A Message for Geese

This week, on my morning walks, I've been seeing (and hearing) geese flying overhead. It's  been very warm here so we drove to the lake today.  We saw a lot of geese just kind of hanging out.  I wondered if it was a rest stop, or if they are taking their good old time because it feels more like summer than fall.  Cooler temps are coming next week, and with snow already in the Midwest, winter is on its way. It's time for them to get going!

 

Fly South

 

Fly south geese go—

soon the earth will be covered

in ice and snow—  it’s time

to  leave for warmer winds,

go now before winter begins.

A big thank you to Jama for hosting this week's Poetry Friday at Jama's Alphabet Soup.

Writing a NIV: Progress Report III

Writing is a process.  Thinking about my own process helps me grow as a writer.  What works for me might not work for you, but maybe you'll find a few useful bits along the way.  I hope you will share your tips with me as well. 

After a lot of planning, (you can read about here) I jumped in and started writing.  Here's what I did.

 

Drafting:

I usually brainstorm first drafts of poems in a notebook, but I knew that wouldn't work for a project as big as a novel. I tried that method  before and found myself revising the same 20-30 poems over and over without moving forward.  An author of a verse novel once told me that she got the story down first then went back and worked on refining the poems. I decided to try her process, and it seemed to work for me.

Focusing only on content, I wrote quick drafts of each poem.  I made a spreadsheet with columns for: title of the poem, its purpose, and when it takes place. After every writing session, I recorded each poem I worked on that day.  Tracking the poems helped me see where holes are in the story.  It also helped me stay focused on moving the story forward. I got the idea to do this after reading this interview with Marilyn Hilton.         

So here's where I am now.  I have a VERY messy first draft of my NIV, and a strange thing happened along the way. Even with all the planning I did, the story I thought I was writing isn't the story I actually wrote.  I realized that the problem the character is struggling with is really the result of something much larger.

I've always heard the advice to put a story away for a bit and then come back to it with fresh eyes. So I'm taking a little time to sit with the story and think it through. I'm enrolled in a verse novel class that begins later this month. By then, I hope to be ready to jump back into the story.  In the meantime, I want to work on some stand alone poems and revise a picture book.

If you are writing a novel (or have written one), I would love any tips you are willing to share. This is new territory for me, and I can use all the advice I can get.  😊

 Thanks for reading. 

A Beautiful New Anthology

This week, A WORLD FULL OF POEMS edited by Sylvia Vardell made its debut.  You can read Irene's interview with Sylvia about her new book here .  I haven't seen a copy yet, but the "Look Inside" preview on Amazon is gorgeous, and below is part Amazon's written description.

 This thoughtfully crafted anthology is perfect for children new to verse and for young poetry fans seeking out new favorites. Explore poetry from a diverse selection of contemporary and historical poets, covering a broad range of topics--from personal subjects like emotions and family, to the wonders of the natural environment. Carefully selected works encourage children to see the poetry in everything and to embrace the beauty of their everyday lives.

Doesn't that sound wonderful? My copy (and a few extras to gift family members) will arrive on Saturday.  My grandchildren will be here, and I can't wait to share it with them.

I am very grateful to have a poem included in this beautiful anthology. 

 

Too Shy 

 

Tonight

I watched

a harvest moon

tiptoe

across the sky.

 

It hid behind

a wisp of clouds,

looking very

shy.

 

I said,

Don’t worry

Harvest Moon,

for I’m a lot

like you.

  

When I’m  feeling 

shaky, shy—

I try

to hide it

too.

  ©Linda Kulp Trout

 

 As some of you know, I've been blogging about my progress writing a verse novel. If you are interested, you can read my latest post here.

Finally, a  big thank you to Bridget for hosting this week's Poetry Friday.

 

Have a great week!

 

 

 

 

Writing a NIV: Progress Report II

 

Writing is a process.  Thinking about my own process helps me grow as a writer.  What works for me might not work for you, but maybe you'll find a few useful bits along the way.  I hope you will share your tips with me as well. 

Today, I'm sharing my prewriting. As you'll see, it took a few months of planning before I even started writing a first draft.  Here's what I did.

• I've read dozens of verse novels because I enjoy them.  After several attempts to write one, I realized that I needed to go beyond reading for enjoyment and actually study them. I looked at one element at a time and took notes. Most verse novels are character-driven so I started there and examined things like: voice, behaviors, and character arc.

• I did a lot of research to learn more about the issues and struggles my main character faces.
  

• Next, I had an idea to get to know my main character. For many years, I've kept a journal. I believe that is where my truest voice comes through. So, I chose a spiral notebook that my eleven-year-old character would like. Everyday for a month, I wrote entries from her POV.  I let her decide the topic for each entry.  My NIV is inspired by my own childhood so she and I share a lot of  the same memories and emotions.  

• In my personal journal, I wrote about why I the NIV is important for me to write, how it will serve children, and examined why the character had to be eleven years old.
• Meanwhile, I looked through images on the internet to find pictures that were similar to the characters and setting I had visualized. 

• I wrote several pages of character sketches.  These have been so helpful when I have questions about a character's thoughts or behaviors.

• Then,  I made a map of the setting (and glued the house and other items) on a sheet of cardstock. 

• Finally, I made a timeline of plot points.

All of these things went into a large 3-ring binder with labels for each section. I also included a second spiral notebook where I had been jotting notes and ideas for possible poems. I like structure so having all of these pieces organized in one place was essential as I wrote my first draft.

There are many ways to plan a novel. I hope you'll share some of your prewriting tips in the comments. 

Next week, I'll talk about drafting.  i have a few resources that you might want to check out. 

Thank you for reading and sharing.

 

Writing a Novel in Verse: My Journey

 

 

I've been trying to write a novel in verse for almost twenty years.  I tried out a bunch of different story ideas that seemed right at the time, but then I'd get 20 or 30 poems into the story and then stop.  I kept telling myself writing a novel is too big, too overwhelming, too complicated.   

I love reading novels in verse and have read dozens of them, but I didn't think I could possibly write one.  Well, after many false starts (and loads of self-doubt),I finally did.  Mind you, right now it's just a rough (very rough) draft, but the story is there, and I have something to work with. 

I've been doing a lot of thinking about what changed this time. Today, I'm sharing a few things that motivated me to get writing. In future posts, I'll share some of the tips and resources I've been using.  The Poetry Friday community has always helped me. My hope is writing about my journey will help someone else along the way. 

• Dreams- Last year, someone I love suddenly passed away. This summer a seemingly healthy friend also suddenly passed away.  I wonder what dreams they left behind.
  

•  Quarantine- no place to go, lots of time to think, wanting to do something productive
  

• My son, Tim, works full-time, has two children, and still managed to write 5 novels. His passion for writing is contagious.  Recently, my older son, Chris, has also started writing fiction. Sharing our writing projects with my sons has is pure joy.
  

•  All summer, I've been taking poetry classes taught by Georgia Heard  What an amazing teacher!  Meeting weekly with a talented group of poets in a positive and safe space has given me the push I needed to take risks with my writing. I'm still very nervous about sharing my poems, but I can feel myself growing as a writer. 

• Most importantly, this time I'm telling my story. It is a middle grade fiction, but many of the poems are based on my life. An editor once told me, "Write the story only you can write."  Like many people, I just didn't think my own life would be all that interesting to anyone else, and I wasn't ready to relive certain parts of my life. But, the books that have helped me the most are the ones where authors share their own experiences.  So, maybe my story will help someone .
  

I decided now is the time to get this book written. At this point, I'm not thinking about publication. I'm just focused on writing the best story I can. Recording my progress on the blog will keep me accountable.

In a future post, I'll share steps I took to get my rough draft written. For now, I'll share a few of the new novels in verse I've read in the last few weeks.

BEFORE THE EVER AFTER- Jacqueline Woodson

WISHES, DARES, AND HOW TO STAND UP TO A BULLY-Darlene Beck Jacobson 

WHEN YOU KNOW WHAT I KNOW-Sonja K. Solter

REENI'S TURN-Carol Coven Grannick

 Thank you for reading. I'd love to hear about you writing journey and what motivates you to write for children.

A big thank you to Tabatha for hosting this week's Poetry Friday.

 

A Sad Reality

I hadn’t planned on posting this week, but something has been on my mind, and I want to share it.  I am heartbroken about the young children who died last weekend due to gun violence. Reading about the little girl riding in her mother's car, the boy playing in the yard, the girl visiting her grandma... sad beyond word. The story of the little boy watching fireworks hit me especially hard. How can it be that while I was enjoying fireworks, a child was dying?  How many innocent children and families have to suffer before our leaders take action to stop it?  Sometimes, it's just too much. This morning, I picked up a pencil and paper. This is what I wrote.



July 4th.


I stood in my backyard

and watched

as fireworks shot

through the night sky,

POP!

     POP!

          POPPING

into a rainbow of colors—

taking my breath away.

In another city,

in another backyard,

a small boy

watched

as fireworks shot

through the night sky,

     POP!

             POP!

                      POP—

from out of nowhere
shots
of a different kind
sliced the summer air

taking

his breath

away


©Linda Kulp Trout


Thank you to Ruth for hosting today's Poetry Friday.