Let's Talk About Quirk

It's the 4th Friday of the month and that means that my Blogettes guest post is up over at The Picture Book Academy!

Today we are discussing the word "quirky" and what makes a "quirky picture book". http://www.picturebookacademy.com/8/post/2013/07/quirky-with-marcie-colleen.html

Stop by and share your thoughts.  And while you are there, sign up to follow The Blogettes.  What a wonderful way to start the weekend.

Happy Writing!

What's in a Name?

“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other word would smell as sweet.”

                                                                             ~ William Shakespeare

As the world anxiously awaits to learn the name of Britain’s new heir to the throne, let’s talk about names. 

Like expecting parents, writers are constantly in search of names to call their characters.  Names that capture the given personality, time period and overall feel of a character.  It’s not an easy task.  For with every name comes weight, or certain expectations.

Naming a dog Scrappers would paint one picture, while naming him Daniel would offer another.  Scrappers gives the dog a more cartoon, dog-like personality.  While Daniel, infers that the dog might very well be similar to a normal child and act as a kid would in the given circumstances.

A classic name like Anne or Sophia can give a story a timeless quality, while naming the character Brooklyn or Lexi can give the story a modern, hip frame.

Bottom line, names are important and writers take them seriously.

I had been warned.  Writing teachers had often said that names are sometimes changed by editors.  Just like titles, don’t get attached to them.

But here I am.  Faced with changing the name of one of my main characters who I created back in January 2012.  For the past year and a half this character has become a part of me.  We have a relationship.  Can you imagine suddenly being told you have to change the name of your child or a pet after 1 ½ years of life?  Not easy to do.

When I first created this little penguin I assessed his personality (and that personality has only grown bigger and bigger over the years).  He’s a dreamer.  He’s a planner. He’s an outsider.  He’s smart.  He’s resourceful.  He’s a loveable nerd. 

I called him Lyle. 

Sure, some people had mentioned that Lyle, Lyle Crocodile already existed and therefore it would be a hard sell, but it wasn’t enough people that I was convinced.  So time went by.  Lyle stuck.  And I got attached.

Fast forward to the present. 

I now have a fabulous agent (Susan Hawk of The Bent Agency) and we are working on Lyle’s story to prepare it for submissions to publishing houses.  What an exciting time!  However, Susan did bring up the possible issue with the name.  And she’s right.  It would be awful if editors got hung up on the name and passed on it only for that reason.  Changing a name is simple, so why leave it to chance? 

But is changing a name easy?  He’s always been Lyle to me.  Any other name doesn’t quite seem to fit…and believe me, I have test driven quite a few. 

I reached out yesterday to Deborah Underwood (The Quiet Book, The Loud Book, The Christmas Quiet Book, Part-time Princess).  She had shared a story with me awhile back about a similar situation she went through with her book A Balloon for Isabel. 

“A BALLOON FOR ISABEL was initially A BALLOON FOR EMILY. After Greenwillow acquired the manuscript, I turned up a book called EMILY'S BALLOON (by Komako Sakai) during an internet search. I will admit that I was hesitant to bring this to my publisher's attention (although I'm glad I did--it would have been just too confusing to have such similarly-titled books out there). And after I did, they said I needed to change my title. Thus began weeks of brainstorming.

I like the name Isabel very much, but it took me a looooong time to adjust. The manuscript was one that I'd worked on and off for years, so at that point it was like asking a parent to change her four-year-old's name. I'm happy to say that I finally do think of my porcupine as Isabel, but I'm hoping to use the name Emily in another book someday.”

Thanks for sharing, Deborah!

As part of your research, keep up with names that are currently being used.  And definitely stay away from characters who have become larger than life already.  Names like Elmo, Dora, Arthur, Wilbur, Ernie and Clifford already have a huge presence in the life of a child.  And I know that when a child says, “I want a _____ lunchbox,” I don’t want there to a doubt of who that child is talking about.

Funny story, Curious George underwent several name changes.  When he was first created by Margret and H.A. Rey, they were living in France and his name was Fifi.  Sounds odd now, right?  But I am sure it was hard for them to make the change.  Fifi didn’t translate well to American readers, so George was chosen. Yet, in England, publishers felt it was insulting to King George to have a monkey with the same name.  So within that country, readers knew George as Zozo.

As writers we want to give our books and our characters the best possible chance out in the world.  Sometimes that means bowing to word count trends and cutting those lyrical phrases and poetry that do not move the story forward.  Sometimes it means eliminating entire subplots or supporting characters. (In fact, Lyle’s story had a giant banana fight in the ape house which had to be cut and a quirky sidekick named Theo who I painfully “let go” about a year ago.)  And although I have settled on a new name, it wasn’t easy.  But my goal is to be published and I need to make certain changes at times to help that dream become a reality.  As a fellow dreamer, I know Lyle understands.

What about you?  How do you choose your characters’ names?  Have you ever been advised to change a name?  Share your story in the comments below.

We have a WINNER!

Thank you all who entered Marcie's MONSTORE Photo Contest.  And thank you for your patience as we decided a winner. 

It wasn't easy, as you were all very creative and fun! 


Well...we have made a decision!

SUSAN HALKO!!!!

Susan said, "If I could buy any monster from @taralazar's Monstore, I'd buy this guy & name him Seymour after his talent ... because he would help me "see more" when I want to read at night. "

Clever name, Susan.  And congrats!  Tara will be emailing  you soon with details on your MONSTORE prize package, including a PB Manuscript Critique.

If you haven't purchased a copy of THE MONSTORE...shame on you!  That's your homework.  :)

Alright, that's it for now. 

Happy Writing!

ONE WEEK LEFT to enter the MONSTORE Photo Contest

What are you waiting for?  There is ONE WEEK LEFT!  Forwhat, you ask?  To enter the best MONSTORE contest ever!  Read the rules below...

MARCIE'S MONSTORE PHOTO CONTEST

1. Be a Follower of this blog.
2. Buy a copy of THE MONSTORE. (Order it from places that already have it: IndieBound, Amazon, BN.com)
3. Read the book. (Seriously. Its good. You will thank me.)
4. Review the illustrations and pick a monster that you would buy from The Monstore.
5. Name that monster and decide what it's unique monsterly talent is (what your monster does!)
6. Take a picture of yourself pointing to your monster in the book.
7. Post your picture on your own social media and tell us about your Monstore purchased monster.
8. Also, email the picture to marciecolleen@gmail.com

One lucky winner will receive ONE PICTURE BOOK MANUSCRIPT CRITIQUE from the fantabulous Tara Lazar! (plus, a signed bookplate and gummi worms!)

You have until 5pm EST Friday, July 5th! So get buying, reading and snapping.

A Big Step Closer to "the Box"

When I started on this crazy journey I had often found myself daydreaming of "the Box".  You know.  The box  that the mailman delivers to your doorstep that includes copies of my first published book.  Yeah.  That box.

Of course, there have been obstacles along the way, one of which being that I only have a mailslot at my Brooklyn apartment, so delivering "the Box" will prove difficult for the mailman...unless I write really teeny-tiny books.

But in all seriousness, I am getting closer to "the Box".

My dream is becoming more of a reality.

I am proud to announce that I have an agent.  That's right.  Santa might not have delivered, but my hardwork, dedication and general talent (don't worry, my head won't get big now) DID DELIVER!

I have signed with Susan Hawk of The Bent Agency.

Needless to say, I am thrilled!

Of course, I now realize that with great power comes great responsibility...or something like that.  (thanks, Stan Lee)

No longer is my writing something I just do with my laptop, alone in my apartment or at a local coffeehouse.  Nope.  As a writer friend of mine said, "it is now an occupation."

Wow!  I have an occupation.  I am a writer. 

And therefore, I have work to do. 

In fact, I need to get to some revisions right now.

But I promise you, faithful readers, to share my story of "how I got my agent" next week. 

Til then, Happy Writing!  Oh, with a little happy dancing to boot!

Bullying: A Call for Story

I sat down last night and watched the documentary "Bully" (2011) for the first time.  Needless to say, it was hard to watch.  These poor little kids (and big kids, too) who are terrorized and victimized every single day because they are different.  My heart was ripped.

I thought of another movie I had watched recently, "Hardball" (2001) about a group of young kids from the projects of Chicago who form a baseball team.  At first, the kids are hard to take.  Foul mouthed.  Full of anger.  Lots of posturing.  Not your typical cute kids in a Disney movie.  But as the movie progresses and more of their individual stories unravel, I fell so in love with these kids.  I rooted for them.  I cried for them.  I felt for them.

It is so hard to see people who are different or difficult and not pass judgement.  I fight this everyday.  I might see a pack of teenagers on the subway acting all loud and rude.  I immediately pass judgement.  Or I see someone begging on the street, strung out on drugs.  I pass judgement.

When I started to notice this reaction, I invented a little game.  The second I want to pass judgement, I instead write the person's story in my head.  I imagine the hardships that got them where they are.  I write their backstory in my head.  I develop their hopes and dreams.  I conjure up strengths and weaknesses.  I give them fears that they must triumph over.

Bottomline, its a great writing exercise.  But it also builds empathy within me.

When we truly know someone, its harder to turn a blind eye or pass judgement.  When we understand where someone is coming from, it softens our heart to the things that usually keep us hardened.

That is the beauty of story.  Story creates empathy.  Story touches the heart.

I know there is a push lately to focus more on non-fiction and informational texts through the Common Core State Standards.  The emphasis is on building skills that are necessary for the workforce: sorting, categorizing, comparing, evaluating, analyzing, and reasoning.  Less and less emphasis is placed on how a text makes the reader feel.  Less focus is placed on texts that might make us better people, not just workers.

If we are not careful, we will eliminate the emotional connection, the story.  And therefore, we will no longer be inadvertantly teaching empathy.  We may as well teach computers, instead of children.

The fact is, we have a bullying problem in our schools.  Yet, fellow Storymakers...listen!  You have a place here.  Tell the stories.  The world needs YOU! The world needs more empathy.

Celebrate Blumes-Day

Mo Willems says that when he writes a book he is creating a friend for a child. 

If that is true, then Judy Blume created friends I met in early elementary school and stayed close with through high school and into adulthood.

My earliest Judy Blume memory was in the 1st grade.  Our Reading Workbook included a "pull out" copy of THE ONE IN THE MIDDLE IS THE GREEN KANGAROO.

I tore out that book and folded the pages nicely, added a construction paper cover that I illustrated with crayons and carried it everywhere!  I was so proud of that book.

Through the years, Judy provided giggles about siblings, freckles and first kisses. She also was my first introduction to some candid conversations on menstruation, body issues and bullying.

But most importantly, Judy Blume helped foster in me a love of reading...and I carry every day--just like my GREEN KANGAROO.

What is your favorite Judy Blume memory?