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Hop Down the Rabbit Hole

By on September 21, 2022   /   Articles, For Kids, For Parents, For Teachers, For Writers, Writing  

Writing is tough.

Writing is tough. At any level. From learning to put one word after another (and in order!) to construct one meaningful sentence to the classic high school essay to writing award-winning books, it isn’t easy. It’s a rewarding kind of tough, though. Challenging but rewarding as most creative ventures tend to be.

The blank page can be a fearsome opponent. The nothingness intimidates. One of the magical rewards of writing is overcoming the mountain of blank space with a word or an idea. The breakthrough lets the creative gears fall in place and allows the river to flow. 

Perhaps as daunting as the blank page is a second barrier to writing. Its roots lie in the way we are taught to write from day one in elementary school. It’s constrained, tightly-focused writing. The expectation a well-written sentence has to come out of the gate and hit the center target with great precision using a minimum of words. Don’t get me wrong, focus is an absolute in teaching beginning writers. What would written communication be like if we all wrote exactly like your favorite five-year-old breathlessly telling the story of how the clown at the birthday party tripped and popped the balloon elephant he was making which scared the magician’s rabbit who escaped and pooped while hopping across the birthday cake? 

So, out of necessity, we are taught to write tight from the beginning. We are taught we must not take a false step off the path or else, like in Bradbury’s A Sound of Thunder, we crush a butterfly and scramble the entire space-time continuum. But what happens when we’re ready to take a step and can’t see even a hint of a path? Like with the blank page, we can get stuck. Paralysis by analysis. 

See? Writing is tough.

So, what’s the remedy?

Well, we first need to loosen the thumbscrews of the deeply ingrained idea of user-focused writing. We need a distraction to help us step back and attack the blank page and/or the paralysis of a constrictive focus. Pull back and give yourself some space. That’s what drafting is. It’s finding your way but on a wide and sometimes rambling path.

(Psst, come closer. I don’t want the writing police or your high school English teacher to hear this.) There are also rabbit holes! Yes! The dreaded rabbit hole can help your writing in more ways than you think if you use them with discipline and measure. 

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is 640px-Down_the_Rabbit_Hole.png

John Tenniel, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

The rabbit hole of research is one of my personal favorite places to hang out as a writer. It’s part of what brings me joy as an ever-curious 58-year-old writer. I used to feel guilty about this research rabbit hole obsession until I discovered that, while the rabbit hole can be a distraction if entered unchecked, it was creating path after path after path for my writing. Paths forward, new paths, paths that veered away from dead ends on discarded writing projects. What has always been considered a waste of time and focus became a great creative tool for me. 

The rabbit hole has become a way to fight through blank page syndrome and break the shackles of tight, and often restrictive, focus that is still ingrained in my brain from elementary school. It’s an idea generator, a brainstorming tool, and a source of necessary or (often at the time) obscure facts which may worm their way into future stories. Out of chaos comes order.

Chaos into order.

The tricks to making the rabbit hole work for you as a writer are simple but can be difficult in execution. The first trick is to stay the master of the rabbit hole, whether it’s the internet, the library, a stack of articles, or books. You can’t turn yourself over completely to it and tumble endlessly from researching what kids might have eaten on the banks of the Nile in the Old Kingdom period to find yourself 45 minutes later checking out the latest Beyonce videos and fashions. 

The second trick is a very useful skill. The beauty of a skill is it can be learned, practiced, and mastered. It’s the ability to look at the chaos, organize it into a fashion that makes sense to you, and store the organized pieces for later. It’s like being a sculptor. Take a block of stone, wood, or clay and remove the pieces that don’t belong in the composition. The skill is the ability to manage information. The skill to find the gold hidden deep within the rabbit hole and then establish order from chaos.

As you can see, rabbit holes can be a writer’s friend and a valuable tool in the writer’s toolbox. Writing is tough. Any tools we acquire to help us over the hills and humps that stand in our way are more valuable than gold. Because, in the end, the most important thing in writing is writing that next word and building our stories one word at a time, brick by brick.

The moral of the story.

Find what works for you. 

Find what brings you joy in doing creative things. 

Do those things. 

Repeat.

 

Alex Lehner, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
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Diversity in MG Lit # 39 September 2022

By on September 19, 2022   /   Articles  
So many great new books out this month. I’m going to highlight a few of them. As always if I’ve missed something, please mention in the comments.

Chapter Books

book cover Anisa's International DayAnisa’s International Day by Reem Faruqi
A new chapter book about a Pakistani-American girl’s attempts to find the “just right” treat to bring to her school international day. It gently tackles the ways which even a schools attempts to be inclusive can be difficult for kids to navigate. It includes a glossary, recipes, activities and an author note. (HarperCollins)
Ways to Share Joy by Renée Watson
This is the third in a series of books about Ryan Hart and her family. I admit I’m partial to this series because ,like myself, it is set in Portland Oregon. The books are deceptive in their simplicity, but timeless in their loving chronicle of a contemporary black family’s life.  (Bloomsbury)

MG Novels

book cover Case of the Rigged RaceThe Case of the Rigged Race by Michael Hutchinson
Here’s a modern take on the Boxcar Children mysteries (or the Bobsey Twins mysteries if you are very old.) Set in Canada, this is the fourth in a series about four Cree cousins from Windy Lake who solve crimes. This time it’s a mysterious accident involving a prized sled dog and some animal rights protestors on the eve of a big race. Plenty of action and adventure with a side of Cree culture and history. The author is Swampy Cree from the Treaty 5 area and a member of the Misipawistik Cree Nation. (Second Story Press)
Pippa Park: Crush at First Sight by Erin Yun is the second book in a series about a Korean American girl navigating the usual trials and tribulations of a fancy prep school, including the sports that she’s good at and the math that’s a struggle. She tries to pitch in with her family’s laundromat while still keeping up with her new friends. Back matter includes discussion questions and a glossary of Korean words. (Fabled Films Press)
book cover black bird blue roadBlack Bird Blue Road by Sofiya Pasternack
Fans of historical fantasy will appreciate this mix of mythology and Jewish traditions in a story about twins, Ziva and Pesah, who face down the Angel of Death in search of a cure for the brother’s leprosy. (Versify)
The Lightcasters by Janelle McCurdy is also about siblings facing down evil in a fantastical universe. Mia and Lucas grew up in a city of darkness cast by the Reaper King. With the usual protectors of the community gone 12 year old Mia must summon her own magic to overcome the dark. This is Janelle McCurdy’s debut. (Aladdin)book cover lightcasters
Shot Clock by Caron Butler and Justin A Reynolds
Here’s a story about Tony, who loves basketball and dreams of national championships. He is especially keen to carry on the legacy of his best friend who was killed by a policeman. Unfortunately his position this year is team statistician. Tony, learns there is more than one way to make your mark, and with his whole community, he navigates the particular grief of racial violence . This is the first title in a new series. (HarperCollins)
You Only Live Once David Bravo by Mark Oshiro
Middle school is hard enough, but then you summon a shapeshifting dog who travels you back in time. What could go wrong? Nearly everything goes hilariously wrong in this delightful identity/family/ life-choices story with the little nod to Groundhog Day. (Harper)

Novels in Verse

Abuela, Don’t Forget Me by Rex Ogle.
This book is meant to be a companion to Rex Ogles Free Lunch. It is for the more mature end of the MG spectrum and tells the story of a grandmother who transformed Rex’s life. (Norton Young Readers)
book cover rain risingRain Rising by Courtne Comrie
This lyrical and thoughtful novel covers a lot of ground from body image to color-ism to middle school friendships. It includes the impact of hate crimes. Though there is not perfect resolution there is much grace and hope in the ending.  This is Courtne Comrie’s debut book. (HarperCollins)

Nonfiction

Victory. Stand! Rising my fist for justice  by Tommie Smith, Derrick Barnes, Dawud Anyabwile
One of the iconic images of the civil rights movement is the 1968 Olympics track and field podium where two Black American athletes raised their fists while the national anthem played. This graphic novel fills in the events that brought athletes Tommie Smith and Derrick Barnes to that momentous decision and the consequences that followed from it. The athletes Dr. Tommie Smith and Derrick Barnes wrote the book and it was transformed into graphic novel format by the brilliant artist Dawud Anyabwile. I’m very happy to see this title on the long list for the National Book Award (Norton)book cover Victory Stand
What the Fact‽ finding the truth in all the noise by Dr. Seema Yasmin is written for teens but a strong MG reader will find plenty of interest. It tackles in depth the vital question of how we know something is true with chapters on bias, social media, disinformation, noise, and how to debunk and disagree effectively. This would be a great resource for families who watch the news together. (Simon&Schuster)
If You Can Dream It You Can Do It: how 25 inspiring individuals found their dream jobs. by  Colleen Nelson & Kathie MacIsaac illustrated by  Scot Ritchie
If you have a career day at your school here’s a great resource for helping kids learn about a variety of careers from smoke jumper to neuroscientist. Each career gets a double page spread with a brief bio of the professional, and notes on related careers, tips for entering a profession and things a kid can try know to learn more about the job. The subjects are young and diverse in race and gender. The book is Canadian so a few slight national differences will come up for American readers. (Pajama Press)

Short Stories

And finally. Just in time for Halloween. Our Shadows Have Claws: 15 Lain American monster stories edited by Yamile Saled Méndez and Amparo Ortiz
This short story collection is marketed for Young Adults so I’m only recommending it for the oldest end of the MG age span, and only for kids who really dig a spooky tale. A great way to introduce readers to many new authors who also have full length books. (Workman)
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Author Spotlight: Natalie C. Parker + a GIVEAWAY!

By on September 16, 2022   /   Articles, Author Interviews  

In today’s Author Spotlight, Natalie C. Parker, author of the acclaimed young adult Seafire trilogy among other YA titles, chats with me about her MG debut, The Devouring Wolf. Hailed by Kirkus as “An easily devoured, chilling, and suspenseful adventure,” the fantasy novel is out now from Razorbill. Plus, scroll down for a chance to win one of THREE copies! 👇

But first…

A Summary

It’s the eve of the first full moon of summer and 12-year-old Riley Callahan is ready to turn into a wolf. Nothing can ruin her mood: not her little brother Milo’s teasing, not Mama N’s smothering, and not even Mama C’s absence from their pack’s ceremony. But then the unthinkable happens—something that violates every rule of wolf magic—Riley and four other kids don’t shift.

Riley is left with questions that even the pack leaders don’t have answers to. And to make matters far worse, it appears something was awoken in the woods that same night.

The Devouring Wolf.

The elders tell the tale of the Devouring Wolf to scare young pups into obedience. It’s a terrifying campfire story for fledging wolves, an old legend of a giant creature who consumes the magic inside young werewolves. But to Riley, the Devouring Wolf is more than lore: it’s real and it’s after her and her friends.

The Interview

MR: Welcome to the Mixed-Up Files, Natalie! Thanks for joining us today.

NCP: Hi Melissa! Thank you so much for having me.

MR: Anne Ursu describes The Devouring Wolf book as “A compulsively-readable, big-hearted story,” and I concur. Can you tell us what inspired you to write it? Also, what is it about werewolves that fascinates you?

NCP: Inspiration is always such a sprawling, semi untraceable thing. I feel like I could give you twenty different answers that are all true; I was inspired by mythology and queer families and the love I have for my home state of Kansas! But in this case, I have to say that the inspiration to shift from writing for young adults to writing for middle grade readers belongs to all my nieces and nephews. I wanted to write a story for them.

As for werewolves, I have adored many over the years, starting with Wolfman from the timeless classic, The Monster Squad. As I started thinking about what kind of story I wanted to tell for middle grade readers, I realized that the majority of werewolf stories I was familiar with seemed to focus on adults where the metaphor of shapeshifting was something about the animal inside. When I considered what the metaphor looked like if kids on the verge of puberty were the ones learning how to shift, things got really exciting and the story sort of unraveled from there.

Message to Readers

MR: The novel centers on a community of werewolves, yet Riley, the 12-year-old protagonist, experiences feelings that are universally relatable: the desire to belong; the need for friendship; the importance of family; the fear of the unknown… What was the message you wanted to convey to readers?

NCP: When I was Riley’s age, I was very concerned with what was happening to my body. I was also worried about falling behind my peers and I struggled when things turned out differently for me than they did for others. A lot of this was wrapped up with being a queer kid and not having the language for it. I poured all of those feelings into this story and into Riley’s experience in particular who struggles when she doesn’t shift in spite of having an incredibly supportive family and community. There’s no guidebook for what she and the other four kids are going through, not even the adults can explain it to them. It’s scary and hard and ultimately something that Riley and the others have to figure out for themselves, and that is something I hope readers take away from this story. That sometimes our experiences align and sometimes they don’t and there are many ways of belonging.

Interview with a Werewolf?

MR: While we’re on the subject of werewolves, what kind of research did you do for the book? I’m pretty sure you didn’t interview a werewolf. 🙂

NCP: I wish! But alas. At the time of writing this book, no werewolves were available for an interview. The majority of my research was actually historical, most of which will never show up on the page. But because I was crafting communities of werewolves (and witches!) who reside alongside everyone else, I needed to approach the book as something of an alternate history, of the country and more specifically of the state of Kansas. The werewolves in the book are based in my own hometown of Lawrence and while I know a lot about our recent history and present state, I wanted to make sure everything I set up about the werewolves felt like it could be true.

Diversity and Representation

MR: The characters in your book are diverse in terms of race, gender, and sexual orientation—something that’s desperately needed in children’s publishing. Notably, Riley has two moms, and her friend Kenver is nonbinary, using they/them pronouns. What do you think needs to happen to make diverse representation the norm rather than the exception?

NCP: I think we need books that tackle questions of identity politics head-on and we need books that reflect a diverse world without demanding that authors or readers explore their pain on the page. Along those lines, queer normativity is intensely important to me and my work, so while Riley has two moms and is starting to crush on another girl, those things are woven into the fabric of her life as “normal.” She may have a little anxiety about her crush, but she never questions whether or not she should have those feelings.

We also need to keep finding ways to support our gatekeepers who are currently fighting to keep diverse books in libraries and schools.

Writing for Middle Schoolers

MR: You’ve written novels and short stories for young adults, but The Devouring Wolf is your first foray into middle-grade fiction. What prompted you to write for this age group? Did you encounter any specific challenges while writing the book?

NCP: When I think about who I’ve been as a reader, I have never felt as transported or taken care of by books as I did when I was reading middle grade. Books were an adventure, but they were also a deeply important refuge. I have always wanted to write a book that does for someone else what Madeleine L’Engle and Susan Cooper and Lloyd Alexander did for me. But it was intimidating to think about. I knew I had to wait for the right story. The one that landed with so much clarity that I had no choice but to try. And that’s exactly what happened with The Devouring Wolf.

MG/YA Switcheroo

MR: As a follow-up, is it tricky to switch from YA to MG? From MG to YA…?

NCP: I actually find it refreshing. Both YA and MG require precision and clarity, but it’s different for each and I find the challenge of moving between the two rewarding and enlightening.

Built for Speed

MR: The book moves at a speedy, page-turning clip. What is your secret to writing fast-paced prose?

NCP: This is one of those things that I didn’t realize I was doing until people started to tell me. So, sadly, there is no secret, but I can say that I never start a chapter until I know what the emotional movement will be within it. Whether I’m building anticipation little by little, or tipping that over into a moment of major disappointment, each chapter puts something new in place. That way, no matter what is happening with the plot, there is a feeling of forward momentum. At least, that’s how I think I do it. Another answer could just be that I love coffee and drink copious amounts when I write.

Secret to World-Building

MR: Also, please tell us the secret to fantastical world-building—something you nailed in The Devouring Wolf. How do you create a setting that feels other-worldly and earthbound at the same time?

NCP: That description makes me very happy because that’s exactly what I was trying to do. I think this answer goes back to what I was saying about research. I wanted this world—the werewolves and witches and hunters—to land so close to ours that it felt possible. I wanted young readers to finish reading and imagine that the next patch of woods they passed was secretly hiding a community like Wax & Wayne. I wanted them to reach for a silver bracelet and wonder if it was a wolf cuff. I wanted them to look at the first full moon of summer and hold their breath to see if they could hear the call of First Wolf. I built every piece of the world on top of something that was already familiar from history to mythology so that the magic felt like it was within reach.

Natalie’s Writing Routine

MR: What does your writing routine look like, Natalie? Do you have any particular writing habits or rituals?

NCP: I am mostly a chaos person when it comes to writing rituals, by which I mean, I am envious of them, but have never managed to keep any for myself. I love the idea of writing rituals, but am ultimately too Sagittarius to make them stick. I’m also easily distracted, so one of the best things I’ve discovered are writing sprints. I find a buddy (and honestly, this only works for me if there is a buddy in the picture), then we agree on the starting time, the sprinting time, and the rest period and get to work. And who knows why, but it really works for me. There is something about setting the timer for twenty minutes and typing “GOOOO!” that engages the productive part of my brain and for that I’m grateful.

Up Next…

MR: What are you working on now? Enquiring Mixed-Up Files readers want to know…

NCP: I am hard at work on a follow-up to The Devouring Wolf along with my next YA project, both of which will come out next fall. We should be releasing titles and names of each very soon, so keep a look out!

MR: And finally, no MUF interview is complete without a lightning round, so…

Preferred writing snack?

Coffee!

Coffee or tea?

Coffee!

Werewolves or vampires?

How could you do this to me??? Okay, okay, okay. Werewolves.

Zombie apocalypse: Yea or nay?

I’m a Sagittarius and you cannot convince me I wouldn’t survive the zombie apocalypse so I say BRING IT ON.

Superpower?

Telekinesis!

Favorite place on earth?

Kyoto!

If you were stranded on a desert island with only three things, what would they be?

A water purifier, a knife, and shovel. (And on the off chance you were looking for a less Sagittarian answer: an eReader, some SCUBA gear, and fuzzy blanket.)

MR: Thank you for chatting with us, Natalie—and congratulations on the recent publication of The Devouring Wolf. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and I know MUF readers will too!

And now…

A GIVEAWAY!

For a chance to win one of THREE copies of THE DEVOURING WOLF, comment on the blog–and, if you’re on Twitter, on the Mixed-Up Files Twitter account for an extra chance to win! (Giveaway ends on 9/18 at 12am EST.) U.S. only, please. 

About Natalie

Natalie C. Parker is the author and editor of several books for young adults, including the acclaimed Seafire trilogy. Her work has been included on the NPR Best Books list, the Indie Next List, and the TAYSHAS Reading List, and in Junior Library Guild selections. Natalie grew up in a Navy family, finding home in coastal cities from Virginia to Japan. Now, she lives with her wife on the Kansas prairie. The Devouring Wolf is her debut MG novel. Learn more about Natalie on her website and follow her on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. You may also subscribe to her newsletter here.

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