Each book turned out to be a unique lesson in showing versus telling, meaning letting the art reveal as much, if not more, than the text does. We discussed at length how we knew that Madeline and her friends attended a Catholic boarding school as opposed to an orphanage, how clear it was that Max’s mother had forgiven him, where Peter and Willie lived, and how much we knew about Olivia’s and Trixie’s families without being directly told… simply by way of their actions in the story, and most of all, through the illustrations.

That night, with showing versus telling on my mind, I watched “The Artist” – Michel Hazanavicius‘ valentine to silent films that is a contender for this year’s Best Picture Oscar. Since the story takes place in Hollywood during the time when silent cinema was replaced by the talkies, 90% of the film is silent. (It is also shot in balck and white.) The result is not only a wonderful, uplifting film and a terrific evening’s entertainment, but an invaluable lesson in showing versus telling.

With so little dialogue – which, when it occurs, is told through title cards – the story is almost entirely conveyed through action, behavior and expression.  It is a truly inspiring lesson for picture book authors, in terms of how little text is necessary to tell a story… as long as you know how to think visually, and show rather than tell. It also left me wondering how many other great silent movies might offer the same lesson.

This was something Katie Davis and I chatted about this week, when she invited me to be a guest on her terrific podcast series, Brain Burps About Books. (You can listen to the interview here: http://katiedavis.com/emma-walton-hamilton). Katie and I had a great time talking about various aspects of writing for kids, and she was enormously generous in putting the word out about my various creative efforts, such as The Children Book Hub, my Just Write for Kids online course in writing picture books and the Southampton Childrens Literature Conference. In return, I offered her listeners a special introductory rate to join the Hub (you’ll have to listen to the interview to access it!) and invited her to be an Expert Interviewee on the Childrens Book Hub in March. I’m really looking forward to that, since Katie has just published a fabulous resource for childrens book authors and illustrators, How to Promote Your Childrens Book. It’s chock full of invaluable information, and a thoroughly enjoyable read, being written (and illustrated!) in Katie’s fun, accessible style. I can’t recommend it highly enough.

I am also touched and honored to be “In the Spotlight” this week on Beth Stilborn’s excellent blog, By Word of Beth.  I have had the pleasure of working with Beth editorially on several different projects (she’s a terrific writer  with a shared commitment to the arts and literacy), and we now collaborate as co-administrators of the Childrens Book Hub Facebook page (check it out – it’s not limited to members of the Hub, but welcomes all children’s authors, illustrators and editors, whether published or aspiring). I’ve watched Beth’s passion for children’s literature grow into a thriving platform that now serves the industry in numerous wonderful ways. Beth is giving away two copies of my book Raising Bookworms: Getting Kids Reading for Pleasure and Empowerment this week – to be eligible for the draw, go here: http://www.bethstilborn.com/wednesday-worthy-emma-walton-hamilton/

As I watch our politicians (among others) take one pot shot after another at each other, I continue to be grateful to be a member of this warm and supportive community.

Today we received the expected feedback from our lovely editor: “Good first draft. We just need to work a little more on the dramatic tension…”

Writing a children’s book is sometimes very much like doing a math problem. We start with a concept or idea – in this case, it’s Christmas – and try to figure out what problem our hero is wrestling with. What does Gerry want, relative to Christmas – and what problem, or obstacle, does she encounter?

But it’s not enough to just establish a problem and then have the character solve it. The problem needs to escalate, to get compounded in some way as the story goes on so as to make the reader curious enough to keep turning the pages. Even when we are busy being distracted by details like whether a word has too many syllables or how to say something without using a contraction (or making sure the voice is consistent, or the rhyme is true, or any of the other myriad rules relative to writing children’s books) we still have to remember, first and foremost, to keep raising those stakes. After all, it’s a story.

Back to the drawing board – er, computer. But, like any math problem, I’ve come to trust that if we keep whittling away at it, the answer will reveal itself.

Click here to purchase:  VeryFairyPrincessAudioBook

Of course, we know what happened… paperbacks only served to strengthen the industry, by providing more revenue opportunities for both authors and publishers, and by making books available to a wider audience by virtue of a more accessible price point.

The same level of panic occurred when television was invented – it was to be the end of the film industry. But now, actors, writers, directors, producers, designers and technicians have exponentially more opportunities… and all the more so since the advent of video, then DVDs, and now webcasting.

Why does this all matter? Because in George’s view, all this anxiety about e-publishing signaling the end of books is just more of the same.   George is an esteemed elder in the publishing industry, with decades of experience and perspective.  And he’s excited about the impact of new media and technology on publishing. He views it as yet another huge opportunity for his clients, and for everyone in the industry.  And he’s looking forward to being involved. Me, too.

How about you?

1)   Write them down the old fashioned way – This requires carrying a notebook with me at all times, which is sometimes challenging to remember to do, let alone find room for in my purse.  I love Moleskins, since they feel so writerly, but I’ve also used Miquelrius notebooks, which I like because they have spiral binding and stay open easily. And of course, we have spiral-bound notebooks with the Childrens Book Hub logo on the cover that are very nice, too.

Peter H. Reynolds mentioned in our interview this month that he always carries index cards in his pocket, to jot down ideas or make quick sketches on, and also to flesh out his ideas, because they allow for shuffling.

2)   Write them down digitally – I love my iPad, but again, it’s not always convenient to carry around with me. What is convenient is my iPhone – and the ‘Notes’ app works well for capturing ideas on the fly. However, it’s not easy to type anything that requires detail on the tiny iPhone screen.

3)   Record them – This is my latest favorite method. I have the free app “Dragon Dictation” installed on my iPhone (I have it on my iPad as well). All I have to do is tap the app to open it, and tap the red button to begin recording. I say as much as I need to, and hit save. This miraculous app instantly transcribes my words to text, and it’s accurate about 90% of the time. One more tap and I’ve emailed the document to myself. When I get home and open my computer, the emailed idea is there, ready for me to edit, embellish or simply drag-and-drop it into the ideas folder on my desktop.

How do you capture your ideas?

Once an idea comes to him (as they do all the time, because he has such highly developed Story Radar!), Peter asks himself, “Who could help me tell that story? What character and what situation can help demonstrate that idea?”

My ideas often start with theme  – with the take-away, so to speak. But good storytelling is all about character, after all. If the characters aren’t compelling, believable, interesting, then the reader doesn’t care… and if the reader doesn’t care, the take-away usually ends up being didactic or lost altogether.

Who can help me tell this story? What character, in what situation, solving what problem, can illuminate this idea?

• “It Was a Dark and Stormy Night” Board game www.goodreadgames.com
• “Storymatic” Game (also a great prompt for ideas!) - www.uncommongoods.com/product/storymatic-game
• Literary Linocuts – www.etsy.com/shop/thediggingestgirl
• Personalized Ideal Bookshelf paintings – shop.idealbookshelf.com
• Typewriter key necklace, bracelet or watch - www.uncommongoods.com/product/typewriter-key-necklace
• Scrabble necklace - www.uncommongoods.com/product/scrabble-jewelry
• Library Smell in a Bottle – www.cbihateperfume.com/in-the-library.html
• “Fairytales” leather iPad/Kindle cover - www.uncommongoods.com/product/ipad-kindle-book-case-fairy-tales
• Personalized Fairytale, Pirate or Animal storybook - gifts.redenvelope.com/gifts/personalized-fairy-tale-storybook

and check out these stores…

• The Literary Gift Company  www.theliterarygiftcompany.com/
• The Bon Mot, Gifts for Book and Quotation Lovers www.organicpixels.com/thebonmot/authors.htm
• Levengers - www.levengers.com

Or, how about a year’s membership in The Childrens Book Hub (www.childrensbookhub.com), or a gift certificate for the Just Write for Kids children’s book writing course (www.justwriteforkids.com)?

And for those of you who are already Hub members, don’t forget the Hub store! http://www.cafepress.com/beechtreebooks

Happy holidays!

That song continues to bless our lives, especially at this time of year, and always invites me to “remember how I’m blessed.”

I have so very much to be grateful for, but here’s just a partial list… heartfelt, albeit not nearly as poetically expressed as John’s lyrics:

• My terrific family, including my divine husband, beautiful children, and beloved parents, siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews and in-laws
• The health and energy that enables me to live fully and maintain a lively schedule of activities, both professional and personal
• Work that feels like play 99% of the time
• Our hilarious dog, Louie, who brings such humor and pleasure to our lives, closes doors and drawers when we forget to, and has introduced us to so many new friends
• Our home, which though not nearly as tidy or organized as I’d like, is a vibrant reflection of our busy, creative lives
• Living in a coastal village that is picturesque, full of history, eccentric and enchanting all at the same time
• The families who read and enjoy the books we write
• The technology that makes my work faster, easier and more enjoyable (especially all things Apple!)
• The creative colleagues whom I am so fortunate to work alongside, at Stony Brook Southampton, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, and elsewhere
• My fellow authors, whom I admire and learn from every day, including the members of the Childrens Book Hub community
• Good friends who bring warmth, laughter and insight into our lives and days
• All the many, many Hamilton family ‘team members’ who make a daily contribution to our lives in countless ways – from the teachers, associates and assistants to the caregivers, therapists and myriad other comrades and providers who sustain our family’s continued growth and well-being
• The continued capacity for love, imagination, laughter, perspective, open-mindedness and wonder

Happy Thanksgiving!

This Fall, I’ve been taking a workshop entitled “Imagining What You Know” with the incomparable Roger Rosenblatt. Each week, Roger has given us a new writing assignment, the cumulative effect of which has been, for me, a phenomenal workout in developing ‘voice’ – not the vocal kind, of course, but that of character.

Our exercises have ranged from the sublime to the near-ridiculous, but they have had one task in common – imagining ourselves into the character, the setting, the situation. We’ve written in response to paintings, pieces of music and food. We’ve written about ourselves in the third person. But perhaps the most informative exercises have been those that asked us to craft a monologue from the point of view of an unlikely character – a machine, a body part, a type of punctuation, to name but a few.

Children’s book authors often grapple with anthropomorphism – but our degree of success is directly related to how successfully we can imagine ourselves into that character and find their voice.  And as I’ve grappled with finding the voice for my achy left shoulder, my kids’ old Fisher Price jeep or an ellipsis, I’ve discovered that the key lies in discovering the character’s need, or complaint.  I’ve also come to appreciate just how valuable these exercises are… and how many variations of them might be possible. What’s the voice – and/or the complaint – of your kitchen table? Your favorite shoes? The moon?

Each time I’ve shared a piece in class, a fellow student (God bless her!) has remarked “That could be a children’s book!” … and I’ve been reminded that we never know when a simple exercise might venture beyond being a mere tool for development to become the seed of an idea for a story…