Story Seeds/Writing Tips #19 - Great Ideas from Unexpected Places

Continuing on my current blog theme of  1) a tiny, real-life seed from which one of my stories unfolded and 2) a writing tip that helped the seed grow into a finished story.

 The Seed:  It was a good-sized rope, as thick my thumb and much longer than I was tall.  "It's a climbing rope!" said one student.  "It's a skipping rope!" called another.  And then from the back of the room a voice called out something truly unexpected.  "It's a shoelace!"

(c) Ruth Ohi, 2013

The Story:  Two So Small Annick Press, 2000. Picture book. Illustrations by Ruth Ohi.

The Writing Tip:  As much as I wanted to laugh at the idea that my long rope might be a shoelace, I knew I couldn't. Laughter might hurt the student's feelings and that is something I never want to do.
       Luckily, my mind began to slip into story mode.  If my rope was a shoelace, then there had to be a very big shoe somewhere.  And if there was a very big shoe, then there had to be a giant.  And if there was a giant just around the corner, then we ALL had a problem. Stories are about problems!  This was a great idea!
  
Together the students and I began to look at "ordinary" objects around the classroom. 
     What might the metal waste basket be?
           The giant's drinking cup!
     What might the clock up on the wall be?
          His pocket watch!

Of course the entire story didn't all come together at that moment. It changed and grew over many weeks and months. It took on all kinds of twists and turns. But did it begin that day. And it began because I didn't laugh at a student's unexpected comment. 

Unexpected ideas are often the best ideas of all.





 (c) All Rights Reserved. All blog text(except comments by others) copyright Hazel Hutchins.

Story Seeds / Writing Tips #18 - The Nostalgia Trap and How to Avoid It

Continuing on my current blog theme of  1) a tiny, real-life seed from which one of my stories unfolded and 2) a writing tip that helped the seed grow into a finished story. 

(c) Ruth Ohi, 2013

The Seed: My dad was a hard working farmer who was always in a race against the ever changing weather.  But he still managed to stop his giant tractor and move a duck's nest to safety. 

The Book:  One Duck  (Annick Press, 1999. Picture book ages 4 - 7. Illustrations by Ruth Ohi)

The Writing Tip: My dad had been so delighted the day he'd told us about saving the nest.  But many years later, when I tried to turn that memory into a story, words of caution were triggered in my writer's brain -- NOSTALGIA WARNING.  Nostalgia will kill a story faster than anything I know.  

     It takes more than fond memories to build a story. When you write for kids, especially, all the best story elements need to be present.  Kids want to be engaged. They want to care about and identify with the characters. They want action and suspense and drama!

     It took me many attempts over several months to change this childhood memory into a strong picture-book manuscript. Here are my best three suggestions for avoiding nostalgia and letting the story shine through.

1.  Keep the adult perspective to an absolute minimum. In One Duck, it's not the farmer (or even a farm kid) who is the main character.  The duck is the hero.  Okay...it's an adult duck.  But kids identify and care about animals of all ages!   

   

2. Don't let information bury the narrative.  Information overload is an easy trap in cases like this.  "But I want kids to know what things were like!"beginning writers often protest when I try to get them to cut back on the details.

          But one MUST stay focused on the story.  There should be just enough detail to make the story clear and real.  But there shouldn't be more than that, especially in a picture book.

      And what to do with all that other information that doesn't fit?  Write another story of course!

3. Make sure the carefully chosen information that you DO include is ACCURATE.

     The things you remember from when you were a child, might not be as true as you think.  One has to be especially careful when nature is involved.  Besides reference books and the magic of the internet, ALWAYS try to find a real live expert.  In this case, my cousin Tom fit the bill perfectly. He double checked my duck facts, provided extra information and suggestions (including the raiding crow which heightened the suspense) and even caught mistakes in my description of farm equipment. Thanks Tom.

Here's hoping the above three tips help you turn at least one great memory into a great story! 

(c) All Rights Reserved. All blog text(except comments by others) copyright Hazel Hutchins.

Story Seeds / Writing Tips #15 - Different Wavelengths

The Seed: It seemed the most natural thing in the world to me - a child and his stuffed bear changing places. What child wouldn't want to see a favourite toy come alive for a day?  And as for the child temporarily changing places and becoming a toy - what a perfect way to experience the everyday world  from a different  point of view.

(c) Ruth Ohi 2013

The Story: Yancy and Bear  (illustrations by Ruth Ohi, Annick Press, 1996)
It's Raining, Yancy and Bear  (illustrations by Ruth Ohi, Annick Press, 1998)

The Writing Tip:  Sometimes writers become painfully aware that not everyone is on the same wave length as they might be.
     The book had only been out a few months when I happened to be speaking casually with two sales reps for the publishing company. They asked what my next book was about and I told them it was a sequel to Yancy and Bear.  That's when the look on their faces froze.  They didn't say anything further but clearly something was amiss.
     I got the explanation from the publisher.  The reps hadn't been able to sell the books. Book store owners/buyers (adults, every one of them of course!) had been completely mystified by the concept of a boy and his stuffed bear changing places. They just didn't "get it." The sequel would do even less well.
    What does a writer do in this kind of situation? I can tell you what I didn't do.  I didn't argue the merits of the book. I believed in the story ... I still do!  But I also believe that readers - children and adults - have every right to decide for themselves. And I  know that books, like children, have lives of their own.  You do the best you can while they are under your care but sooner or later you have to wish them well, watch them head out the door and see where they end up. 
       Happily, the book was being carried in libraries. Parents began to tell me that their two-year-old had discovered Yancy and Bear and insisted on having it read to them over and over.  Other parents shared stories of how their own small children had always pretended to change places with their stuffies.  And then, during school visits, students in grades one and two began telling me they'd read (and listened to!) Yancy and Bear on their class computers.
       This was early days for books in electronic format and it took me a bit of time to track down what the students were talking about.  But - yes! There it was in living colour, accessible through an internet site. It had been photographed in a manner that made full use of the delightful little vignettes with which Ruth Ohi had so lovingly illustrated the book and there was a feeling of gentle animation that went well with the nature of the story. Even today, it's alive and well and still being enjoyed through electronic format.
      The book had taken unexpected pathways but it had indeed made its own way in the world. Sometimes you just have to keep faith and enjoy what might come your way! 

       

(c) All Rights Reserved. All blog text(except comments by others) copyright Hazel Hutchins.

Story Seeds / Writing Tips #14 - To Steal or Not To Steal

The Seed: Several books about growing up on the prairies during the Great Depression had recently been published.  I began to think about the tales my own parents, aunts and uncles had told me about living on farms during those tough times.  Among the pieces of oral history, was there a story that I could offer to today's young audience?

(c) copyright ruth Ohi 2013

The Story:  Tess (Annick Press 1995, illustrations by Ruth Ohi, Picture Book ages 5 - 8)


The Writing Tip: The one bit of family history that most appealed to me was an anecdote about how my aunt and my dad had been sent into the fields to gather cow paddies (cow poop!) to be burned as fuel in the cook-stove during the summer months.  Dry cow paddies are free for the taking and they burn well - they are sometimes still used in less less developed parts of the world. But my aunt sensed that here in Canada the gathering was to be done secretly...not because it was bad, exactly, but because her parents were ashamed of how poor the family had become. When a neighbour happened upon her with her bag of dry cow paddies, and commented that he now understood why their house smelled so peculiar, my aunt was totally humiliated.  That sense of humiliation is what told me this story would work -- it was something today's kids would be able to associate with even while going "ewwww" at the idea of the cow paddies.
         Now my aunt, among many other accomplishments, is also a writer. She had already written about this incident for one of the farm newspapers. It had been a a short, factual article - not really what I was planning. But still, I couldn't steal her story --- I wouldn't steal anyone's story! And yet every time I sat down to write, I found my pen beginning to move in that direction.  The more I tried to forget the idea, the more it returned, stronger than ever.
       Finally I did the only reasonable thing. I phoned my aunt and asked if I could use her anecdote in my own way, turning it into a picture book for little kids.
       The answer was an unqualified "yes". And because I, too, grew up on the prairies -- some thirty years later but still surrounded by endless horizons beneath a huge and wonderful arch of sky --I was then totally free to add my own twists to the tale. The characters grew, a crises fell into place (entirely apart from my aunt's original tale) and the story began to have a life of its own.
         Is stealing a story always as simple as asking someone?  No - of course not! Nor is it as easy as simply being aware of  copyright considerations  (copyright itself is seldom simple!). But in cases where a story calls to you with a strong voice, my best tip is to follow it up in any and all ways possible.

           I will always owe a huge debt of gratitude to my wonderful Aunt Mag for the story Tess.  Besides gathering cow paddies, her life has included riding bucking broncs, driving army transport trucks in London during the Blitz (the WW II bombings), being one of Calgary's first police women and success as a writer in many different areas.
        Thanks Mag -- always!



(c) All Rights Reserved. All blog text(except comments by others) copyright Hazel Hutchins.


     

Story Seeds / Writing Tips #12 - Truth and Fiction

The Story Seed:  My young daughter had recently experienced two incidents that were rapidly letting her know more about the layers of the world: one in which she was unjustly accused of shoplifting and a second that had her thinking about a large fish at a pet store we'd visited.

(c) 2013 Ruth Ohi

The Books: Believing Sophie, illustrated by Dorothy Donohue (Albert Whiteman and Co. 1995)
      The Catfish Palace, illustrated by Ruth Ohi (Annick, 1996)
                   

The Writing Tip:  It was an editor who helped me learn what I needed to know in order to get these two stories to work. She had just picked up Believing Sophie from her desk. I could tell that the manuscript was about to be rejected and it made me sad to think that such an honest story idea wasn't going to make the cut.
     "That's something that really happened," I told her quickly. 
     Her brow furrowed thoughtfully as she looked at it one last time.
     "Perhaps that's what is wrong with it," she commented.
     And handed it back to me.

     The comment puzzled me but I respected my editor hugely (and still do!) and I knew that no comment was ever made lightly. Over the next months I thought about what she'd said.
     What I came up with is this. All my stories are based on "something that really happened" — that's what my current blog entries are all about!  But up to that time, the real life incidents had only been starting points. The stories themselves had been allowed to grow into entities all their own.
     The manuscript she had just rejected, however, had not been allowed to do that. Thinking it would be the best way to capture the sense of what my daughter had experienced, I'd stuck close to the facts. But facts are tricky things. If you let them rule your narrative, the immediacy and emotional connection that are so vital to the entire purpose of "story" can become lost.
     I took a deep breath and stepped back. A picture book story is different in style, language and technique from either a more journalistic piece or from a straight retelling. I needed to remember all the important story elements. Character. Pacing. The right voice. Beginning, middle, end. And a whole lot of other things!
     And I had to be careful that I wasn't a mother writing about a daughter. I had to be an author seeking the heart of a story and telling it well.
     The resulting stories -- while still very much holding the facts at their core -- were richer, stronger and more revealing on all levels. 
      A strong fictional story, no matter how dramatic the original incident, is never as simple as a retelling. It needs to have a life of its own.

    
     On a side note .... the publishing of The Catfish Palace was the first time I realized that the illustrator and the book designer are sometimes separate people.  Ruth Ohi did the wonderful illustrations. Sheryl Shapiro designed the layout, including notebook paper on the front cover and an envelope on the back, to perfectly complement the story within.
(c) All Rights Reserved. All blog text(except comments by others) copyright Hazel Hutchins.

Story Seeds / Writing Tips # 10 - Hurrah for an Idea Notebook!

For the next few months my blog is featuring writing tips gathered from my own experience of growing story seeds into published books. 

Story Seed: “I don't want to be the cat. I always have to be the cat. I hate being the cat!”

          I opened my idea notebook and there they were...three sentences of dialogue spoken at least four years earlier. It had become totally lost among the thousand other things that had happened.  But I was on the search for a story idea...and here it was.

(c) 2013 Ruth Ohi 

Book Title: And You Can Be The Cat (illustrations by Ruth Ohi, Annick 1992)

The Writing Tip: Keeping a notebook, journal or diary is a huge benefit to a writer -- we've all heard that one more than once!  A beginning writer, however, sometimes feels that she or he has to officially sit down and capture every nuance from a certain moment in time for it to count ...and that can lead to avoiding the task entirely.  
     So here's my trick.  I give myself permission NOT to write down every last detail. My goal is always "just get a few words down on paper."  I often do indeed write more but even a single line is better than letting a great idea (character, location, oddball thought or snippet of dialogue) slip away. 
     Here are some of the shorter bits and pieces that speckle my notebooks:
      - an unusual way of looking at a common-place event
      - a theme that particularily speaks to a child's view of the world
      - a bit of humour ... that lovely unexpected touch
      - strange and amazing facts
      - an idea that screams "story!" even though I have no idea as yet how to build it into something with a beginning, middle and end. 

    The original three lines of dialogue never did get written into the actual story itself. The pacing of the tale called for action not discussion at that point (another thing I'll talk about in future posts). But it all began with the immediacy of that moment -- and a tiny bit of its associated emotion -- being captured on paper. 

        Write those ideas down!





(c) All Rights Reserved. All blog text(except comments by others) copyright Hazel Hutchins.

Story Seed / Writing Tip #9 Zig Limple Plip Snurp

For the next few months my blog is featuring writing tips gathered from my own experience of growing story seeds into published books. 

(c) 2013 Ruth Ohi

The Story Seed: It was something a friend told me that sprouted this book idea. “My little guy talks non-stop except it's not really words, it's just sounds--- like a baby magpie. It's driving all three of us crazy.”

The Book: Katie's Babbling Brother (illustrations by Ruth Ohi, Annick 1992)

The Writing Tip:  

    Tip #1 : Sometimes you have to give up something very good in order to make your story even better.  Magpies are a medium-size bird, rather like a black and white crow.  Their babies really do chatter away in some language that sounds almost human and I LOVED the fact that my friend used them in her description. But right away I had a problem. Not everyone knows what a magpie is. 
         Would it work if I wrote it as babble instead?  "Bimble dee izzer? Gararumph iggle de snorkum zot! Sisbah yup yup.”  Hey! I really liked the babble!  And I soon discovered, while reading early drafts aloud to children, that they totally delighted in the babble language. This would work even better than I'd thought!      

   
Tip #2:  Look at the world through a child's eyes.  With the babble firmly in place, I began to write.  However it soon became clear that the story wasn't working.  The babbling was good but the family parts - especially the bits about Mom and Dad - were boring. What was wrong?

           Experienced writers will have guessed my error. Because I'd gleaned the story seed from an adult, I'd unconsciously adopted an adult point of view. I'd used Mom and Dad's frustration as the main focus for the plot. But a kid's story should NOT be about an adult problem.  It should be about a kid's problem! 
            I couldn't write from the baby brother's point of view - he didn't even have a problem.  He was perfectly happy just babbling away.
             That's when I realized the real problem in the story belonged to five-year-old  Katie. She had a little brother whose non-stop noise drove her crazy but, even more importantly, it stole all the attention away from Katie herself. Yes - that was where the story was to be found! 
              (Katie's unorthodox solution to her problem turned out to be a bit of a stumbling block to my wonderful publishers for a year or two... but that's a blog for another day.)
     



(c) All Rights Reserved. All blog text(except comments by others) copyright Hazel Hutchins. 
 

                     

Story Seed / Writing Tip # 6 - Have Fun with Language Itself

In celebration of the fun I've had writing for kids, every week my blog will be featuring 1) the tiny, real-life seed from which one of my stories unfolded and 2) a writing tip that helped the seed grow into a finished story. 

(c) 2013 Ruth Ohi  - Thanks Ruth!

The Story Seed: “Mom, what colour are my eye yolks?”

That question alerted me to the fact that my son was using words in an unusual manner. Over the next few weeks I heard him come up with the wonderfully descriptive (but hitherto uninvented) terms “loaves of hay”, “the beak of the car” and “I'll help you hatch the peas”. I was never quite able to fit those expressions into a story but when Norman first asked for “more” and Leanna explained the term he should use is “bigger”.... I knew the same playfulness of language was at work.

The Book: Norman's Snowball (Annick Press, 1989, illustrations Ruth Ohi, picture book, ages 4-7)

The Writing Tip:– If an idea doesn't work one way, turn it sideways and try a different twist. I made sure Norman embraced the joy of his new found mastery of that one word in the English language with all his energy.  It also allowed me to use another writing technique that is very effective when an author is working on a picture book manuscript - repetition.  The three together - energy, playfulness and repetition - make this book one of my favourite read-alouds when I do class visits.
                 This was also the first of my stories to be illustrated by the wonderful Ruth Ohi. I'll mention her more than once over the next postings.  For anyone who has met Ruth, enjoyed her presentations or read any of her titles (she writes her own stories as well as illustrating for other authors), you will know that the adjective "wonderful" is not an exaggeration.  I have been so lucky to have had her bring many of my characters to life!


  c All Rights Reserved. All blog text(except comments by others) copyright Hazel Hutchins.

Story Seed / Writing Tip # 4 - The Magic of a List

In celebration of the enjoyment I've had writing children's books, every week my blog will be featuring 1) the tiny, real-life seed from which one of my stories unfolded and 2) a writing tip that helped the seed grow into a finished story.

(c) Lisa Smith

The Seed: New snow had fallen and our family was packing up for a winter picnic. My two-year-old was rushing around like crazy. If there was this much excitement, there had to be a story! Even with my husband helping, however, it was too hectic to find my notebook and really write. Just before I headed out the door, I grabbed a scrap of paper and made a quick list of the last four things I'd put into the back packs...

The Book: Ben's Snow Song

The Writing Tip: If you can't do any other kind of writing...make a list! All afternoon that scrap of paper with it's four words, so patiently sitting on the counter at home, became a gathering spot for my thoughts. The magic of a list is that, even while it helps you focus, it almost begs for your thoughts to expand as well.  Soon all my senses were reaching for words and phrases.  The sound of the skis on the snow. The happy buzz of chickadees. Words repeated in my head to the rhythm of our movement through the trees.
                               Sunlight, shadow, sunlight, shadow.
                               Cold and quiet, 
                               world of snow.  
Have you ever noticed how a list becomes a poem?  
          When we stopped to build a fire, the crack of the wood being split, the smells of roasting hot dogs and the taste of gingerbread men all joined in. 

          No matter how well things seemed to be turning out in the list/poem department, however, I knew I must not forget the basics.  Every story needs a crises.  This is a gentle little story so the crises could be gentle as well - but it is there, complete with resolution.        

          

(c) Lisa Smith

 Lisa Smith did a perfect job of giving the illustrations the wintery freshness and the family warmth they needed. More of Lisa's lovely art can be seen on her home page lisa@lisasmithillustration.com

By the way, it's not just when I'm in a hurry that I use lists. I also use them  

• to overcome writer's block (a form of "free fall" )
• to internalize the age and interests of my young characters
• to broaden a story plot (lists help to both focus and expand)
• to try and pin down an illusive theme
• to come up with a stronger and more surprising ending
• to keep track of the problems I know exist in a manuscript but  haven't quite figured out how to fix yet 
• to plan what I'll work on during my next writing period so that when I do return to a story I'm off to a running start

Happy writing, making lists and enjoying the great outdoors in whatever way the season allows... until the next blog!  
  c All Rights Reserved. All blog text(except comments by others) copyright Hazel Hutchins.  

Story Seed / Writing Tip #3 - Save Your Rough Drafts!

Every week my blog will be featuring 1) the tiny, real-life seed from which one of my stories unfolded and 2) a writing tip that helped the seed grow into a finished book.  

The Seed:  "Help! Help!" I heard the cry and raced into the living room.  My four-year-old's foot was stuck in the pocket at the back of the sofa.  Was the child about to be swallowed whole?

The Book:  Leanna Builds a Genie Trap ( Annick Press 1986)

The Writing Tip: Remember last week when I talked about jumping right into the action? This moment of panic definitely filled the bill in that regard. But this time I was trying to write a picture book for younger kids and if I started in such a dramatic way the story would be too frightening. I didn't want to give little kids nightmares!
       I began wandering around the house, gathering up all the small things that get lost in a home with busy children.  They were friendly, familiar objects...a good place to start.  I added my mysterious blue tin box (it just felt like it belonged). But it wasn't until I came across my kids' favorite rope (used for forts, climbing, and traps!) that I knew I really had a story.  
       Those familiar objects became the start. The trapped foot became the crises. It was another lesson learned --  a story seed needs to be looked at from all directions in order to figure out where it might best be used.
        I also learned a valuable lesson about rough drafts. An editor asked me to rework the ending of the story. I wrote six possible last pages, chose the one I liked best and tossed the others away. The next morning before I mailed the envelope, however, I happened to pass the waste basket.  Looking down into the crumpled pieces of paper, I spotted an ending that I rather liked after all....
        Yes - the "discarded" ending is the one the editor liked the best. Save those rough drafts!

      p.s. The illustrations for the book were done by Catharine O'Neill.  I love them but I haven't been able to find her contact information to ask permission to use them here.  Catharine, if you are out there, please e-mail me so I can replace this photo with your cover art! 
     My photograph above makes me shake my head.  I try so hard to come up with good visual images but they always end up "uninspired".  I am SO grateful for the wonderful, amazing visual artists who illustrate my books!
      

  c All Rights Reserved. All blog text(except comments by others) copyright Hazel Hutchins. 

I'm Celebrating! - Story Seeds / Writing Tips

This is a cake from a wonderful librarian in Fort MacLeod many  years (and many books!) ago.  But it speaks to why I can't help celebrating.

I've been so lucky to be a children's author! So much fun writing the books (yes - those labour pains are the easiest things in the world to forget!)  So many, many great editors, publishers, illustrators, teachers, librarians, parents, grandparents, caregivers, writers, lovers of children's books and -- best of all -- so many great kids!  Of ALL ages. And in all the locations I've been privileged to be invited --- from inner city to outport, prairie grasslands to the far north.

In celebration of fifty titles (including four new ones this year!) for the next three months my Word Magic blog will have weekly postings featuring:
     1) the tiny, real-life seed from which one of my stories grew
     2) a writing tip that helped that idea become a finished story.

And yes - in one way it's a bit of navel-gazing.  My own private "Hazel retrospective".  But I also hope there will be something there for others  ----  for students, teachers, librarians, parents, writers and anyone who loves children's books. 

The entries will be short... just enough to remind us all of the wonderful "possibility" of story...the small seeds from which they might grow, the sometimes surprising ways in which they can be encouraged.

Feel free to spread the word to others who might be interested.  Drop by whenever you wish.  Or sign-in and "join" the blog to be automatically entered in a monthly draw for five Hazel Hutchins titles (March, April and May 2013).

The first post will be Wednesday March 6th - which by happy coincidence is World Read Aloud Day!  And I'll be posting once a week on  Wednesday for the next four months. 

Story Seeds / Writing Tips
At "Word Magic"  
(http://hazelhutchins.blogspot.ca/)

And, most of all, thank you .... everyone!