I consider myself an idea person, having been a scientist and inventor before becoming a children's author. I even gave a presentation on coming up with ideas last year for our regional SCBWI.
My weapon arsenal. Pencils preparing to pounce.
Killing your darlings
Yesterday I had my weekly mentoring session with Harold Underdown. I wait for these meeting all week. I revise, rethink, revise some more, then on Thursday or Friday I send Harold revisions of stories (usually four, I find that when I'm working on multiple manuscripts they tend to feed one another, and sometimes there is one revision that I even get complimented on.
Harold almost always sends me back to write another version of each one. I don't bristle or bridle any more. But sometimes it takes me weeks to 'kill my darlings', move on, and write the revision that needs to be written.
Dots, Lines and Missing Pieces
Today I woke up very early (before five) and decided to get a very early head start on my day. Harold suggested I take a look back (way back) at Norton Juster's story The Dot and The Line, which I did, and that led me to yet another award-winning story, The Hello, Goodbye Window, which made me think I could have interviewed this amazing author and architect, had I started my real children's writing career earlier (he died last year).
And of course Juster's Dot and Line made me think of Miri Leshem-Pelly, so I went back to rediscover her inspiring book, Penny and the Piece of Paper.
Before I start writing today, I'm going to revisit Shel Silverstein's, The Missing Piece. It is, really, a missing piece. And its sequel, The Missing Piece Meets the Big O (which was just a tad disappointing)
Tara Lazar and Storystorm
Some people tell you that it's difficult to write a story with heroes that are lines, numbers, squiggles, letters. It might be difficult, but far from impossible. Just ask Tara Lazar. So I did.
One of Tara's initiatives is Storystorm where writers come up with an idea a day, throughout the month of January.
I consider myself an idea person, having been a scientist and inventor before becoming a children's author. I even gave a presentation on coming up with ideas last year for our regional SCBWI.) Here is a summary of my talk.
Following our wonderful interview last week, I decided to join Storystorm and give it a try. Wow! It's a wonderful stimulus for coming up with ideas daily, and I find that I'm more idea-productive than ever..
Here is my recent interview with the wonderful Tara Lazar. Please feel free to share it. All the very best and congratulations for this incredible initiative,
Mel Rosenberg
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