Can you give us a little background about yourself?
I wrote this
and illustrated this serialized novel by Linda Sue Park
and wrote and illustrated this
and this
and this.
My next book out is this novel
which I am very excited about. It's about Jack, an 11 year-old orphan living with his aunt at the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco in 1956. When she is kidnapped, he joins forces with another hotel guest, Alfred Hitchcock, who is staying there while checking out locations for his cinema masterpiece, Vertigo. Together, using the principles of the silver screen, they solve the mystery of the missing aunt. We just got the endorsement of the Hitchcock family and my publisher is making this a focus title for the list it is on. It comes out June 24, 2014. (And is available now for pre-order!) Did you notice the blurb?
Where, when, and why do you write picture books?
The answer to when and where is "everywhere and all the time." If you are a writer you are constantly observing the world around you. You listen in on conversations that you have no business hearing. You breathe in the smells and drink in the tastes of wherever you are. You take note of how the chair you are sitting in feels. When you are being very intentional about it, you write down in a little notebook, or on your phone, or a napkin or the back of your hand the details of the experience, puzzling out how you would describe it to someone who wasn't there, or making up a story to fit your observations.
Even if you are not being highly intentional, your writer's brain is storing away little snippets, which no doubt surface later on. And if you are an illustrator you look at the world around you and compose visuals, noting what emotions they stir in you and why.
The answer to why I create picture books is simply that I have to. A picture book is like a little puzzle that I am compelled to solve. How will I build a character, have a plot, and come to a fun resolution all in 500 words or less? There are a lot of nice side benefits- children's literacy, bringing kids and caretakers together around reading, the creation of something that will outlast me. But ultimately I’m just obsessed.
How do you determine if a story idea is worth pursuing/revising?
If we are talking just about picture books, I pursue a story for as long as it delights me to do so. If it starts to feels tedious or unenjoyable to create, then I doubt it will be fun to read. Sometimes the story is becoming too complicated, so it might need to be bumped out of the picture book format and into something longer. Sometimes a story is too slight - more of a greeting card. Then it either needs to be left alone until more story comes along, or used as a detail in another work. Novels, by the way, are quite different. There are many tedious parts of novel writing that you just have to slog through and make invisible to the reader. That's easier to do in a novel. A picture book has so few words and is so tight and concise, that there is nowhere to hide the displeasure you may feel while writing it. So don't even try.
What is your revision process?
People write in different ways. Some people overwrite. So, they may write a 2000 word picture book and have to winnow it down to 500 words.I am the opposite. I underwrite. A typical first draft of a picture book for me might be 200 words. Since I illustrate too, I usually know what the visuals will be, which saves a lot of words. Even so, my stories usually have deeper levels in my head than I have put down on paper. Now comes the most important step in revision for me. I meet with my critique group, the Revisionaries, twice a month. We read the story out loud (usually accompanied by a very sketchy dummy.) Then they look at me in confusion, because I have been so incompetent at recording the story I meant to. We discuss it calmly
and I make clear what my intentions were. They point out which intentions they don't see in the story, and ways I might surface them. Then I rewrite, focusing on bringing up the layers I left out. The story goes through several iterations like this. I try to nail down the emotional or conceptual story first, then I work on character, then language. When my critique group starts talking about punctuation, I know it is time to submit.
What's your least favorite part of revisions? Favorite?
I dislike revising illustrations. It's a time consuming process and after I've got all the story problems solved it doesn't feel as exciting to me. This is particularly true before the book has sold, since at that point I don't even know if my illustration work will be used.
My favorite part of revising is experiencing the "aha" moments when a piece of the story puzzle snaps into place.
There is usually a lot of work that happened to lead to that moment, but it never feels like anything less than magic.
What makes a publishable manuscript?
There are four essential ingredients to a publishable manuscript: paper, ink, sweat, and coffee.
That's an interesting question. Honestly I find these days that if I take more than two hours to write a first draft with a great beginning, strong middle and a fulfilling ending, then it will probably end up being abandoned. Of course, that two hours of sit-down writing is preceded by days of percolating ideas and recording little snippets of text, and is followed by weeks of revision. But it took me years of writing, and crappy first drafts, to get to this point.
Any other thoughts for fellow writers?
Get writing or I am going to kick your ass.
What's your favorite picture book?
I really don't have a single favorite. But without going to my bookshelf, I can tell you these are some recent books that stick in my mind: Henry in Love, Nino Wrestles the World, I Want My Hat Back, Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs.
Of the classics, you really can’t beat Where the Wild Things Are.
If you could write anywhere in the world, where would that be?
I illustrated the original serialized version of Linda Sue Park's "A Long Walk to Water" while in Bali. The assignment came in just before I left for this long-planned vacation, so while my family and friends toured the island, I sat at the pool of our hotel, overlooking the rice paddies, and drew. A cool breeze blowing. Dozens of colorful kites flying overhead. It was perfection. I've often thought of going back. The hotel was $70 a week and I could probably rent my San Francisco house and go write in paradise and still come out ahead, financially. I just need to convince my partner of the feasibility of this plan. Below is a photo I took then. Here’s hoping I can do a selfie there again someday.
Thank you so much Jim!
Jim Averbeck is the author of the Charlotte Zolotow Honor Book, In a Blue Room (Harcourt, 2008) and the author and illustrator of except if (Atheneum, 2011) Oh No, Little Dragon (Atheneum, 2012) and The Market Bowl (Charlesbridge, 2012.) He studied writing and illustrating for children at UC Berkeley. He was the Regional Advisor for the San Francisco chapter of The Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators.
Jim can be found online at jimaverbeck.com and followed @jimaverbeck.
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Each day you revise and comment (Jan. 12-18th) you can enter for chances to win. The winners will be chosen via Rafflecopter January 19th. There will be a final giveaway January 19th for those of you who revise 5+ days! Good luck everyone!
111 comments :
This might be my favorite post yet. "Even if you are not being highly intentional, your writer's brain is
storing away little snippets, which no doubt surface later on." I love it when this happens.
ha ha ha !!!!! What a clown ! :)
"You listen in on conversations that you have no business hearing".
I love to have "long" ears... I decided that the day I am too old and tired to do anything, I will go and sit in a prking lot or a mall and just savour what I can hear and see !
Thank you for sharing !
Thank-you Meg !
What a fantastic post - thanks! I sometimes 'do' school visits to talk about the process of writing PBs, why, how and where I write etc. The look on the children's faces when I tell them I'm always watching other people, listening to conversations - priceless! I think I may have to take some photos of me writing on my feet now - for the times I've been out and about when a great idea has struck and I've run out of paper! What a brilliant idea.This post has so inspired me to revise today. Brilliant!
I love this selfie-illustrated post, a lot of fun mixed with words of wisdom. Thank you!
What a GREAT post! Thanks so much for sharing! We love IN A BLUE ROOM (and can't wait to read the others). Great advice about when you think a PB is ready to send off--when everyone starts talking about punctuation. Thanks!!
Thanks for such a helpful and funny post. This line alone was so helpful: "I try to nail down the emotional or conceptual story first, then I work on character, then language. When my critique group starts talking about punctuation, I know it is time to submit,"
Your new novel re young boy and Alfred Hitchcock sounds fantastic - all the best with that.
Thank you for this amusing and inspiring post. It's interesting to hear that you underwrite a PB. Could be an interesting exercise to try with a manuscript where I'm currently trying to reduce word count. I'm going to start it again with less words and see if I need adding to add more. Thanks for the inspiration :)
Thanks for the funny post! I love IN A BLUE ROOM and I'm gong to look up your others. Thanks for the inspiration.
He sure nails the difficulty in writing picture books--" A picture book is like a little puzzle that I am compelled to solve. How will I build a character, have a plot, and come to a fun resolution all in 500 words or less?" The Hitch book sounds terrific. Fabulous post!!
And I thought I was the only one who underwrites my first draft! Phew! I'm in good company. Thanks, Jim.
Thankyou
Jim Averbeck your post was an absolute delight to see and read. Thank you.
interesting idea with the underwriting. I actually did this on the last draft I wrote last month and I felt that I cheated since it was so short. But surprisingly, that manuscript was easier to revise by adding to rather than taking away.
This post cracks me up every time! Thanks again Jim! :D
I actually love to revise but the hardest part is eliminating the last 50 words. I think underwriting a story could be as challenging as over writing. Thank you for the post.
Love the idea of a puzzle! I get ideas all over the place and they percolate constantly in my brain. Yep, that's me, I like figuring out puzzles, too. Thanks for the post!
Obsession = passion. I don't think we can go anywhere in the PB life without passion for what we are doing. Thanks--loved the underwriting idea too!
Wow, two hours to get a draft down. That's something to aspire to. Unfortunately, I'm the person who overwrites, then prunes. I love all Jim's pictures, especially OBSESSION for picture books.
LOVE this. Thanks Jim and Meg! Doubt I'll get to a revision for a PB today, must work on a NF article. .. .but wanted to chime in that this was awesome.
Thanks for describing your process.
Loved this interview - thanks! I also illustrate, and find that when writing, I always need to add more in than I start with - it was very reassuring to hear that Jim is the same!
Love this fun post and the blurb! Looking forward to reading A Hitch at the Fairmont! Also love the advice to think about the layers - thanks Jim!
Oh, good. I'm not the only one who keeps adding words. I often describe the story as growing organically. Thanks for sharing all this with us. Looking forward to Hitch at the Fairmont!
Hi Jim - what a fun post. I'm glad your brilliant ideas come in ecologically correct compact fluorescent bulbs. I shall aspire to that too.
It was reassuring to read that good books can have first drafts that pour out quickly (even if the revision process is much slower). My experience has been similar - if it takes me hours or days to pull off a first draft, it's probably not meant to be. I also appreciated your point that you can't hide anything in a picture book; if something's not working, you can't fudge it.
What an awesome post! Hilarious but filled with great advice.Thank you!
Love the photos! Thanks for the advice. It did not fall on deaf ears.
"My favorite part of revising is experiencing the "aha" moments when a piece of the story puzzle snaps into place." Indeed, well said.
"Get writing or I am going to kick your ass." Ha! Love it. Thanks for the great post!
This was so much fun to read, I had to do it twice! The selfies are hilarious and the advice is solid… great combination!
What a fun post! And filled with great advice. I really want to read A Hitch at the Fairmont! Thank you so much for sharing, Jim. Thanks, Meg!
Yowza! I think what Jim shows us pre-pubbies here, is to work hard, but don't let anyone think you are! Thanks to both Jim and Meg!
Not only was that fun to read, I got some great tips on how to offer suggestions when critiquing a partners work. I think I'll imagine a pool under the piles of ice and snow, sit inside the house with the vent blowing warm air and revise!
Love this! Made a copy of Jim with the "Get writing or I'm going go to kick your ass." to put at my desk. Hilarious.....and a fellow underwriter!
I was taking your advice about savoring what was around me this moment as I read your essay when my dog jumped in my lap. Bang! A whole story split open like confetti out of a party popper. Talk about magic--thanks, Jim!
Very creative and interesting interview. It's so fun to see an established writer's progress and how he got there.
Great and fun interview!
Thanks, Jim! Loved the interview. And, had my own "aha" moment today when my revision turned into a whole new story. And, thanks ReviMo for helping to put the fun back into writing.
What a fun interview. I was looking for a little motivation before I got revising and I found it. Thanks!
If the home rental doesn't work out, maybe Jim can get to Bali with a modeling contract? I had to go back and re-read after enjoying the photos. :) Back to the emotional/conceptual arc of the story I THOUGHT I revised Monday but now look at with shame.
I am already dreading the end of ReviMo. It has been like attaching jumper cables to my work. Thanks Jim for the great interview. I appreciated your break down of the size of stories for book formats.
Thanks for sharing.
I finally "got 'er done"! I've been thinking about revisions all week, but haven't managed to actually do anything on paper (or computer) until today. I loved this post and will save it forever! I also tend to 'write short" so that part of the discussion was especially helpful.
Love this post!
I think I spotted a weim in one of Jims pics?! What a lively and humorous mid week blog!
I revised so don't kick my ass!
Thank you, Jim, for the whimsy you added to a process that requires much time and thought. I always see the pictures before the words. Balancing what I see with words on the paper keeps me hopping;) I'll keep my ass in gear! Looking forward to A Hitch at the Fairmont.
great post, Jim! And well-illustrated. I've tried sweeping really crappy stories under the rug, but they just get lumpy. And I agree with the whole ReviMo-is-like-jumper-cables thing.
a fun entertaining post. thanks!
Jim...kudos for one of the most entertaining and informational posts on writing picture books that I have ever read! My take-away? "A picture book is like a little puzzle I am compelled to solve." OH YES! Thank you for sharing your gift with the world and this post with us.:) Sorry...I have to go now...and solve that puzzle!
I don't want to sound like a suck up but this is the best post ever! It hit me where I live today. BAM! I needed that.
Ha! You nailed it absolutely on why we're compelled to write. Thanks for sharing a fun post with us and good luck with getting that holiday wish off your bucket list.
Hilarious and inspiring! Can't wait to check out your books to see how that spills over into your writing and illustrating.
I loved this post. Thanks!
Totally get the obsessed part!
Great stuff, Jim. Thanks for sharing. Now, I have to get back to my "puzzle," otherwise known as a picture book.
I don't think I would get any work done if I was in Bali. A cold Canadian winter is just what I need to be productive. So far its working.
What a fun post, Jim! Wow, you’re so lucky to be able to underwrite your picture book drafts. Mine tend to be at least 1,200 words and it takes me forever to whittle them down to 500-600 words. I really connected with the line, “My favorite part of revising is experiencing the "aha" moments when a piece of the story puzzle snaps into place.”
Day 5 – I have revised 3 more manuscripts… one of them is NF.
Thanks Jim - for the good advice and the great humor!!
I have a very bad feeling that I'm an underwriter, too. I mean, come on, people. It's in my head--why can't you figure it out??? (And now I am off to write a wee bit more because frankly, I've already had my ass kicked once today by the manuscript I revised.)
Fantastic post! Thx Jim.
Oh wow, that was hilarious!!!! I loved "Obsession" and now know that I need to plan a trip to Bali. Thanks for sharing!
Had an awesome revision day where you pick up something you've been procrastinating and find you still love it. :) Jim's interview is so delightful and real and chock full of goodness and funny- just like a picture book.
Guess what? The picture book manuscript I've been revising? It turns out it works better as a magazine short. I hope it still counts toward the giveaway. If not, I'm still a winner because I've found a contest to enter it in. Sigh. More revising, coming up!
Hahaha, I love this. I write all my first drafts in 100 words or less. Then I color them in. Works for me. Dying to head to Bali now! Thanks for the pep talk.
Sorry if I keep writing comments on the wrong day - I get so confused with time zones (am in Sydney) - I love this post and discovering new authors and their books
This post was so much fun- thanks for the laugh. I've always likened writing picture books to solving puzzles, too - one of the many things I enjoy about it.
That obsession photo is absolutely inspired! Obviously, the whole thing is creative, but that one takes the cake! Oh yeah, and he had good ideas on revising too . . . ;o)
You are a hoot, Jim. I want to be in your critique group! Thanks for the laughs.
I think I am in the best critique group. We snort a lot (lots of loud laughter), we dampen our panty liners (again, lots of laughter) and support and encourage each other with frequent prodding...
Great insights and what a hoot those pics are. Thanks guys!
I tend to underwrite too. Oh, and I would love to write in Bali some time.
What a great blog to get things revved up midweek. Thanks for the inspiration!
My biggest problem is cutting words. I can never underwrite at the start as Jim does although I wish I could. I call what I do "writing fat" and what I need to do is "write skinny." I'm sure that being an illustrator must make it easier to write skinny. This week I am being a real word slasher! Loved the interview!
Funnnneeeee! Don't boot my butt/aka kma!!! Today was my best revision day. thank you!
Did a lot of thinking on the what I had revised yesterday and I think I am getting close. So close that my ms might be ready to submit. Hooray! Thanks.
Thanks for the insights with a twist of laughter!
I wish I could write that short, but I have been finding my manuscripts getting shorter and shorter as I go along. I was working on a new one today, writing along and thinking "this is getting long" and when I checked the word count it was only about 500.
Very entertaining! I wish I had you in my critique group! It is so true how we take everything in- sights, smells, feelings, etc… I loved your post and I have revised. :)
Funny stuff! Just enjoyed the heck out of this post!
I revised!!!
so awesome!!!
Another day, another two or three revisions! I enjoyed Jim's post!
Loved the selfie essay! Thanks for a great post today!
Got such a chuckle from your post! Love the advice and the selfies!
Jim, I am thrilled to learn about your talent and work, and appreciate what you've shared with us. These tight picture books are just that...so tight every bulge of displeasure shows, every fault is like a big zit.
Several points really hit home for me, especially the need to be 'intentional' in my writing--enough to let it appear on hand and foot. Thanks for your advice, and a fun look into your writing life.
Jim is high-larious! Thanks for featuring him today. I already have a critique group buddy who's been kicking my butt for the last two years, so thanks for the offer anyway, Jim. ;)
Thanks all for your kind words.
Feel free to share and make my publicist happy (and drive some traffic to Meg's blog for all her hard work.)
J
Totally loved the selfie essay!!! Totally -- wow such an old word. REVISE. I want to marry the selfie essay, it was so great! REVISE. Jim Averbeck you are amazingly talented, have crazy talent, and are inspiring! :)
So I was really excited today after being fairly pooped out by ReviMo and 12x12 yesterday. But today I posted a manuscript on the Manuscript Makeover of 12x12 and received some great responses which I planned to make my ReviMo project of the day. Well I'll be working on it more tomorrow, as I believe I've killed it. What wasn't once poopy now is. Whah, whah, whah. See you all tomorrow.
Thank you for sharing, Jim. The Revisionaries look like a fun critique group.
A Hitch at the Fairmont sounds awesome.
I grew up in SF. Love reading bks set in familiar places.
My laptop has crashed at the most horrible time...ReviMo, Start the Year Off Write, 12x12 and my deadline for text and illustrations for my next book! So...I was revising my WIP in my head while in the grocery store checkout line, came home and pecked it out on my IPad. I came up with a new character, new plait twist and a better ending...all while standing in the grocery store! Please don't kick my butt Jim.
Great post, and fun, too! I relate to the part about ideas 'percolating' before the physical writing part begins.
Running to revise even more today so that my tuchus is safe! Thanks for a funny and helpful post!
What FUN! The selfie essay is wonderful! You've shared so much of yourself and I am thankful. I just made a new friend that is so encouraging and is a real tough cookie, too. Just what I need. Especially today. I was having some difficulty and wanted to put it aside and she would not let me. I'm grateful. I think I like what I have so far.
There are so many utterly brilliant and brilliantly goofy things in this post that it's difficult for me to isolate something to comment on. The bit about sometimes having to slog through a novel: I always thought that meant the story had run out of steam. But, no, it's just something I might have to disguise later. Incredible insight. This post and ReviMo are exactly what I needed.
I'd love to continue my revisions in Bali!! Ok, back to work...dream OVER! Funny man...good advice.
Meg, I'd been having difficulties with a recent ms - the "I hate this story, I suck" kind of difficulties. So today I put the ms aside to write a query letter for the story I was trying to tell. That exercise really helped - I created a "hook" about the "book" I wanted to write. Now I'm off to hammer out the bits that aren't working.
Wow, I might have to try underwriting one day and see what happens! I had fun chopping away my overwriting tonight! We'll see what it looks like in the morning! Thanks for the laughs and the tips! I can't wait to read your books!
Great fun! Revised and ready for more.
I enjoyed reading your humorous post. I look forward to reading your book-Hitch.
Back to revisions!!
Funny stuff, Jim. Thanks for sharing. Revised a PB this morning.
Thanks Jim! You made me laugh! Good advice to stick to a story as long as it delights you!
Revised! LOL @Stacy S. Jensen
This was a good day. Already cut 83 words from a 618-word PB book. Yeah, me. This is what happens when you have support of people who believe in what you do. Shout out to all my PB writers :D
What a FUN post! I definitely need to get me some critique partners (and the chutzpah to share my stuff with them!).
Thanks!
A little late in posting, but I got 'er done!
What an invigorating post! Thanks to both of you!
Thanks for the laughs, Jim!
You made the writing (and illustration) life so real. Nothing is magical.
Love this quote by you: "There are four essential ingredients to a publishable manuscript: paper, ink, sweat, and coffee."
~Becky Fyfe
I don't think I posted for you yet. You are just too much fun. I loved reading your post. I think this way my favorite part, when you said . . .
"There are a lot of nice side benefits- children's literacy, bringing kids and caretakers together around reading, the creation of something that will outlast me."
Especially the bringing kids and caretakers together around reading.
Fav pic advice is the broom and the rug. Fav pic plain is Max the wild thing. Resemblance.
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