other blogs

Today I want to ask you what your favorite blogs are. Are there blogs that you can't miss? Blogs that you feel are creative and insightful or just plain fun? Are there blogs that you read to achieve different goals or for different moods? Please post your comments, so we can share these wonderful sites. I just checked out razorsharpcomm.com which is a blog about the mechanics of writing. It is written by my husband and is quite informative (even for someone who lives with him). This week, I will jot down some of my favorite blogs, and post them here. If any of you have favorite blogs, please add a comment so we can keep a running list. Also, if you have your own blog that you would like to advertise, go ahead and list it.

Why I Prefer Happy Endings

Here's a secret. I'm 45 years old, but I'm still that 9 or 11 year old girl. I never liked reading dark, bleak books. They disturbed me so much that I clearly remember throwing some across my bedroom when I got to the end. This was particularly bad when I finished Marjorie Morningstar, flung it against my door breaking the spine, and then found out my mother had borrowed it from a friend. Oops. That is how much I hated unhappy endings.

Now, as an adult, I still feel unsatisfied and angry when characters I cared about don't find peace in the end. As a children's writer, I write books that I wanted and continue to want to read. No matter how bad the conflict is, I want the book to end hopefully. The world is depressing enough and doesn't always end happily. Fiction is an escape, and I believe kids need somewhere they can trust things will turn out okay.

My youngest child is eight years old. He has two friends whose mothers died in car accidents, one friend with cancer that came back after the chemo, and another friend who almost died from a serious and sudden blood infection. He cannot walk yet, but he will be okay eventually. My little boy is spooked and uncertain. I'm amazed he lets me drive a car without panicking. Of course, many of his friends have divorced parents, but that doesn't seem as scary.

I want books that will help my son escape into fantasy and comedy and mysteries that are solved. I want him to feel safe in this crazy, uncertain world where bad things happen to kids despite having loving parents.

I want movies like "Up" and "Despicable Me" and books like "Encyclopedia Brown" and "Charlotte's Web". I want happy endings.

Newbery time

Oh, this is the time I look forward to every year. Reading this year's Newbery Award winners. Last night I finished Jack Gantos', Dead End in Norvelt. My feelings are mixed about it. I was disappointed and at times frustrated, but I think there is enough in there to make my 10-year-old son read it anyway. I'll post his opinion when he does. Here is what I thought about the book:

• I liked the main character, sort of. He had hobbies and desires that I think middle grade boys can relate to. I felt the way I used to when I watched "Laverne and Shirley" back in the day. I liked them, but I wanted to slap them with a salmon after they made some decisions. Sometimes, I wanted to scream "What, are you kidding me? Why would you do that?" to the girls and the main character of this book. I really don't like yelling at characters. It makes my throat hurt and wakes the kids.
• Jack's parents were horrible and did unfeeling things for which they never felt remorse or apologized. This really drove me crazy. When I told my husband what the parents did, he got angry and said, "Why would they do that. Stop reading that book immediately." Now, I don't know if this would turn off a child as much as a parent, so take this comment with a grain of salt. I can read stories with cruel parents because their purpose in the story is to be cruel, but these parents were presented as normal and supposedly loved their child, so it struck me as wrong.
• The mystery element was not presented as a mystery until the book was 2/3 of the way through. I  had a feeling that there was a mystery, I guessed what it was, and who did it early on, but I thought it should have been hinted at earlier. I also thought it should have been more sneaky. I knew from the start who the culprit was, and there was no red herring to send me down the wrong track. There were no surprises.
• On the good side, I loved the old lady Jack is working with. She is plucky and helpful and more understanding than his parents.
• I liked the premise of the town and the historic elements. 

These are just my humble opinions. I still, as always, think you should read this year's Newbery winner, Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos for yourself. There is enough in the story that is interesting and funny to keep you interested. In addition, my criticisms may not affect middle grade children's appreciation of the novel.

When you read the novel, please come back and post your comments.

another classic-would it work today?

I've been reading the classic H.G. Wells book, The Time Machine. It's very well written, but would it get published today? Is it easier to get an adult book published than a book for children? My husband says I should try to get my historical fiction published as an adult book because the rules don't seem as strict. I insist that my book is for children. I also think the rules make kids' lit tighter and more enjoyable to read. In fact, I know many adults (even non-writers) who prefer children's literature because of it's pacing and adventure.

In my quest to get published, I haven't succumbed to the lure of self-publishing. Those of you who read my blog know that I'm a traditionalist. However, I don't think that's the whole reason. I also appreciate the time agents and editors spend trying to get stories "just right".

So, is the Time Machine just right? I'm not sure, yet. After I finish it and let in marinate in my brain for a while, I'll let you know. Until then, never stop reading and writing. Also, if you have reread any classics, let us know your opinion of it.

fragments

Okay, I know I teach grammar and writing for a living, so I'm a little biased about this topic. Everywhere I look, I read sentence fragments. It's in newspapers and magazines, and my students' essays. I have begrudgingly accepted this along with smart phones and traffic helicopters circling the highways near my house every morning. However, when it is overdone in literature, especially children's literature, I find it distracting, and the choppiness perpetually pops me out of the story.

While I agree that modern children are not as loquacious as in former years, I don't hear the kids on my children's playground or play dates talking in such broken statements. Most children do, in fact, speak in sentences. The adults I know speak in sentences or even strings of sentences most of the time, with a few dependent clauses thrown in between.

I think written dialog should be fast paced and interesting, but I don't think we should force it to be more disjointed in an effort to sound casual.

spring into writing

How cliche of me, but honestly, spring does make me fall into cliche land. In my younger days, I once performed in the play "Charlie's Aunt." My part was a young, starry-eyed romantic girl. At one point in the rehearsals, we had a beautiful day like today. I spun into the theater talking about flowers and butterflies. The man who played my love interest looked at me and said, "Oh, you really are like that. I thought you were acting." Type cast like Sarah Jessica Parker in LA Story.

The fresh air, open windows, and fresh flowers on my dining room table fill me with energy. Once I finish ice skating, I come back ready to write and add the excitement and energy to my characters. I'm filled with hope, motivation, and excitement. All this is good considering I got a rejection letter from an agent I was hopeful about. On the bright side, it was a very nice rejection, and she included useful suggestions for my historical fiction novel.

I'm stuck with the dilemma of adding enough setting and background to put my reader into the story while still creating a voice and motivation for my main character. His voice must be separate from his younger brother, who is also a major character in nearly every scene with him. My novel is further complicated by flashbacks of their ancestor and his brother during the Civil War. I have to make that setting vivid and distinct from the other. Phew. It sounds complicated, but the more I work on it, the more I like it. I do not get bored or discouraged because I truly love my story and hear the voices of my characters. The more I work, the more I feel them and feel that I am closer to bringing them to life, so that when it is published, children will see and feel their passion.

So, put flowers on your table and let your characters and story spring to life. Let the sun shine in!

Claudia Del Balso, Writer: How real are your characters?

Claudia Del Balso, Writer: How real are your characters?