What fun to celebrate the (almost) Book Birthday of Jeff Mack’s new picture book, If You Want to Write a Story (Neal Porter Books / Holiday House)! It releases when I’m up at Fine Arts Camp with all the Theater kids, so we’re starting the party early. Are you ready?
About the Author
Jeff Mack started writing and illustrating his own comic books in the second grade. If You Want to Write a Story is his 50th book! WOW! Other picture books, chapter books, and early readers, include Hush Little Polar Bear, Duck in the Fridge, Just a Story, and Scaredy Cats. He has also illustrated award-winning books such as Eve Bunting’s Hurry! Hurry! and James Howe’s Bunnicula and Friends.
About the Book
If You Want to Write a Story is a book about writing a story, told by a very creative–and sometimes stuck– mouse and his stuffed bunny.
“Mack offers an immensely entertaining tale while explaining various processes in clear, practical steps.. . . The ideal vehicle for inspiring children’s own flights of fancy.”
—Kirkus
And we have Questions!
Q 1. Following your narrator Mouse’s lead here, where was the idea for this book hiding? Did it come from a question at a school visit? A sketch of Mouse or his stuffed bunny? A phrase like: “Writing a story is like traveling in space.” —?
Jeff Mack: Yes, the idea for If You Want To Write A Story came from my school visits. The book is full of lessons from my writing workshops. It’s show and tell. The words tell kids what elements make a story exciting and the pictures show how they work.
Jeff Mack: A phrase like “Look around you. Ideas are everywhere.” I mean that literally. Just pick something you see and start writing about it. Let one idea lead to the next, like a chain of events. It’s a good way to start your imagination. For example, I started my book Scaredy Cats by writing about my cat Harpo.
Jeff Mack: “Writing is like traveling through space” I mean that less literally. While you’re writing a story, it can be hard to tell where the story is headed or if it’s even going anywhere. I imagine traveling in outer space must feel like that. You have to trust yourself and keep going.
Q 2. Were there times during this project (or a previous one) when you felt “totally wiped out”? How do you work through that feeling? Any tips for writers who are stuck?
Jeff Mack: Yes, I get stuck all the time. Writer’s block can be very uncomfortable. When it happens, there are two things that often help me:
1. I ask myself, “what do I want my reader to get from this story?” Sometimes identifying the purpose of my story can help me clarify what I’m trying to say.
2. I work on 3 or 4 stories at once. If I get stuck on one story, I switch to another. Sometimes I find the answer to one story hiding in another story. And sometimes just taking time off can help me see new possibilities for a story when I come back to it. Even if it’s six months or a year later.
Q 3. What was one of the most surprising discoveries you made in creating this book?
Jeff Mack: The biggest surprise came with the main character, a mouse I call Sydney. When I started writing, my protagonist was human. But the story didn’t feel right. So I changed the character into a mouse. To my surprise that worked much better.
(Neal Porter Books / Holiday House)
Jeff Mack: The story is in 2nd person, so it talks directly to the reader. I want readers to imagine that they are the character. For some reason, it’s easier to identify with the mouse going on this adventure. Having a human seemed to make the story about someone else.
Heads-up Teachers:
Who else is thinking this is a great mentor text for writing, and teaching Second Person narration?
Q 4. What was the biggest challenge during this project?
(Neal Porter Books / Holiday House)
Jeff Mack: Figuring out the art style was the biggest challenge. I tried illustrating it with collage. I tried drawing with charcoal. I tried painting with watercolor.
(Neal Porter Books / Holiday House)
I must have tried ten different styles before I found the one that worked best with the story.
(Neal Porter Books / Holiday House)
Q 5. What’s your favorite spread?
Jeff Mack: My favorite spread is the one where the mouse enters the cave and discovers the net full of blue bunnies. It was also my favorite sketch while I was writing the book.
(Neal Porter Books / Holiday House)
Q 6. What do you hope young readers and writers will take away from If You Want To Write A Story?
Jeff Mack: I hope it will inspire them to write their own stories. To have more confidence when they face a challenge. And to find more joy in the writing process.
Writing stories can be both difficult and fun at the same time. Most of us only succeed when we push through our challenges. It’s easy to doubt yourself when you’re inventing something new and untested. But you can think of each story as practice for writing the next one. When we practice, we get better.
Q 7. Are there other “new beginnings” or projects in the queue? Can you share?
Jeff Mack: Sure, my next book is a picture book that has just a few words in it like Good News Bad News does. It’s a story I started writing about eight years ago, but I couldn’t figure out the ending. I put it away until last year. When I read it again, I was like, “Oh yeah, a happy ending. That’s what it needs!”
Endless thanks to Jeff Mack for joining us on the blog today, and
Happy (almost) Book Birthday!
*There’s still time to pre-order!
To learn more about his projects, check out JeffMack.com
and follow him on Instagram: @jeffmackbooks
And Facebook: JeffMackBooks
Next up:
When I get back from Fine Arts Camp we’ll be chatting with kidlit mg author Jenny Lundquist about her magical fantasy/mystery, The Library of Curiosities (Holiday House).
Comments
No comments on this post yet.