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An Interview with Author Lois Peterson

By on April 19, 2013   /   Author Interviews  

Today I am welcoming fellow Canadian author, Lois Peterson, to the Mixed-Up Files!  Lois was a mentor of mine when I first started writing for kids.  One of the highlights of my careers was the joint book launch we did for my debut and her hi-lo middle grade novel, Beyond Repair.  In addition to writing contemporary books for kids, Lois works as a librarian and educator.   There was so much I wanted to ask her… here’s what I could squeeze in;

You tackle a wide range of issues in your books, from mental illness (Meeting Miss 405) to grief over a dying Grandparent (The Wrong Bus) to foster care (The Ballad of Knuckles McGraw) to poverty in Africa (The Paper House.) Where do you get your ideas from? What comes first – the story or the issue?

For all but one of my books, I got the germ of the story first, and the issue only arose as the story played out in my mind and on the page. I often tell kids that I get most of my ideas in the bathroom… in fact, many of them do come from there (I take the longest showers in the world). Very often, it begins with a visual image in my head – a girl being taken down a hallway by her father for a reason I did not yet know (Meeting Miss 405) , a boy watching a train go by (Knuckles), a child scavenging in a garbage dump (The Paper House)…

Usually I have to write the story to learn where it’s going, although in some cases I do have a larger idea of the premise of the story. For example with Silver Rain, after I  saw the movie ‘They Shoot Horses Don’t They’, I became fascinated by how dance – which should be something for celebration and pleasure – was used to take advantage of desperate people during the Depression. I did lots of research about the era and the phenomenon of dance marathons, and out of that came the image of a young girl checking the mailbox every day for a letter from her father. I did not know until I was half-way though the book just how dance marathons would feature in the story, although I knew I was headed in that direction from the beginning. And Learning a little about Kibera from a friend who visits Nairobi regularly got me dreaming up a story set in that region of the world.

The only book that began with an idea rather than a story germ was Disconnect. I wanted to explore the issue of being over-dependent on technology… something I think about a lot. But this made it a hard book to write as I had to avoid preachiness, and instead create a believable main character with a compelling story to tell.  While the book has been well-received, and rights have been acquired by publishers in six countries, I don’t think it’s my strongest book from a perspective of story or characterization. In fact, I still think too much of my own opinions about technology dependence shows through!

Ten percent of author royalties from each book of your books is donated to a non-profit organization. How do you decide who will receive the donation? Is it difficult to find the appropriate non-profit organization and make sure they are worthy or legit? Do you have any tips for authors who are considering doing the same?

All the organizations to which I direct royalties from my books are those I am involved with in one way or another. Some I work or have worked for, donate to, or volunteer with. Others do such good work that I am really proud to be able to support them in a small way. I would always suggest that anyone wanting to do something similar either look for organizations they have some knowledge of, do some research through resources such as Charity Village (www.charityvillage.com) to see what their mandate and mission is,  how well they fulfill it and how well it meets their own values.

I’ve worked in the non profit sector in one way or another for more than 30 years, and have great respect for the work they do in communities at home and abroad.

You have also written books for other writers, maintain an active, informative blog, and teach a variety of writing and editing workshops. One thing that caught my attention was your process of “reverse outlining”. Can you tell us a little bit about that?

Until recently, I never outlined a book before I started writing. I just toyed with the general idea, then once I had the opening scene and voice in my mind, I would start writing. However, in recent years I have been studying story structure – the Hero’s Journey, the Three-Act Dramatic structure, etc. Rather than starting with the structure and building a story outline around it, I wondered if I could analyze early drafts using those and other plotting tools, in a way that would help me see where I needed to go and what I needed to do in the next draft.

So now for some stories, after I have written the first draft I use a grid to track specific story elements so I can identify gaps, repetition and other issues. Then in my next draft I adjust and address these elements as I go along. Then I do the same thing for the next draft.

It would take too long – and too much space – to explain it in greater detail here. But anyone wanting to know more about it can download material from the Writing and Publishing Tips page on my website at www.loispeterson.blog.com, or contact me at loispeterson@telus.net.

I do find that the more I write – and read – the more I learn HOW to write. So probably by the time your blog readers read this, I may well be testing out another system of story development!

Can you tell us a little about your current WIP or upcoming releases?

I have nothing scheduled for publication in the next year or so. In fact, I’ve been going through a bit of a drought lately, with too little time or energy to put in much time at my desk.

But I am now working on two very different projects. One is a YA story in verse called My Alphabet Life – written in  26 episodic chapters that I can work on anywhere (I use index cards for working away from my desk.) The other is a novel for younger readers called Cheese Dreams, which features talking mice and a girl whose father, a repeatedly failed businessman, is now running a cheese shop.

I have also recently been working and reworking picture book stories. It’s a genre I truly love, and although I have been writing and submitting them for much longer than I’ve been writing in any other genres, so far publication has eluded me. But I keep trying.

And I continue to work on Escape From the Marshes, an adventure story set in the Marshes of Southern Iraq in the 1940s. I’ve been working on it, on and off, for about ten years and often wonder if I will ever get it done.

It is somewhat comforting to know that even mentors have droughts.  But with Lois’s writing talent, I don’t think it will be long until we see some of these WIP in print.  In celebration of her enormous contribution to middle grade books, I want to thank Lois for taking the time to answer my questions.

Yolanda Ridge is the author of Trouble in the Trees (Orca Book Publishers, 2011) and Road Block (Orca Book Publishers, 2012).  She is also in a bit of a drought but hopes to have another book on the shelves soon!

 
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Cuckoo for Canary in the Coal Mine!

By on April 18, 2013   /   Book Lists  

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Canary in the Coal Mine is Madelyn Rosenberg’s debut middle-grade novel, joining two picture books released in the fall of 2012. Bitty is a coal mine canary in Depression-era West Virginia, who becomes determined to forge a better life for himself and those around him. Fans of Stuart Little and Charlotte’s Web will love this fully-imagined and adventuresome world, complete with a multi-lingual mouse and a fearsome hawk named Cipher. Madelyn was kind enough to join us on the Files; read on to find out how to win a copy of the book Kirkus called “charming and inventive.” (Note: This post first appeared on April 4th; due to website issues, we are re-posting and extending the contest to April 25th.)

This book was your first full manuscript. What idea inspired you to create this story?

I wrote my first draft more than a decade ago after a concert in Charleston, W.Va. The lobby of the cultural center had a miner’s canary cage on display. It was much smaller than I had imagined, and the characters and the plot flashed before my eyes, the only time that’s ever happened to me. It took forever to get it right, though.

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Your book is full of rigorous details concerning West Virginia in the early 20th century. Can you talk a little bit about your research process? What are the details that you are most proud of uncovering?

Ugh. I think I did both too much and too little research for this book. I started by interviewing miners and mining professors — a man at Virginia Tech who’d worked with canaries in the UK was a huge help. Then, years later when the story became viable, I had to redo a lot of my research. I read oral histories about mining and the depression and spent some time in the patent office, looking at the different incarnations of gas detection devices. I listened to music, read old newspapers and took field trips to West Virginia (if you’re ever in Scarbro, visit the Whipple Company Store). My favorite piece of research material was probably a scientific paper that I got through a librarian for the Department of Labor. It was dated 1930 and entitled: The Response of Japanese Waltzing Mice and Canaries to Carbon Monoxide and to Atmospheres Deficient in Oxygen. The librarian also sent me mining accident reports. I researched bridges, fires and the flight patterns of certain birds. And then, you know, I made a bunch of stuff up.

Have you ever gone into an actual mine?

I haven’t been in a working coal mine, though I’ve stood outside of them. I went to the exhibition coal mine in Beckley, W.Va. a few times. My stepdad’s grandfather owned a mine not far from where I grew up, in Blacksburg, Va. I had my stepdad take me to where the mine used to be, but there’s nothing left except stories.

Canary in the Coal Mine has that very controversial children’s book character – the talking animal. Did you know about this when you first started writing the book? Do you think talking animals are making a comeback in middle-grade, a la Stuart Little and Charlotte’s Web?

When I started writing this manuscript lo these many years ago, I didn’t know that talking animals were taboo. Even if I had known, though, I would have written this story. I grew up with talking animal books – favorites include the books you mentioned, plus Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH, The Cricket in Times Square and The Mouse and the Motorcycle. I LOVED those books. I still do. You can point to strong talking animal books that come out every year – W.H. Beck’s Malcolm at Midnight, for instance, or Elise Broach’s Masterpiece (though that was actually a beetle). They’ll probably always be a hard sell, but The One and Only Ivan’s recent Newbery win goes a long way toward vindicating them. If any book can lead a comeback charge, it’s that one.

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One thing I love about Canary in the Coal Mine is that you wrote a childhood rhyme, which creates a rich background for the canaries and also tells a little about their life. Can you talk a little about that inspiration?

Ring-Around-the-Rosie has fascinated me ever since I learned in school that it was often connected to The Plague. I wanted to come up with a rhyme like that – something that was fun to say, but also haunting and rooted in fear.

In addition to being a children’s book author, you are a journalist. What journalism skills have helped you the most as an author?

I think I’ve developed a pretty good ear for listening to how people talk. I’m also fast, at least with the first draft, and I’m good with deadlines (and can’t write without them). Journalism has also taught me to pick and choose details, and it’s made me favor first-hand sources. Newspapers themselves are my go-to source for historical research. They have ads, prices, news, photos and flavor and they serve as a community time capsule.

Do you believe in rules for writing? What is your favorite rule to follow (or break)? What is your favorite piece of writing advice?

I’m sure I believe in some rules, but my favorite is probably: rules are made to be broken. My favorite piece of writing advice came from you: it doesn’t have to be probable; it just has to be possible.

What are your earliest memories of reading MG? What kind of reader were you?

I was an under-the-covers-with-a-flashlight reader. Sometimes I read in the dark; with the hall light on, I could just make out the words. I would read my books over and over. Even today, I can be perfectly happy pulling a favorite book off the shelf and starting in the middle.

What does MG mean to you?

In real life, when you’re in those middle grades, I feel like you’re in the middle of everything: feelings, growing, school, family, the city, the woods. In books, I feel like you’re in the middle of a new world – or perhaps an old one – that an author built just for you.

Thanks, Madelyn! Comment below with your favorite type of bird for a chance to win a copy of The Canary in the Coal Mine. There’s also a wonderful activity guide with links to the Common Core Standards.

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You’ve got a friend in Grandma

By on April 17, 2013   /   Book Lists  

Gennari grandparentMy Italian grandmother lived to be 104, and you could always count on her to tell you what you needed to hear. No sugar coating. No blaming either. Just move on and make the best of life.

Every kid needs a caring adult, especially after age 10 when parents start to become uncool. That’s when grandparents can step in. Once preteens stop confiding in their parents, it’s important to have someone who listens.

YeecovercreechcoverThat’s the case in Millicent Min, Girl Genius by Lisa Yee. Millie is super smart but too often misreads how to behave with her peers. Millie’s grandmother Maddie is the one who provides the reasoned voice when Millie won’t listen to anyone else. She provides the crucial guidance, advising Millie to patch up her friendship with Emily: “Sometimes it’s better to be liked than it is to be right.” And my all time favorite grandparents are Gramps and Gram in Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech.

manzanocoverSometimes the grandmother isn’t always wise. In Sonia Manzano’s The Revolution of Evelyn Serrano, a Pura Belpré honor book, the arrival of Abuela shakes things up. Set in El Barrio in New York in 1969, Evelyn is pulling away from the family life she’s always known. Abuela dresses flamboyantly and always gets involved in causes, which both thrills and embarrasses Evelyn. The occupation of the church by the Young Lords Puerto Ricans teaches Evelyn to embrace her heritage. But she also understands her grandmother for the first time:

“I turned to see what Mami was doing. She was staring at her mother. I was looking at my mother and she was looking at her mother. Mami was looking at Abuela the way you look at a puzzle and can’t quite figure it out. How many times had I looked at Mami the same way?” It is then Evelyn understands the hurt her grandmother has caused her own mother, “like she missed her even though she was looking right at her.”

urbancoverRuby’s grandmother has died in Linda Urban’s newest book, The Center of the Universe. Ruby struggles with her grief and regret that she didn’t listen, just a little longer. For Ruby, her big moment in the Bunning Day parade in her small town gives her the chance to pay homage to her beloved grandmother Gigi. As Meg Wolitzer writes in her New York Times review, “The Center of Everything uses the premise of a grandparent’s death in a surprising way, exploring not only grief but also its occasional companions, anxiety and guilt.”

I love it when books acknowledge the role grandparents play in young kids’ lives. What other grandparent books do you love?

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