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I recently finished reading P.S. BE ELEVEN by Rita Williams-Garcia. What makes this book unique is that it's infused with voice. Big Ma is one of the most memorable adult characters since Richard Peck's Grandma Dowdel. And I giggled every time Fern said, "surely did," or Delphine called her sisters Heckle and Jeckle.
While I was in the midst of reading this novel, my father-in-law, Walter Hitchcock died. Walt had asked me a couple of years ago to write his obituary, but it didn't go so well. In retrospect, I think he was afraid to give me feedback, (afraid he'd hurt my feelings), and I was uncomfortable writing an obit for a man who was still alive and whom I didn't want to lose. A little frustrated, I asked Walt to look through the local papers and send me examples of obits he liked. To which he replied, "I don't like any of them. None of them sounds like me."
In the end, Walt left some notes about what he'd like in his obituary and his wife and kids edited them after his death. He himself wrote some of my favorite parts. Like these lines:
By his own admission, and from what his sons and friends told him, his golf game left a lot to be desired. However, he enjoyed it and could boast of a hole-in-one at Lake Hickory, hole #6. Sometimes, he would say, "It is better to be lucky than to be good."
These lines make me chuckle. They sound like Walt for a very good reason. He wrote them and his voice shines through.
You can't fake voice. It's unique to each writer. For excellent examples read P.S. BE ELEVEN or my father-in-law's obit. Both are infused with voice, and both make me smile.
To celebrate my book's birthday, (it's tomorrow, February 1st), I'd like to share the SCBWI success story that I wrote for the Florida listserv:
Finding Success Through The Miami SCBWI Conference
 I didn’t find either my agent or my editor through SCBWI,
yet it was through the contacts I made at the Miami conference that I learned
to craft a novel. My novel writing journey started in 2009 at the “First Books
Panel.” I listened as Marjetta Geerling, Debbie Reed Fischer, and Danette
Haworth shared their paths to publication. One thing each of them had in common
was this phrase, “I’d like to thank Joyce Sweeney.” I jotted her name down in
my notebook and made it my mission to find this fairy godmother.
I discovered that Joyce is a talented teacher and mentor who
has helped many authors land their first publishing contract. Later that
evening, I introduced myself to her, and Joyce agreed to critique my middle
grade novel. While that manuscript is still in my file drawer, the lessons I
learned while crafting it stood me in good stead while writing my second book,
THE BALLAD OF JESSIE PEARL.
In 2010, I journeyed back to the Miami conference. By this
time I had written about 50 pages of JESSIE, and the first chapter was slated
for critique with Newbery award winning author, Richard Peck.
THE BALLAD OF JESSIE PEARL is set in the 1920s. Mr. Peck’s
written critique says, “Moreover, your subject matter is my own favorite:
rustic nostalgia (with an edge) to reveal a little history to a generation not
learning any at school.”
Since Mr. Peck had read only the first ten pages, he asked
me to walk him through the rest of the plot. At that time, my novel had both a midwife
and a second older woman called Cousin Rachel. Mr. Peck told me those two
characters sounded remarkably similar and asked if they could be combined.
“Yes!” I said. “Yes, that is absolutely brilliant!” He answered, “You have too
many characters auditioning for a part in your novel.”
I confessed that I wasn’t entirely sure how my novel would
end and shared two possibilities. Mr. Peck shook his head. “There’s only one
way this novel can end,” he said. “Your character has grown and changed during
her journey. The ending must reflect that.”
Armed with plotting tips from Richard Peck, I went back home
and finished my book. I then took the completed manuscript to a Highlights
Foundation Whole Novel Workshop led by Stephen Roxburgh. When Stephen said, “This
novel really is delicious and exactly the kind of thing I’m looking to
publish,” I knew JESSIE had found a home!
Here’s a sneak peek of THE BALLAD OF JESSIE PEARL:
Sometimes when the kerosene lamp
casts shadows, I think I see Ma’s ghost. If she were still alive, she’d say,
Jessie Pearl, you keep on studying. Not everybody is cut out to be a farm wife.
We’ll find a way to pay for teachers’ college. Leave your Pa to me.
And tonight, Ma would notice how
my hands are trembling. I can almost hear her voice. Jessie, fourteen is too
young to help birth a baby. Why don’t you go and study in the kitchen? But Ma
is just a memory.
It’s 1922, and Jessie has big
plans for her future, but that’s before tuberculosis strikes. Though she
has no talent for cooking, cleaning, or nursing, Jessie puts her dreams on hold
to help her family. She falls in love for the first time ever, and
suddenly what she wants is not so simple any more.
Inspired by Shannon Hitchcock’s
family history, THE BALLAD OF JESSIE PEARL wraps you like an old quilt in the
traditions, tastes, and dialect of rural North Carolina.
On Sunday, I went on a field trip, practically in my own backyard, to the University of South Florida. The fearless leader of our expedition was Dr. Joan Kaywell, founder of The Ted Hipple Young Adult Literature Collection.
Dr. Kaywell started the collection in memory of her mentor, Dr. Ted Hipple. The collection houses autographed first editions of YA literature in addition to manuscripts and ARCS.
My favorite part of the tour was looking at the papers donated by YA author, Greg Neri. Greg is also a talented illustrator and his drawings are more interesting than a typed manuscript.
I was like a kid in a candy store, surrounded by the works of S.E. Hinton, Richard Peck, Alex Flinn, Jacqueline Woodson, and many, many more.
When my debut novel, THE BALLAD OF JESSIE PEARL, is published in the winter of 2013, I plan to donate my working papers, editor's notes, manuscript, and a signed copy to the library.
If more middle grade and YA novelists were aware of this collection, it would grow even faster. So spread the word, spread the love of YA literature!
To find out more about the Ted Hipple Young Adult Literature Collection, watch this video on YouTube.
 Set off the fireworks! My debut novel, THE BALLAD OF JESSIE PEARL, will be edited by Stephen Roxburgh and published by namelos!
THE BALLAD OF JESSIE PEARL had a long and winding road from initial idea to contract. It started when my son's eighth grade history teacher at Tampa Prep gave the class an assignment. Mr. Fowler asked the kids to interview family members and record ten family stories. Each story had to take place during a different decade, and the kids had to research what was happening in the U.S. during that time period, and also in the larger world. One of the stories my son collected called to me. It was the story of Crawley Hennings Wooten, my grandmother's sister. Crawley died when she was 20 years old from tuberculosis. She left behind a ten-month-old baby and a letter planning her own funeral. My grandmother, who was 14 at the time, stepped up and became the baby's mother until his father later remarried. Since my son was 14 at the time of the history assignment, I couldn't help but think about the level of responsibility that had been thrust upon my grandmother as a young girl. Because nobody is still alive that remembers exactly what happened, I let my imagination run free. I read NC history books, novels set in the 1920's, and memoirs from sanatoriums. I made up characters and asked a lot of "what if" questions. In the final analysis, I used some actual place names like Flint Hill Road, Stony Knoll Church, and Frank Meyers's store, but the rest took place only in my mind. After writing about 100 pages of JESSIE, I submitted the first chapter for critique at the Florida SCBWI Miami Conference. I was lucky enough to be critiqued by Newbery-winning author, Richard Peck. Mr. Peck asked me to walk him through the rest of the plot. His eyes twinkled and he said in that droll way of his, "You have too many characters auditioning for a part in your novel." I killed some of them off and that made writing the rest of the book much easier. Author, Joyce Sweeney encouraged me, offered advice, and served as my mentor. My critique partners cheered me on. Once the novel was complete, I signed with a literary agent. She subbed my manuscript to a small group of editors with no success. Here's a sample of the comments she received: Henry Holt: "We have a novel forthcoming that has similar themes, in which a girl is rehabilitating at a TB sanatorium (Breathing Room by Marsha Hayles), so the timing isn't right on our end." Dial BFYR: "My concern is that this is straightforward historical fiction which is just a really tough sell in the market right now." I became convinced that the novel was good, but not quite good enough. So I signed up for Stephen Roxburgh's Whole Novel Workshop through the Highlights Foundation. Stephen, an experienced editor with more than 30 years in publishing, read my novel in its entirety. In addition, I had three one-on-one sessions with him to discuss it. Stephen kept working with me in the months that followed. I revised twice more per his comments. In February of 2012, he finally made an offer. I yelled...I screamed...I danced around my kitchen and ran like a crazy woman from room to room! For every unpublished novelist, there has to be somebody who will open the publishing door and let us in. I will be forever grateful to Stephen for taking that chance on me.
 For me writing the first page is the hardest part of writing a novel. I'll compare it to meeting someone for the first time. The conversation is a little stilted. You're in that awkward getting to know you phase. A few chapters in and the awkwardness has faded. You're old friends now who can't wait to catch up and plan your next adventure. But as writers we must conquer the first page. Sometimes an agent or editor doesn't read any further. In the October issue of Writer's Digest, literary agent, Kristin Nelson uses four first page examples and only one of the four passes muster. She writes, "Trust me when I say that after an agent has read hundreds of thousands of sample pages--as my colleagues and I have at Nelson Literary Agency--we know." Ms. Nelson stopped reading for the following reasons: 1. Too much dialogue. 2. Overuse of description. 3. Lack of tension. If you get a chance, pick up a copy of the magazine. You can absolutely see her points. I was thrilled to discover another article in the October issue called, "Your First 50 Pages The 4 Goals Your Beginning Must Meet." I am in the process of applying these rules, not only to my first 50 pages, but to the very first page. The opening should: 1. Introduce the story-worthy problem. 2. Hook the reader. 3. Establish the story rules. 4. Forecast the ending. This is a harder exercise than it looks, but I am much happier with my first page from applying the concepts from this article. A couple of years ago, I was lucky enough to receive a critique from Richard Peck. He gave me this bit of advice regarding first pages: Always rewrite the first page after you've written the last one. That really ties in well with #4 Forecast the ending. What are your thoughts regarding the infernal first page? I'd love even more pointers on how to make them sing!
I was ecstatic when I discovered that Richard Peck would be critiquing my manuscript at SCBWI Miami. Several people asked me if I was nervous. But no, I never was. I knew Richard Peck had been a teacher, and in my experience teachers are generous with students who genuinely seek to learn. I walked into my critique carrying his latest novel, A SEASON OF GIFTS, so that I could get it signed. He had "rock star" status at the conference, and his line was always too long during breaks. "Finally we meet," he says. Be still my heart! I love his voice. He hands me a two-page typed critique. He likes my work. He REALLY likes it. It helps that I have written a novel set in the 1920's. His written critique says, "Moreover, your subject matter is my own favorite: rustic nostalgia (with an edge) to reveal a little history to a generation not learning any at school." Since Mr. Peck had only read the first ten pages, he asked me to walk him through the rest of the plot. My novel had a midwife and a second older woman called Cousin Rachel. He told me those two characters sounded remarkably similar. He asked me if they could be combined. I stopped and thought about it for a moment. "Yes,!" I said. "Yes, that is absolutely brilliant!" I have since combined those characters, and it makes a huge difference in the novel. He asked me to justify why my character had two sisters. Would one sister suffice? In this case, I needed two sisters for the plot, but he asked me to think through my cast of characters, to make sure each one was vital to the story I was telling. I told him that my character would have a choice to make: whether to stay on her family farm or make her way into the world. My character is head-over-heels in love with her farm boy so I thought she would probably stay. Mr. Peck points his finger at me, "She must go!" he says in that wonderfully deep voice. And that's when I knew exactly how my book would end. My critique with Richard Peck was a crash course in plotting a novel. I've been critiqued many, many times, but I've never before had a session as productive as that one. My fifteen minutes with him exceeded all of my expectations. He truly is a great teacher.
Richard Peck talked about the importance of a great opening line. Consider this from his book THE TEACHER'S FUNERAL: "If your teacher has to die, August isn't a bad time of year for it." That line is definitely memorable and makes the reader ponder what's coming next. Mr. Peck said he goes to the bookstore about once a month and writes down the opening lines from books he admires. Kathleen Duey spoke of the importance of the first page and said she frequently rewrites the first page about twenty times. In the novel intensive workshop, Jen Rofe read my first page out loud. She said it needed a stronger opening line, it could be tightened, the character's voice could come through more strongly. I took Richard Peck's advice. I copied down lots of great opening lines from other books. I took Kathleen Duey's advice. I rewrote my first page about twenty times. I literally spent a whole day just working on the first two pages. Here's my take away: Peck, Duey, and Rofe dropped pearls of wisdom. My opening is much stronger from following their advice. Give these pearls of wisdom a try. I'd be interested in hearing if they work for you too.
For Kathleen Duey it's all about finding the right voice for the book. She shared that her voice varies widely. Richard Peck told conference participants to go to real life for voice, that voice comes from listening. He said he has "reached the age of invisibility." That he can eavesdrop in mall foodcourts without teenagers even noticing. Jill Santopolo used Barbie as a metaphor for voice. A naked Barbie is your authorial voice. Now consider dressing her as Malibu Barbie. Malibu Barbie will sound differently than Teacher Barbie or Nurse Barbie. Ms. Santopolo said Junie B. Jones is the "gold standard" for voice in chapter books.
All writers have them. Those authors we admire and strive to emulate. Lots of the usual suspects are on my list: Deborah Wiles, Karen Cushman, Deborah Hopkinson, Kate DiCamillo, Karen Hesse, Laurie Halse Anderson, and Richard Peck. This past summer I had the opportunity to attend the national SCBWI Conference in Los Angeles. Richard Peck gave one of the keynote speeches, and I was enthralled. He has a wonderfully deep voice, the kind that is perfectly suited to a storyteller. As I listened to him weave his magic, I whispered to my friend, "I'd listen to this man read the phone book." Yes, he really is that good. Last night an email popped up notifying me about my critique session for the Florida SCBWI Conference in Miami. Richard Peck is my assigned critiquer! I have a date with Richard Peck. Granted, it's only fifteen minutes, but it's destined to be one of those special memories that I dust off when rejection letters fill my mailbox. Forget winning a date with Tad Hamilton. I'll take Richard Peck any day!
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