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Showing posts with label Research. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Research. Show all posts

Meandering Minds



Over the past couple of days I've spent a lot of time hunched over a 3 meter roll of newsprint trying to perfect the placement of my plot and subplot elements. As you've probably gathered by now I'm a 'planner' so a clear road map is very important to me...although I am happy to take detours if I spot that there's a more efficient means of reaching my destination.

Inevitably there were times when my back could stand it no more. I was forced to abandon my 'mad scientist' pose and take a little time out with a toasty hot water bottle and a few short podcasts.

As I was listening to Laura Backes and Jon Bard's podcast on publishing trends and the tween market, I had another one of those 'Ah-ha' moments (No, I didn't suddenly have the urge the need to listen to '80's pop!). I'd stumbled across an answer to my nagging questions...
What level to pitch the intensity of the danger at in a middle grade novel? 
What sort of dangerous situations are appropriate for 8-12 year olds before they cross over into the YA sphere? 

But, I'd also discovered the value of meandering aimlessly through the mounds of information on children's writing that exist.

There is time and place for everything. Sometimes a clear and focused plan is necessary to keep you on track, but other times the lack of a plan can lead you to undiscovered gems that - had you been following a plan - you might otherwise have missed.. 

The link to the podcast for any interested Fightin' Bookworm members out there
http://cbiclubhouse.com/2009/07/writing-for-the-expanding-tween-market/  

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Children Are Full of Surprises!

 
On Saturday I was treated to a rather amusing insight into one of the differences between children and adults.

The event was a trip to Wellington Zoo for our daughter's upcoming 3rd birthday. We thought she'd really enjoy it since she reads so many picture books with lions, giraffes, kangaroos, monkeys etc. in them.

Fortunately our prediction was correct and she did really enjoy it...but not in the way we had expected. A  giraffe standing right over her failed to impress, as did the lions, kangaroos, cheetahs, African wild dogs, sun bears, and chimpanzees!  
Instead, the things that most captured and held her attention were watching the emperor penguin being operated on in the animal hospital, a random chicken on the loose, and feeding hot chips to the ducks!

It wasn't long before I realised that her experience of the zoo wasn't going to be what I thought, and perhaps hoped, it might be. She was never going to find lions, cheetahs, and kangaroos  fascinating because she doesn't know enough about them to recognise how unnatural it is to have them living in New Zealand. 

Furthermore, they weren't where the action was at! A chicken on the loose provided an opportunity for playing chase. The emperor penguin operation provided the chance to see something out of the ordinary...and most certainly not anything she's ever come across in a picture book before. And last - but by no means least - feeding the ducks. What (almost) 3 year old wouldn't enjoy having a couple of ducks follow your every move? She just loved feeling their beaks peck the chips from her hand!   

As we continued our circuit around the zoo it was amazing how many times I overheard other parents battling the inevitable. One dad tried desperately to convince his son to have a look at the lions. He assured his son that he would be amazed by them. The son's reply 'Nah, I've seen lions on TV before.' The dad could do little more than stalk off in the direction of the lions, alone, muttering about how he hadn't seen them like this before but it was going to be his loss, grumble, grumble... 

And the point of this story...as a writer it's always important to keep your readers in mind. This experience reinforced the importance of knowing the children you write for. While it's tempting to put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) and get down the story we want to tell, there can be no substitute for observing children and getting know and truly appreciate their reactions and interactions in different environments and settings. Ultimately it's time well invested and will lead to the production of a book that children will identify with and love reading.



 

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Back to the Start

Yesterday saw the start of another research phase, this time on middle grade novels – mystery in particular - and yet again it began with web-surfing. 

Actually the internet searching began on Monday because Wednesday is toddler story time at our local library – which incidentally is an excellent way of getting to know what new books are available AND striking up a conversation with the children’s librarians. They’re extremely useful people to know if you intend to write for children (librarians…but children are too!).

A quick search for ‘best children’s mysteries’ returned a lot of results. One site was especially useful as it listed all of the novels nominated for The Edgar Award (in honour of Edgar Allan Poe), an annual prize for the best crime and mystery fiction across all genres. 

I also did a search of my local library catalogue. They’re not going to have every award winning book so it seemed logical to start at the end and work my way forward. Any books that looked interesting (yes, I did judge books by their cover!) then made it to a ‘Google Books’ search for star ratings and reader reviews. It didn’t take long to narrow my search down to a few popular and readily available options. 

Next was the process of reading with a critical eye. As I’m just starting out I had my notebook – with MG novel features checklist - and pen next to me. A couple of selections were short eight chapter novels. Although I’m hoping to write something double that length they were an excellent way of warming-up and getting to grips with recognising the techniques employed in constructing a MG novel (e.g. split scenes, page breaks, character and scene description etc.).

Last night I started on The Sisters Grimm: The Fairytale Detectives. I didn’t get very far as my daughter was suffering with teething pains, but the first 3 pages were great! I’m totally hooked and can’t wait to get back to it today. 

For the uninitiated, the sight of a woman sitting down with a novel (and my ‘handy-dandy’ notebook) and a cup of coffee is hardly suggestive of intense research, but my response would be that reading and writing go hand-in-hand. Consequently I’m going to enjoy every moment of it…especially as my 3 year old will be out with her grandmother for the morning!

Next time: My first book review…hopefully on The Sisters Grimm

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Research vs Writing

I myself am somewhat of a perfectionist so my first thought was not to start writing until I knew EVERYTHING about each genre of children's literature. I didn't want to appear to be totally ignorant and out of my depth...even to myself!

Luckily an opportunity to participate in a picture book workshop, hosted by Mayra Calvani,  arose - and it was just too good an opportunity to miss (it was through Savvy Authors - see my last post). Feedback from someone with experience in the field is a dream :) At the time of starting the workshop a couple of weeks ago I didn't know everything...and still don't. The good news is neither does everyone else - writers are always learning!

Anyway, the workshop was just what I needed to focus my efforts because, as you'll find when you start to delve into the world of children's writing, each age category of book has it's own very unique set of rules. Far too many to absorb all in one go!

In the end a huge 100W light bulb went on for me...research and writing go hand in hand.
Consequently I've come up with a new (well new for me!) plan of action, and so far it seems to be working:
1. Thoroughly read up on the 'rules' for the age category.
2. Devour lots of children's books  in the genre that you intend to write - not literally ;)
3. Write something every day...even if it's just jotting down some possible ideas; a brainstorm; or a blog entry.
4. Don't be scared to put pen to paper/fingers to keyboard and make a start. It doesn't matter if it's 'dreadful', you can always go back and edit to perfection once you've got your basic ideas down.

 Next time: Tips on keeping focused, and how to find people who'll give you constructive feedback (critique groups).

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