| Beating the Drum from 4RV * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * April - May 2008 Newsletter |
| Telling the Little Monster's Side of the Story by Holly Jahangiri (Trockle's author) It's a question I hear a lot. "How did you come to write a children's book? Why Trockle?" I didn't sit down one day and say, "Gee, I think I'll write a children's book." No, Trockle introduced himself to me one night while tucking my son into bed. "Mom, I can't sleep. There's a monster under my bed." Like any good mother, I got out the industrial-sized bottle of "Monster Repellant." I sprayed high; I sprayed low. I let out a long blast under the bed. I sprayed the closet for good measure. I wondered how I was going to explain to my husband that I'd just wasted half a bottle of Febreeze chasing monsters. "There," I said to my son with a smug, satisfied grin. "No more monsters. Go to sleep." "It didn't work. It's still there." I shook the empty bottle of Febreeze and rolled my eyes to the ceiling. "It can't be!" "It is." "You need to sleep. You have school in the morning. I promise you, there's no monster under the bed." William didn't believe a word of it, but he stayed tucked. "Can you leave the light on, please?" I started to open my mouth, to argue, but then I remembered a night many, many years ago when I had been sure that monsters lurked in the dark corners of my room. (see Monster, page 3) |
| Illustrating Books by Jordan M. Vinyard (Trockle's Artist) Illustration means versatility. It demands nothing less than the utmost ability of an artist to make rapid transitions: not only in consideration of a variety of media and tools, but also in the sense of character realization. An artist always has her (or his) own thoughts and opinions that manifest themselves through the use of various media, but transpiring the thoughts of another onto a page involves a different perspective. I become a different character every time I begin an illustration. I have to understand the character’s thoughts and feeling as portrayed by the writer. Not only does drawing or painting a character involve understanding the internal aspects of a human, but also how those feelings are displayed in an external sense. It means taking the intangible reality of a person and affirming it with tangible qualities. The most difficult task involved is taking the authors words and forming them into a simple gesture, or any slight action that brings the character to life. (see Illustrating, page 3) |
| Writing for Children - Early Readers by Janelle Zabel “Everyone has a book in them” and “write about what you know” are two staples of the writing world. Since everyone has at one time been a child, writing a children’s book should be a piece of cake. Most of you already have an idea for a children’s book floating in your head: something that happened to you or someone you know, maybe a poem, or even a series of images you think could support a storyline. Filling out these ideas into a simple book is the objective. A few guidelines may help you create a masterpiece. Think about successful books and your favorite children’s book: How do they sound, what storyline do they follow and who are the characters? Read as many “early reader” books as you can. Look for patterns and concepts that repeat from one book to another or that you enjoy. Identifying what you like about a story can help you decide on a direction for your own story. The work of the author falls into two areas: the story and how you tell the story. No matter for what age group you write, any good writing should follow a storyline: an introduction, the body of the story, the culminating event and a conclusion. The two sections are most often overlooked are the last two. Every story needs to have an ending that feels natural. Leaving the reader wanting more isn’t the same as having the reader feel as if the last four pages are missing. Identify who will be reading your book. For early readers, there are actually three target groups: a young child just learning to read, a parent reading to their little one, or a teacher reading to a classroom of students. Age appropriate language is necessary for all groups. Children like stories and characters with whom they can connect. Consider the characters, which don’t need to be children for a child to connect with them. A pet that becomes frightened in a storm is easy for a child to associate with. (see Early Reader page 4) |
| In This Issue Little Monster’s Story Page 1 Illustrating Page 1 Early Readers Page 1 Writing for Young People Page 2 OWFI Conference Page 2 Award for Midnight Hours Page 2 Book Signings /Appeances Page 4 |
| Release Date June, 2008 Visit Midnight Hours Web Site |
| Copyright by 4RV Publishing LLC |