After several grueling months of nursing my husband through a whopper of an illness, I was not only more than ready to get back to reality, I was anxious to dive back into the world of Heaven’s Wait. I really missed my characters, and the creative process in general.
As a way of jump-starting my reentry into creativity, I decided to attend my first SCBWI (Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators) Summer Conference, since I knew there was still a lot I needed to learn about the realm of children’s books. The workshops and list of speakers seemed appealing, and the schedule included an opportunity to submit a sample of my manuscript for a review by a professional in the industry. I submitted the first 15 pages of R.J.’s Story, along with a synopsis, and headed to L.A.
At the least, I was blown away and inspired by all I experienced. There were over 1,000 enthusiastic writers and illustrators in attendance, along with an impressive faculty of literary professionals. I was especially taken by keynote speeches by Sherman Alexie, a vibrant, wildly funny Native American author of several award-winning novels and poems, as well as celebrated children’s writer, Richard Peck, whose masterful words brought tears to my eyes. YA novelists Kathleen Duey and Ellen Hopkins had a wealth of knowledge and inspiration to share, as did several agents and editors from renowned literary agencies and publishing companies.
I had a private manuscript consultation with one of the faculty members. He said he liked the story a lot, but his main concern was that the hero (R.J.) was not a young person. He couldn't think of a children’s or young adult book whose central character was not a child or young person, and cited several examples of heroes and heroines from children’s literature, including Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz and Harry Potter. I needed to find a way to bring a young character into the mix, or a young audience wouldn’t be motivated to read my work. Or, I could put R.J.’s Story aside until the next book I was writing was published, since it was going to be chock-full of young animated characters. R.J.’s Story could then be released as a prequel to that book.
“Thanks so much for the feedback,” I said with a smile, and quietly slipped out of the consultation hall, my head in a spin.
So how was I now to proceed? One person told me R.J.’s Story belonged in the children’s book genre. Another told me children wouldn’t be attracted to the book if an elderly person were the main character. I told a fellow attendee about my dilemma; her comment was that perhaps I should move on to the next book and make R.J.’s Story my background research, instead of its own book.
Opinion overload! I left the conference filled with inspiration in many respects, but I realized I now needed to step back, weigh my options, and ultimately, listen to my gut.There was much to consider before I moved any further into my project.
(Learn more about:
SCBWI at http://www.scbwi.org/
Sherman Alexie at http://www.fallsapart.com/
Richard Peck at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Peck_%28writer%29
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