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Howdy, Campers! Betsy H. is hosting Poetry Friday today at I Think in Poems. Thank you, Betsy!
At the end of this post are:
1) the details of today's Book Giveaway of an autographed book by verse novelist Sonya Sones;
2) one of Sonya's deliciously enigmatic poems.
However, if you came here to meet Sonya and learn all about her newest YA novel, I'm sorry to say you'll be disappointed. Sonya just called--she had a dental appointment and couldn't be here today.
Exclusive photo of Sonya Sones and her dentist.
I lied. Sonya doesn't need to see the dentist--her teeth are gleaming! Say hello to my long-time friend, critique buddy, fab author and poet, Sonya Sones:
Sonya has graciously agreed to reveal the very first
poem in herbook that isn't even out yet and YOU, Campers, will be among the very first readers of this poem! Her newest book, To Be Perfectly Honest (A Novel Based on an Untrue Story)(Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers), comes out on August 27 and is full of lies.
Sonya is an original in the best sense of the word. She and I met in poet Myra Cohn Livingston's Master Class. When Myra died, her students hosted classes at our homes, teaching each other the fine points of poetry.
When it was Sonya's turn to host, she surprised us by hiring a drummer who gave each of us a drum and taught us different rhythms for an hour! An unforgettable way to instruct and inspire.
She continues to inspire me, always thinking of new ways of telling a story. I'll never forget the day Sonya said she'd decided to write a novel in verse with an unreliable narrator. I was lucky to witness the unfolding of what became To Be Perfectly Honest (A Novel Based on an Untrue Story).
Here's a bit of whatSchool Library Journal says about this book: "Sones captures the ache of first love. Readers may find themselves laughing, crying, and wanting to believe the unreliable, well-developed narrator. Excerpts may make for a stepping stone to William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. Like Shakespeare’s play, this title lends itself to discussion about healthy relationships, setting limits, defining oneself, and evaluating what is real. Fast paced and great for reluctant readers.”
Sonya! Welcome to TeachingAuthors' humble abode! How did you officially become a TeachingAuthor?
I officially became a teaching author the day I volunteered to teach a poetry writing workshop to my son’s fourth grade class. I gave each student a donut and told them they couldn’t eat it until they gave me a simile to describe it. The rest is history.
Besides bringing donuts, what's one piece of advice you have for teachers?
Make poetry fun! Don’t only expose your students to classic poetry. I teach workshops to middle-schoolers and high-schoolers, and I find that they respond with more enthusiasm to current poetry. There’s a very funny poem by Billy Collins called “Introduction to Poetry,” about tying a poem to a chair and trying to beat a confession out of it, that might be a good place to start. There’s another one called “Pearl” by Dorianne Laux, which is a fabulous portrait of Janice Joplin. Try reading that poem to them and challenging them to write a poem about their own favorite musician. And there’s a great very short love poem by Eve Merriam called “New Love.”
Don’t force students to memorize and analyze. If you choose the right poems, your students will feel the words washing over them like a cool ocean breeze on a broiling hot day. Your goal should be to teach them how to love poetry, not how to “understand” it.
Whoops. Was that more than one piece of advice?
Sonya crossing her eyes with the Book Café Club at La Salle Academy in Providence, RI
Who's counting? Please tell us the Cinderella story of how you sold your first book.
I didn’t sell my first book. Or my second book. Or my third. That was when I decided to enroll in a poetry class at UCLA extension taught by the brilliant Myra Cohn Livingston. She set me on the path to writing Stop Pretending. I finished it just before the annual SCBWI conference in Century City and brought my manuscript with me. There, I attended a presentation by a very young agent (he was only 24 years old!) named Steven Malk who gave a speech about why you should have an agent if you wrote or illustrated for kids. Then halfway through the speech, he switched over to talking about why that agent should be him. He was so persuasive that after his talk 75 authors ran up to him to ask for his business card. But I hung back, not wanting to crowd him.
Later that day, however, I found myself in the lobby, and there he was, standing all by himself. Even so, a friend had to convince me to go up and talk to him. But I finally did and I said, “I wrote a book about what happened when my big sister was sent to a mental hospital, it’s written in verse, it’s sort of edgy, and I was wondering if I could send it to you.” He said, “Okay.” And that was it. A twenty second conversation. I mailed it to him on Wednesday. He called me on Friday to tell me how much he liked it. And by the following Wednesday he had a bidding war going. That week remains one of the most astonishing and exhilarating times of my entire life.
I love that story. And now I've learned that To Be Perfectly Honest (A Novel Based on an Untrue Story) is also available as an audiobook in CDs and MP3, narrated by Kate Rudd, who also narrated John Greene's The Fault in Our Stars.
I want your life!
What's on the horizon for you?
A lot of traveling! Simon and Schuster is sending me on a book tour:Chicago, D.C., Miami, San Francisco, Menlo Park, Pasadena, Ontario, Raleigh and Phoenix. Then, in October, I’ll be going to Hong Kong where I’ve been invited by Hong Kong Baptist University to participate in an International Writer’s Workshop for a month. I’ve never been to that part of the world, and I’m very much looking forward to this grand adventure. And wherever I go, I will be scanning the horizon for stories…
Oh my gosh! I'm exhausted justreading your itinerary! I know you'll meet interesting folks on the way!
Newsflash: Sonya's own three-book box set of trade paperbacks, The Sonya Sones Collection, will be released the same day To Be Perfectly Honest (A Novel Based on an Untrue Story) comes out. Sonya's comment: "Wow...a new boxed set...now Calvin Klein and I both have collections."
Thank you for offering our readers a chance to win a copy of your new book (details below) and thanks for stopping by, Sonya! And now, for the Book Giveaway details:
To enter for a chance to win an autographed copy of To Be Perfectly Honest (A Novel Based on an Untrue Story) log into Rafflecopter below (via either Facebook or an email address). You'll see that we've provided three different options for entering the giveaway--you can pick one or up to all three.
The more options you choose, the greater your chances of winning. While
we haven't made it a requirement, we hope that everyone will pick the
first option--subscribing to the TeachingAuthors blog. If you're already a TeachingAuthors subscriber, you still need to click on that button and tell us how you follow our blog, which will give you THREE entries in the giveaway! (If you received this post via email, you can click on the Rafflecopter link at the end of this message to enter.)
As it says in the "Terms and Conditions," this giveaway is open to U.S. residents only.
You must be 18 or older to enter. And please note: email addresses will
only be used to contact winners. The giveaway will run from now through August 29, 2013.
If you have any questions about the giveaway, feel free to email us at teachingauthors [at] gmail [dot] com.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
merrily posted by April Halprin Wayland and her dog, Eli...who wish you a Happy New Year and shyly remind you about April's award-winning book, New Year at the Pier--a Rosh Hashanah Story
19 Comments on Unreliable Narrator: Verse Novelist Sonya Sones is Lying! Autographed Book Giveaway AND Poetry Friday!, last added: 9/3/2013
Oh I read Sonya's Stop Pretending before I went to Highlights Foundation. Loved it. Will need to get her new book. Oh, that you were in that Master Class....I would have loved it.Thanks for a great interview.
Love verse novels, and excited to hear about this new one and the older ones. Great interview & so wonderful you both worked with Myra Cohn Livingston. I love her book!
Such a fun post, what great stories you have. Thanks for that and for the giveaway too. I'd like to win the book for myself, I'm intrigued to read a full-length piece from Sonya. Thanks again.
Hi there April, what a fabulous interview. I love novels in verse, but haven't read any of Sonya's works yet. Will try to find her books here in Singapore. :) I hope she enjoys Hong Kong! :)
I have been working on a verse novel and find this post so encouraging. Can I meet you, Sonya? While I am entering the giveaway and crossing my fingers, I will also put your books on my wish list.
This fantastic interview reminds me of when I heard Sonya speak -- her radiant creativity and generosity shine through. So much to ponder from this one post. I love her books, though they often squeeze my heart a bit harder than the humor would lead me to anticipate! Thanks, April!
Thank you for this terrific post with Sonya Sones-- love everything I've ever read of hers, and this poem is certainly no exception! Also really liked her advice to teachers.
Dear April and all the lovely folks who posted comments here,
I didn't see these until just now. WOW! What lovely and kind remarks...
If April ever asks if she can interview you: say YES!
April, you are an interviewing wizardess. I love all the little touches you added - the links to the poems I mentioned, the funny dentist lie, and the donut pictures.
Ellen Hopkins, author of Young Adult novels in poems Fallout, Tricks, Identical, Glass, Impulse, Burned, and Crank, uses interesting alignment in her poems. They are often layered, allowing the poem to say more than one thing, as if she were writing two poems at once.
An example of this is the poem, I had to Explain, in her book Crank. On the left side of this poem are stanzas; on the right side are a words pulled from each stanza to make a parallel poem. The words down the right side are:
kiss
first kiss
best kiss
that kiss
kiss so tender
kiss me again
fused by kisses
Writing Workout ~ Writing an End of School Year Poem
I've wanted to play with this form for some time. So let's write a poem about the end of the school year!
I don't know how Ellen Hopkins approaches her poems, but here’s what I did: xx 1) I flipped through my school year calendar, thinking about what happened each month. Then I jotted down five events that brought up strong emotions. xx 2) I chose one of the memories. xx 3) I constructed a simple sentence (for the right side) that conveys some of what I wanted to say. xx 4) I wove the words of this short sentence into the stanzas on the left side. xx Here's a list of some of my memories from this past school year: xx 1) The pre-launch very first-in-the-entire-world reading of New Year at the Pier on the beach at sunset—I was scared, it was cold and there weren’t very many people at the event (Can you blame them? It was freezing!) See photo above. xx 2) Casting the three young actors for the launch of my book New Year at the Pier (See a photo of them on the left side of my calen
7 Comments on Writing an End of the School Year Poem, last added: 5/23/2010
I've long wanted to play with poems within poems like Ellen Hopkins does (and Helen Frost, too). This so cool! Thanks for sharing your process, April. I really enjoyed your poem and the slightly forlorn feel to it.
Thank you, April, for another great writing activity! I'm going to try it with my seventh graders the week after Memorial Day (We have 3 more weeks of school and a bunch of timed writings, reading tests, etc. yet to do. We'll be ready for something meaningful and fun by then!). I can't wait to see what they come up with!
Here in the United States, the school year is drawing to a close. Around this time last year, we received an Ask the TeachingAuthors question about end-of-the-school-year writing activities. Unfortunately, we weren't able to address the question in time. To make up for that, we'll be providing a series of end-of-the-year Writing Workouts this week and next. If you're a teacher, you'll find the first below.
If you're a writer, this may be the time to look ahead and think about how summer will affect your writing schedule. Summer is a very productive time for some writers. Many of my adult students are teachers and librarians who look forward to summer vacation as a time to catch up on their writing.
Not for me. Maintaining my writing routine during the summer months is often a challenge. When my son was young, the challenge was not to let my writing interfere with his summer activities, and vice versa. Now that he's grown up, that's no longer an issue. But teaching has become one of my summer activities. I teach several week-long writing camps for young writers, along with adult classes. I love teaching, and I'm always revising and fine-tuning my camps to keep them fresh and fun for my young students. That takes creative energy, as well as time. I'm not complaining. It's just something I need to allow for when I set my summer writing goals.
I'd love to know how other writers deal with this seasonal transition. Will the end of the school year affect your writing schedule? Does taking a vacation refresh you as a writer or do you feel you've lost your momentum and have to start over? Do you have any tips on staying creative during the lazy, hazy days of summer? Please share your ideas via our comments.
And don't forget: today is the last day to enter our giveaway drawing for an autographed copy of April Pulley Sayre's picture book Turtle, Turtle, Watch Out! See JoAnn's last post for details.
Blogosphere buzz:
How much can you read in 48 hours? Why not sign up for the MotherReader: Fifth Annual 48 Hour Book Challenge and find out. It's a great way to kick off the summer reading season, and maybe even win a prize! I'm hoping to participate for the first time this year myself.
Both of my kids are home. Neither is good at amusing themselves for more than 15 minutes. I have almost no time to write, which is why I'm pushing myself to finish the 1st draft of my WIP before school is out. :-)
My one and only just graduated and will be staying in his "college town", so this summer will be different for me. Interestingly, I'm setting aside my current w-i-p for the summer, and will focus on several shorter writing projects...and probably take a little more time to read in the beautiful outdoors.
I am embarrassed to say that I have just as much time (a lot) to write in the summer as any other time of year -- and I still produce far fewer manuscripts than I could or *should*. I'm way too relaxed about it!
I'm with you, Carmela, in the group of writers who struggle to fit writing into a busy summer filled with family activities, teaching, and the urge to spend as much time outside as possible. To cope with multiple distractions, I try to carry a notebook & pen wherever I go & keep track of every idea that hops or flutters by!
JoAnn, I like your notebook & pen idea. Sometimes we need to fill the well. Scotti and Carol, I think a break, or at least a change, can be a good idea. So don't "should" yourself too much, Scotti. Michelle, good for you for pushing yourself to finish. That manuscript can cool while you enjoy your kids and your summer. Thanks, everyone, for taking time to comment.
Hooray--it’s Poetry Friday! Today’s poem and lesson plan are at the end of this post.
I’ve always felt that that if nothing else, I’m good at being a portal.A conduit between what someone wants and how they can get it.That's what has given me the to courage to teach Writing Picture Books for Children through UCLA Extension’s Writer’s Program for over a decade.This class is for newbie children’s book writers--not for those who have read a lot, taken classes, submitted stories, or joined organizations.
To these toe-in-the-water beginners I assign two books. The first is
This is a comprehensive, down-to-earth guide—worth reading cover-to-cover and easy to dip into as a reference. It presents a broad overview of the field but also gives specifics. As with all Idiot Guides, it's easy to browse and packed with extras like "Vocabulary Lists," which explain terms in the children's publishing industry; "Class Rules," which detail warnings and cautions; "Can You Keep a Secret?" which include tips and resources to help a children's writer or illustrator present him or herself as a pro; and my favorite, "Playground Stories," which are anecdotes from and profiles of children's authors and publishers, giving an insiders view of the children's publishing world.
Teaching AuthorsJeanne Marie and Mary Ann have both talked about Bird by Bird...and I’m going to talk about again.Because yes, it’s that good.
My favorite chapter is the one on jealousy, which changed my life. I read it at least once a year to quell my burning heart.
Though I happily celebrate most friends' successes, some colleagues' successes cause me great agony and confusion. Several years ago, someone gently suggested that perhaps I shouldn't read the book review section right before I went to sleep. She was right. When I'd see certain names, I'd toss and turn all night, feeling like I'd lost a race I didn't even know I was in.
I am a mean and tiny person with tight fists and a black heart.
This is really embarrassing to admit.
I've been more loving to myself about this in the last few years, and Anne Lamott's BIrd by Bird is a big reason why. She writes: “But if you continue to write, you are probably going to have to deal with [jealousy], because some wonderful dazzling successes are going to happen for some of the most awful, angry undeserving writers you know—people who are, in other words, not you."
and later,
"It can wreak just the tiniest bit of havoc with your self-esteem to find that you are hoping for small bad things to happen to this friend--for, say, her head to blow up."
Who, me?
She writes about seeing a documentary on AIDS:
"You could see the amazing fortitude of people going through horror with grace...seeing that this is what you've got, this disease, or maybe even this jealousy. So you do as well as you can with it. And this ravaged body or wounded psyche...should...be cared for as softly and tenderly as possble."
Lamott has shown me that yes, I have this tendency to be jealous, yes, I have this green spot on my heart…and though I try each year to make it smaller, I may have to live with that little green spot, be amused by that part of me and love myself anyway.
I’m human.What a surprise.
Writing Workout / Lesson Plan— Metaphor—Getting a Handle on a Really Uncomfortable Feeling
For ages 7 through adult (or younger, with individual help.) Objective: This lesson reminds us how writing can help us when we feel awful.(And if the feeling doesn’t go away, at least we’ve got a poem out of it!) Instructions:
1. Think of someone or something that fills you with envy (or another awful feeling).
2. Close your eyes. Take a deep breath.
3. Feel this feeling in your stomach, in your bloodstream, filling every bone in your body.
4. Or instead, think about what helps drive this emotion from your body. Feel the relief as itleaves through the top of your head, through your finger tips, through the bottoms of your feet.
5. Brainstorm at least five metaphors for jealousy or for what makes jealousy go away.Are you a leaf and is your jealousy a worm chewing on you? Is your jealousy a ring in the bathtub being scrubbed clean with Ajax cleanser?
6. Write a poem using one of your metaphors.
7. Write honestly—even if it embarrasses you.
ANYTHING I CAN DO YOU CAN DO BETTER
or
CAN OF WORMS
by April Halprin Wayland
Varda once told us
that we were all cans on a shelf.
Cans of chili, kidney beans, split pea soup.
I decided that I was a can of apricot halves.
She said that the shelf was only one can deep
but that it stretched out forever
so there’s always room
for one more.
“You don’t have to be afraid that adding another can means there isn’t enough room for you,”she said.
Lamott's idea that writing is like driving with the headlights on(you only can see ten feet ahead, but you can arrive at your destination) has gotten me through many a firt draft.
Thank you for posting honestly about jealousy. There is always room for one more - sometimes you just want it to be yours! Just love you for that generosity.
Happy Poetry Friday! Today's poem and a Writing Workout/Lesson Plan on writing a holiday story are at the bottom of this post.There’s always so much to do to launch a book. So much more than I’ll ever do. I have a file called “PR opportunities” which exhausts me just to scroll through. Nap time!Luckily, NEW YEAR AT THE PIER--A Rosh
5 Comments on Open Heart Surgery—Writing a Holiday Story, last added: 8/1/2009
As always, I love your writing, April-- the narrative about your process, the sweet cartoons, and your perfect poem. And of course you know I love NEW YEAR AT THE PIER so much and wish you mazeltov and many years in print! <br />Sylvia
So glad for all your comments--they fuel me! I'm really, really happy to have found a way to draw again...I've missed doodling all these computer years.<br />xxx,<br />a
[Note to teachers: while this post is aimed at adults trying to write commercially publishable picture books, the Writing Workout at the end can also be used with young writers creating there own illustrated stories.]My childhood was similar to Jeanne Marie's in that no one read picture books to me. But when I started reading them to my son (more years ago than I care to admit), I fell in love
5 Comments on “A Successful Picture Book is a Visual Poem”, last added: 7/30/2009
Great article, Marti! Insightful and useful for all writers. Thank you for including links to the resources you mentioned. Have you seen the previews of the movie version of "Where the Wild Things Are"? I hope the visually poetry of Sendak's story remains intact...
Another concept I have found useful as I consider writing a picture book manuscript is to think of a film -- with each page turn as a scene. <br />Thanks for all the links in this page. It is a good exercise for writers (new and experienced).
Hi Everyone,<br />No, I haven't seen the previews for the film version of <i>Where the Wild Things Are</i>. I believe there's a play of it, too, though I've never seen that either.<br /><br />And yes, Sarah, thinking of a picture book as a film with scenes can also be helpful. Of course, I often think of my novels that way, too.<br /><br />Thanks for the comments, Ladies.
Oh, if only Ann Whitford Paul’s hands-on, right-on and thus write-on guide Writing Picture Books had been available when I first began writing.[Note: the President at that time bore the initials J.C.]Alas, Writing for Children wasn’t in vogue then.The singular format (and art form) “picture book” was often labeled “picture storybook.”The IBM Selectric typewriter reigned supreme, unaware the word
5 Comments on Making What's So Hard about Writing Picture Books Less Hard, last added: 7/30/2009
Fabulous writing tip! I'll see how my fourth graders do with name poems when they're writing fiction (or even nonfiction, come to think of it) this coming year!
Name poems work with both fiction - and - non-fiction.<br />I make all my students - no matter their ages (!) - complete this exercise to nail their characters, plural.<br />Oh, were this blog available when I began writing picture books.<br />My journey to publication would have been considerably shorter.<br />So glad it's reaching (and teaching)authors.
Esther,<br />As a fellow IL writer/teacher, Thank YOU! for this post. I'm putting together a lesson plan for creating characters and will def. use your character name poem exercise!<br />: )<br />Mary Jo Campbell
Both Howie and I thank you, Mary Jo.<br />I came upon name poems as a way into character while sitting in a fourth grade classroom at Frances Parker School in Chicago, researching fourth graders so I could tell (and nail) Howie's story.<br />So far the Name Poem Strategy has never failed me.<br />Esther Hershenhorn
Happy Poetry Friday! Today’s poem and a lesson plan on writing an envelope poem are at the bottom of this post.Don’t you hate it when somebody says that?I wrote thirty-six drafts of my newest picture book, NEW YEAR AT THE PIER—A Rosh Hashanah Story, before my editor said, “Yes! That’s it!”Thirty-six drafts. Oy. I’ll tell you about it sometime…So why do I keep writing picture books if I can't
6 Comments on “HECK! I CAN WRITE A PICTURE BOOK ON MY COFFEE BREAK!”, last added: 7/18/2009
April,<br /><br />Great inspiration with a side dish of reality. Love it. <br /><br />Gotta go write my envelope poem...<br /><br />Hugs,<br />Barbara B
Thanks for a new "form" to try with my fourth grade writers!
Stephenie said, on 7/18/2009 12:30:00 PM
Great post! Loved the title, so I HAD to read it. <br /><br />I get that writer's high, too. It is a fabulous feeling. I guess it's like a runner's high, but my body is designed more for writing than running, so I'll probably never know.<br /><br />Thanks for the fun, supportive, inspiring post.
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Dear April - such exuberance! Thank you. And thanks to Sonya. Very excited about her new book. xo
What a FABULOUS post, April! And thank you, Sonya, for this terrific interview and poem. I can hardly wait to read your new book!
Dear Irene and Carmela ~ Thank you! If it's a fabulous post it's because Sonya is great material!
Love the little details about donut similes and drummers teaching rhythms!
Wonderful and informative interview! Loved getting to know more about Sonya!
Oh I read Sonya's Stop Pretending before I went to Highlights Foundation. Loved it. Will need to get her new book. Oh, that you were in that Master Class....I would have loved it.Thanks for a great interview.
Wonderful interview, April and Sonya! Makes me want to be in that living room listening to drums, and to read Sonya's new book.
Awesome interview!! I did an intensive with Sonya last year at the SCBWI LA conference and it was amazing! She's one of a kind - that's for sure!
Love verse novels, and excited to hear about this new one and the older ones. Great interview & so wonderful you both worked with Myra Cohn Livingston. I love her book!
Such a fun post, what great stories you have. Thanks for that and for the giveaway too. I'd like to win the book for myself, I'm intrigued to read a full-length piece from Sonya. Thanks again.
Gang ~ I'm so glad you enjoyed reading about Sonya and those drummers and more!
Hi there April, what a fabulous interview. I love novels in verse, but haven't read any of Sonya's works yet. Will try to find her books here in Singapore. :) I hope she enjoys Hong Kong! :)
I have been working on a verse novel and find this post so encouraging. Can I meet you, Sonya? While I am entering the giveaway and crossing my fingers, I will also put your books on my wish list.
This fantastic interview reminds me of when I heard Sonya speak -- her radiant creativity and generosity shine through. So much to ponder from this one post. I love her books, though they often squeeze my heart a bit harder than the humor would lead me to anticipate! Thanks, April!
Love this interview and love that there is a Sonya Sones book give-away! Thank you!
Really enjoyed reading about Sonya and her upcoming book. Love, love, love the donut activity, too! Thanks!
Thank you for this terrific post with Sonya Sones-- love everything I've ever read of hers, and this poem is certainly no exception! Also really liked her advice to teachers.
Dear April and all the lovely folks who posted comments here,
I didn't see these until just now.
WOW! What lovely and kind remarks...
If April ever asks if she can interview you: say YES!
April, you are an interviewing wizardess. I love all the little touches you added - the links to the poems I mentioned, the funny dentist lie, and the donut pictures.
Thanks sooo much for having me!
xx,
Sonya
P.S.
I'm going on a book tour for TO BE PERFECLTY HONEST. Please stop by and say hello.
Here's where I'll be:
http://www.sonyasones.com/wp/events/