about the kindness of the childrens literature community. You all rock and are so good at what you do because of the passion that drives you.
Thank you, Deb. I was at a writing conference this weekend and tried to talk about LOVE THAT DOG and what it means to me. I didn't get far without tearing up. It is amazing that work that is so solitary to begin with can make such far-reaching and meaningful connections.
The idea isn't to read it in this state (which is single spaced and microscopic) but to get an overall sense of where the story stands. With the entire manuscript before you, you can determine what's working and what needs work.
There are a limitless number of ways a shrunken manuscript can be used. Grab a few markers, create a key, and use it to determine:
story strands
changes in voice for stories told in multiple points of view
instances of conflict
the story's movement through dialogue, thought, and action
Darcy's activity nicely paralleled the work I'd just completed before her retreat: the final drafting of May B. As I'd never written a verse novel before (and had only read two before trying!), the idea of a quilt unfolding square by square -- or poem by poem -- was largely what kept me moving forward. I trusted that certain themes and ideas would resurface as I wrote, just as certain patterns emerge as a quilt takes shape.
I've just finished drafting another historical verse novel and have kept this quilt concept in mind. On Wednesday I'll show you how I've used it in revision.
Confession: I know nothing about quilting. It's the metaphor that counts.
11 Comments on Quilting a Verse Novel -- With Thanks to Darcy Pattison, last added: 10/4/2012
Darcy is also an accomplished quilter! And hey, you might give quilting a go. It's a wonderful way to spend one's time. And yes, a great metaphor for a lot of things!
What a neat idea! I like the thought of a pattern of themes and ideas resurfacing. I've thought about doing the "shrunken manuscript" idea (although I'd never heard it called that) but at 90,000 words or so, my manuscripts always seemed overwhelming to do that. I may have to try it someday... when I'm bold! :)
"All" you have to do is single space, take out all white space between chapters, and make it a small font -- maybe 8pt. I bet your book would come in around 45-50 pages. Manageable spread out across the floor!
Actually, for longer novels, if you add in 2 columns, it becomes even smaller, as that takes care of short lines. It should be about 40 pages, which you can easily see.
Caroline: Thanks for the shout out! I am actually a quilter. See my daughter's wedding quilt: http://www.darcypattison.com/writing-life/texas-star-quilt/
Glad to see that you've finished a new novel--I love MAY B. and can't wait to read this one.
I love the quilting metaphor (and I'm not a quilter either, but I have a good friend who is, and constantly urges me to try it -- maybe now that I have more time on my hands, I'll give it a go).
The only thing that concerns me about the shrunken manuscript idea is the tiny font. I have enough trouble with my eyes as it is! You say it's not for reading, but you'd have to be able to see it well enough to determine things like changes in voice and instances of conflict. Right? Or am I interpreting this in the wrong way?
The idea is to also work with a standard manuscript at the same time. That way, if you notice chapter 13 has no conflict, for example, you can mark the shrunken manuscript with a big red X over the chapter. Does that make sense?
I'm a quilter and a verse novelist so I can relate to your metaphor.
As for the shrunken manuscript, I do this a lot just in Word for Windows. I will save a new copy of the manuscript and color code scenes and characters. Then I shrink the view down to 10% size. This way I see what's happening and if anything seems off balance with chapter lengths, scene lengths, characters etc.
Gabrielle, I love this! That's a perfect way to see your book as a whole while avoiding all that printing. Looks like I need to pick up quilting, by the way.
My most recent verse novel manuscript is told in two voices. Without giving too much away, I'll say it's a story of friendship forged in the midst of hostile circumstances. For most of the story the friends, Alis and Kimi, aren't together.
After finishing my initial draft, I "quilted" the division of voices within the story. You've probably noticed the same thing I have: Alis's voice dominated this draft.
With the second draft, I added more opportunities for Kimi to speak, but it's still pretty heavily dominated by Alis.
With the third draft, Alis is still the voice heard most often, but Kimi's poems have increased, and the blending is better. Notice in the first two drafts I ended with a dual voice poem. I figured as it's a story of friendship, things had to end that way. But now I'm not so sure. I start the manuscript with Alis making her way in the world and end in a similar place. I feel like this is the best way to tell her story and Kimi's, too.
Of course, this is all subject to change. I've taken the story as far as I'm able alone. As my critique partners respond to this draft, I'll be curious what they have to say about this aspect of the story. And I plan to quilt the story in terms of sub-plots before it goes to my agent next month.
Are there any visual techniques you use during revision?
3 Comments on A Verse Novel Quilt With Two Points of View, last added: 10/8/2012
Picture Book Idea Month has come and gone, and I'm so happy I participated. Here are some things I've learned:
Idea generating is like any other part of writing: it must be practiced to be strengthened.
Playing with ideas without drafting means deeper, broader, more outlandish concepts; fresh perspective; and creative freedom...things will lead to some pretty fun writing.
With my picture book read aloud years essentially done, I have some gaps in my knowledge I need to fill in. Here are three great places I've found to brush up on my studies:
I so admire authors who can write great picture books. I've tried a couple times, but you're right: even coming up with ideas is something that takes practice. But considering that I spend at least an hour a day reading picture books aloud, I am SO grateful for the authors and illustrators who make great ones! Good luck with your goals for this month! I'm kind of wimping out writing-wise... my goals are: Let the MS rest before you go crazy revising it; write a short story for husband for Christmas; make a gazillion (or so it seems) Christmas presents.
I love them, too. For me, it is refreshing to move between novels and picture books, as far as creativity goes. I love that you're giving your husband a story! All the best with those presents. xo
I love your take-aways for the month. I've made a conscious effort to set poetry aside (it's one of the best excuses in the world NOT to work on a novel!), and have instead kept an poetry idea notebook for the past few months. I'm excited to dive in once this novel first draft is done. Best of luck with your December goals! And if you ever need a beta, you know I am a huge fan of your work. xo
As I mentioned in the previous post, sod walls were typically two-feet thick. If you compare the exterior window pictures to this one, you'll see a generous ledge on both sides. Also notice the plastered walls. In MAY B. I make mention of this nicety through a conversation with Mrs. Oblinger, the new bride from the city, and May, the frontier girl.
from poem 29:
"I hate this place," she whispers.
Before I think better, I say,
"He's left a shade tree out front,
he's plastered the walls,
and he's putting in a proper floor."
"What'd you say?"
Does she even remember I'm here?
"Mr. Oblinger's a good man," I try again.
"He wants to make this home for you."
She stands over me now.
"You think plaster makes a difference in this place?
Look at this."
She holds out her mud-caked skirt.
"It's filthy here!
The ceiling leaks.
Sometimes snakes get through!"
The cool sod's where they like to nest.
"They help with mice," I offer.
She glares.
Sod houses were one room with little to no privacy. Here you see a bed right up against the stove, a tree trunk meant to support the roof also used to hang clothing.
These benches are made from hewed logs and are a great example of the wood used for puncheon floors (the proper flooring May mentions above -- many lived with packed earth underfoot) : the smooth side of a log faced up, the curved side down.
One way families kept dirt from falling from the sod above was to cover the ceiling in muslin.
How would you fare living this way?
3 Comments on Looking Back: A Sod House Interior, last added: 2/15/2013
Wow, this really brings the image of living in a sod house to life! And I thought I had a pretty clear idea after reading May B. It's like living in a small cave; maybe even worse.
I've read one of my three titles, THE ONE AND ONLY IVAN. It was a lovely, quick read told in the voice of a gorilla. Yes, you heard that correctly. Author Katherine Applegate was inspired to write IVAN after learning about a gorilla who for three decades lived in a tiny cage at a mall. Now the real Ivan lives at the Atlanta Zoo (Katherine has created a website for those interested in finding out more about this remarkable fellow).
I read HOME OF THE BRAVE, another Katherine Applegate verse novel. I liked it so much I posted a teachers guide on my blog under TEACHER RESOURCES at http://caroleedeanbooks.blogspot.com.
Hi there! I just read May B. today (and reviewed it on my blog-- www.curledupreading.blogspot.com-- if you'd like to check it out), and I really enjoyed it. I'm also an English teacher, and it made me think a lot about how I've taught in the past... thanks for writing. I'd love to read more of your books! (And someday, I hope to write a few of my own as well!) Happy Poetry Month!
I'm going to have to get my hands on The One and Only Ivan. I've read two of my chosen verse novels so far this month. The third is one that I have read before, and I just remembered that I bought a used copy of Shark Girl at the library book sale, so maybe I'll read four this month!
So true! I'd love to pick your brain about your writing process and how you get ideas for books (that's my biggest hurdle!)... do you have an email address I could write to? If you're okay with that, feel free to send me a message via thecurledupreadingmuse@gmail.com. If not, thanks again for writing May B. It taught me a lot.
So glad to see so many readers picking up verse novels this month! I've yet to read Shark Girl (I still have so much reading and learning to do). Let me know what you think.
I do have a number of posts about my writing process (or what I did for May, at least). If you search my blog for "verse novels," you'll find some info there.
I just finished Ivan last night. Lovely story. Felt a little like poetry--something about the sparseness of the words, the sound, the rhythm? But I know what you mean. Not sure I would call it novel-in-verse either.
My new novel in verse, THE WILD BOOK, was inspired by stories my grandmother told me about her childhood. She grew up on a farm in Cuba during the turmoil that followed U.S. occupation of the island after the Spanish-American War. She also suffered the inner turmoil of dyslexia. Choosing verse rather than prose gave me a chance to distill that complex historical and personal situation down to its emotional essence. How did my grandmother feel? What were her choices?
Poetry forces me to be brief. All the facts and figures won’t fit on an un-crowded page of free verse, so I have to choose only details that mean the most to me. Historical research is painstaking and meticulous, but poetry is expansive and imaginative. My hope is that the two moods will blend, offering a glimpse into the life of a young person who found hope in times that must have seemed hopeless.
Margarita Engle is the Cuban American winner of the first Newbery Honor ever awarded to a Latino.
0 Comments on Margarita Engle on Writing Verse as of 1/1/1900
It only took one book for me to fall for the verse novel. OUT OF THE DUST, by Karen Hesse, opened my eyes to what a powerful story-telling tool the poetic form can be.
The verse format is a literary close-up; it strips away the fluff that so often clogs up traditional prose in order to get down deep to the guts of the story. It goes beyond the telling—or even showing—of a story, and invites the reader to draw closer until he or she can (almost) experience the story right along with the main character.
5 Comments on Falling for the Verse Novel, last added: 4/25/2012
Although WITNESS by Karen Hesse was one of the first verse novels I remember reading, OUT OF THE DUST was my favorite. And like Rebecca, I felt emotionally invested in the story.
OUT OF THE DUST is one of my favorite books of all time. I didn't like LOVE THAT DOG very much ... I actually preferred HATE THAT CAT. LOL! Maybe it's because, deep down, I'm a cat person and I loved how he came to like cats by the end.
Great overview of some wonderful verse novels, Rebecca!
Irene, I hope you enjoy BECAUSE I AM FURNITURE. It was a hard read for me, but even harder to put down!
Linda, I find that the emotional investment is what really sells a book for me, even if it's not in verse. That's what I love about Karen Hesse and Sharon Creech; they are brilliant even in prose.
Amy, I love HATE THAT CAT too. Sometimes it's hard to know why I really love a book. I guess I just related to the little boy in LOVE THAT DOG. Plus I managed to get my husband to read it and he finished it in one sitting, so that's a BIG plus for me! :-)
Mia, I think everyone should read a few depressing books in their lifetime. And most books that some would call "depressing," in my experience, have those glimmers of hope that really make them shine. But the depressing parts have to make sense and not come out of nowhere just for the shock value. I think that is why OUT OF THE DUST and BECAUSE I AM FURNITURE resonate with me.
For me, verse is all about atmosphere. I don’t know why other authors choose to write in verse, but I choose to do it because it helps me to create an atmosphere I can’t get with regular prose. It also allows me to get to the emotional truths of the story, and to accentuate them.
My strength is not beautiful, flowery prose. At times, I wish it were. I seem to do well trying to convey scenes, thoughts, emotions, etc. in a sparse, poetic way. I have always loved music, and in some ways, writing a novel-in-verse feels like writing a giant song to me. The rhythm and the flow and trying to say a lot in a few words – it’s challenging, absolutely, but my brain works well that way.
I didn’t choose verse as much as it chose me, and with each book I’ve written in verse, it added to the story rather than detracted from it. Not all stories are going to work in verse. In fact, I’d probably argue, most stories won’t work in verse. But when it does, it’s a beautiful thing, I think!
7 Comments on Lisa Schroeder on Writing Verse, last added: 4/25/2012
The giant song. I can see that. As far as verse choosing you, that's an amazing thing. When I read novels in verse, I'm always swept back in my chair because of all they DO say, in so few words.
"Atmospheric" is a great word for Lisa's books! Also: "awesome." I'm really enjoying the multicultural voices in verse novels lately. It works well for me as a reader.
I love Lisa's verse novels and yours, Caroline. I think they work when the story has a cadence to the way it wants to be told, and I'm fascinated by Lisa's comment about atmosphere. That's really fitting. As someone who loves to write haiku but has only played around with verse novels, I may have to give it a go sometime.
My 4th grade daughter, PickyKidPix, came home furious a few weeks ago. She said that she was the only person in her grade that got poetry for her MCAS open response standardized test. Worse, I had kept her home sick during the one day they practiced poetry open response essays at school.
I'm sure it went fine, but she will be forever scarred associating poetry as something designed to confound her for a multiple choice Common Core Standard test. I had felt the same way about poetry too until just a few years ago. Sharon Creech's Hate That Cat novel in verse had completely blown my mind. I had no idea that 1) novels in verse existed, 2) that novels in verse could tell a story and 3) that I would actually enjoy it.
I read Love That Dog next also by Sharon Creech (out of sequence, I know) to see if I'd feel the same way about another novel in verse. And, yes, the water was fine!
5 Comments on Poetry in Motion, last added: 4/28/2012
I love Sharon Creech's books and now I'm itching to try Thanha Lai's, too. I agree: novels-in-verse are the perfect vehicle for strong, emotional stories. (And I hate standardized testing. It makes me so frustrated when I hear stories of how it stifles readers...)
Faith, I've had wonderful teaching experiences across the country, but I found that in states with more rigorous testing systems and strategies, there was, sadly, less room for creativity in my classroom.
I love how creative authors can get when they write novels in verse, and how important every single word is.
Oh, and like Caroline, when I was teaching English I had trouble fitting a lot of creativity into the classroom because there was so much test preparation. It's one of the reasons I left.
Things officially wrap up here tomorrow, with my participation in the Kidlit Progressive Poem, but for today I wanted to share my reading experiences, thank my guest post authors, and give out some prizes during our Month in Verse.
Reading Experiences:
For the month, I planned on reading three verse novels: THE ONE AND ONLY IVAN (which I decided wasn't a verse novel but was a lovely book nonetheless), SONG OF THE SPARROW (which made it back to the library, to be read another year), and NEW FOUND LAND (which I'm close to finishing).
NEW FOUND LAND: LEWIS AND CLARK'S VOYAGE OF DISCOVERY is told in the multiple voices of the explorers' expedition and even includes Lewis's dog, Seaman. As I've read, I've marked figurative language I've especially enjoyed. Here's a taste:
The arrows passed through him as if
his body had been river mist.
Sandbars began to rise from the water like huge loaves of bread.
And the squirrel,
wet as a fresh turd, is humping it up the slope
5 Comments on A Month in Verse: In Conclusion, last added: 4/28/2012
Remember the May B. Book Club Kit Giveaway? Here's a story from one of the runners-up. Sarah Baldwin teaches at the Batam Island International School in Batam, Indonesia. Her students (first through seventh grade) have just finished reading May B. I couldn't resist posting her lovely email and the pictures that accompanied it:
Our classroom journey through the world of May B has been an enlightening adventure!
Marking out the dimensions of a soddy
The children excelled at writing up and presenting reports on the flora and fauna native to Kansas. They really enjoyed marking out the inside of a soddy home and felt cramped just imagining the dirt walls, ceiling and seemingly endless snow outside.
Your vocabulary words were accessible and insightful, especially to those who have never seen the Midwest of the United States. Most of all, the students enjoyed the short video clips of you describing soddy homes and poetry. Thank you for preparing those for us!
Thank you for providing a wonderful Study Guide on which we could hang all our ideas and questions surrounding May B. As a teacher, I was gratified to read the students' responses to the the KWL Chart: Life on the Prairie. They definitely remembered the fact that buffalo chips weren't like Dorritos and teachers could be as young as 15 years old! I really enjoyed hearing students' insights into the discussion questions.
May B was just as much a gift to me as it was to my students. I grew up wanting to be La
8 Comments on May B. Book Club in Action, last added: 5/11/2012
It's great that they are enjoying your book and learning from it so much. Buffalo chips--ha! It is a bit of a shock when someone first learns what they are. :)
Have you ever felt drawn a story you were scared to write?
I almost always feel this way when approaching a new novel (with picture books I trick myself into thinking what I'm doing is simply play). MAY B., though, brought its own special challenges. I had no idea what my story would be, and I discovered early on that the only true way the book could work was to write in a style I knew nothing about. Add to this the complexity of a character who spends most of a story alone in a place I'd never been, and you can begin to feel the intimidation I did in starting this piece.
Despite all this, I had to write about a strong pioneer girl. I knew the story had to deal with solitude. This was enough for me to begin the murky process.
Here I am again with a new idea that terrifies me. Those of you who have followed a while know I've been planning to write a verse novel about a Gitano girl (Spanish Gypsy) for some time. I set aside my research last winter to work on other things. That work needed to be done, but honestly, I've been avoiding the hard work I know is ahead of me. Here's why:
I'll be writing about a culture that's not my own. Some writers think it is impossible to speak in the voice of another people. Some think it's wrong to even attempt it.
I must present the Gitano culture accurately and respectfully. This is a challenge in several ways:
My research must move past stereotypes; like all characters, mine need to be complex.
There is no one Gypsy culture. The Roma, as they are often called, live differently in every part of the world. There are cultural and linguistic similarities, but not always. While the Gitanos of Spain share flamenco, for example, those of
10 Comments on Do Difficult Topics Find You?, last added: 10/27/2010
I've definitely felt that way about certain topics - esp. when it's a different culture but I do believe it's possible with the right research! Good luck!
Good luck! It sounds fascinating, and I bet in between the struggles you'll have a blast with this topic and these characters!
I read something yesterday (I have no idea where) about how much historical fiction has to be accurate, and the answer was: it's fiction. Keep the main ideas and any true life characters people would know (Like a president) close to true, but make up what you need to.
Like you pointed out, Gypsies aren't boxed into one culture or stereotype. Treat the characters like individuals instead of a representation of a whole and you've got your story. :)
Good luck, but more importantly, have fun! I wrote a story last year where the MC was a Romani teen, rebelling against the strict lifestyle of her kumpanya in the early 1900s. I got a lot of plot ideas from studying Romani culture and history, even if my character wasn't exactly a typical Romani girl.
That sounds challenging, kudos to you for going for it.
I'm afraid of the project I'm working on right now for similar reasons. Ancient Rome, Gladiators, Christians dying in the arena. How to write it authentically, when obviously I can't go back in time.
Interestingly, Hollywood has no compulsion to stay true to historical facts. I watched Gladiator last night for research and I happen to know that Commodus didn't die fighting a gladiator. Though he did like to show off in the arenas he was poisoned by his assassins.
For some reason, as authors, we don't have that kind of artistic license.
That sounds challenging. I think people can write about cultures outside their own as long as they do enough research. I've got an idea that has been stewing in my brain for a while and I'm just not sure if I want to go there or not. Thankfully, I've got a lot of revising to do for my WiP before I have to consider writing another book. Good luck!
It sounds like a challenging topic, but also really interesting.
I have this story idea that I've wanted to write for a few years now about a real person from 14th century England. All the research has always put me off, but I'm thinking that 2011 might be the year to do it.
What an amazing premise! I have a feeling that once you begin your research, and see their past struggles, a storyline will come to you. I think this is a really cool idea.
I love this post, Caroline. I'm so thankful I'm not the only one who feels terrified by certain book ideas. :)
The one that's terrified me most recently is that I'd like to write a verse novel based loosely on the early life of my husband's grandfather. I'm scared of writing a verse novel, but I'm also scared of the research involved in historical fiction. So, I admire you so much! And I'm looking forward to your future post where you tell us your secret to diving into a project like this. :)
I first heard of Tricycle Press when my boys were younger, during our hitting-the-fifty-book-limit library days. We eagerly read things like THE PICKLE PATCH BATHTUB, TURTLE SPRING, FINKLEHOPPER FROG, and PUMPKIN CIRCLE: THE STORY OF A GARDEN.
47 Comments on When Things Don't Go As Planned, last added: 11/22/2010
Oh my goodness, Caroline! Talk about publishing ups and downs. You must feel so frustrated. I have my fingers crossed that your book will find a new home.
Oh Caroline, I am so sorry to hear this. It must be so hard when you're gearing up for the publication date. I hope things go well for you. Enjoy the holidays.
Caroline, What a bummer. There are so many odd things that can happen in this business. It's voilatile and unpredictable and just downright difficult at times. But you have already garnered interest and hopefully will find a new home for May B.
Caroline, I am so very sorry. This is shocking. It has been a really hard couple of weeks for you, I know. I do think the other commenters are right on. You have a great agent, and I have confidence that your book is wonderful. A veteran friend of mine told me recently: "Projects get dropped by some houses and picked up by other houses all the time." I will be praying for you and that MAY B will find a good home.
Yes, I thought of you when I heard the news and wondered what would be the fate of May B. I'm sad about Tricycle, but I have a feeling it's a door opening for your book... here's to bright and happy endings! Keep us posted. xo
Good gravy, that stinks! But you have an agent, and a book that was wonderful enough to get picked up by a lovely imprint. They aren't the only smart ones in publishing ;)
Oh, how scary! But I think you are doing the right thing, by easing up and taking time with family. Things will work out, I truly believe. I'll keep you and May in my thoughts.
So sorry, Caroline. I thought of you as soon as I read PW's Children's Bookshelf yesterday. What a shame!
Sending good thoughts and wishes your way. Couldn't Random House keep your book for one of their other imprints? If not, shame on them! I'm sure another house will pick it up.
I was so sad to hear that Tricyle was shutting down, and I'm so sorry that means your book is in limbo! Sending good vibes your way. It will all work out.
Oh, I'm so, so sorry. I didn't realize you were one of the affected authors. I'll be praying May finds a new home quickly.
jennifer Paisley said, on 11/19/2010 8:49:00 AM
Caroline,
I am so sorry. I know how devastated you must be because the same thing happened to me. My debut book was killed shortly before my publishing house announced they were going under in 2008.
Friends, family, and everyone I'd ever met was anticipating the arrival of my book, was planning to buy it for Christmas. I was beyond excited, elated to have finally become what I'd always wanted to be, an author. To have this taken away from me was devastating.
So I understand, and want to tell you that you can get through it. You are obviously very tenacious, and this will serve you well. Your book will find it's way. In the meantime, be kind to yourself. Trust that your book will be published, it will just take a little longer. Remember, tales of tenacity are never short stories, and someday you are going to have a good story, a bittersweet tale you'll be able to share because the ending is happy one.
Oh no, I'm so sorry to hear that:( But I have faith--I know you wrote an amazing book and it's going to have a happy ending one way or another! Have a wonderful holiday and keep thinking positively!
I heard the doors closing. Sorry. I have a manuscript with an editor at Tricycle too. Don't know where it will end up, probably recycled. Good luck. Sure hope May B finds a home. Cheers, to doors closing and another one opening.
Followed you here from your comment on my blog...and you must be the friend Weronika Janczuk posted about on her blog. I'm so sorry to hear about this, it's truely a tragedy when publishing industry crashes happen with children's books. There is no other magic like that of watching children fall in love with books. I used to own a bookstore, and my daughter lived in the children's section. It was amazing. I hope your book lands safely in the arms of another editor that will love it as much as you do.
Wow Caroline!! I'm SO sorry to hear this!! What a blow! It must feel like such a setback after all the hard work was finally finding it's triumph.
BUT I'm sure there are GREAT things in store for you and May B. I've known other authors that got their books pushed back, lost agents, had their publisher close down, and almost every one to a T has come out better for it. You will too.
Try not to let this dampen the holidays. Praying you and your family will find much joy in the break!
Oh Caroline! I read Weronika's post yesterday and hoped, hoped, hoped May B. wouldn't be effected. I'm so sorry! I'll be thinking of you over the next few weeks as you wait to find out what will happen.
Caroline, I'm really sorry this is happening to you. I've lost an editor I adored, and I know how hard it is. I can't imagine having the status of your book be up in the air too. I'm thinking good thoughts for you and hoping for the best!!!
Caroline, that's a huge blow. I'm working hard just to find an editor to take me on, I can't imagine having finally found one, only to have something like this happen.
I hope you can put it behind you for a while over the holidays and really enjoy your family and so many other things you have to be thankful for.
I pray for you and your book, that this story will still have a happy ending.
Caroline, We believe in you and your book and we are crossing our fingers that you both will find a good home very very soon. Our acquiring editor left too and it is heartbreaking. But we try to remind ourselves that these things happen for a reason...what else can you do?
Its the plight of being a writer things happen in the publishing business that we don't have control over.
You have an amazing agent and you WILL get a publishing house that will fall in love with MAY B and I always believe when one door sort of closes the other door opens with many opportunities that will be beyond what you expected.
You are a lovely person and a awesome writer don't let this get you down which is easier said than done but you will raise up like a phoenix stronger because of this unexpected circumstance.
I'm so sorry to hear MAY B is on hold... I know someone else will pick it up. Such a great unique voice cannot be lost. All best to you as always, Caroline! Happy Thanksgiving! Hugs. :)
Ugh, I am so sorry to hear this. My condolences. Along with everyone else who's commented, I'm hoping this disappointment will turn into an even bigger opportunity. Allow yourself to feel sad for a while, and in the new year things will hopefully look and feel much brighter. Hang in there and keep us updated.
Oh, what a heartbreak! I am so sorry. It seems like you are moving forward with faith though, and I hope for the best. There were other editors interested in MAY B. right? So maybe some other doors will open again?
Oh, no! What a loss for children's lit, as well as for you. I'm sorry your book got caught in the middle, but maintaining hope that it'll find a new home.
Sending good karma your way. Eat some turkey, enjoy your family, but then get back to the pages. Don't give up! This is just a bump in the road (okay, a lousy, rotten bump, but still...). No one can take away everything you've learned from writing your book and working with a great editor. Heart is with you and MAY B.
Oh, man! Caroline, I'm so sorry--both for May B. and for Nicole. When I saw Tricycle was closing its doors I'd forgotten that's where your book was housed.
Here's to a bright though uncertain future indeed!
Bridget Zinn is a YA author represented by Michael Stearns of Upstart Crow Literary. Her debut novel, POISON (Disney-Hyperion) will be released in 2012.
Auction: Season of Love and Hope
Starts: November 22, 2010 08:00 AM CST
Ends: December 04, 2010 09:00 PM CST
2 Comments on Help Bridget Kick Cancer!, last added: 11/29/2010
Just a reminder that those of you who signed up for my verse novel challenge have one month to finish your novels.
What's the verse novel challenge? I'm glad you asked! Honestly, I started this challenge to become more well versed (sorry, couldn't help it!) in novels written as unrhymed poetry. My goal was to read a minimum of five novels-in-verse by the end of 2010. I've read seven novels so far, and plan on reading two more.
If you're interested in participating, there's still time to join! Just sign up here.
And if you'd like to learn more about verse novels in general or are looking for some recommendations, stop by Valerie Geary's Something to Write About. She'll be focusing on verse novels all month.
*By the contest's end, I will know what's going on. If for some reason MAY B. isn't to be released sometime soon, I will happily send the winner a verse novel of her choice.
9 Comments on Verse Novel Challenge: The Final Month, last added: 12/10/2010
Randy, I love OUT OF THE DUST, probably because it was my first exposure to verse novels and is a historical mid-grade. I think you'd love anything by Lisa Schroeder, as she writes YA with some paranormal elements. Enjoy!
Lisa, thank you! I was lucky enough to win an ARC of EXPOSED and hope to finish the year with it. I'd also like to read Stephanie Hemphill's latest, about the Salem Witch Trials.
And I can't wait to finally read CARVER: A LIFE IN POEMS. GW Carver is my hero.
Thank you for reminding me, Caroline! I started reading my fifth verse novel a month or more ago (I won't mention which one it was) and abandonned it halfway through. It was just too explicit for me personally. And then I forgot to reserve a replacement at the library. Thanks to your post, I just placed requests for Carver: A Life in Poems and Three Rivers Rising. Hopefully one of them'll come in time for me to finish the challenge.:) Amy
Laura, go ahead and write up an "I am participating" post and link back to my original post (marked as "here"). At the end of the month, I'll run a post where you can list what you've read.
Not everyone who participated in the verse challenge remembered to stop by on Friday, but no matter. If you read your five and I knew about it, you were entered in the contest (yes, Valerie, I'm talking to you, and a few others ;) .
And the winner of a signed copy of my ARC, MAY B. is Amy Sonnichsen! Amy, please email me your mailing address so that I might send you a copy once the ARCs are printed.
Thank you to all who have participated. I wish I had a book for each of you. If you're interested, I'd love to send you some MAY B. bookmarks (eventually). If you email me your address at caroline starr AT yahoo, I'll send them out when they're available.
Please keep me updated on any verse novel recommendations you might have and thanks again for reading along with me!
Helen Frost is Fabulous--Nikki Grimes is too. Her books A Girl Named Mister, Dark Sons, and Bronx Masquerade are all must-reads. And Edgar Lee Masters (the originator of the genre) Spoon River Anthology is very worthwhile too.
Amy, thank you! I had to do a report on SPOON RIVER in high school and have been in love ever since. My teacher had us create our own town, occupations, and connections. We drew names and wrote secret epitaphs for our characters then copied them into our own little anthologies. It was so much fun, I did the same when I taught middle school.
Thanks for hosting the Challenge--I love novels in verse and an excuse to read more of them! And, I can't wait to see your book on the shelves of my local bookstore! That'll be so very sxciting!
I am so excited! Thank you, Caroline! I can't believe I won!! Thank you for hosting such a cool challenge. I am excited beyond words to read May B., and this challenge was a reward unto itself because it introduced me to verse novels! So thank you on both counts. I am so thrilled. This will be the first ARC I've ever read, too. :)
Here are a couple of ways you can help those whose communities were devastated by storms last month:
Help Write Now is a writing community auction to benefit southern storm relief. Along with four other Project Mayhem members, I've donated a critique for a middle-grade novel. See more here. All 4 Alabama is an auction aimed at helping Alabama specifically, the state most severely hit by the storms. I'm offering a picture book and verse novel critique. Follow this link to learn more. I'm proud to be a part of the community of children's authors so willing to help those in need. Thanks to all of you who participate.
2 Comments on Tornado Disaster Relief, last added: 5/19/2011
Tuesday Carolee Dean and I will be talking verse novels over at Alamosa Books in Albuquerque.* This is a part of SCBWI-NM's** monthly Schmooze*** but is open to any interested readers, writers, librarians, teachers, friends, Romans, or countrymen.
I'm filling in for our Schmoozinator,**** Brian Herrera.
If you've ever wondered what verse novels are all about, if you're curious about why anyone would choose to read or write this way, or if you're looking for some good verse novel recommendations, stop by! You can even join us for a pre-Schmooze meal.*****
*Alamosa is a lovely children's bookstore off of Paseo Del Norte and Ventura. Things start up at 7:00pm.
**The Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, New Mexico branch
For some people, verse novels are unappealing because of the way words are arranged on the page. Others find them too pretentious, too simplistic, too weird. And that's okay. Readers have the right to feel however they like about certain genres or styles. What I love, though, is when readers are willing to try something new.
I'm finding a number of those who have posted reviews of May B. on Goodreads start in a similar way:
I’ve never read a novel in verse before and wasn’t sure how I’d feel about it. I wondered if it would slow down my reading.
Having never read a novel-in-verse, I intended to check out the first few pages...
This is the first novel in verse I've read.
I had never read a novel in verse before...
I generally don't like verse novels...
This is the first novel-in-verse I've read.
8 Comments on Verse Novels Not Your Thing?, last added: 11/24/2011
There are some novels in verse that I adore, and some that...well, I don't dislike so much as feel ambivalent toward--like in any genre! The only reason verse novels sometimes frustrate me is if their story and characters don't merit telling it in that style; it sometimes feels as if the author is cheating by attaching a gimmick to his/her book that it doesn't need. When the use is justified--and I love how your reviewer explained the obvious justification in your book!--then I am a firm fan, advocate...basically a won't-stop-talking-about-how-much-I-love-this-book person. :)
I have only read a few novels in verse and from those experiences it's not something I would pick up. I love the details in traditional novels that paint the picture. I want to know what the character looks like, sounds like and feel like I can play the book in my head like a movie. I have found that listening to a verse on audio works for me. For example I tried to read Crank, but it wasn't working for me so I listened to it on audio and loved it. I think if there is a verse novel that really draws my attention I would listen to it on audio.
Like Faith, I agree that just like any genre, there will be books that you like and books that you won't. Cari, I'm with you! I think the best way to experience poetry is to see, hear, and say it. As I used to tell my students, poetry is meant to be seen and heard. Listening to verse novels (or reading them aloud) is a great way to fully experience the story and the form.
Natalie, thank you. I'm excited for you to read it, too!
I've never read modern fiction in verse, but I find it interesting that nowadays it turns some readers off, when verse used to be the almost-exclusive format for storytelling. Since ancient times, when there was a story people wanted to remember, it was put in song, hence the phrase we still use: "unsung heroes." The idea of prose stories is only a few hundred years old, which sounds pretty old, but isn't in terms of human history. I'm interested to see how you handle modern expectations of description and dialog in what's really a very ancient tradition.
I've only read OUT OF THE DUST by Karen Hesse. Though I though it was wonderful, I haven't sought out any other novels in verse. But I'm excited for MAY B!
You already know I adore verse novels. Well, of course, not all verse novels (there was one I started and had to stop reading halfway through because it was driving me crazy), but some of my favorite books are verse novels, including MAY B. And I'm not just saying that for brownie points. :)
May B.
by Caroline Starr Rose
Intermediate, Middle School Schwartz & Wade/Random 233 pp.
The verse novel form is particularly well suited to this spare survival story set on the homesteaded Kansas prairie. In late August, young May’s parents send her off to work for a newly married couple on their isolated farm fifteen miles away, promising she’ll be back by Christmas. But when the homesick Mrs. Oblinger runs away and her husband sets off to retrieve her and doesn’t return, May is stranded alone in their sod hut, snowed in, unable to get home, unable to send for help.
Dwindling supplies of food and fuel, evidence of wolves, and a blizzard are the external threats that make up the tense plot, but equally dangerous are the psychological challenges of claustrophobia and despair. Only when May chooses to live fully in the present can she gather her resources for a life-saving plan. A backstory involving May’s dyslexia parallels the themes of abandonment and potent effects of small, rare kindnesses. Author Rose uses a close-up lens and a fine sense of rhythm to draw us into her stark world, Little House on the Prairie without the coziness. “It’s the noise that wakes me / in the darkness close as a shroud. / Wind whips around the soddy; / I imagine I hear the walls groan.” sarah ellis
9 Comments on May B.'s Hornbook Review, last added: 12/12/2011
Three years ago, May B. won first place for a novel excerpt at the Jambalaya Writers' Conference. This year I'm headed back to Houma, Louisiana to present at the conference. It's a thrill to be included on the roster this year! If you happen to live around the New Orleans area, I'd love to meet you.
Here are my topics:
Verse Novels -- From Homer to Ellen Hopkins: Long a mainstay in classical literature, the verse novel has made a comeback in children’s literature in the last fifteen years. What’s the appeal? Learn about the authors and titles which have had an impact on the genre, why an author would choose to write this way, and if your story might best be told through verse.
DIY Marketing Plan: Authors nowadays are expected to play bigger and bigger roles in spreading the word about their books. What, exactly, does this look like? Learn to identify and reach your target audience in traditional and non-traditional ways, produce materials to compliment your book, and create your own marketing plan.
I'll share about the conference once I return -- and don't worry: I'll eat a bowl of gumbo for you.
10 Comments on Leaving On a Jet Plane, last added: 3/27/2012
Wow, the topic for your talk sounds incredible! I really wish I didn't live so many hundreds of miles away. But as a homeschooling mother, just the topic got my "educational creativity" flowing--I'm definitely going to have my kids read some modern verse novels when we study Homer!
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FINKLEHOPPER FROG, and PUMPKIN CIRCLE: THE STORY OF A GARDEN.
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Thanks so much for hosting me today, Caroline!
So interesting! Thanks for the inspiration.
Thank you for a great post. What great poetry you've created!
Thank you for helping me go deeper into understanding poetry. Glad I dropped here today!
You're welcome. Hope you the inspiration leads you to great things.
Thanks, Kendra. Poetry is as diverse as fiction--there really is something for everyone in verse.