Trying to keep up a bit better, I am going to talk about the past three days which have been filled with writing and revising three possible books of poetry as well as adding a couple of chapters to Centaur Field.  I also went Balkan dancing with my friend Karl, attended a Computer Science Department awards dinner and talked with old friends and colleagues of David’s there (getting a bit nostalgic and weepy in the process), and visited the Eric Carle Museum to hear an interview with Wendell Minor, one of the premier illustrators of today and a friend.

The process of revising poetry is one that interests me because it is different from the process of revising  novels. Novels have that big sweep, characterization, landscapes both inner and outer. And while I always try to write them with as much poetry as I can, often the plot demands short, sharp verbs and fast movement instead of languid and/or lyrical lines.

But poetry. . .I may rewrite a single poem anywhere from a three to three dozen times, reading them aloud, changing not only a line or two, a word or three, but sometimes an entire rhyme scheme along the way.

Here’s a poem from ARCH: A Span of Foot Poems and its consequent revisions. Just to see what I mean.

First draft: the poem was placed in the middle of the book as I worked.  In this first draft it seems a bit like a sketch for a poem, though I like where it leads:

Instep

Instep,

Step out,

Step over

Step off

Set off

Then finally

Sit right down

And rest your feet awhile.

Second draft: Still in the middle of the book, I still like the direction in which it’s going, though I have added a bit to the mid-section.

Instep

Instep,

Step in

Step out,

Set out

Step over

Step off

Set off,

Then finally

Sit right down

And rest your feet awhile.

Third Draft: I have repositioned it as the final poem. This placing has been dictated by the final three lines. I want the readers to rest a while and think about what they’ve just read. The title has changed a bit, too. As have the first lines. And the last lines have been slightly restructured.

Instep, In Step

Instep,

In step.

Step in,

Step out.

Set out,

Step over.

Step off

Set off.

Then finally

Sit right down

And rest

your feet

awhile.

Fourth draft: A tiny change within the body of the piece, making it structurally more balanced, and some errant upper case letters made lower case at the end part. Will it remain this way in future revisions of the book proposal as a whole? Only time (and an editor, if I manage to sell the book) will tell.

Instep, In Step

Instep.

In step.

Step in.

Step out.

Set in.

Set out.

Step over.

Step off.

Step around.

Set off.

Then finally

sit right down

and rest

your feet

awhile.

A full month gone by? I can scarcely credit it. I have been so busy, I barely noticed it happening. But here I am, back with news, some musing, and a poem. Enjoy.

First book news:

I now have copies of BUG OFF! and LAST LAUGHS: Animal Epitaphs. I have seen a blad of WAKING DRAGONS. Have seen some of the artwork an the full dummy for GRUMBLES FROM THE FOREST: Fairy Tale Voices with a Twist. Yeah, it has been a happy book time.

As far as writing goes, Adam and I finished the first full draft of THE HOSTAGE PRINCE which is the first book of the SEELIE WARS TRILOGY and then I took the first revision pass on it after we sat down and discussed stuff that needed attention. It’s in Adam’s competent hands now. When he is done, I will go over it one last time after which it does to agent and editor simultaneously. The thing about these last revision passes (we revise each chapter several times as we go along so technically, ever chapter has been heavily revised a dozen or more times along the way already) is that it is the first time we really see the entire book whole. As I went through it, I took careful notes about things that needed re-threading throughout, making sure that hair color, emotional concerns, and even landscape remained consistent. Though of course I’m sure I have forgotten lots of stuff. Editor and copyeditor who will be seeing this stuff cold will catch most of the rest. Also, the editor and I discussed cover concepts and I sent them two (not guarantee either will be used, however.)

I am also about four chapters from the end of CENTAUR FIELD. Most of the work this month was on HOSTAGE PRINCE, but now I have returned with renewed enthusiasm to this book. Managed a new chapter, brought in an unexpected villain, (well, unexpected to the reader, not to me) to give a bit more plot twists. Will have a horsie friend read it for those kind of horse details I may have screwed up since it has been years and years since I have ridden. And then I will send it off.

Been working on some new picture books–THE STRANDED WHALE, GARGOYLE’S HALLOWEEN BALL, THE FAMOUS OTTER’S WRITING CIRCLE. Other stuff.

Saw Tara Chang’s dummy for THE TROUBLE WITH TAKING TROLLS TO TEA, a book we want to try and sell together.

Have been writing a lot of poetry, and seven poems just came out in Horn Book, and a long, multiple part poem called “Objectifying Faerie” came out in Asimov’s.

And of course along the way I had several picture books and a novel rejected. It’s all part of the greater plan to keep me humble!

Travel:

I went to Chicago for IRA (International Reading Assn) and was on a panel/workshop/reading of humorous poetry with J. Patrick Lewis, Marilyn Singer, and Sylvia Vardell, plus did 8 signings, all of which went splendidly and we ran out of books! Scholastic debuted the dinosaur hall costume and many photographs ensued!

I went to Minnesota for Minicon, an sf convention, but also to see son Adam and his family. Adam and I talked books. I snuggled with my grandkids Alison and David, and Betsy and I went out shopping for her birthday clothes.

Mid month I went to Hattiesberg, Mississippi where I was awarded he deGrummond Medal at the Un of S Mississippi. Spoke several times, the silver medallion is gorgeous, with my face on one side, and an owl flying across the moon on the other side. And the people–the people were all so warm and welcoming and lovely!

I also went down (not much travel time at all) to the New England SCBWI conference which this year was being held in Springfield, MA, just 25 minutes from my house. I spoke a couple of times, gabbed with everyone, but got to sleep in my own bed.

Heidi and Me and “Once Upon A Time:

We host a monthly radio show for WHMP and converse/interview local children’s book creators. This month it was Scott Fischer. Gorgeous artist, lovely man. We had a marvelous time.

Being Social:

Lots of tea dates and dinner dates with friends, movies dates, went to Annie Boutelle’s poetry reading, hosted the WMIG monthly meeting, spoke at Betsey Harris’ folklore class at Smith, went to a wonderful dinner celebration for visiting children’s book writer/scholar Betsy Hearn and heard her presentation at the Carle.

Valedictions to two friends:

It was so hard saying a final farewell to two friends–Peg Davol and Anna Kirwan, both dead too soon of cancer. I had mentored both of them, called them friends, colleagues, admired their work and work ethic. And loved them both. They both died serenely, comforting those around them. And they both will be missed terribly.

And here is the promised poem:

A Specific Gravity

Sometimes a poem,

sometimes merely a thought,

reaches a specific gravity

and greenness begins.

Like a fingerling swimming

against the pool’s pull,

dark green question mark.

Like the uncurling fern,

the top of a fiddle,

never to be played

except in the retinal memory.

Like the quick thrust

of daffs before the winter

is quite over,

before spring quite begins.

Quick green thoughts.

Sometimes just like that.

Mourning friends simply does not get any easier. I suppose it is a sign of how old I am. But dear Peg Davol died last week and this week I went with my writing group to sit for awhile with our friend, colleague, mate Anna Kirwan who is in hospice care at her home. She is serene and accepting. I wrote this poem about her:

For Anna, Luminous in Her Dying

You have the face of a medieval angel,

hair a halo of gray curls,

and the birds by your bedside,

alerted by our conversations,

sing hallelujahs into the air.

I do not think I can be a celebrant

at your death bed, it would be indecent

since I do not believe as you believe,

the throne of glory and all that stuff.

But I can hold your hand, make metaphor

of your face, your curls, your parakeets,

And that will have to be enough,

if only for me, not you, who has that whole

God in Heaven, next adventure thing going for you.

Me, I just have grief.

I have a life, too, though in the face of Anna’s moment, it seems very–oh, I don’t know–prosaic. I received a copy of Conclave magazine with three of my poems leading the pack. I got ten copies of son Jason’s coffee table book Kiawah which is just gorgeous. I wrote a bit on Magnus, thought a bit about the Centaur Field book and fiddled with it. Entertained Peter Beagle, Connor (his business manager) and Connor’s wife Terri. We went out to dinner. They stayed over. We gabbed and gabbed and gabbed. I made them breakfast in the morning. Went for a back doctor check up. Did some pre-packing for my forthcoming trip to Minnesota.

But all the while, Anna’s luminous face was before me.

Selah.

Two hacker attacks on my website later, and am trying to post this. I mean–how small can you get, hacking a website where kids to go to to do research for author studies? Hey, guys–go mess with a multi-national arms dealers or rotten credit card companies or super pac political organizations.

During the time small-minded hackers were shutting me down, I wrote about  twenty poems, worked up to the next to last chapter on The Hostage Prince (son Adam who is co-writing it is writing the last chapter) and a couple of chapters in Centaur Field (almost to the end of that as well.) Also, I rewrote the Magnus/Unnatural History Museum piece which I’m doing with Mira Bartok and set it into short chapters, which is about a third of the book, I think. I wrote a couple of short (compressed) pieces, the promised essay/intro for a new Margot Lanagan collection, did some work on a picture book called Monster K which Heidi and I are writing. Heidi and I went to Watertown/Boston to work all day on final edits of Bad Girls with the editor and art director. Reveled in the art work by Rebecca Guay. Managed a few final edits on Grumbles from the Forest, a book of poems Rebecca Kai Dotlich and I have written. Got movie contract for the How Do Dinosaur books.

Along the way, sold three poems to Conclave Magazine, one short piece to a magazine of Compressed Lit, had the Lanagan piece accepted.

Books in: first copy of Last Laughs: Animal Epitaphs, ARC of Curse of the Thirteenth Fey, paperback bookclub edition of Pretty Princess Pig.

Other stuff: Regular swim therapy, writers’ group meeting, teas and dinners with friends, the Amherst Ballet fete, a poetry reading at Smith where friends read, regular (new) WHMP radio show with Heidi, on a panel of writers for local public radio to raise money, went to hear Alan Reid at the Iron Horse, saw “The Hunger Games”, flew to Michigan where I gave a talk at the Battle Creek library (and had a touch of food poisoning), went to a Balkan folk dance evening with a friend where I realized I am not the dancer I used to be, celebrated my granddaughters’ birthday with a dinner at the Go Ten, went to the illustrator guild’s meeting, and was on four or five panels at an sf/fantasy convention at Smith College, as well as a celebratory party for Mira Bartok who’s marvelous book The Memory Palace recently won the National Book Critics’ Circle award for memoir.

Am I tired? Yes.

Will I do this sort of thing again?

Of course.

Its my job, my love, my fascination, my enduring passion.

Time for a small rant.

As part of publishing’s attempt to make-things-easier-or-at-least-faster, some misbeguided and misbegotten techie invented something called “track changes” a couple of years ago. The editor sends a manuscript as a attachment and on that online attachment are purple/green/blue sticky-like notes with queries or copyeditor changes on them. Dotted lines point to the place where said changes or queries come from.

In theory, possibly fine.

In practice, a bloody mess.

The print is tiny and if one tries to put it in a larger font, everything goes whacky. If more than one person is working on the mss. (ie a co-author, a copy editor, and the editor) things are incredibly hard to read.

I hate it. It makes me crazy. And I act like some elderly diva (well, maybe that’s an accurate description) who simply can’t move forward with the times. But I am of the if-it-ain’t broke school of writing. And I don’t want to be constantly at war with the machinery while I am trying to put final touches on a manuscript.

Last night I began one of two manuscripts that came to me that way. The easier one, I thought,  (a small book of poetry) I began at once. I left the novel for the next day. Along the way, the computer ate my changes and crashed five separate times. I finally had to save after each tiny change just in case. I managed to finish it up and send it out first thing this morning. And then I tackled the novel. Amazingly, there were so few copyedits, that things went pretty smoothly. Oh, not entirely. I only hated it slightly less than the poetry TC.

So, let me state in no uncertain terms in case you have missed the point of this rant. “Track Changes” slows things down on the writer’s end and makes the writer (or at least me) miss major things. In the end, it will be more costly because I will be making changes on the page proofs.

In essence, even though copyeditors and techies love this new toy, I think it is counter-intuitive for the creating artist.

Or at least it is for this one. I am opting out, thank you. Give me my manuscript pages back. I can track the changes that way, computers be damned.

My wonderful editor at Midsummer’s Night Press tasked me to tell folk that at the Boskone SF Convention he handed me my first copies of my fantasy poetry book, The Last Selchie’s Child. It’s gorgeous to look at and to hold and I think some of the poems are great, too. More than that I am embarrassed to say. But I am proud as punch (not the kind who is mean to Judy but probably the drinking kind) that the book is out. Or at least will be officially so in May. Still, you can order at Midsummer’s Night Press now.

A frustrating journal three weeks as I couldn’t add anything because of the hacker. Adam and his friend Corwin Brust worked long hours cleaning up the website. It was a mess. Way to go hacker, you messed up a site for kids and teachers! Hope you are proud of yourselves.

So what have I been doing since February 16?Here’s a fast look. Will try to in-depth reporting another time.

Went to Boskone, the science fiction convention, where I was on five panels, one signing, one reading, and one koffeeklatch. I may be exaggerating by one panel, but it was a lot. I bought a painting in the art show, the cover for my Sister Bear, and had meals with friends Bruce Coville, and Patrick and Theresa Nielsen Hayden.

I had several late birthday dinners, one with the DiTerlizzis, one with a children’s book group of friends up in Plainfield, went folk dancing with a new friend, went to the Suzanne Farrell Dance Concert, a Celtic Music concert, lunches and dinners with friends, a farewell dinner to friends Wayne and Leslie who are off for four months to Burma (Myamar), spoke at Ellen Wittlinger’s class at the Eric Carle Museum, watched a college classmate win the Smith Medal, had lunch with cousin Malerie at the Lord Jeff, etc.

Equally (or more) important, I did a lot of writing on both novels–The Hostage Prince and Centaur Field. Heidi and I are working on a proposal called Monster K about kindergarten for monsters for Dan Yaccarino. I have written lyrics to three songs for Donna Hébert of the Celtic music group I heard earlier in the month. (See one below.) Been doing a poem a day since Jan 1 2011! Some work on an essay for the Folio Society.

Also sold 3-5 poems to Horn Book (depends on how much room they have) for the May issue, got first copies of Bug Off, and the ARC for Curse of the Thirteenth Fey, got my presentation for Michigan put together.

Done.

Here’s the lyrics to one of the three songs:

Come to Me, My Darling

The North Sea moans, the seal folk rise,

Moon in their hearts, night in their eyes.

And every single selchie cries,

“Come to me, my darling.”

The waves fall down, the selchies ride,

And hunger for men deep inside.

They call for me to choose a bride:

“Come to me, my darling.”

They’ve tiny seashells in their hair,

Their skins are grey, as sea, as air,

But well I know I must beware,

Or I will be their darling.

The water’s wide and dark and deep,

Far down below the sailors sleep.

But I have wife and weans to keep

So do not task me, do not heap,

For I’ll not be your darling.

For any who tried to visit the website in the past few days, you will have noted that I’d been hacked. But my intrepid webmeister (hi, Adam!) has gotten things up and running again. And we hope the creeps who crept into this site will have gone on to protest some major company and leave the place alone so children and teachers and storytellers and writers can peruse it to their hearts’ content.

Thanks for understanding.

Jane

This being my birthday week, I celebrated in many different ways. There was a dinner with the family at a lovely upscale restaurant called The Blue Heron, a dinner and movie (Truly, Madly, Deeply, my favorite, and yes, I cried!) with my friend Bob Marstall at my house; and a dinner with friends Mira Bartok and her husband Doug Plavin and the ever-present Marstall at Viva in Northampton. I have one more dinner to come at the GoTen with family and the diTerlizzis, but more about that after it’s done.

Heidi and I launched the second (and really the beginning) of a monthly segment of morning talk radio on the local station WHMP. The segment is as yet untitled–I favor BookEnds–but we will be talking about children’s books and talking to authors and illustrators. We had Norton Juster with us this time. Next up, Angela diTerlizzi.

I got myself (thanks Jody) a recumbent exercise bike and love it! I can read while cycling in the comfort of my home and the minutes tick by. I a deep into Elizabeth Wein’s brilliant World War II YA novel, Code Name Verity, and cannot recommend it enough!

May have sold a new picture book, but that is hush-hush and not set in stone yet, Scholastic has created a How Do Dinos hall costume for large conventions, and will have someone wandering around being charming in it at the IRA (International Reading Assn.) conference in Chicago this May.

Meanwhile, I have written several new chapters on The Hostage Prince (Seelie Wars Book 1) with Adam. We are getting close to the end. Also wrote two new chapters on Centaur Field, and am not quite sure how far along I am on it or if the opening has to be severely cut down. And I have been keeping up with my poem a day project. Plus tea and lunches with new friends and old. Just because I had a birthday doesn’t mean I declare myself old!

Long delay between posts, I know, but I have been so busy with writing, I have scarcely looked up to breathe.

Between bouts of writing, I have done the following: one trip to New York, where I went to the SCBWI winter conference and announced the Jane Yolen Midlist Grant, something SCBWI and I have been planning for a while. Among other things, I said this: “In these difficult book times, even well-reviewed and honored midlist authors often find themselves stalled in their writing lives and find they are having trouble selling new work. I am no different. I have 30 unsold picture book manuscripts, most of them the kind of book I love writing the best, books that would remind the reader of my Owl Moon or my Elsie’s Bird, both of which took a long time to find the right editor. Yes, I still get lots of rejections.

“In our attention to up-and-coming authors—or pre-published authors as they are called by the Romance Writers and I do not mean this as a strike at any of you, for all midlist authors were up-and-coming once and we were all pre-published once (though Gordon Korman wasn’t pre-published nearly long enough to count, since he began his massive and impressive publication career at 13!)–we often ignore these midlist writers who struggle to remain true to their personal vision and craft. They are the workhorses and the warhorses who are never as celebrated as the dancing Arabians or the airs-above-ground lippizaners.”

On that trip, besides seeing my agent, I also had a very exciting luncheon with three amazing women about setting my book (written with Bob Harris) Hippolyta and the Curse of the Amazons, into a musical for the Long Wharf Theater in New Haven.

Along the way in those three weeks, I also went to the Hillside Salon and heard friend Mira Bartok speak, had brunch with friends Jane and Steve Schoenberg, went to a goodbye party for Amerhst ballet head Catherine Fair, dinner with neighbors Forrest and Amy, the Illustrators’ Guild meeting, a bunch of my writer’s group meetings, dinner with friend Ann Wheelock, worked on the set-up for a scholarship at UMass in David’s honor, did swim therapy, and did two Skype sessions (one with college kids, one with K-8 kids.)

But mostly I did book work.

First there were three book jackets to consider: one for Curse of the Thirteenth Fey, which had to be redone. Then two separate looks for the Ekaterinoslav poems, two revisions of the Curses, Foiled Again jacket.

I had to read through and comment on the entire Foiled Again page proofs, a very technical and difficult read. As well as go over the color proofs of Waking Dragons which was easy. And am now stuck into the pages answering copyedited questions for Thirteenth Fey. I saw and approved jpgs for Emily Sonnets with stunning pictures by Gary Kelley.

And I have written about 3/4 of Centuar Field, and about 4/5 (with Adam) of The Hostage Prince which used to be called Snail and the Prince and is the first book of the Seelie Wars Trilogy.

If that isn’t enough, I have also been working on an essay about Andrew Lang and the Olive Fairy Book; written a poem a day since January 1; started a picture book with Heidi called Monster K for new friend, illustrator Dan Yaccarino; and been in conversations with (and did a bit of writing on) a book project with Mira Bartok called provisionally Magnus Mikkelson’s Museum of Unnatural History. (I think I am forgetting something, but never mind.)

So, while I have done a lot it’s clear I still have a long way to go.