Puzzle Revelations for Summer Writing

Nothing beats these hot, southern, carefree days of summer, my best days for writing in between sippy cups, Nick Jr., laundry, and exercise. Nothing to complain about here. While I'm not much of a schedule-follower, I keep my writing tools (laptop mostly), notebooks, improving-the-craft books, and Youtube close by.  When Toot and Puddle ends, I get to work. When my littlest one isn't putting on her own talent show on the ottoman, I get to work. After 25 jumping jacks, you get it.

This morning's agenda included a Disney Princess puzzle with my three-year-old, not the baby kind, either, but rather a 300-piece, you-have-to-concentrate-and-think-a-little kind, and I realize this is unproductive to my story I should be working on, but priceless to my child. Even though I enjoy her and puzzles, there's so much on my conveyor belt just waiting to fall in the next box to be sent along to the next thing, and hopefully eventually to packaging.

But, as I'm teaching my little one a good strategy for puzzle-doing, putting the borders together first, and sorting colors and like-designs into flat piles where they will go in the puzzle,  I can't help but think of it in light of writing a good book.

I see my outline with the borders put together, a bit more than an empty shell. I kind of know where things should go in the puzzle, but needs more to get a good picture of what it will look like (without using the cheat-cover). The puzzle holds with the edges locked. I have an idea of what it may look like, but there's no sustenance. Our strategy,  fill a corner at a time while putting bits and pieces together here and there, filling in and celebrating at each fourth.

"We're almost done," Taylor says.

Yes, we still have two-fourths and a few holes here and there.

My eyes go a little crossed after a while as these are small pieces to allow for the 8-puzzles-in-a-box packaging. I step away for a breather and more jumping jacks.

Then, it's back to the beast and we finish, take a picture, and everyone (the two of us) is proud and happy.

I don't want anything short of a complete and beautiful puzzle (and wouldn't be the same without sharing with a child).

Writing Revelations - Character Development Drives Plot

Revelation: The more developed your characters are, the more defined your plot becomes.

A great tip an editor recently gave regarding my middle grade novel had to do with character development. The point stressed came down to knowing my characters inside and out, favorite colors, hobbies, food, as well as dislikes, fears, and pet peeves. You must be able to justify every word.

Instead of outlining an ideal plot and then plugging (forcing) your characters in, begin with your subject and as you get to know him or her, his goals and fears will naturally develop without too much predetermined plot on your part. The characters will drive the plot.

I tried this with Devin from my middle grade novel Devin and His Shape-Shifting Sister, and sure enough, there were small gaps here and there I didn't catch without literally interviewing him. Once I sat down and got more into his mind, my plot pieces starting coming together creating a much more tightly fit story. The most fun revision for me is when I know exactly what I want and what needs nixing. 

Try it! Have fun creating and getting to know your characters without straining too much by forcing plots. Let your characters set the course.

Metacogwriting

Metacognition is thinking about thinking; the ability effective teachers instill in their students.

Metacogwriting is thinking about writing; a made up term by a teacher struggling to prepare for the downhill slope of the school year, yet also in pursuit of becoming a better writer. Anyone who has taught, knows this job doesn't leave your mind, especially at the beginning of second semester in the loom of the tests approaching, or even on holiday break, cooking for your family, cleaning up after them, shopping for groceries on the weekend, you get it. Your students, lessons, ideas, the curriculum, state assessments, are all there lurking in the back of your mind. Then, when you finally sit to write, not because you've worked it into your schedule, but because you need to get away and writing feels oh-so-good, those thoughts drift out of your toolbox like different colored floating feathers, waiting for you to reach out and grab one.

Maybe my answers on how to be a better writer in the midst of chaos are found in changing the way I see my hectic life, morphing that old way of thinking into an appreciation that it is... and therefore has given me the feathers I need to write a good story.

For those of us 'writing on the side' of whatever full-time career or responsibility we have, in pursuit of publishing to the masses, it's a struggle, at least for me, to divide my thoughts among my job, being a mother and wife, and trying to be a serious writer, let alone a new one, trying to learn all that I can about 'writing for real' in the shortest amount of time possible because of that expanding urge to get my destined story 'out,' pay more bills, and use my passion and talent in the best way profitable to myself and family (in all honesty), and that's just scratching the surface, all the while trying to be the best teacher I can, again, separating the two, or three, or four... (this paragraph should symbolize the way I see my life, all one paragraph, chaotic, but hopefully controlled chaos. smiley face)
   
Though, I know all my career moves and personal paths have led to this moment. Instead of trying to separate myself from this, this, and then this, I just need to embrace that I am all these things and allow them to overflow. No more juggling, but painting. I will mix this color with this and see what I get; exactly how my latest middle grade novel came to be, as well as my picture book Bonnie's Box, all from mixing the colors of my life. I was that quirky girl talking to myself in the box. I've seen many Devins who see the world in a different way than I do, and you don't want Mommy Monster to surface, a book I'm afraid to write, but really want to! All, not just from my creativity, but inspired by the hectic paths that have led me to this moment. If we speed through life and divide our thoughts, how will the paintings ever come to be...

Devin and His Shape-Shifting Sister Book Comparisons

To get a taste of Devin and His Shape-Shifting Sister, read the book comparisons below.

1. Alvin Ho by LeUyen Pham

2008  Publisher: Schwartz & Wade books an imprint of Random House Children’s Books

• Fear
• Self-Help/Personal Growth/Self-esteem
• Friendship
• Emotions/feelings
• Social issues
• Psychology/Emotions

Similarities:

Dealing with fear and its effect on decision-making (in school, esp.); violence (a punching); bullying; quirky behaviors; humorous; voices-funny; loves super heroes

Differences: Devin doesn’t have an issue speaking in school, but his fear is more of paranoia; verbal strength

2. Shredderman: Secret Identity (series) by Wendelin Van Draanen

2004 Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf

• Bullies/Juvenile Fiction
• Comics/Superheroes
• Teasing
• Humorous stories
• Social issues

Similarities:

Nolan – math genius, yet can’t keep shoes tied (has huge gap between intelligence and organization/physical abilities)

Differences:

Nolan is called ‘nerd’ whereas Devin is called ‘weird’

3. Big Nate Series by Lincoln Peirce

2010 Publisher: HarperCollins Children’s Books, a division of HarperCollins Publishers

• Behavior
• Juvenile fiction/humorous stories
• Social issues-friendship

Similarities:

Both characters have a problem with organization, detention; have a goal of ‘surpassing all others’ (though Dev’s is really his sister); humorous; same audience; Nate calls himself ‘awesome’, Dev compares himself to geniuses ‘Michelangelo,’ ‘Divinci.’

Differences:

Nate is not sibling-targeted; Dev not written as a comic (but he’s a great comic-writer); Devin has superior verbal abilities; Nate not disability- related

4. Rules by Cynthia Lord

2006  Publisher: Scholastic Press, an imprint of Scholastic Inc.

• Autism
• Brothers and sisters
• Social issues-special needs

Similarities:

You can compare this book to Callie’s perspective living w/Devin (constant embarrassment)

Differences:

From a different perspective; not seen through the eyes of the autistic child

5. Troublemaker by Andrew Clements

2011  Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division

• School issues – friendship
• Behavior
• Family-siblings

Similarities:

Office visits; getting in trouble

Differences:

Poor choice making not so much disability-related

6. Captain Nobody by Dean Pitchford

2009  Publisher: G. P. Putnam’s Sons, a division of Penguin Young Readers Group

• Family/siblings
• Halloween
• Social issues – self-esteem & self-reliance
• Juvenile fiction/comics & graphic novels

Similarities:

In the shadow of older sibling; Halloween reference; Comic book interest

Differences:

Not disability-related; Devin not interested in being a hero, just wants to “win” over sister

7. Roscoe Riley Rules (series) by Katherine Applegate

#1 Never Glue Your Friends to Chairs 2008  Publisher: Harper Trophy, registered trademark of HarperCollins Publishers

• Bullies
• Humorous stories
• Juvenile fiction/school & education

Similarities:

Convinces himself bully stole toy (like Devin convinces himself sister is a shape-shifter)

Differences:

Target is different – bully vs. sister; not disability-related

8. Justin Case by Rachel Vail

2010  Publisher: A Feiwel and Friends Book, an imprint of Macmillan

• Social issues – emotions & feelings
• Worry
• Humorous stories

Similarities:

Boy growing up, becoming a bit braver (more enlightened); soccer references; a worrier

Differences:

Devin is not writing journal entries to reader, but recalls of his entries into his ‘Book of Mysterious Events’ while the events took place

9. Journal of a Schoolyard Bully – Notes on Noogies, Wet Willies, and Wedgies  by Farley Katz  2011  Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin

• Humorous Stories
• Bullies
• Juvenile Fiction/Comics & Graphic Novels

Similarities:

Bullying is an issue within story

Differences:

He’s not the bully, so much, but rather is a target due to by-product of his behavior (as well as dealing with those common bullies in school); not disability-related

10. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon

2003  Publisher: Vintage Books, a division of Random House, Inc., New York

• Autism
• Social issues

Similarities:

The autism or way of thinking greatly affects choices of character; neither book explicitly says ‘autism’; inner workings of autistic mind; written from point of view of character w/all their quirks and still make them lovable

Differences:

Dev is for younger audience; Dev has lighter tone; The Curious… does label with ‘Asperger’s syndrome’ (which is the same thing…); targets are different (sister and dog)

11. Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney

2007  Publisher: Amulet Books, an imprint of ABRAMS

• Family life
• Humorous stories/juvenile fiction
• Comics & graphic novels

Similarities:

Some mean humor (Devin has a sarcastic-negative tone toward others); lack of physical skills (clumsiness)

Differences:

Not disability-related; Devin’s outlook is altered by his way of thinking;

Through The Wardrobe: Galaxy Games: Greg Fishbone on Books for Boys

Through The Wardrobe: Galaxy Games: Greg Fishbone on Books for Boys: Greg Fishbone has written a fun, funny middle grade - Galaxy Games - that will appeal to young teen boys, especially boys who are...

I Dub Thee, Pitchapalooza Winner

     Winning this year's Pitchapalooza as part of The Texas Book Festival was a monumental moment. Sitting in the crowd in the Capitol auditorium, I enjoyed hearing the other pitchers and each piece of helpful advice the Book Doctors David Sterry and Arielle Ecstat and the other panelists had to offer, and ecstatic at the words, "You, in the green tie-dye-ish shirt." Although not tie-dye, it was bright and colorful, and attracted their eye, and I'll wear a clown suit any day for that! Though my knee was shaking just like Shaky Knees (you'll have to read my book), never was I more determined and driven to be heard.
     To be heard among a crowd of budding talent and enthusiasm, at a place and a time of hope and dreaming... and drowning of inboxes from other budding, hopefuls, like myself, not only to be heard, but to share a piece of something I truly believed in, sweat over, lost sleep for, couldn't shake from my thoughts when I should've been doing work from my "real" job. Yes, it was a moment I'd been waiting for. Then, in all its surreality, the next phrase, "It didn't take long for us to agree on the winner, Aim'ee Teague."
     Wow. Need I say more... What's next? I will not rest until I see Devin and His Shape-Shifting Sister in the hands of my little Devins, where it belongs.
     Hear from the Book Doctors:
http://www.thebookdoctors.com/keeping-austin-weird-the-book-doctors-take-pitchapalooza-to-the-texas-book-festival

Ridding the Rules of Writing

     Fourth grade. Writing test. The year our little ones must keep to the hows of writing and put aside the whys to demonstrate mastery of the rules. Asking a lot? Maybe, definitely, not really, well it depends. Depends on interest, personality, instruction, and of course, practice. How can we build interest for kids, especially ones that show none? If a child has trouble writing a paragraph, or a sentence, you need to start there. Tackle the daily practice of just writing, building complete sentences, using proper grammar, exposing run-ons and fragments, improving spelling, and practice, practice... This will help the basics of writing, but still may not build interest. Step it up.

     Get to know the student's personality, as I've said before. If organization is a struggle in other areas (desk, backpack), you can bet that organizing thoughts into paragraphs to make a rule-based composition, will definitely be a task. Use graphic organizers, flow-charts, blank boxes with arrows, to model how to organize thoughts and show progression. Practice this in all subjects and all areas. "Let's make a flow chart of our writing lesson today. First, we will write simple sentences. Then, we'll practice stretching them. Finally, let's make a story book, each page having a stretched sentence and an illustration." Show this progression of your lesson visually. Point out how you organized your day on the board, and how writing is similar. (This may start your exploration into the whys, which you never really shelf... and in fact, learning the whys will be one of the keys to building motivation for kids --in all subjects.) This might be a great introduction to paragraphs, beginning with the intro. Make a connection there and write a short introductory paragraph about your writing lesson for the students. Include the why!

     What is 'stretching a sentence?' I've used the term, 'super sentence,' too (along with 'super paragraph'). It's taking a simple sentence like, The boy walked to the park., and making it more elaborate and complex. Make a lesson out of building a better sentence. "Let's brainstorm on what this boy looks like?" "What are different ways you can walk?" "Why is the boy walking to the park?" Johnny wiped the sweat from his forehead as he walked briskly to the park to catch his friends at a game of soccer. This takes practice, but together you could easily make some elaborate sentences of this sort. To emphasize the kind of writing necessary in a personal narrative, try a sentence with I, my, or we. I remember when I helped my grandmother. can become I'll never forget the bittersweet day I helped Grandma move into her new apartment; bitter because she was suffering from a broken hip; sweet because she was my favorite person. That's stretching it a bit for a fourth grader, but place no limitations and you'll be amazed at their super abilities!

     So, finally, what is an easy and realistic way to build interest in writing for kids? It's actually opposite what you'd think. Remove the rules. Tell them, "Today, forget the rules and just have fun writing."Every now and then, we would do an activity called, Create Your Own Story, or as my kids would say, "Make a Book." I'd pass out blank paper and students were instructed to create any story they wanted without thinking about any writing rules. The object was just to create --using anything they wanted (crayon, marker, pen, pencils) any way they wanted (diagonal words, picture, then words, words in a shape, or just words on the paper.) Okay, I did have ONE rule, they had to write as much or more words as there were pictures... The page soon progressed to book. One sheet became several sheets. And although I told them initially they didn't have to share with anyone, they were usually more inclined to. 

     Of course, a ping pong of writing activities using rules and no rules will make better writers and the rules will naturally carry over into their limitless writing worlds, yet with some of the stress removed allowing for a safe place to write. Create Your Own Story will hopefully become a favorite activity and the three to five paragraphs that are required by the end of the year should become less of a challenge. Sound easy? Well... it's attainable, and definitely fun and worth it!