CONCEPT ROADBLOCK - part 1
CONCEPT ROADBLOCK - part 1
Ever wonder what goes on in the mind of a writer...especially a writer of children’s books?
Here’s something that keeps me up at night...
After Dogopotamus was published, I started working on book #2, Hamstigator. As I was writing, I was using the same formula that I used for Dogo. Coby creates a Petimal in his imagination, wonders what it would be like to have that Petimal as an actual pet, comes to the conclusion that it’s a bad idea, and wakes up. It was the “wakes up” part that was starting to bother me. Could I continue to write books where all the action takes place in a little boy’s imagination? No mess to clean up, just the realization that he needs to go back to the drawing board. It seemed fine to me. And, as a writer, I liked the idea of no consequences. Coby’s mind is so vivid, that he can imagine all these things as if they are really happening, therefore coming to a logical conclusion on his own...without the fear of actual choas and destruction. It’s like a dream that seems so real that it startles you out of a dead sleep. For Coby, the imagination is real enough. And for me, I love the idea that I can destroy a neighborhood and a house without worrying about cleaning anything up.
So, as I began writing Hamstigator, I was content with using this formula. I didn’t worry too much about it and went about destroying another house!
However, as I began to write Elephitten, I was having those same thoughts. Even though this notion was beginning to keep me up at night, I pressed on and finished writing Elephitten sometime after Thanksgiving 2014.
In mid December, I attended a writer’s workshop in Big Sur, California. I was actually workshopping the 4th Petimals book since I had already started writing it. And, didn’t want to workshop Elephitten because, in my mind, it was completed. At the workshop, I got some great feedback on Petimals. Mostly postiive, but I kept hearing the same response from a lot of the other writers. It was the same thing that was bothering me this whole time. The fact that these books only take place in someone’s imagination is a little bit of a letdown. The reader wants to keep reading to see what’s going to happen. Part of the reason is to see how Coby’s is going to get out of this situation he’s in. Once the reader realizes that the situation isn’t real, the book loses it’s appeal. At least this was the opinion of the other writers as well as the literary agents and editors who were running the workshop.
My worst fear was realized... now what do I do with Elephitten?
I couldn’t continue publishing Elephitten with this new knowledge. Therefore, I had to rethink how I was going to move forward with the series....
Just like Coby, I had to go back to the drawing board.
Thursday, January 15, 2015
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