If it feels like work…

When I am not walking the dogs, trying to avoid cooking or getting speeding tickets in West Linn I sit at my desk and try and write books.

This should be the great pleasure in my life, no? I have strived and worked towards having this opportunity for many years. I feel increadibly fortunate to be doing it. I continue to do other types of work as well:  design, sculpture, animation and illustration, but having had  two picture books acquired as well as writing and drawing a graphic novel for Chronicle Books, I was thrilled to actually get results from all the hundreds, if not thousands, of stories that I have written that never made it off my monitor. In fact, many never even got an ending. At least a good one.

But sitting here writing ‘books’ it feels pretty much like work. It IS work. I’m reminded every time I feel like walking away from what I am writing. What I am TRYING to write. It’s challenging and can be creative, and fun and I feel amazingly lucky to be getting the time to pursue this. But it’s also good-old-fashioned, irritating, stress inducing work.

Now, back to work.

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Pictures vs. words.

Back in December of 2011 (so long ago, I was but a young lad…) I wrote a long winded post headlined “Can graphic novels make you smarter?” It discussed how combining the act of reading and looking at pictures to absorb a story activate different parts of the brain. You can read that post linked here.

At the time I hadn’t looked at the issue from the perspective of two interesting words which are usually used in the field of linguistics but have great resonance for the issue of using pictures and words together to tell stories.

Diachronic is a term for something happening over time. and ‘synchronic‘ refers to something that happens at a specific point in time.

In linguistics diachronic and synchronic have been defined as relating to the issues of examining language from a historical POV vs. a topological one. But I am interested in the broader meaning of the terms.

The big idea is that you gain meaning from language as it unfolds through time e.g. “Once upon a time there was a bear and a monkey who were best friends.”

Whereas you can absorb the impact from an illustration immediately e.g. an illustration showing a bear and monkey playing video games together.

Of course you can study the illustration, and gain more from it, but when you combine the experience of reading a story using words and have part of that story use visual imagery the brain is doing some extra work to build a larger meaning and context. Contradictions can arise and new levels of similarity can be gained.

I began to realize that a graphic novels and picture books activate different processes for a reader. And perhaps part of the intrigue and interest is that the brain is conceptualizing the narrative in different ways because of how we understand language vs. an illustration. (See this intriguing article from Science Daily about how a brain understands images) We read and gain understanding through time, while the image not only informs us in one ‘blast’ but they physically use different parts of the brain to gather meaning.

The brain likes to be surprised in a narrative. And by combining the use of language and image it’s a more dynamic experience.

I’m not saying that the more elements you add to a narrative creation the better it is. But it may explain why a graphic novel or a picture book brings such great pleasure and satisfaction to a reader.

I also suspect that better understanding how we experience words and pictures in different ways can help illustrators and writers better exploit what makes each form interesting and dynamic.

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Witches and spells and spelling

I’m very excited to have finished up illustrating a wonderful new book by George Shannon.

Of course it won’t be out for another 12 months or so. But that’s publishing. It feels kind of like those astronauts working on the space shuttle where it takes 20 minutes for them to catch a floating wrench.

But it WILL be out and that’s the best part. Here’s a sample image. I’ll talk about it more when the book finds its way to stores. But here’s an image from the witches favorite cafe. Click to see it a little bigger.

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Sit down, turn around, write a book.

The second time I was going to write a picture book (I’ll talk about my first attempt at writing a picture book some other time. When we need a really good laugh…) I clearly remember clearing an afternoon of everything else, getting a sketchbook with doodles and ideas, sitting at my desk, bringing up a new Microsoft Word document on my computer, positioning my hands over my keyboard so I could start typing…and…and…sitting there.

I wrote nothing of any commercial value that day. I don’t most days. But the difference is now I write something everyday and don’t have expectations that what I will write will magically transform into a 32 page picture book. Most of what I write is, to be less than polite, sucky. (That’s a word used in the trade. Strictly a professional term.) And only the tiniest fraction is commercially viable. I wish I could improve my batting average. (I hate sports analogies…)

But I often think about sitting at my desk in Pasadena trying to write one on demand. I wanted to start work on it immediately. You know, things to do, places to go. And I had a million ideas. And just about 1 million of them wouldn’t work well for a picture book.

For me, books don’t just hop out of my head. Heck, my illustrations don’t work like that.

The way I work is more obvious to me now. It’s little steps here-and-there, now-and-then.

Ideas grow and develop across months. I write things down not expecting anything to come of them. On the rarest occasions something sprouts. The picture book that was recently acquired by a publisher developed like that. It’s a picture book that grew from one little drawing and a few sentences.  After a long journey of edits with my agent and input from an editor, it was solid enough to move forward.  I will be starting work on that in the next few weeks and I’m very excited. It’s the first picture book I wrote and will draw.

I know some people get that opportunity right away. I know artists and writers who have the ability and luck to sell their first manuscript. It didn’t work like that for me. And my second picture book, which is in the process of being acquired (which I can’t talk about yet) didn’t come about any easier. It didn’t have any less drafts or fewer edits or revisions or rewrites or waking-up-at-three-in-the-mornings and realizing that page 15 sucks. (Again, please excuse the professional language.)

I know everyone has a different process. Some learn faster than others. Some writers have a naturally commercial set of instincts. It’s taken me a lot of years to figure out that the time I set aside for writing is just the start of the process. There is no way to shorten the book making recipe for me. But by ending and often beginning each day by writing I create more opportunity for something to develop.

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Guest Blogger – Policeman Michael from Make Way for Duckings

My guest blogger today is Policeman Michael from Make Way for Ducklings. Everyone knows about his actions that one spring day. But he has a few things to clear up.

I’ve never been asked to be on one of these bloggers before. So I appreciate the invitation.

First off, I only play a small part in that story. And I still say I did the same thing anyone else would. I’m not a hero. Just doing my job. Sometimes I’m asked not so nice, didn’t you have anything better to do? Like stopping the guy who broke my car window and took my laptop on Charles Street? I remind all you e-readers that the occurrences in that book took place in 1941! There were no laptops to steal. It was a different time. It wasn’t all rush, rush, rush. The world war was building and people needed to understand that the little things were still important.

Also, I would like to clarify: Only three times did I stop mid-day traffic. By far the most celebrated was when I did so for those ducks. But I also stopped traffic for a crazed squirrel and one additional time for a couple from Topeka. They were really lost. Thought they were in Philadelphia. And I really need to give a nod to Clancy. He sent a car that day and I always appreciated him doing that.He wasn’t the most easy going guy, but working at headquarters wasn’t an easy going job. Still isn’t I suppose.

Now it’s back to my favorite chair beside the pool. Florida is lovely this time of year, as long as you can escape into air conditioning! Thanks for letting me talk to your readers today. You do have readers right? I mean, how do you even know? Oh well, these computers are all a mess to me. But my granddaughter bought me an iPad, now that I love.

Michael

With thanks to Robert McCloskey. Make Way For Ducklings is still one of my favorites. The copy I have was given to me in 1973 for my birthday (the writing is still on the inside flap). And here it is, still on my shelf all these years later.

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Kids books are still breathing

Interesting article in The Los Angeles Times today by Susan Carpenter about the state of kids book publishing. Of course children’s literature, especially picture books, are always either dying or about to fly to new heights. And judging by the books mentioned this seems a bit skewed toward a small set of people who share a unique business arrangement…But it’s a great read and any press is better than none. I think.

From the article: This fall’s offerings span a wide variety of topics and suggest why children’s books have turned into the fastest-growing segment of the publishing industry.

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How Martha Saved Her Parents…

How does Martha save her family? By debt restructuring? Refinancing? Eating Green Beans?

You only have to wait until next April to find out! I was lucky enough to illustrate a book by David Larochelle and it’s now on Amazon for double-dog-early pre order. So I guess I can start writing about it a little more. I just saw the proofs for it last week and the designer really made a great looking book. I’m excited to get a copy!

So reserve a copy  of How Martha Saved Her Parents from Green Beans now before I buy them all.

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It’s all about them…Characters before plot.

Character vs. plot. Like the friction between dogs and cats, liberals and conservatives, bakers and monkeys, there will never be a quiet moment between which is more important to fiction. Actually I think most people agree it’s character. But I liked my intro.

Every editor, every development executive, my mom – they will all tell you that characters are more important than plot. That a great book, a great TV series (for kids or adults) a great film – is about characters the audience likes and wants to spend time with. Those characters can be under the ocean, in space, in a desert, they can be dogs, humans or monsters. But the characters need to draw you in.

So recently I was a little surpirsed when friends were sharing ideas for kids books and they all started with the location/setting/plot device. I was introduced to strange worlds, bizarre underground caves, even an old western town – before I met anyone. It’s a lonely way to talk about a story. By placing that information first, the creators seemed to be admitting that character is taking a back seat to location and/or plot.

Whenever I am trying to flesh out a story I start writing about the main character, or one of the main characters. (writing 101, I know). I write a page about the character before I ever TALK about where they are or sometimes, what they are. And when I develop the story I try and look back at this start and remember that no matter where the story takes this character, the character comes first. Their failures, their desires, their resentments. Even in a picture book this can be helpful.

Now that I’ve written this, I will work even harder to make sure I follow it!

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Picture Books. Good stories or well written?

Looking through tables of books at the school book fair I was taken back by how many decent, or great, or at least good looking picture books there are. Wow. And then of course, there are the books by celebrities.

I must be in the wrong business because if it makes financial sense for Jeff Foxworthy and Madonna to put out picture books, I am doing something way wrong…I mean, can’t she fill a stadium with people who want to see and hear her? That’s gotta be a better return than on a picture book. Right? Right?? – sniffle-

It’s already hard enough to sell a book. Now my book will be on a table next to Madonna and Glen Beck and people who have TV shows. Because, you know, writing a picture book is easy compared to all that other stuff, right?

Recently in a conversation someone mentioned that there is no shortage of good stories; but there are few well written, good stories. I hadn’t thought of it that way. That as self publishing blooms and there is more media available then ever before what we lose is the big-enchilada. That is; stories that are good and are well executed.

Of course the market decides what is well written, right? Only well written books sell. Just like only great films make 4 billion at the box office. At least that’s what I’ve been told.

The old issue of art and commerce comes right back at you. The market does not select by quality, but then again most of us don’t either. Sometimes it all synchs up. A great story, that’s well written sells a gazillion copies. But often the market is attracted to something unique. Something that is just different enough to feel part of its time. The craft has to be just good enough I suppose.

Picture books fasciate me because they contradict a lot of writerly common sense. They are more poem than novel. And of course what makes a picture book resonate with an audience has changed through the years. They are part of the world after all, not an academic exercise.

Crafting a good story that is well executed in a picture book appropriate form is no easy task. The best ones don’t always sell, in fact, sometimes the ones I think are exceptional don’t find a place in my heart like some that are clearly not as well done. So what makes a great one? Heck if I will tell you! After all, in the immortal words of William Goldman, “Nobody knows anything.” Including me.

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About a Book Wednesday – Neal Layton

This week a favorite from the shelf. It’s never far from where I am working.

The Story of Everything, by Neal Layton. It’s a pop-up book that starts with the Big Bang. Really!

To me it represents the very best of picture books. It’s crazy-funny and the energy in the book is infectious. But infectious in a good way. Neal has drawn a lot of books. Of course Mammoth Academy is next on my Must Buy list. (You know Mammoths are my favorites critters)

Visit Neal Layton’s website.

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