Sometimes, you receive a book review that gets what you were trying to achieve.
“A book whose story of a boy hunting a monster is really about mental health and learning to accept the darkest parts of oneself…. Stated differences in racial and sexual identities also feed into themes of acceptance and support the idea that Dawz must appreciate everything about himself, just as those around him accept and appreciate each other. Monster vs. Boy is a supportive novel in which a boy learns to address his trauma—with his community’s support.“ Foreword Reviews
Six more sleeps until this book launches into the world with a gorgeous cover by Markia Jenai!
I’m happy to announce my next workshop with Whale Rock Literary Workshops. I’ll be co-teaching a workshop on social-emotional writing in fantastic literature with US author and poet Laura Shovan. Please check out her latest book – a children’s poetry collection called Welcome to Monsterville. My books with monstrous characters and social-emotional themes include my picture book Sour Cakes and my novels Monster vs. Boy and Bog.
Addressing the Monster in the Room: Social-Emotional Writing in Fantastic Literature
Dates/Times: Sept. 21 and 28 at 7:30 to 9:00 pm ET (two sessions) Cost: $60 US Delivery: Online with sessions recorded for later viewing
Ursula Le Guin writes in Cheek by Jowl, “What fantasy often does that the realistic novel generally cannot do is include the nonhuman as essential.”
Monsters of all sorts live in our dreams, embodying our deepest emotions. They are guides to our truth and, as such, they play a huge role in social-emotional development. While realistic fiction centers the intricacies of humans, fantastic fiction is the imagination on fire, exploring shadow versions of our world and breathing life into our inner monsters. Stories about monsters – whether they appear in a game of Dungeons and Dragons, in a poem, or in a work of fiction are essential, especially in our post-pandemic times. They help readers and listeners better understand how to manage emotions, develop healthy identities, feel empathy, and show support for others.
This two-session workshop will ask four key craft questions to help you incorporate the monstrous into your writing. What is your protagonist’s relationship to the monstrous? What are your monster’s physical, emotional, and/or magical character traits? What metaphors or image systems define your monster and why? Does your monster live alongside our real world or has the protagonist crossed into the monster’s world? Our goal is to deepen your work’s social-emotional themes, offering you and your reader an opportunity to better understand the heart, mind, and spirit.
This Workshop Is For You If
You are drafting or revising a picture book or novel with a monstrous theme and/or character.
You are seeking to deepen your monstrous character(s) (widely defined as invented creatures of any kind).
You’d like to explore how monsters in fiction support social-emotional learning and themes.
To register, go to the Whale Rock website. While you’re there, please also check out their many wonderful offerings for new, emerging, and established writers for children and youth. And don’t forget to subscribe to the Whale Rock newsletter!
One month until the release date of my middle-grade novel Monster vs. Boy with Charlesbridge Publishing! You can watch a video sneak peak of it here. The gorgeous cover and illustrations are by Markia Jenai. Here’s what Publishers Weekly had to say about it:
“With realistically limned characters, the author explores pensive themes surrounding acceptance of oneself and of others to deliver a sensitive rumination on personhood and kindness.”
“In this thoughtful story that deals with serious topics but is lightened by humor, Krossing expertly navigates what it’s like to be young and unsure of yourself…. A moving tale of learning to accept yourself, flaws and all.”
It’s coming in July 2023 from Charlesbridge Publishing with a gorgeous cover by Markia Jenai. Available for pre-order now.
