Interview with Mike Sullivan - "An Eyeball in My Garden" poet

At last, the time has come. We join in the Halloween spirit by celebrating the release of  “An Eyeball in My Garden” with the first of a series of interviews with the SPOOKTACULAR poet authors from The Poets’ Garage. First up is Mike Sullivan.

#1. What is your “favorite” spooky poem from the collection?

 “Haunted” is currently at the top of my list. The writing and the illustration for it weave the scariest piece in the whole collection, I think. I don’t know if many people know this but William wrote it while on chamomile tea.

#2. Where did your inspiration come from for your particular poems?

 The simple answer: things that scare me. Another answer: therapy. A third answer: oh that chamomile! (Okay, I actually don’t drink tea. I find it disgusting. Especially chamomile. It’s like old Japanese soup.)

If you’re still reading, trying to find the true answer…

Spooky! Since the theme of our book was “spooky” I wanted to personify it. Make it an actual person or creature, who just by his presence terrifies you. In the end, I pictured a chase scene starting on the “darkest street” that would run madly back to the house and inside, where guess who waits?

Sinking Ship! I wrote this as an acrostic with “SPOOKY,” more cheesy attempts to find my way into the anthology. In the original version the main character was a rat. Half of the six lines got tossed out and with some great suggestions from Garage critters, the MC was changed to a ghost. (Thanks, Laura!) And the acrostic was dropped, too.

The Corner! Have you ever woken from a nightmare and in that split second of being conscious again there’s a dark in your room that goes beyond the nighttime? I imagined that as a more permanent fixture in my room.

The Giant’s Pocket! I wrote this in a hurry when more poems were requested for the anthology. I had time to get only one critique on it, I believe. Susie Sawyer delivered. Bless her! For this I just thought of being trapped and the helplessness this creates. That feeling can be enduring, whether you escape or not.

#3. How does feedback from the other poets affect your final decision?

As you can see above, it makes all the difference in the world. Just for yucks, here’s the first version of Sinking Ship, since it’s the shortest.

Scary was the water as it rose above me head.

Poor sleepin’ cat  ‘n crew ne’er made it out of bed.

Out a port I shot meself before the ship went down.

Oh there’s not another death that equals bein’ drowned!

Killed by Mother Ocean, fillin’ the belly till it’s fat,

Y’know it’s times like these, I’m glad I am a rat.

This one probably went through the wringer three or four times. The ghost, as I mentioned, was Laura’s idea. I think she may have given me the Spanish Coast, too. I could have disregarded all the suggestions on it, but this is roughly what I would have ended up with. Whereas once people started asking questions and telling me what they liked and didn’t like, I really got a picture of what worked and what didn’t.

The same happened on Giant’s Pocket to some extent. Susie took a sword out and chopped away at some of the wording. The middle section really. It used to read “I’ve forgotten about hunger…” and followed that pattern for that section. When she suggested I switch it to “I don’t remember” it was like a light bulb went off. I suddenly knew “I feel I’m in the pocket” for an opening would be stronger if it was a fact, not a feeling. So, “I’m stuck inside the pocket…” became the first line. That urgency helped shape and fix the rest of the poem for me 

#4. How long have you been a rhymer?

I’ve been writing poetry since Shel Silverstein invaded my head in second or third grade. I wrote a whole notebook of poetry copying his style (and many of his ideas!).

#5. Do you write varied forms of poetry for children?

 Not at this moment. I believe there are a few rhyming picture books in my files somewhere, but other than that I haven’t experimented greatly with other forms of poetry. A theater group I was in used to perform improvised limericks for children but, alas, none of them ever made it to print. I try to write in a bunch of different genres – MG novels, short stories for adults, picture book and magazine stories for children. These keep me busy enough.

#6. How are you personally promoting your group’s debut book?

The local community college, John Tyler Community College, is having a Halloween celebration with a run and family events, including storytelling. I will be one of the featured storytellers.

Two local elementary schools are interested in storytelling and I’m in the process of booking those.

I am working with Barnes & Noble here in Richmond to arrange a reading and signing.

I have sent emails and, hopefully, copies of the book to newspapers and a magazine I once worked for, as well as to Richmond publications, libraries, and people in line at Starbucks. (Okay, I don’t actually drink coffee either. I was heavily reimbursed for mentioning Starbucks. Got a bonus for just saying it again!)

I am also heavily involved in launching the Eyeball Blog where people can read lots more about “An Eyeball in My Garden”.

#7. Do you plan to do any book signings? If so, where can fans find you?

Whoops! One of the goals of The Eyeball Blog is to establish a calendar for our writers. I plan on listing my own events on that page, as well as listing them on my own website: http://www.msullivantales.com.

Thanks for listening, Gail! You’re the best.

Thanks, Mike. What great insight to the "spookalicious" poems in your first book. Next up....

Laura Wynkoop

COMING SOON—

The creative creatures behind the “Eyeball”

and

                                             a chance for you to get all “Eyeball” crazy.

Yes. Starting next week I will have exclusive interviews with the poets who created

“An Eyeball in My Garden.”

Learn what inspired them to be so spookalicious.

Discover each poets “favorite” spooky poem.

and vie for a chance to win a complete rhyming picture book critique from

“First Peek Critique”

You will get a chance to create an EYEBALL poem of your own to celebrate

“An Eyeball in My Garden.” Winner will be announced on Halloween.  

So get that icky eyeball rollin’…..

See the putrid possibilities of persnickety poems.

View a vampire’s voracious verse.

Glimpse inside a goofy ghost’s ghazal

Look for Jack O’Lantern’s loquacious limericks.

To enter “The Great Eyeball” Poetry Contest:

1. Become a follower of The Storyteller’s Scroll.
2. submit a comment below about “spooky poems,” preferably one from the book.
3. create an original Halloween poem, suitable for children, on the topic “EYEBALL,” and submit below.
4. Post about “An Eyeball in My Garden” and “The Great Eyeball Poetry Contest” on your blog, Facebook, or Twitter.

Sample EYEBALL poem:

There’s an eyeball in my garden.

It lies beneath a bean.

I don’t know how it views the world

or what it’s ever seen.

It doesn’t have an eyelid.

It doesn’t blink or cry.

It rolls around just searching

for its empty, hollow eye.

“An Eyeball in My Garden.” is awesome! Buy it... right now by clicking HERE!!! 

Visit www.gayleckrause.com for more information about “First Peek Critique.” 

The Big Picture........Writing Picture Books

I recently wrote this article for a friend's blog. But it's worth posting it again.

Gayle :)

ARE YOU A PICTURE BOOK WRITER?

What qualifies me to write a picture book? What qualifies you?

If I’ve heard it once I’ve heard it a million times. “I can write a picture book. It’s easy.” People hear about my success with “Rock Star Santa” and say I can do that too. I say, “Try it. It’s not as easy as it looks.

The “Big Picture” in picture books is in the author’s head. It’s our job to put that picture into words:

…without talking down to the child.

…keeping adults interested in the story.

…using a unified tone and style.

…without moralizing.

…and keeping a consistent point of view.

Here are a few helping hints.

1. Jump right into the story.
2. First line should set the mood.
3. Second line should introduce the main character if he/she/it was not introduced in line 1.
4. Problem or conflict should be in line three, if not included in lines 1 or 2.

a. without a conflict, there is no story.

For all those who still think this is easy, have you got that so far? Okay. Now we need the story to unfold.

1. Is it organized?
1. don’t jump from the zoo to a pirate ship to bedtime.

2. Did you limit the description?
1. no “silver beams of moonlight shined down upon the green fairy as she flitted through the tall grasses that waved goodbye to the sun in the evening breeze.”
2. instead > The fairy flew home at night.” Let the illustrator set the scene. In a picture book, it’s 50% their story.

3. Do you have an effective ending?
1. are all loose ends tied up?
2. is the reader satisfied?
3. does the ending relate back to the beginning? (full circle concept)

4. Can your story be broken down into 29 pages? Don’t count the end papers and title page as story pages.

5. Did you vary the length of your sentences? For young picture books they should be no longer than 8 words. For older picture books, no longer than 12.

6. Does your story center around a child’s interest?

7. Can children relate to the characters?

a. characters need to be well-rounded, with quirks and personality traits that bring them to life. Create characters that children can relate to, wonder about, and come back to again and again.

8. And what about your language? Is it lyrical? That means play with sounds. It does NOT mean you must rhyme.

9. Speaking of rhyme, a fellow rhymer, who was a professional singer in her previous life (before becoming a children’s author) offered me this advice years ago.

“If a person can’t sing on key, they can’t rhyme.” Makes sense doesn’t it? I’ve shared that with other children’s writers at conferences and some of them disagree. But think about it… if you can’t keep the beat or find the meter while you’re singing, how can you hear the scansion when you’re writing rhyme?  Now, I’m sure there are some exceptions to the rule. There always are, but my advice is:

If you can’t sing it,

don’t try to wing it.

So I propose,

you write in prose.

10. Choose effective verbs and nouns.

11. Limit adjectives and adverbs.

12. MOST IMPORTANT:  ALWAYS READ YOUR STORY ALOUD!

Okay, am I qualified to write picture books? Rock Star Santa thinks I am. Are you? Follow this advice and maybe we’ll see your name on a picture book in the library or bookstore. Oh, and I’d join SCBWI and go to conferences. You’ll meet wonderful picture book authors and learn more about writing. Good luck!

Gayle C. Krause

Rock Star Santa

Scholastic, Inc.

Photo Fridays- Cliff House Writers

Cliff House Writer's Retreat

Cliff House Writers Celebrate a Contract

Fellow Children's Authors

A Hat Contest to Match our Current WIPS




FUN!!!!

A Writer's Voyage

A Writer’s Voyage                                           

by Gayle C. Krause

I float upon a sea of words

in my manuscript,

docking at book islands

with pages torn and ripped

from overuse by authors

seeking references or guides

in writing “the great novel”

through thick thesaurus tides.

But on the sea’s horizon

beneath the setting sun

is my inspiration.

My work will soon be done.

A publisher will buy it

and bind it in a book

for new, upcoming authors

to stop by and take a look.

To Rhyme or not to Rhyme!

As they say, “That is the question.”  I’m a natural rhymer. Picture book ideas come to me in rhyming couplets or quatrains. Sometimes I have to stop myself from creating a new rhyming text.

Why?

Because so many editors and agents won’t even look at it. Does it help that I already have a rhyming picture book published? Not really. I can’t submit a rhyming manuscript if editors clearly state they DO NOT want to see one.

So, this summer I have concentrated on “perfecting my picture book prose.” How’s that for alliteration?  I’m learning to cut words and eliminate description, but sometimes those rhymes keep sneaking into the text. Maybe I can get away with them if they are “magic spells” or  “a child’s ditty.”

I’m getting better at this prose picture book writing stuff. My non-rhyming stories used to range in the 1000-1200 word mark. Now, I am happy to say that my latest offerings have consistently been fewer than 750 words, a marked improvement for me.

So, how come all of a sudden I can do this?

1. I write the story as it comes to me.
2. I send it to my fabulous critique partners, Lynne and Jenn.
3. I let it sit for a few weeks while I work on something else.
4. I revisit the piece and whittle.

I must say it’s still harder for me to write a perfect prose piece than a perfect rhyming piece, but I’m trying. I can turn anything written in prose into a rhyme. It’s much harder to turn a rhyme into prose. That doesn’t mean I’ve stopped writing my rhymes, oh no!

Just yesterday a publisher requested to see my latest rhyming picture book text. YAY!

But there is always room for learning new techniques and in this business the more versatile you are, the more chance you have at being successful. So try something new today. Happy writing! J

PROSE POLYGONS

Shapes are everywhere, flashing circle alarms in your car, triangle signs on road construction, and you wouldn't ski down a diamond slope if you were a beginner.

Shapes have meaning in real life, so too, do they give meaning to your writing. Shapes add a subliminal layer to your story.

Here is a list you might consider either purposely or unconsciously when you are developing a story. Check your WIP for shape descriptions.

ROUND - Imaginative readers perceive round or curling shapes as romantic, passive, soft, organic, indirect, flexible, childish, and in harmony with nature. The circle represents the eternal and the godlike. It has no beginning and it has no end. Think of the sun or the moon, a child's ball, or an orange.

SQUARE - The square represents stability and trustworthiness. It is thought of as direct, industrial, orderly, strict, grown up and linear. The obvious symbol that comes to mind is a house, strong and stable.

TRIANGLE - For obvious reasons this shape designates aggressiveness. Arrows and spears are perfect examples of the triangle's power. Pointed up, they're associated with masculinity, pointed down, femininity.

A well-placed key shape in your manuscript can subconsciously influence how your reader experiences the scene.

Can you think of some examples of shapes in your favorite books?