Christmas WS's!By Patricia Newman
When I visit schools, I am often asked where I get my ideas. This is a harder question to answer than you might think! Creating a story that children will want to read over and over begins deep inside me. Sometimes an idea gestates for only a few months and sometimes it takes years before becoming a story. Regardless of the time involved I always pass through definite phases that are part of the process.
Anything-is-possible Creativity
For instance, the first phase is an intense period of anything-is-possible creativity, gathering characters, settings, problems, and phrases of dialogue. The second “what if” phase ushers in fun experimentation where I ask questions to see what happens next. Hard work begins during the third phase as I write my first draft, attempting to make the scenes gel into a cohesive story (and often wishing it would be over already)!
Let the Story Sit for a While
Once the first draft of a story is completed I put it aside to let the body heat go out of it. Usually I’ll work on another project during this time. When I eventually return to the first draft, I read it more objectively. Revision is my favorite phase because I always have a fierce conviction that I CAN whip this book into shape. In revision, my book takes wings and grows. When publication day finally arrives, I watch my book make its way in the world, like a child who graduates from college.
Sharing Successes and Rejections
During school and library visits I see how children react to Joe the ashcat in Jingle the Brass or listen to their stories about riding a train. I see how they respond to the colorful language in Nugget on the Flight Deck and the speed and power of an aircraft taking off a carrier. I share with them my rejection letters and give them hope that even if they can’t write something the way they want the first time, they have another chance in revision.
I show them how research opens doors to things they never knew they didn’t know. We solve math problems related to the size of an aircraft carrier and talk about the science of steam engines. And I relax, because I know I’ve done what I set out to do way back when the idea grew inside me.
Learn more about me and my books at www.patriciamnewman.com.
If you are an author and would like to write about your books for children - be they fiction or non-fiction - on the K5 Learning Blog, please contact asa (at) k5learning (dot) com.
