Sunday, February 20, 2011

Breakthrough and other blather

I am on this high. I just finished a rewrite of a story I came up with years ago. I submitted it to Rutgers-One-on One and it got me in. My first time applying. Not much came of it. Had rejections... too familiar... what are you trying to say.

Then I did some first pages with it and got nice and familiar, nice read aloud. One agent said, "Don't write what you can illustrate," and one editor said, "No I like it the way it is."

But I didn't submit it because I didn't feel it was where I wanted it. And what the heck was I trying to say or where am I going with this. One story Barb, not three. Whose POV?

(Well, I fixed that. It has one story. And it is 3rd person omniscient.)

Still, I knew I had something. I loved the writing (and believe me I don't say that I love my own writing very often). But this one stayed with me. At last, I finished what is I think a very funny, different (but not too weird), focused, child and parent friendly ms, with 5/6 funny sample illustrations and story line. Now I have to either dummy it or storyboard it. It is funny bird/friendship type story in the vein of Holly Hobbie's Toot and James Marshall (two of my favorite writers for humor). This one is funny both with writing and art. I am on this high. I also feel like it is finally my true voice for this book... finally. And I see the images for every scene.

Thank you Rutgers, thank you rejections, thank you first pages. You were right.

And my Nursery Rhyme samples have turned out really well (and I don't say that unless I really feel that way, either). They are funny too, I think.

Now if I can just come up with a new post card idea. heh.