I kicked off my fourth and final semester with a two-week residency that left me inspired and emotional. I was touched by how many faculty and students read or lectured on topics that left them open and vulnerable. I’m reminded yet again how deeply creators must connect to their characters in order to encourage readers to care for them as well.
A highlight of my residency was a workshop on writing within and across identity elements, facilitated by the inspirational Cynthia Leitich Smith, who’s latest YA novel Hearts Unbroken dismantles stereotypes. In it, Louise Wolfe deals with the challenges of “dating while Native.” She also attempts to uncover who’s behind a coalition against the school musical director’s ethnically inclusive approach to casting. From our workshop, I’ve culled a list of strategies, techniques and issues to ponder when writing within and across identity elements. Thank you, Cynthia!
Now I’m back home and writing my creative thesis, which means I’ll focus on how to use my newly developed skills to bring creative pages to a professional polish. I plan to revise a middle-grade novel as well as several picture books – both fiction and nonfiction. I also hope to explore some new, fledgling ideas.
And I’ll be preparing an academic lecture based on the critical thesis I wrote last semester. I want to help writers, including myself, peek behind our cultural blinders to identify our characters’ deep-level cultural beliefs as well as our own. I’ll touch on the #OwnVoices movement and explore how to develop culturally rich characters.
And lucky me! I get to do all this with my new faculty advisor Alan Cumyn! If you haven’t yet read his latest, North to Benjamin, you’re in for a treat. In it, Edgar moves to Dawson City with his mother so she can start over yet again, but this time their new home comes with a dog-sitting job. As Edgar’s mother starts to upend the lives of those around them one more time, Edgar takes refuge in his friendship with the farty, lovable Newfoundland dog, Benjamin, so much so that his words come out as barks. I love Edgar’s doggy traits as he tries to figure out what to do next.
Wish me luck as I start my deep dive into my semester work!
During my MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults at the Vermont College of Fine Arts, I wrote about how to revise picture-book manuscripts. I’m happy to share this as a two-part article in the CANSCAIP News.
The first part was published in the Spring issue, and it focuses on beginnings and endings. Now, the Summer issue includes the second part on how to revise the messy middle.
I’m finishing my third semester with my fabulous faculty advisor Will Alexander, author of fantasy and science fiction for young readers, including his most recent book, A Festival of Ghosts, which you must read if you haven’t already!
This semester, Will suggested on-point mentor texts and critical essays that shaped my thinking, he provided writing exercises that gave me techniques to address challenges, and he provided feedback that inspired and challenged me to succeed. He confirmed when I was on track and guided me with enthusiasm when I was not. He celebrated successes with me, both big and small, and truly cared about my development as a writer. Will, I’m so very grateful!
The third semester is all about the critical thesis, which is actually more fun than it sounds because you pick a writing-craft topic that you want to learn about in more detail. For me, that topic was culture and character development.
My premise was that cultural development is not only for characters who are labeled as diverse; it is for all characters. I limited this exploration to family culture, which shows where our characters first develop their beliefs, and peer culture, which shows where they apply those beliefs. I demonstrated that our characters’ cultural orientations provide motivation for how they feel, what they do and say, and how they change—all of which are basic building blocks for story. I developed character cultural development tools that writers can use to gain story insights as well as insights into how they relate to their characters, and I connected this topic to the #OwnVoices movement.
This topic is personally important to me because I want to authentically portray the diverse community in which I live and write. As writers, we’re familiar with how to integrate surface-level cultural elements into a story, perhaps by using slang, describing food or fashion, or using a festival as a setting. However, we should also understand the deep-level beliefs behind those elements. In addition, awareness of how our own cultural orientations differ from our characters’ will help us identify beliefs, feelings, and behaviours that come from ourselves, rather than them. It can also help us identify if we are the ideal writer to tell a particular story.
Now, my critical thesis will join the many others at VCFA’s Gary Library as part of their canon of critical thought on children’s literature. I must be a geek because that makes me excited!
This semester, I also read and analyzed books in a wide range of genres — picture books, chapter books, poetry, novels for kids and teens, graphic novels, novels in verse, short stories for kids and teens, fairy tales, nonfiction, memoir, and essays on writing craft. I listened to 21 audio-recorded VCFA lectures and read many critical theses.
For my creative work, my overall goal this semester was to explore the micro-level craft techniques for emotional depth on the page and macro-level techniques for the emotional structure of a story in both short fiction and novels. Here’s what I wrote over the last six months:
I wrote three flash fiction stories to play with how to generate emotionally deep characters.
I wrote and revised a new narrative nonfiction picture book, which I’m super excited about!
I wrote a solid draft of over three-quarters of a middle-grade fantasy novel that I can’t stop thinking about!
I can’t begin to explain all the ways this program has changed me as a writer. With one more semester to go, it’s not over yet.
My fourth semester starts in July with a residency filled with workshops, lectures, and readings — and a new faculty advisor. In my final semester, I’ll be completing a creative thesis and preparing a lecture. But first, I need a few weeks to rest up for the fun and hard work to come!
I’ve been having fun drawing my Kan’t Draw Komics, which I started because I’m a terrible artist. You can read more about that in this post. Here are my latest ones.
The first one is about how writing can become a struggle between what the writer wants and what the character wants. It’s always better to listen to your characters rather than trying to force them to do what you want them to do. However, a story is also about a character in conflict, so writers need to be prepared to put their characters in dire situations!
Anyone who knows me well will tell you that patience is not my strength. But I love the zen of my weekly yoga classes. When I submit to publishers, I definitely need more zen. Tree pose anyone?
I’m thrilled to announce that I just signed a contract with Owlkids Books for my debut picture book!
Picture books hold a special place in my heart. They’re a joy to read aloud. You can share them with any age. We are never too old for picture books! They create magic in only a few words. And to see my words illustrated? Priceless.
This picture book began as a germ of an idea that I finally put to paper when I needed to write a lyrical story during my Picture Book Intensive semester at the Vermont College of Fine Arts. Nineteen drafts later, it landed a contract. Who says picture books are easy to write?
A special shout-out to my Picture Book Intensive faculty advisor – Liz Garton Scanlon, author of the Caldecott-honoured picture book All the World. Liz is an inspiration.
My critique partners – both at VCFA and in the Great White North – read this manuscript more than once. Thanks to you all!
And of course, I need to thank the talented folks at Owlkids Books, who saw the potential in this manuscript. I am so grateful!
More about the book later, but for now I’ll tell you that it’s scheduled for publication in Fall 2021, and I can’t wait!
As one of my many explorations during my MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults at the Vermont College of Fine Arts, I wrote about how to revise picture-book manuscripts. Now, that writing has become a two-part article in the CANSCAIP News!
You can read the first part of the article here (in the Summer 2019 issue). This part discusses beginnings and endings. The second part will explore how to revise the messy middle of a manuscript.
I recently started Kan’t Draw Komics, and you can read my first one here. Since I just returned from the whirlwind of my third residency at the Vermont College of Fine Arts (VCFA) in Writing for Children and Young Adults, border crossings are on my mind. So my second comic is on that theme, and it’s actually based on a true story from one of my trips. I hope you enjoy it!
In this semester, I’m writing my critical thesis, which I’m very excited about, and I’ll share more about my topic later. When I started this program, I expected the critical writing to be a chore, but I discovered how much it feeds my creative work. I’ll also be working on creative writing projects, of course. I’m thrilled to be paired with the talented faculty advisor and program chair Will Alexander, author of fantasy and science fiction for young readers. His most recent book, A Festival of Ghosts, is a fun, ghostly romp!
I’ve always been a terrible artist, and here’s a story to prove it.
In grade one, I came home with a D on my report card. It was in Reading Comprehension. Oh, I could read, but I couldn’t prove that I could understand what I’d read. This was because my grade-one teacher had decided to test our comprehension by asking us to draw pictures of what we’d read, and I refused to draw any people or animals. Why? Because I couldn’t draw them perfectly. So my reading-comprehension drawings had little or no resemblance to the stories.
Fast forward a year or so, and I’m at the kitchen table attempting to draw a squirrel. (At least I got past the refusing-to-draw-animals stage.) Anyway, I’m frustrated because I can’t get my squirrel right, so I ask my mother for help. She draws her version of a squirrel, teaching me how to make a body first, then add the head, ears, fluffy tail and paws. I said to my mother, “If you can’t draw a squirrel, why didn’t you say so?”
Ouch. Sorry, mom.
I suppose I’m a terrible artist because I haven’t tried to learn much about it. I’ve stayed stuck in perfectionism, which is a big block to creativity. But recently, I’ve felt the urge to share some of my writing tips in comic form, mostly because we live in a visual world, and I want to share in that. The only problem? Yes, you got it. I can’t draw.
Or can’t I?
This post is my official launch of Kan’t Draw Komics. I’ve decided that, not only am I going to attempt to draw my Komics, I’m going to share them with the world. Yes, I can only draw stick people. Yes, I’m afraid you will think I’m ridiculous. But I’ve decided that looking ridiculous is a risk I’m willing to take.
Here, folks, is my first comic. Enjoy! No please, really, do try to enjoy it!
I’m currently finishing up my second semester with my genius advisor Amanda Jenkins, author of the Printz Honor Book Repossessed, among others titles. My goal this semester was to understand how to convey authentic and deep character emotion in both revised and new manuscripts. It expanded to include how to structure a story based on a character’s emotional journey.
Here’s what I did over the last six months:
I read and analyzed books in a wide range of genres — picture books, chapter books, poetry, novels for kids and teens, graphic novels, novels in verse, manga, short stories for kids and teens, nonfiction and memoir. I listened to 20 audio-recorded VCFA lectures and a handful of critical theses.
I wrote short essays about how to use humor to maximize reader engagement with emotionally taxing characters and how to use micro-level tools to focus emotion in a scene. At the request of my advisor, I wrote a personal essay on why I’m drawn to write monstrous characters like Bog, since one of my works-in-progress has a monstrous character in it. I also wrote two long essays about power relationships and group dynamics in kid-lit families and peer groups.
I researched for my upcoming critical thesis, which I’ll write in my third semester, and I wrote a proposal for it. I’m super-stoked to start writing this!
For my creative writing, I wrote side writing about my works-in-progress as well as new manuscript pages. I focussed on two projects: a revision of a YA novel and first draft of an MG novel. My creative was focussed on depth of characterization and understanding the story that occurs off the page as well as on it.
I emerge from this first semester with this big-picture takeaway: how I can transform my writing process to achieve greater depth of character emotion and use that emotional depth to form the inner arc of a story. I’ve now got a handle on my characters from both my novel projects, and I’m ready to write them in a way that is both honest and deep.
My third semester starts in January with a residency filled with workshops, lectures and readings — and a new faculty advisor. I’m so grateful for what I’ve learned so far and I’m excited for the next steps!
Thanks to author Claudia Osmond for hosting me on her REAL TALK blog. Her site is full of insights on the creative life from the perspective of different creatives. I hope you’ll take a look!
My post is one of five perspectives on the inner critic. I’ve been battling my own inner critic since I can remember. How about you? You can read my post here:
