Tales from the Rushmore Kid

"Everything I Know About Writing I Learned From My Cats: 2" - Barbara Jean Hicks

from the writing files of
children's author and educator
Barbara Jean Hicks,
Guest Columnist

LESSON ONE: BE CURIOUS
(Or: What's So Wrong About Eavesdropping?)

Cats are endlessly curious, sniffing about, exploring every nook and cranny that presents itself. My cat Miguel loved to reconnoiter the basement of our old house in Seattle and forever had cobwebs in his whiskers. Patches, lacking a basement in our Southern California condo, discovered the kitchen and bathroom cupboards, which she opened with her dainty little paws before disappearing inside. (The liquour cabinet seemed to be her favorite.)

"Everything I Know About Writing I Learned From My Cats: 1" - Barbara Jean Hicks

from the writing files of
children's author and educator
Barbara Jean Hicks,
Guest Columnist

“Books. Cats. Life is good.”

I can’t bear to part with the faded old book bag that bears that quote. Doesn’t it say it all? My family didn’t have much when I was growing up; nine of us lived in a two-bedroom, one-bath house. But we had each other, we had books, and we had cats. I didn't even think about asking for more.

I’ve never gone book-less, but I’ve been cat-less. In fact, I'm cat-less now. College dorm life, apartments with no-pet policies, and housemates who didn’t like cats or had cat allergies all conspired against me. (Fortunately, I do have friends with cats!)

For ten years of my adult life, though, I shared a home with a partner who was both a book lover and a cat lover. In those ten years, our library reached over a thousand books, and we adopted two remarkable (at least to me!) rescue cats. Each of them lived with us for about five years.

Happy Mother's Day - Barbara Jean Hicks

from the social media files
of children's author and educator
Barbara Jean Hicks,
Guest Columnist

When holidays roll around, I usually share a poem that relates to it. Sunday is Mother's Day. Before I started looking for a piece for today's blog post, I read something written by my colleague and Facebook friend, children's author and illustrator Nina Laden, and it moved me so much that I decided I wanted to share it instead of a poem. I hope it moves you as it did me.

Nina lives in the great Pacific Northwest, which I am soon to call my permanent home. She is the author/illustrator of 15 picture books, including such great titles as The Night I Followed the Dog, Private I. Guana, When Pigasso Met Mootisse, Peek-A-Who?, Roberto the Insect Architect, An Ant's Day Off, and her most recent, Button Nose.

Nina's mother died when Nina was only 24. One of the things she left her daughter was a library of books, complete with handwritten notes. Recently Nina came across a letter her mom had written her and stuffed in a book of Walt Whitman's poetry. It's a wonderful love letter from a mom to her daughter, and Nina has kindly given me permission to share it. I hope you'll visit Nina's blog and read the entire post. It's lovely! And it's no wonder that Nina is a writer and artist.

The Language of Poetry - Barbara Jean Hicks

from the teaching files of
children's book author and educator
Barbara Jean Hicks,
Guest Columnist

It’s the last weekend of National Poetry Month for 2013. I’ve enjoyed talking about poetry and sharing poems here and on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/barbarajeanhicks) throughout the month of April. Poetry has a language all its own, and even if the writer in you doesn't consider you a poet, understanding and employing this special language can make any piece of prose you write sing like a poem.

Like many other forms of literature, poetry makes use of imagery, metaphor, symbol, allusion, connotation and tone to communicate an idea and produce a desired effect. It is the music of language, however, that some writers feel sets a piece of writing apart from its literary counterparts as the thing we call “a poem.” Edgar Allan Poe described poetry as “music combined with a pleasurable idea,” for instance. Laurence Perrine’s classic text on poetry, Sound and Sense, posits that the poet uses verbal music to enhance meaning and communicate an idea more fully. 

But musical language is not just for poetry. If you have a story draft completed, particularly if you write picture books, check it against the list below. Does your manuscript utilize any of these musical devices? Can you find ways to tweak your language to include more verbal music?

Why I Love Poetry - Barbara Jean Hicks

from the inquiring mind of
children's book author and educator
Barbara Jean Hicks,
Guest Columnist

It's still National Poetry Month and I'm still thinking about poetry!

I grew up in a family that loved music and poetry. My dad went to school in an era when poetry was memorized, and I remember him quoting poems when I was a child that he had learned as a child. One favorite memory from my childhood is the image of my father knocking on my door to wake me in the morning, poking his head in the doorway and quoting Omar Khayyam:

AWAKE! for Morning in the Bowl of Night
Has flung the Stone that puts the Stars to Flight…

A Poem for Spring - Barbara Jean Hicks

from the bookshelves of
children's author and educator
Barbara Jean Hicks,
Guest Columnist

In celebration of National Poetry Month, I gave myself the gift of three new books of poetry: 100 Selected Poems by e.e. cummings, 100 Love Sonnets by Pablo Neruda, translated by Stephen Tapscott, and Classical Chinese Poetry: An Anthology, translated and edited by David Hinton. A wonderful, eclectic mix!

Spring has come to the little corner of the world where I'm living, and I'm loving it. Days are getting longer, the flowering cherries and the rhododendrons are in bloom, the spring showers are a bit warmer than the winter rains and the world is "puddle-wonderful"! So for those of you enjoying Spring in your corner of the world--and those of you who haven't yet seen Spring!--here's one of my favorite spring poems from e.e. cummings.

Book-Spine Poetry - Barbara Jean Hicks

from the teaching files
of children's author and educator
Barbara Jean Hicks,
Guest Columnist

April is National Poetry Month. To celebrate, I've been posting poems on my Facebook page--so far some haiku from the Japanese masters of the form (one of my favorites) and a couple of book-spine poems.

Never heard of a book-spine poem? Poetry lesson of the day: Book-spine poems are just one example of a poetic form called a "cento"--a poem made up entirely of lines from other people's works, arranged to form a new work. I think of it as "word collage."

Here are two examples, compiled from books on my own shelves. If you're inspired, compile a book-spine poem of your own, snap a picture, and hop on over to Facebook to post the image on my Wall. (Teachers--this is a great activity for kids, encouraging them to make connections between lines of prose to form their own poem.)

A Poem for Easter - Barbara Jean Hicks

from the shelves of children's book author and educator
Barbara Jean Hicks,
Guest Columnist

I love Easter. It's all about resurrection, rebirth, new life--concepts that inspire and excite me as a person and a writer. And George Herbert, the 17th century Welsh-born Anglican priest and metaphysical poet, is one of my favorite wordsmiths, well remembered from my days as an English Literature major in college. So what better combination on this Good Friday than an Easter poem written by George Herbert?

I've posted "Easter Wings" twice below, as images. It's a shape poem, a poem in which the form as well as the content have meaning. The first image is a scan of the poem as it appeared when it was first published in 1633 in a collection called The Temple: Sacred poems and private ejaculations. The second is more easily readable although it doesn't have quite the same visual effect.

Blessings to all in this season that celebrates life!

Three Writers on Creativity & Spirituality

from the bookshelves of guest columnist
Barbara Jean Hicks,
children's book author and educator

 A friend sent me a link last week to an interview with Elizabeth Gilbert, the award-winning writer whose memoir Eat, Pray, Love tells the story of a woman losing and then finding herself during a journey that was both physical and spiritual. Her words reminded me of Julia Cameron's book on creative recovery, The Artist's Way, which led me to an article on beliefnet.com by Tibetan Buddhist Chantmaster Lama Surya Das, author of Awakening the Buddha Within. Today, for your contemplation, I offer quotes from these three writers on the interconnectedness of creativity and spirituality:

"Write What You Know" - Barbara Jean Hicks

from the inquiring mind of Guest Columnist
Barbara Jean Hicks,
children's book author and educator

You've heard it a thousand times: "Write what you know."

  But what does that mean, really? Does it mean you have to know a subject inside out before you have anything worthwhile to say about it? Does it mean you can't use settings you haven't traveled to? Does it mean your characters all have to be clones of yourself?

I say no, no, and no again. Our writing--and our lives--would be awfully dull if we wrote only about what we already know.

Writers are curious creatures. What interests you? What intrigues you? What do you NOT know and wish you did? That's what you'll want to write about. It gives us an excuse--as if we needed one--to research. To enter a different time in history, a different place, a different set of circumstances, a different world from our own. To enter the mind of a different sort of person from ourself and experience the world in a whole new way. To be wildly creative!

There is a way in which we must write what we know, however, if our writing is to be effective. And how is that, you ask? In what way must we write what we know?

Creative Resources and Creative Journeys - Barbara Jean Hicks

from the inquiring mind of
children's book author and educator
Barbara Jean Hicks,
Guest Columnist

I'm fascinated by the process of creativity. The TV shows I most enjoy are the ones that document the creative process in action, whether in fashion design, cooking, interior design, dance or music. I believe that creativity is a spiritual endeavor, something that arises from and engages the spirit or soul, and I find the creative journeys of others inspiring to my own.

A couple of years ago, I researched master's programs that I thought might deepen my creative experience. I didn't ultimately choose to pursue a degree, but I found an almost irresistible Recommended Reading List at one institution of higher learning that offers an M.A. in Engaged Humanities with an emphasis in Depth Psychology.

I realized that even without pursuing a degree, I could still read the recommended texts on my own--but I discovered it wasn't as easily done as considered! I needed accountability. What if I read these resources NOT on my own, but with a group of like-minded writers, musicians, designers and other artists I could discuss them with?

Of Holidays and Great Men (& Women) - Barbara Jean Hicks

from the inquiring mind of
children's book author and educator
Barbara Jean Hicks,
Guest Columnist

Despite the Uniform Monday Holiday Act of 1971 (an act which retailers surely embraced with enthusiasm), today, February 22, is the birthday of George Washington. By almost any account of U.S. history, Washington was a Great Man.

The mid 19th century spawned two opposing views of history. Thomas Carlyle espoused the Great Man Theory, the idea that history can be largely explained by "great men"--persons of great charisma, intelligence or political skill who used their powers in ways that changed life, for either good or ill, for the human race. Herbert Spencer countered that such "great men" (no mention of women in either argument!) were simply the products of the societies into which they were born, men who appeared at the right moment to promote changes that were already underway in a larger social context.

Of Storytelling and Storyteller Dolls - Barbara Jean Hicks

It's been a very emotional week. Yesterday a new owner closed on my mom and dad's house, a one-story house my dad had built for my mom fourteen years ago when she could no longer easily climb stairs, a house that has been my home for the last year and a half since my dad passed away and my mom has been in assisted living. A house that holds many stories, even though its bones are relatively young.

Except for the large furniture, I did most of the moving myself, taking many trips back and forth between Mom's house and the house I'm moving into. Many precious objects--precious because imbued with emotion and memories--have passed through my hands in the last few weeks. One of those is a doll, a sitting ceramic figurine, mouth open, with seven tiny figures sitting in its lap and draped across its shoulders--a Puebo Storyteller Doll.

Celebrating Friendship in Children's Books - Barbara Jean Hicks

from the inquiring mind of childrens author and educator Barbara Jean Hicks

Tis the season for candle-lit dinners, heart-shaped candy boxes and red roses—for some folks out there, I’m sure! For me, this year, ’tis the season to celebrate the true loves of my life—my friends, especially those long-time friends who have remained loving and loyal over many years, through thick and thin (and over the course of many romances!).

Some of my all-time favorite children’s books explore and celebrate friendship. Can you identify the title and author of the stories that capture the very special relationships between the following characters? (Answers below—don’t peek till you give yourself a chance to guess!)

1. Anne and Diana
2. Buddy and Miss Sook Falk
3. Frog and Toad (okay, this one’s a give-away!)
4. Jess and Leslie
5. Mike and Mary Anne
6. Nicky and Andrew
7. Omri and Little Bear
8. Ratty and Mole
9. Wanda, Maddie and Peggy
10. Wilbur and Charlotte

Reflections - An Exercise for Writers - Barbara Jean Hicks

I work as a supervising teacher for an online middle school/high school. Last Friday was the end of the first term, this Monday the beginning of the second. In preparation for the new term, I wanted my students to spend some time reflecting on their performance.

I sent them a few open-ended questions and asked them to respond via email. The questions I asked elicited some interesting and heartfelt responses that got me to thinking about my own performance--as a writer.

Perspiration/Inspiration - Barbara Jean Hicks

from the files
of educator and children's author
Barbara Jean Hicks

I ran across two favorite quotes this week that resonate with me as a writer:

“Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.” -- Thomas Edison

 “If you can see your path laid out in front of you step by step, you know it's not your path. Your own path you make with every step you take. That's why it's your path.” -- Joseph Campbell

 

School Visits: An Author's Perk! (Barbara Jean Hicks)

from the files of
Educator & Children's Book Author
Barbara Jean Hicks

One of the great joys of writing for children is being with children!

I love visiting schools to talk to kids about writing and art, and it was a very special treat for me one day last Spring to go back to Central Elementary School in Ferndale, Washington--the school I attended as a child--as a featured workshop leader for their Young Artist's Fair. I spent all day working with several second grade classrooms, reading from MONSTERS DON'T EAT BROCCOLI and teaching an art lesson on color and pattern.

The great experience doesn't end with the visit. Often, teachers have their students write thank you notes that arrive a week or so later and make me understand anew why I do what a do. It's all about the kids!

The Stories of Our Lives - Barbara Jean Hicks

from the life and times
of educator and children's author
Barbara Jean Hicks

"Home is where our story begins." So reads the sign on the wall above my computer desk. The sign was a gift, a number of years ago, from one of my sisters. It has held a place of honor in my home ever since, and it holds special meaning now, as I've returned to my hometown to help care for my elderly mother.

Although I never lived in this house my father had built for my mother as they aged--so she wouldn't have to climb stairs to a second story bedroom--I visited them often here, and easily settled in after my dad died and my mom moved into assisted living.

A Poem for the New Year - Barbara Jean Hicks

from the teaching files
of children's author and educator
Barbara Jean Hicks

In case you missed it last year--

I love this poem about the aftermath of the holidays. Maybe we make resolutions at New Year’s in response to our Christmas regrets? (Oh, the breathless hope of new beginnings!)

WELL, SO THAT IS THAT

Well, so that is that.
Now we must dismantle the tree,
Putting the decorations back
into their cardboard boxes—
Some have got broken—
and carrying them up to the attic.
The holly and mistletoe must be taken down and burnt,
And the children got ready for school.
There are enough
Left-overs to do, warmed up, for the rest of the week—
Not that we have much appetite,
having drunk such a lot,
Stayed up so late, attempted—quite unsuccessfully—
To love all our relatives, and in general
Grossly overestimated our powers. Once again
As in previous years we have seen the actual Vision and failed
To do more than to entertain it as an agreeable
Possibility, once again we have sent Him away
Begging though to remain His disobedient servant,
The promising child who cannot keep His word for long.

W.H. Auden (1907-1973)

 

HAPPY NEW YEAR! May 2013 bring you more pleasures than regrets.

Reviving Your Out-of-Print Novel as an E-book part 2 - Barbara Jean Hicks

 from the files of children's author
and educator Barbara Jean Hicks

As promised last week, here are the short version instructions for converting your out-of-print novel to e-book format for the Kindle and Nook. I've also provided a link to my second e-book, Cupid's Chase, for an example of marketing copy and keyword suggestions.

Because Amazon and Barnes and Noble provide free e-reader apps for the iPad, iPhone and Android powered devices, these instructions can be used to make your out-of-print novel available as an e-book on pretty much any electronic reading device, including PC’s and Macs. I’ve published two of my out of print novellas as e-books using these instructions. I recognize this was two years ago now, however; if anyone has updated instructions, please comment below!

Reviving Your Out-of-Print Novel as an E-book part 1-Barbara Jean Hicks

from the files of
children's author and educator
Barbara Jean Hicks

In early December 2010, I started thinking about what I wanted to give as a Christmas gift to my friends and fans.

Before I started writing children’s books, I wrote romance novels and novellas. (I know, what a switch!) The rights to one of those novellas, a Christmas romance called "Tea for Two," had reverted to me. What if I could figure out how to format it as an e-book and offer it for free to anyone who wanted to download it to their computer or reading device?

I’m always up for the challenge of learning something new, so the idea was just my cup of tea--so to speak.

A Poem for Thanksgiving - Barbara Jean Hicks

from the teaching files
of children's author & educator
Barbara Jean Hicks

A POEM FOR THANKSGIVING

On this weekend of thanks-giving, here's a favorite poem that celebrates many wonderful gifts we've been given, if only we open our eyes.

Pied Beauty
 
Glory be to God for dappled things—

For skies of couple-colour as a brinded cow;

For rose-moles all in stipple upon trout that swim;

Fresh-firecoal chestnut-falls; finches’ wings;

Landscape plotted and pieced—

fold, fallow, and plough;

And all trades, their gear and tackle and trim.
All things counter, original, spare, strange;

Whatever is fickle, freckled (who knows how?)

With swift, slow; sweet, sour; adazzle, dim;

He fathers-forth whose beauty is past change:

Praise him.

Gerard Manley Hopkins (1844-1899)

The photo of the “couple-coulored skies” is from Ann Wilson’s blog, One Pilgrim’s Journey, and was taken in Strasburg, Colorado. Happy Thanksgiving to all!

A Poem for Veteran's Day - Barbara Jean Hicks

from the teaching files
of children's author and educator
Barbara Jean Hicks

Sunday is Veteran's Day. To honor all those men and women who have left their homes and loved ones to fight for what they believe in, here's a poem I used to teach for high school English, written by a man who lived in the 17th century. Wars have been waged for a very long time...

To Lucasta, Going To The Wars

Tell me not, Sweet, I am unkind,
   That from the nunnery
Of thy chaste breast and quiet mind
   To war and arms I fly.

True, a new mistress now I chase,
   The first foe in the field;
And with a stronger faith embrace
   A sword, a horse, a shield.

Yet this inconstancy is such
   That thou too shalt adore;
I could not love thee, Dear, so much,
   Loved I not honour more.

                    -- Richard Lovelace

IMAGE: www.morguefile.com

Please Understand Me - Barbara Jean Hicks

from the bookshelves of educator and children's author
Barbara Jean Hicks

No book has been more helpful to me as a novelist than the 1978 self-help tome Please Understand Me: Character & Temperament Types, by David Kiersey and Marilyn Bates (distributed by Prometheus Nemesis Book Company, Del Mar, CA). Most of the many 5-star reviews for this book on amazon.com tout the self-help aspect; it's designed to help people understand and get along with others who march to the beat of a different drum.

I've used it that way, too--but what I really love about this book is that it's a fabulous tool for developing the characters in my novels. Or sometimes for understanding my characters, who will say and do the most unexpected things, all on their own, without my having planned it! (You can't tell me you haven't experienced that--a character who absolutely refuses to cooperate and takes off on his or her own story?)

Whole-Novel Revision: How to "Remodel" a Book - Barbara Jean Hicks

Tina and I are both known for our picture books. Tina's recently released Hanging Off Jefferson's Nose: Growing Up on Mount Rushmore, is getting rave reviews and just won a 2012 Eureka Award for Nonfiction from the California Reading Association. My imaginative picture books, including Jitterbug Jam: A Monster Tale, The Secret Life of Walter Kitty, and Monsters Don't Eat Broccoli, have all been well-reviewed and won numerous awards.

But did you know that Tina and I are both novelists as well? I'm thrilled that Tina is once again working on a novel she's had in a drawer for four years now. Dear Joe (working title) is a middle grade historical novel set during the sixties with a unique and very moving take on the Vietnam war. I loved the manuscript when I first read it years ago, and I can't wait to read it after another round of revisions and four years of artistic growth on Tina's part since the last revision.

As for me--I wrote romance novels before I turned to picture books. The rights to a number of these have reverted to me, and I've already revised and published two novellas as e-books (Tea for Two and Cupid's Chase). Revising and publishing several old novels is on my To-Do list. The books were published over a decade ago, and I think (I hope!) I've learned a lot about the craft of writing and grown as an artist since then--so I'm looking forward to the revision process.

Which brings us to the question: what's the best way to approach a whole-novel revison?

On Putting Yourself Out There - Barbara Jean Hicks

Between Tuesday and Thursday this week I traveled 2400 miles round trip by plane. I ended up with five plane changes, two one way and three the other. (Okay, they were small planes, but I admit, not quite as small as the one in the picture! And yes, that's me. The one on the right. As if you couldn't tell.)

We're talking five seat mates on this short business trip. Lots of opportunities to engage, make connections, be curious, find out things that might be useful to me as a writer. Right?

But that's not me. I'm reserved by nature. Shy. Self-effacing. Concerned about being a bother. So when I fly, I always have my Kindle and my iPad with me. I read. I play Scrabble. My electronic devices keep me from having to come up with something to say.

The downside is--not coming up with something to say keeps me from life. REAL life. Engaging, making connections, being curious, finding out things that might be useful to me as a writer--not to mention enrich my experience of life immensely.

The Case for Complexity - Barbara Jean Hicks

from the teaching files of educator
and children's author Barbara Jean Hicks

I've written before in this column encouraging authors doing school visits to pay special attention to their state's educational standards as they prepare their programs. An author's ability to tie her presentations to state standards makes her more valuable (and more saleable as a speaker) than an author whose primary focus is entertainment.

Not that we don't want to entertain! Every teacher knows that fun learning is the best learning, so a didactic presentation won't have the same impact as an entertaining one. The trick is to know what students at your target age level are expected to know and help teachers by supporting those concepts in your program in a fun and interesting way.

Understanding standards, as well as general trends in education, is also helpful for authors deciding what to do for their next project. What should you be writing to find a market for your work? How can your personal interests be presented in a way that meets educator's demands? How can your next project help teachers meet their classroom goals and help students learn what they need to know?

Here's some inside information about recent shifts in education policy in the U.S. that may help authors interested in meeting the needs of students and teachers with their next project:

Five Good Minutes - Barbara Jean Hicks

from the bookshelves of educator and children's author
Barbara Jean Hicks

Writing "Morning Pages," an activity described in Julia Cameron's The Artist's Way, is by far the most impactful discipline I've ever practiced. The idea is to freewrite three pages, longhand, before you do anything else in the morning. Many of you have done or are still doing Morning Pages on a regular basis. It's an excellent way to get in touch with dreams and desires, and I've often used my pages to generate story ideas or work out story problems.

But they take me about forty minutes in the morning, and I don't always have mornings so leisurely I can afford forty minutes before I have to start the business of my day. On those days, my go-to book is a little volume with a big title: Five Good Minutes: 100 Morning Practices to Help You Stay Calm & Focused All Day Long. Published in 2005 by New Harbinger Publications and authored by Jeffrey Brantley, M.D. and Wendy Millstine, this book provides short, simple exercises designed to help you "become more present, connect more fully, and enrich your life."

There is something sacred about being present in the moment--letting go of all regrets of the past and fears of the future, and simply being. It's not an easy thing. This little book helps me get there.

Abelard and the Bad-Weather, Why-Bother Blues - Barbara Jean Hicks

Have you ever written a story that you just couldn't seem to sell to anyone but loved anyway? I can't even tell you how many years ago I started work on a story about a boy named Abelard, his Gran-Daddy Gill, and a cake that tasted like summer. At one point, Knopf had the manuscript for six months and seemed very interested; the art directors, my editor told me, were "salivating over it." Very exciting--but in the end, Knopf said "no." Then Random House (London) had it for months on end and even commissioned several artists to do sample illustrations. But again, in the end, RHUK said "no" as well. By that time, so much time had passed, and the picture book market seemed in such disarray, that I stopped shopping it.

Then I learned how to publish my out-of-print romance novels as ebooks and started to think, "Why not Abelard?"

Writer to Writer: Wallow Awhile, then Have Some Fun! - Barbara Jean Hicks

I woke up in a funk this morning. I had such plans for the summer! And here the summer is almost gone...

I was going to be in my new house by September, with two housemates to help me pay the mortgage. (It was going to be DARLING, of course.)

I was going to revive at least two of my out-of-print novels as e-books by the end of August. (They were going to be Kindle and Nook best sellers...)

I was going to spend a lot of time hiking and biking and exploring the Pacific Northwest. (Wow, would I be in great physical shape!)

I was going to work out my brain every day, too, maybe learn another language, or do those online puzzles that are supposed to keep your mind sharp, or at least re-read a couple of the classics.

Keeping Promises - Barbara Jean Hicks

I thought about skipping my regular Friday blog post for today. I have company from out of town. School starts soon and I have much to do to get ready for it. My new house, in the middle of remodeling, requires an overload of physical and mental energy. My mom's health is failing and I try hard to spend time with her every day. I provide transportation for her and my sister and housemate as well and I have to juggle my schedule every day to make sure I get them all where they need to be.

In fact, I’m under such pressure trying to balance all the different parts of my life that I’ve canceled the September Highlights workshop I’ve been looking forward to teaching for over a year. That hurt--but I couldn't see another way.

But writing for the blog is fun. And I promised Tina I’d have a post for her every Friday. I’m the kind of person who keeps my promises, right?

First Lines Novels In Verse - Barbara Jean Hicks

from the bookshelves of
Children’s Author Barbara Jean Hicks

This week I’m reading novels in verse to prepare for the Highlights workshop I’ll be teaching in September. Do you recognize these first lines from volumes in my library? The first person who posts a comment with all the titles and authors correct gets a free, autographed copy of one of my own picture books, The Secret Life of Walter Kitty, illustrated by the fabulous Dan Santat. Good luck!

 Who wrote the following first lines, and for what book?

1) It was Saturday night at our restaurant, Golden Palace, the only Chinese restaurant in our town outside Richmond.

2) A scribe does much more than just copy words.

3) Our living room is cozied up with laughter.

4) Most people just call me Sophie (which is the nameon my birth certificate), or Sof, or sometimes Sofa.

5) As summer wheat came ripe, so did I, born at home, on the kitchen floor.

First Lines: Middle Grade Books - Barbara Jean Hicks

from the bookshelves of
Children’s Author Barbara Jean Hicks

This week I’m reading middle grade books to prepare for the Highlights workshop I’ll be teaching in September. Do you recognize these first lines from volumes in my library? The first person who posts a comment with all the titles and authors correct gets a free, autographed copy of one of my own picture books, The Secret Life of Walter Kitty, illustrated by the fabulous Dan Santat. Good luck!

Who wrote the following first lines, and for what book?

1) The story I am about to share with you takes place in 1931, under the roofs of Paris.

2) Mom and Dad had known about the wedding at my Uncle Autry’s ranch for months.

3) Gramps says that I am a country girl at heart, and that is true.

4) Miri woke to the sleepy bleating of a goat.

5) Lucky Trimble crouched in a wedge of shade behind the Dumpster.

First Lines: Early Readers - Barbara Jean Hicks

from the bookshelves of
Children’s Author Barbara Jean Hicks

Summertime at the beach… What could be a better time and place for reading children’s books?! If only. I AM doing research for the children’s writing workshop I’ll be teaching for Highlights in September, so I’m reading books—but unfortunately I’m not at the beach! I just bought a house that needs a lot of work, so you’re more likely to find me on a ladder than a beach blanket.

Since I’m reading a lot to prepare for my workshop, I thought for the next few weeks I’d post the first lines from some of my favorite children’s books. The first person who posts a comment with all the titles and authors correct each week gets a free, autographed copy of one of my own picture books, The Secret Life of Walter Kitty, illustrated by the fabulous Dan Santat. This week all these books in my personal library are in the “early reader” category.

Who wrote the following first lines, and for what book?

1) One cold rainy day when my father was a little boy, he met an old alley cat on his street.

2) I have had not so good of a week.

3) Once upon a time, in a grand castle, there lived a rat named Bob, who was fond of baking and wild about reading.

4) Somewhere very romantic. Like Italy. The stars were twinkling… the moon was shining… and the air was sweet with romance!

5) One frosty morning, Zelda and Ivy helped their neighbor Mrs. Brownlie bake gingerbread cookies.

First Lines: Picture Books - Barbara Jean Hicks

First Lines: Picture Books

from the bookshelves of Children’s Author Barbara Jean Hicks

I’m reading lots of children’s books to prepare for the Highlights workshop I’ll be teaching in September. Do you recognize any of these first lines from books in my library? The first person who posts a comment with all the titles and authors correct gets a free, autographed copy of one of my own picture books, The Secret Life of Walter Kitty, illustrated by the fabulous Dan Santat. Good luck!

Who wrote the following first lines, and for what book?

1) Not so long ago, they say, a mother lived—just like today.

2) Beegu was not supposed to be here.

3) Nice place they got here.

4) Beloved Most Beauteous and Exalted King of All should be my name.

5) Lucy walked around the house.

 

A Little Child Shall Lead Them: Three - Barbara Jean Hicks

From the teaching files of
Barbara Jean Hicks

I love the way this fourth grade girl drew her self portrait based on the verbal self portrait (below) she had already written in response to a class exercise on simile. The picture is a bit startling till you read the poem and see how beautifully Raquel captured in her drawing what she had already expressed in her words.

Doesn’t she just put a whole new spin on a “bad-hair day?” In this girl’s life, there’s no such thing! She’s a lion, a monkey, a mouse, a Chihuahua, and every bit as talented as a big-name star. (Whom, I must confess, I had to Google to understand Raquel’s poem. My age is showing!) But like Raquel, no matter my age, my heart still beats "like a tap dancer"—especially when I’m helping kids express the voices and visions in their hearts.

A Little Child Shall Lead Them: Two - Barbara Jean Hicks

from the teaching files of
Barbara Jean Hicks

Are you as inspired by the voices and visions of children as I am? Check out these two self portraits, a visual one from Hector and a verbal one from Luis, both fourth graders I worked with in a California public school.

I love how self confident and grounded and perceptive they are. (I’d LOVE to be able to say “my body is great” without any sense of embarrassment!)  Kids don’t question their thoughts and feelings; they simply express them--a great lesson for us all.

Writing the Natural Way - Barbara Jean Hicks

from the bookshelves of
Barbara Jean Hicks

Writing the Natural Way

I’ve been a writer since elementary school and a teacher of writing, both for children and adults, since my high school days as a member of Future Teachers of America, when I tutored and helped out in elementary classrooms. In my quest to grow both as writer and teacher, I’ve built quite a resource library over the years, and one book I’ve referred to many times—and will incorporate into the Highlights children’s writing workshop I’ll be presenting in September—is Writing the Natural Way: Using Right-Brain Techniques to Release Your Expressive Powers.

Written by Gabriele Lusser Rico and first published in 1983 by J.P. Tarcher, Inc., the book reflects what was at the time ground-breaking research on hemispheric specialization of the brain and creativity.

A School Visit Nugget: Meeting Writing Standards - Barbara Jean Hicks

from the teaching files of
Barbara Jean Hicks

In these days of standards-based education and accountability, the pressure is on administrators and teachers to make sure everything they do helps their students reach academic benchmarks. Sometimes it must feel as if the creative spirit that led educators to the profession in the first place is struggling to survive.

Anything we can do as authors to refresh the creative spirit of both teachers and students will be doubly welcome if we address those all-important academic standards along the way. And who better to talk to kids about writing than a published author?

Memorial Day - Barbara Jean Hicks

Stirring Words
for a Day of Remembrance

from the “Great Quotes” files of
Barbara Jean Hicks

128 years ago, on May 30, 1884, the great American statesman, orator and Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. delivered an address that included an explanation as to why we celebrate Memorial Day. His words go to the heart of battles of every kind—including those required to live and write with honesty and courage.

In Holmes’s words:

A Nugget from Gary D. Schmidt

from the collected notes of
Barbara Jean Hicks

I’ve rarely heard a writer speak with such heart and deep-down truth as Gary D. Schmidt (http://www.hmhbooks.com/schmidt/) did at the annual children’s literature conference at Western Washington University in early 2012. Gary is the author of two Newberry Honor middle grade novels, The Wednesday Wars and Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy, as well as several other middle grade books. His thoughtful commentary left a deep impression.

What Publishers Want in a Children's Book - Part Two - Barbara Jean Hicks

What Publishers Want in a Children’s Book:
An Editorial Perspective, Part 2

from the collected notes of children's author
Barbara Jean Hicks

As children’s writers, our stories need to appeal to several audiences. We’ve already looked at the needs of the Child Audience. Last week and this week we’re looking at the needs of the Publisher Audience.

A manuscript that appeals to children’s book editors tells a compelling story, has a distinct vision, has emotional impact and uses language effectively.

Consider the following questions that address the final four characteristics publishers are dying to see in a manuscript. How does your work in progress meet these needs? The quotes come directly from ediotrs at a variety of houses. Again, a reminder: the answers to these questions make an excellent basis for a query letter!

What Publishers Want in a Children's Book - Part One - Barbara Jean Hicks

What Publishers Want in a Children’s Book:
An Editorial Perspective, Part 1

from the collected notes of children's author
Barbara Jean Hicks

As children’s writers, our stories need to appeal to several audiences. The last two Fridays we looked at the needs of the Child Audience. This week and next we’ll look at the needs of the Publisher Audience.

Over the years I’ve been writing for children, I’ve heard many editors speak about what publishing houses are looking for in a children’s book. The bottom line, of course, is that houses want books that will make them money! What kind of book does that? After analyzing the comments from a slew of editors from seven major houses, I’ve come up with eight characteristics editors are looking for to take a book to market. Following are the first four; check in again next Friday for the final four.

What Kids Want in a Book - part 2 - Barbara Jean Hicks

What Kids Want in a Book:
A Psychological Perspective, Part 2

from the teaching files of children's author
Barbara Jean Hicks

In preparation for a workshop I once offered at a writer’s conference, I interviewed a private practice child psychologist who uses bibliotherapy in her practice. Here’s her take on what characteristics a book must have to appeal to kids on a deep psychological level and draw them to a story over and over again. Notice the similarities to Bruno Bettelheim’s list of essential qualities a story must have in order to both hold a child’s attention and enrich her life. (Check out last Friday’s post if you missed it.)

What Kids Want in a Book - part one - Barbara Jean Hicks

What Kids Want in a Book:
A Psychological Perspective, Part 1

from the teaching files of children's author
Barbara Jean Hicks

As children’s writers, our stories need to appeal to several audiences: children, first and foremost; publishers, who can get our stories to market and hope to make a profit by doing so; and parents and librarians, who have purchasing power and can get our stories into the hands of readers. Let’s start today with the Child Audience, which seems to me the most important!

I’ve always been intrigued with the work of Bruno Bettelheim (1903-1990), and started with him in my search to understand what it is, from a psychological perspective, that kids want from a book. 

Panning for Gold with Barbara Jean Hicks – Agent Marcia Wernick

from the collected notes of Barbara Jean Hicks

To agent or not to agent? Sometimes it feels like harder work finding an agent than finding a publisher, so my temptation has been to submit without an agent. In the current market, however, with fewer and fewer publishers accepting submissions over the transom, an agent seems more and more necessary to publishing success.

When I first heard agent Marcia Wernick speak at an SCBWI conference in Seattle in 2004, she was associated with the Sheldon Fogelman Agency in New York City. In January 2011, she founded the Wernick and Pratt Agency with long-time colleague Linda Pratt.

Marketing Nuggets part 2 - Barbara Jean Hicks

from the collected notes of Barbara Jean Hicks

Here are a few more nuggets from “Marketing for Authors,” a roundtable moderated by Kelly Milner Halls and Esther Hershenhorn at my first ever SCBWI Summer Conference…

From Kelly: Contact your local newspaper’s “Features” editor and help him fill a gap by writing an article about your book.

From Esther: Use an e-mail footer under your signature that lists all your books and all the things you do.

From Michelle Parker-Rock: Offer to write a short, simple column for an SCBWI region’s website and/or newsletter. Give yourself a nice, meaty byline and “About the Author” profile.

Marketing Nuggets part 1- Barbara Jean Hicks

from the collected notes of Barbara Jean Hicks

This week I dug back into notes from my very first SCBWI LA Summer Conference—in 2004! The nuggets I found at a roundtable called “Marketing for Authors,” moderated by Kelly Milner Halls and Esther Hershenhorn, are as relevant today as they were then. The moderators each brought a few good ideas to the table to get the ball rolling, and then the community of writers in attendance shared ideas of their own—too many to post all at once, but here are a few to begin, starting with Kelly and Esther. I’ll share more next week.

From Kelly: Give, give, give! Give workshops and encouragement whenever the opportunity presents itself.

From Esther: Write that bio—and make sure it puts your best foot forward—even before you need it. Your bio introduces you to the world.

A Nugget from Caroline Hatton - Barbara Jean Hicks

from the collected notes of Barbara Jean Hicks

On Balance in the Writer’s Life

Author Caroline Hatton posted a great comment on the SCBWI listserve for the California Central Coast chapter last month that I think deserves wider circulation. It’s about balancing a professional non-writing life and a professional writing life, and was written in response to another writer’s concern that a new employer might discover her online writing presence and worry that she was not fully committed to her “day job.” I particularly like the third point Caroline makes; it made me stop to think about my own reasons both for writing and for teaching. What is the common thread that underlies the work I choose to do?

Caroline's post:

I have three suggestions:

1. Be proud of everything you do because it will move others to respect you 
for it and to respect everything you do.

A Poem for Valentine's Day - Barbara Jean Hicks

A POEM FOR VALENTINE’S DAY

In honor of Valentine’s Day next week, here’s my favorite love poem ever. It’s a character sketch, beautifully rendered in twenty-four short lines, leaving such clear impressions both of the loved one and the lover/narrator that we feel as if we know them intimately by the end of the poem.

I think Nims’ skill at using the particular to make an observation about the human condition—in this case, about the nature of love—is something every writer can learn from and apply to his or her own writing. And oh, the images and language of his particulars! Great stuff.

LOVE POEM

My clumsiest dear, whose hands shipwreck vases,
At whose quick touch all glasses chip and ring,
Whose palms are bulls in china, burs in linen,
And have no cunning with any soft thing