The 28th Drawing Board

By Kristyn Crow -
Sigh. BIG sigh. I am now starting my 28th version of a manuscript I’ve been working on for eighteen months. Yes, that’s right. This is a picture book manuscript for young kids, and it will be my 28th complete re-write of it. But I’m motivated, because it looks like there’s some serious interest in it. I won’t give you the details about the story at this point because it’s both on the chopping block and under the microscope. (Hey, neat--two clichés in one sentence.) But imagine trying to reconstruct all the motivations of a certain character, and doing that within the confines of a precise rhyme scheme and meter. I’ve got to put every “at” “to” and “but” in the right place, and get all my stressed and unstressed syllables just right, saying what I need to say within a few beats per line. That’s the task at hand. My brain is a little bit fried.

Tomorrow I’ll be visiting Westmore Elementary School in Orem, Utah. Should be fun. You never know how these things will turn out, but I’m looking forward to it.

ALSO—this Saturday the 17th of May is the Provo Children’s Book Festival, at the Provo, Utah Library. If there’s any way you can make it, you should…I mean, hey, SHANNON HALE is going to be there. (My daughter can’t wait.) And I can’t forget to mention Brandon Mull, Brandon Sanderson, Jessica Day George, Sara Zarr, James Dashner, Mette Harrison, Sharlee Glenn, Rick Walton, Nathan Hale, Ann Cannon, Guy Francis, Kim Justesen, Michael Tunnell, Sherry Meidell, Ken Baker, Laurel Brady, Will Terry, Anne Bowen, Kristen Randle, Randall Wright, Chris Crowe (my alter-ego…jk) Ron Woods, Carla Morris, Ann Dee Ellis, Julie Olsen, Mark and Cara Buehner, Becky Hall, and more. These are fabulous authors, and I am just one lucky duck to be hanging around in their (sniff) company. They’ll be reading, signing, and answering questions. (Me, too.) Lots of fun stuff planned for the kids, so bring ‘em. I’ll be there reading at 11:00 a.m., and signing most of the afternoon.

To read more about it, and to see the "presenter bios" (authors who will be there) click here:

Provo Children's Book Festival

See you there!

Comments

Anonymous said…
Kristyn, that sounds so fun...hope I can make it!
May 15, 2008 at 7:34 PM
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