I thought I’d give a bit of structure to my posts, so in honour of launching my own fanpage on Face Book, I thought I’d turn the tables as a fan myself. So AS OF TODAY, I hereby declare Fridays–Fan Fridays–where I blather on about a book or author I really, really love.
Here’s the first installation of Fan Friday!
FANCY NANCY by Jane O’Connor, Illustrated by Robin Preiss Glasser
With two little girls in the house—princess dresses, tiaras and tutus abound. So when I saw this book, I knew I had to get it for my little ‘Fancy Nancy’s”.
From the HarperCollins site:
Meet Nancy, who believes that more is ALWAYS better when it comes to being fancy. From the top of her tiara down to her sparkly studded shoes, Nancy is determined to teach her family a thing or two about being fancy.
How Nancy transforms her parents and little sister for one enchanted evening makes for a story that is funny and warm — with or without the frills.
We’ve read the book about a million times already of course, and as I type, Little M is trying to manage the stairs in a boa and high heels.
Gotta go!
Later:
She’s now sporting stripy tights, a frilly dress and a Dora bandaid, all topped off with a ‘parasol’. Which is really a fancy word for the compact umbrella she swiped from my purse.
So if you have little girls, or if you’re just a little bit fancy yourself, or your name is Nancy and you’ve never had a character in a book named after you—be sure to pick up this book.
Go forth and BE FANCY!
Really, it’s not an exercise in self indulgence, but yes–I have a fan page on Face Book!
How’s that for shameless self-promotion 
You too can be a fan!!
Just click on the little doohickey to find me! And tell your friends!
Or you can just come over and harrass me…or post embarassing pictures of me…or tell really embarassing stories about me…hmm…maybe this wasn’t such a good idea.
*YIKES*
Little M and Little C were absolutely thrilled when I surprised them yesterday with tickets for the Hannah Montana movie in 3D.
Squeeee! (That’s the actual sound fans make when she comes on stage.)
Did it matter that I went to three different theaters to get tickets? (Why didn’t I bring the movie listings with me?)
Did it matter that I finally gave up and bought tickets on-line? (At a premium with a $1 surcharge per ticket for the privilige?)
Did it matter that I went to the WRONG theater the day of, and ended up arriving during the previews and had to sit in the very front seats, developing a not-altogether-comfortable crick in my neck? (What is it with me and directions?)
Nope. The girls had a ball!
And it got me to thinking, hmm, how is writing like a Hannah Montana concert…(Oh no! you say, THIS should be good *rolls eyes*)
Humour me for a sec. For those of you not familiar with Hannah Montana, (and if not, where the heck have you been? Or maybe you just don’t have little girls) HM is the mega blockbuster Disney enterprise starring Miley Cyrus, daughter of Billy Ray. Miley/Hannah has a hit TV show in which she portrays a girl living a double life–one of a regular girl and the other as a popular music star.
After giving this a Great Deal of Thought (not) I will now demonstrate how Hannah Montana and writing are actually quite similar. Allow me a bit of latitude here…
HM gives her fans what they want
She knows her audience. The lights, the special effects, the dancers and the great singing–all elements that thrill, excite and leave her fans screaming for more.
Writing for children is similar. You need to know your audience and deliver. Is the reader a boy or a girl or both? How old? What is their reading level? What style and elements do you need to draw from to engage that reader? Yeah, yeah, I hear you out there. But shouldn’t you write about what you are passionate about? How can you cater to an audience, isn’t that squashing your creative process? Hogwash. In my opinion, the two don’t need to be at war with each other. There is plenty of opportunity to draw on creativity while still keeping the reader in mind.
HM goes all out, holding nothing back
That girl has pipes, wow! She sings like a songbird, engages her audience, is all over the stage and puts on a GREAT show.
I think writers also need to give it all, spend it all and not hold back. Annie Dillard said it best:
“One of the few things I know about writing is this: spend it all, shoot it, play it, lose it, all, right away, every time. Do not hoard what seems good for a later place in the book, or for another book; give it, give it all, give it now. The impulse to save something good for a better place later is the signal to spend it now. Something more will arise for later, something better. These things fill from behind, from beneath, like well water.”
HM doesn’t make excuses
That girl has the energy of an Energizer Bunny. Gadzooks. A hit TV show, writing and composing her own music, concert tours. Makes me want to take a nap just thinking about it.
I think writers can fall into the trap of, ‘I don’t have time’ or ‘As soon as things settle down’ or ‘My office is too messy–how can I write like this!’ Heck, I’ve used all those excuses too. But no writing can get done until you get your butt in the chair and get down to it. Plus, there are so many resources out there (check out my Writer’s Resources tab), there is really no excuse for putting off what you want to do and learning how to get better at it.
HM faces her fears and shows her vulnerabilities.
There is a scene where HM is afraid to do a dance stunt since she got dropped the first time. She works through her fears and gets the job done. Another scene, she bares a piece of herself and sings a song about when her Granpa died. *sniff*
As writers we need to spill it all out on the page. Be unkind to your characters. Put them in the worst possible situations and see how they react. Face them with their worst possible fears and let them rise to the occasion (or not). Susan Adrian had a great post regarding this subject HERE. She says it way better than I ever could.
HM leaves them wanting more.
At the end of the concert, everyone goes home humming the songs. Even today, I’m catching myself singing “This is the li-iiiiife….”
Good books should do this too, leave a residue, a feeling or a sentiment that you can’t quite shake. I remember feeling that way about LIFE OF PI and TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD. What was it about those books that made such an impression on me? I think it was the fact that the authors touched on universal truths and made me care deeply for the characters.
It’s sort of akin to the way I feel every time I have to leave from my visits home to Cape Breton. It’s bittersweet. On the one hand, I really enjoyed my visit, but it’s so hard to leave it all behind.
Whew! I think I need coffee after that! Likening writing to a Hannah Montana concert this early in the morning–what was I thinking?
Am I crazy or does this make any sense? And hands up all you Hannah Montana fans…I know you’re out there…
It is my pleasure to introduce February’s Kidcritter of the Month: Valerie Sherrard!
And how appropriate is it, that in this season of LOVE, we celebrate Valerie and her books that have been loved by so many? I first met Valerie at Marsha Skrypuch’s Brantford Book Camp two summers ago and have been a fan ever since. I loved SARAH’S LEGACY for the time and place she crafted and was floored by SPEECHLESS–how can someone write a whole book with barely a word spoken from the main character? Wow!
So please help me in welcoming Valerie!
Author Bio:
Born in Moose Jaw Saskatchewan, in 1957, Valerie (Russell) Sherrard lived in various parts of the country before settling in NB, where she has made her home since 1980.
Writing for young adults comes naturally to the mother of three who was also the Executive Director of a group home for adolescents for ten years, and former foster parent to approximately 70 teenagers.
Valerie’s desire to become an author was born when she was in grade six and living with her family in Lahr, West Germany, where her father was stationed. Her homeroom teacher that year, Alf Lower, praised and encouraged her efforts and instilled in her a lifelong belief in her ability to write. (The author’s sixth book is dedicated to Lower, with whom she was able to reconnect in 2001.)
With a successful mystery series and a number of other novels for teens, Sherrard recently turned her hand to historical fiction and completed a work based on the events of the Great Fire of Miramichi. Her historical novel, titled Three Million Acres of Flame, was published in the fall of 2007.
Valerie Sherrard’s books have received much critical acclaim and have been shortlisted for numerous awards, including The Red Maple, White Pine, Snow Willow, Manitoba Young Reader’s Choice, BC Steller and Arthur Ellis Awards. They have also been recommended by the I.O.D.E. Violet Downey and selected as “Best Bets” by the OLA and “Our Choice” by the Canadian Children’s Book Centre.
Since becoming a published author, Valerie has enjoyed visiting many classrooms and libraries to speak to young people about writing, literacy, and most of all, finding and following your dreams. In 2006, recognizing an industry need, she established Authors’ Booking Service along with author Marsha Skrypuch.
Valerie’s other interests are varied, ranging from home decorating to playing chess or Scrabble with her husband, Brent.
Newest work: THREE MILLION ACRES OF FLAMES
In her first historical novel, Valerie tells the story of the Great Fire of Miramichi, as seen through one family’s eyes. The Miramichi fire is the largest recorded land fire to date in North America, ravaging one fifth of the province of New Brunswick (then a colony) and leaving settlers facing the harsh winter without homes, food or provisions of any kind.
Published Works: Young Adult Novels
Out of the Ashes, a Shelby Belgarden Mystery, May 2002, Toronto, ON. 214 pages, The Dundurn Group. ISBN # 1-55002-382-9
In Too Deep, A Shelby Belgarden Mystery, May 2003, Toronto, ON. 222 pages, The Dundurn Group. ISBN # 1-55002-443-4
KATE, September 2003, Toronto, ON. 232 pages, The Dundurn Group. ISBN # 1-55002-476-0
Chasing Shadows, A Shelby Belgarden Mystery, Feb. 2004, Toronto, ON. 212 pages, The Dundurn Group. ISBN # 1-55002- 502-3
Sam’s Light, August 2004, Toronto, ON. 216 pages, The Dundurn Group. ISBN # 1-55002-535-X
Hiding in Plain Sight, A Shelby Belgarden Mystery, June 2005, Toronto, ON. 221 pages, The Dundurn Group. ISBN # 1-55002-546-0
Sarah’s Legacy, July 2006, Toronto, ON. 200 pages, The Dundurn Group. ISBN # 1-55002-602-X
Eyes of a Stalker, A Shelby Belgarden Mystery, October 2006, Toronto, ON. 220 pages, The Dundurn Group. ISBN # 1-55002-643-7
Speechless, June 2007, Toronto, ON. 180 pages, The Dundurn Group. ISBN # 1-55002-701-8
Three Million Acres of Flame, November 2007, Toronto, ON. 220 pages, The Dundurn Group. ISBN # 1-55002-727-1
Searching for Yesterday, A Shelby Belgarden Mystery – forthcoming.
