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September 26, 2006

It's Hattie Big Sky Day!

If books have birthdays, today is the birthday of Hattie Big Sky. It's the official publication date -- woo-hoo! I'm so pleased, too, that Listening Library is doing an audio version of the book, also to be released today. I am especially excited about this because my mother is legally blind, so she'll have a version that fits her just right.

I'm also pleased to announce the official launch of the Hattie Big Sky Thanks to the creative efforts of marketing whiz Sara Easterly, you can read the first chapter of Hattie Big Sky, as well as tune into a "vodcast" featuring yours truly talking about how the book came to be. In addition, you can keep track of Hattie related events, the first being an appearance at the Montana Festival of the Book.

I'd love to hear what you think of Hattie's story when you read it! You can email me through the website or leave a comment here.

Posted by kirby at 08:22 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

September 23, 2006

Begin the Hours of this Day Slow

Forgive me if this entry is a little soggy. Last Saturday, our darling daughter married her sweet Matt. It was an absolutely perfect day (okay, a few glitches but that's what makes weddings weddings!). All ten attendants, plus the flower girl, arrived at our home at 10 a.m. to dress for the 1 o'clock event. It was crazy and hectic and marvelous. My heart was, and still is, full.

A few months before the wedding, a dear writer friend, Pamela Greenwood presented me with a line from Robert Frost's poem, "October Morning." It reads: "Begin the hours of this day slow." She held onto that line as her own daughter was married several years ago. Thanks to her generosity, that line became my pre-wedding mantra. And that line enabled me to stop and fully enjoy each moment of Quinn and Matt's wedding weekend.

I would love to pass this gift on to you, my dear writing friends. There are so many pressures to produce, to accomplish, to publish. Let me encourage you to begin the hours of your writing day slow. Sit with your characters and your story. Don't push them to do things they weren't created to do. Don't miss those precious moments -- like when my father took my shaking hand as I sat alone in the pew waiting for my husband to join me -- because you are rushing to the next scene or chapter or project. Don't allow the fast pace of our world to pressure you into writing something slick or cliche or trivial. Slow down. Breathe. Take hold of another's hand. Gaze into your character's face and see the joy, the sorrows, the fears, the hopes there. Enjoy each moment of the creation process.

A story, a book, a wedding. "Retard the sun with gentle mist, enchant the land with amethyst. Slow, slow!"

Posted by kirby at 07:57 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

September 08, 2006

Nice Guys (and Gals) Don't Finish

I love being part of the children's book community. My colleagues are warm, funny and generous folks. And my writing students constantly delight and surprise me. On the whole, children's book creators are plain old nice folks.

Which is a problem. Especially for writers. I was reminded of this recently while critiquing a manuscript. The writer had engaging characters, a fresh voice and an intriguing story premise. All good, right? To a point, yes. But this writer is a long-time elementary teacher with a heart of solid platinum. She adores kids; she wants the best for kids; she's dedicated her life to helping them.

There's the rub. Her concern and dedication are beyond admirable in her life as a teacher. In her life as a writer, they are a millstone around her neck. My tenderhearted student has a hard time -- as do many writers -- letting her characters suffer. Yet suffering, overcoming obstacles, is the stuff of story.

Sometimes, we sabotage our stories by sending in a wise old grandparent or Wise Old Apple Tree or wise old animal to solve everything for the main character -- deus ex machina in a bunny suit, if you will. Sometimes, it's more a matter of backpedaling as fast as we can away from any hint of pain or sacrifice. Sometimes, we cop out on the whole issue of conflict resolution with that phrase that makes editors twitch: "But it was only a dream."

Here is my advice. The minute you plant your derriere in your writing chair, cease to be Miss Nelson. Ingest a healthy dose of Viola Swamp, Aunt Fidget Wonkham-Strong and Cruella deVille and place your trembling fingers on the keyboard. When the smoke clears, pound away. Pile the woes on little Will; tons of trouble for Tami Sue; maximimize the number of obstacles Max and Molly encounter. The moment you step away from the chair, you can resume being the kind of person who helps little old ladies across the street and buys Campfire Mints every February. But while you are writing, be hard-hearted. Because in letting your main character fall to the depths, you give them space to climb. And your reader wants to be right there with them, every single step down and every single step back up again. Don't deprive your character and your reader the inalienable right to face tough times because that's part of what being human is all about.

Posted by kirby at 01:31 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack