START A BOOK

START A BOOK by Jan Godown Annino

How do you start a book? Or story? Let's look at examples of inspiration.

THE WEATHER

Rebecca Colby writes rollicking fun picture books. I found out about

her as I searched for spin offs of that surefire laugh-getting, longtime

fun rhyme, “There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly.”

Here is her entry, illustrated by Kate McLelland.

BUT I didn’t know about Rebecca Colby’s latest picture book

until I visited the site Teaching Authors, which I think several

Groggers enjoy reading.

 

By following links at TA, I learned that Rebecca Colby’s

inspiration poured for her next book after THERE WAS A WEE LASSIE

WHO SWALLOWED A MIDGIE with a walk in the rain.

As she tells it, she was writerly stuck. And then she and her daughter

went for a soggy soak. And her writing went whoosh! All

the way into a romp of a new book, IT’S RAINING BATS AND FROGS,
illustrated by Steven Henry.

This can also work for non-fiction. If some aspect of weather

has your full attention, consistently, maybe there is a book there.

THE NEWS

Small community television news stations, local weekly papers

and big city media outlets share a common characteristic that is

a big assist to astute writers. They offer a ba-zillion of story ideas.

The trick is to look past the giant lead stories or headlines that

aren’t going to work for our genre. No, not a bit. But find smaller,

less shouting pieces, the sweet or curious human interest stories.

And then ask yourself questions about the story. How might an aspect,

one slice of that event, fit for a children’s book. If you had

more information.

Debut picture book author Katheryn Russell-Brown was fascinated

to hear about a high energy woman musician, an African-American

woman, who played in jazz bands in the 1940s.  

 Melba Doretta Liston worked with Dizzie Gillespie & all the best. 

Later she performed with The Supremes.

She continued composing music into the 1990s. Katheryn became curious

about that talented artist’s child days.

How did she learn about Melba? Well it wasn’t in history class or at a

small club meeting or from an online newsletter. She heard the news one day.

She heard the news the same time a ba-zillion other folks did, via their local 

public radio station. Katheryn heard Melba Liston’s story on public radio – a

national report. I recently interviewed Katheryn  at Bookseedstudio, where she

briefly mentions the radio broadcast as the key tip.

And the author’s own article, offers more detail about the jump from

listening to research and to writing & publishing at KidLit Celebrates Women's

History Month.

Her title is LITTLE MELBA and HER BIG TROMBONE. It is a lyrical

Coretta Scott King honor book, illustrated by Frank Morrision. I think you’ll
like it. For story ideas, try The News.

 

THE FAMILY

Many families are known for at least one sleuth who

dove into research on the story of the ancestors. For two

authors, family connections provided an interest that helped

them conjure up their lively middle grade novels.

Sharon Lovejoy has long been intrigued with her family’s

Quaker past and possible but never proven, abolitionist links. 

Although her acclaimed story, RUNNING OUT OF NIGHT, 

isn’t about her ancestors, treasured old family letters she read and

laboriously copied, and questions about whether

her ancestors had ever assisted in The Underground Railroad,

helped her decide to imagine an atmospheric historical fiction 

tale that is a page-turner.

 

Debut author Lisa Lewis Tyre’s interest in the past and her colorful

ancestors assisted her desire to spin the contemporary

tale, LAST IN A LONG LINE OF REBELS.

It is brand-new to me, having arrived in a batch of books

I ordered for late summer fun, but my reading of it so far, tells me it’s destined

for deserved honors. It features a girl who teams with pals

to save her ancestors’ home, which she lives in. In the process

she is distressed to discover that her family once thought they

owned people, as slaves.

Lisa’s interest in the mysteries of history have lead her to

feature a section at her website called History Fun.

  She offers a free, blank family tree to fill in.

And some of her blog articles are devoted to tidbits of her own

family’s times past

 So, when searching for a topic remember THE FAMIILY.


 

 THE EVENTS

What’s a writer to do if weather, news, and family don’t

equal story ideas? Hunt up some events to attend.

One-time community gatherings, such as an annual

day to celebrate the local food product or significant

animal, could produce the spark of an idea. Look into

taking lessons. Here I am, wet in the middle of a coastal

systems class this summer. The course is doing double

duty for this writer, informing children’s poetry and

a middle grade novel. So sign up or schedule THE EVENTS.

 

You,Too, Can Haiku--A Guest Post by Robyn Hood Black

     Greetings, writers! Many thanks to Sherri for inviting me to bring some haiku to the proverbial coffee table this morning. There's much to learn about this deceptively simple genre. I am very much still a student.



                                               

     Why haiku? First, its intrinsic value--I think reading and writing haiku make a person of any age more alive. Second, immersing yourself in these short form poems can sharpen your writing skills across other genres.

     What about the 5-7 5 format? Let's get this question out of the way first.  Strong haiku can be written in this format, but it's not an accurate reflection of Japanese haiku because Japanese words contain more syllable sounds than English words do. So, 17 syllables in English are usually too many for one haiku, and make a clunky, forced-sounded poem.

     So, what does constitute haiku? It's more than words that are counted on your fingers and written in a three line format. There is just so much packed into those small poems.

     

    Dr. David G. Lanoue, current Haiku Society of America president, and Issa scholar, has said a haiku is "a one-breath poem that discovers connection," Connection between juxtaposed images or ideas is often lacking in what passes for "haiku" in popular culture. 

     In a recent book, Lanoue describes a haiku as "an elliptical, succinct, imagistic poem that invites the reader to complete what is only suggested or hinted at on the page."

     How would you describe a good haiku poem?  A strong haiku is concise and offers two precise images, suggesting a connection between them. A successful haiku presents the reader or listener with a moment, an experience, but doesn't override the reader's response by naming the emotions involved. The unfolding of the second image seals the connection and opens the emotional potential of the poem.

     Can you give us an example?  Consider this poem by David G. Lanoue, which he kindly shared on my blog: 

a "lost Dog" sign
nailed deep
into the oak.

Copyright David G. Lanoue. All rights reserved. 
Frogpond, 27.2 (2004)


     First, note the word choices. Are any of them sentimental or sappy? Nope. Too highfalutin to understand? No. Are precise image/sensory details presented? Yes. If you have a dog, or have ever lost one, this haiku likely strikes a chord. Each reader will bring his or her own experiences and sensibilities to the reading.

     When I read this poem, that nail might as well be pounded into my heart, because that's where I would feel the loss of one of my beloved dogs. Also, notice how much stronger it is with the specific word "oak." It has a heavy, hearty sound, and when you say it, it slows you down. It's much better than the generic word "tree."


     What if the poem were constructed like this:

a "Lost dog sign
taped up
to the sign post.

     Hmm. Not much happening there.    

     Or, what if it said:

a "Lost Dog" sign
I sorely miss
my golden retriever.

Um, that one misses the haiku mark. As David has written it, though, I'm grabbed by the visual image of the "lost" sign--Oh, No! That's terrible!, I think to myself...and then pounded with the second image--a nail, or nails, driven with force into the hard oak tree. I hear a hammer, feel the rough bark, even sense the impact of that nail. 

     How about we want to write our own haiku? Great! First I'd suggest reading. A lot. When I first fell under the spell of haiku, I read hundreds and hundreds of poems to get a sense of what they are really about. Let them seep into your bones. The good news is there are many sources out there for you to dive into. You can start with the Haiku Society of America: http://www.hsa-haiku.org and their journal Frogpond. Another resource  is The Haiku Foundation http://www.thehaikufoundation.org.

     What haiku books are on your bookshelf:

                                                   

    And, finally, some hints for getting haiku subjects, please. 

     Next time you go for a walk, take a notebook. Or, sit on your front stoop or in your back yard with paper and pen handy. Gather your senses. What catches your eye? What are you feeling? What smells surround you? Note the time of day, the season.

     For a traditional English-language haiku, you'll be gathering two parts--one will be two lines, and the other will be a single line. (It doesn't matter which comes first.) One of your two elements can be a seasonal reference--it might be as straightforward as "autumn afternoon" or more subtle, like "burning leaves."

     What does that smell evoke for you? Loss? Change? The trick is to employ another image which suggests that emotion. Perhaps you notice geese overhead. Maybe they are changing flight positions and that reminds you of a shift in a family situation. You might end up with a haiku like this:

burning leaves
a V of geese
regroups.   

     Do you have an assignment for us?  Take a deep breath and a walk, and see if you are inspired to write a haiku or two! You can post them in the comments section. 

     Robyn Hood Black writes poetry, fiction and nonfiction under Spanish moss in the South Carolina Low country. She's active in SCWBI Southern Breeze and in the Southeast Region of the Haiku Society of America. Her haiku have appeared in many contemporary journals including Frogpond, Modern Haiku, The Heron's Nest, Acorn, Chrysanthemum and One Hundred Gourds.
robynhoodblack.com.

Storybook Cooks ~By Suzy Leopold

From the Desk of Rebecca Colby:

Thank you for having me on the GROG Blog today! I appreciate the opportunity to write about two things that are near and dear to my heart:  

BOOKS and FOOD. 

For me, there’s nothing like the thrill and enjoyment of sharing a good story.

. . . Except perhaps the thrill and enjoyment of sharing a tasty treat! 

Let’s face it. We all love to eat. And we all have to eat. So what better way could there be to extend the pleasure of storybooks than through cooking—and eating?!

One of my eldest daughter’s favorite school clubs when she was younger was the Storybook Cooks’ Club. Each week the teacher read a new story to the children. After the reading, she assisted the children in preparing a relevant food. 

Mr. Wolf's Pancakes
By Jan Fearnley

One week my daughter came home with a jam sandwich (The Giant Jam Sandwich by John Vernon Lord and Janet Burroway). Another week she brought home a pancake (Mr. Wolf’s Pancakes by Jan Fearnley). 

A third week it was pizza (Pete’s a Pizza by William Steig). And every week she came home with a huge smile and couldn’t wait to tell the rest of the family about her day. (This may not sound unusual to you, but trust me, any other time I’d ask her what she’d done in school and she would merely reply, “Nothing!” So it was fantastic to have her come home wanting to talk about something she’d done at school.)

If You Give a Mouse a Cookie
Written by Laura Numeroff
Illustrated by Felicia Bond

When I became a teacher, I borrowed this same idea. My students made healthy milkshakes after reading Oliver’s Milkshake by Vivian French. They also decorated cookies after reading If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Numeroff. They loved combining reading time with food preparation, and the story stayed with them longer. 

There are many other books with obvious cooking connections like The Gingerbread Man, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, and even Green Eggs and Ham. But what about those books that have less obvious connections and don’t feature food? This is when you can actually have more fun with children in the kitchen. This is when you have the opportunity to stretch your creative muscles and use your imagination to cook up something new. 

For example, my debut book, There was a Wee Lassie who Swallowed a Midgie, is a Scottish version of the classic rhyme about the old lady who swallows a fly. While the Wee Lassie eats something on every page, she doesn’t eat anything appropriate for children. 

There was a Wee Lassie who Swalled a Midgie
Written by Rebecca Colby
Illustrated by Kate McLelland

So this got me thinking—what food would be appropriate for a Wee Lassie? Haggis? Porridge? Cock-a-leekie soup? She’d probably eat all of these things. But what would be fun for children to make? 

Why Midgie Shortbread, of course! 

I immediately set to work on a shortbread recipe. My children then helped me make the shortbread, stirring in chocolate sprinkles to represent the midgies. There is no shortbread in the book, but I was still able to find an appropriate cooking activity by getting creative. 

My recently released book is about a witch parade and it’s called It’s Raining Bats and Frogs. While frog legs are a perfectly acceptable food (especially for witches), I don’t know many children who want to eat them. But that doesn’t mean they can’t cook up some other inspired witchy treats. Perhaps they’d like spaghetti worms or grape eyeballs? Or how about some bread stick witch fingers? Or some cheese dip bat bites? Children won’t forget this book anytime soon if they make a witchy menu to accompany it. And speaking of witches, here is a clue for the scavenger hunt: Tabitha. 

It's Raining Bats & Frogs
Written by Rebecca Colby
Illustrated by Steven Henry

There are other benefits to cooking extension activities, as well. They allow children to learn about nutrition and food safety. As a teacher, I especially liked that cooking activities provided opportunities for cross-curricular learning. My students were able to practice their English and Math skills without even realizing it--by following recipe instructions and carefully measuring ingredients.  

I hope I’ve given you plenty of ideas to get started cooking up your own storybook recipes. But if you’re still stuck for ideas, check out this gem of a book I found when I was teaching:

The Little Book of Cooking from Stories: Ideas for Cooking with Early Years Foundation Stage Children, Using Stories as Starting Points by Sally Featherstone, London: A & C Black, 2009. 

The Little Book of Cooking from Stories
By Sally Featherstone

It has ideas and recipes to accompany 27 different storybooks, making recipes as diverse as vegetable soup to chapattis to jam tarts.  It’s sure to inspire you! 

So what are you waiting for? Grab a book and a child and get cooking!

Rebecca Colby

Rebecca Colby is a picture book author and poet. Her books include: It's Raining Bats and Frogs (Feiwel & Friends/Macmillain, 2015) and There was a Wee Laslie Who Swalloed a Midgie (Floris Picture Kelpies, 2014).

Before writing for children, Rebecca inspected pantyhose, and taught English in Taiwan, worked for a Russian comedian and traveled the world as a tour director. 

Learn more about Rebecca and It’s Raining Bats & Frogs Blog Tour and On-line Scavenger Hunt with a total of eight bloggers. 

Visit Rebecca on her website.

Follow Rebecca on Twitter.

Enter the Giveaway 

below to win a copy of 

It's Raining Bats and Frogs.

Thank you Rebecca for your delightful and informative ideas and the opportunity to participate in the On-line Scavenger Hunt. The combination of books and food are a favorite of mine, also. I picked this flower for you.

Woo Hoo! The winner is: 

Damon Dean!

Thank you for your blog comment 

and tweeting about the post.

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