"How a Children’s Writer Survives the Newbery Award"
with Karen Hesse

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Karen: is Karen Hesse, a graduate of the Institute of Children’s Literature and winner of the 1998 Newbery Medal for Out of the Dust. The Newbery Medal is awarded each year by the American Library Association to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children. Out of the Dust is a cycle of poetry, and was Karen Hesse’s tenth published book. Others of Karen’s earlier books were Lavender, the touching story of a girl and her new baby cousin, and The Music of Dolphins, the story of the wild child Mila and her survival. Since winning the Newbery Medal, Karen Hess has published just Juice and Stowaway. In this interview, Karen tells us about her next book, H. C. Andersen: The Most Incredible.

Thursday, October 7, 2004

Mel is Mel Boring, moderator of this interview with Karen Hesse and web editor of the ICL Web Site.

Green shows names or usernames of people, and the questions they submitted to Karen Hesse.

Interviews are held every other Thursday evening for two hours, beginning at 9 CANADA/ Atlantic Time, 8 Eastern Time, 7 Central Time, 6 Mountain Time, and 5 Pacific Time.

Mel: Our interview for this Guest Chat with Karen Hesse was conducted via e-mail recently. Karen was sent questions submitted by our chatsters and those of the moderator. She then returned them with her answers. We are grateful to Karen Hesse for giving us the time and her illuminating insights here into writing for children. Welcome, Karen, we are pleased and honored that you’ve done this interview for the ICL Chat Room! Tell us, had you done any writing for children before you took the course from the Institute of Children’s Literature?

Karen: No. I had written poetry for the adult market but I'd never attempted anything for young readers.

Mel: How did you come to taking the ICL course?

Karen: I loved reading children's literature and I hoped by taking the course I might improve my chances of publication.

Mel: I would say you sure did improve your chances of publication! Did you finish the course with a submittable magazine piece or book?

Karen: Yes, I believe the work was submittable, but it was apparently not publishable.

Mel: Had you sold any writing before graduating from the ICL course?

Karen: No, I don't believe so.

Mel: Did you write and/or publish magazine stories and/or articles before beginning to write books, or were you always a book-sized-project writer?

Karen: I attempted to write shorter pieces but I'm not very good at that length.

Mel: What kind of writing schedule did you set for yourself after you graduated the ICL course?

Karen: In the beginning it was difficult to schedule writing time. I had two young children and I was working part time. I found myself setting my alarm clock and working from about 2 am until 6 am when my children began stirring. It was hard going through the day sleep- deprived, but it was the only way to get any writing time back then. Once the children were older and I began publishing, I was better able to work what is more or less a conventional work day.

Maureen: When you were first writing, how did you keep your focus to continue writing what was important to you and not get bogged down with rejections?

Karen: At times the rejections did get to me, but the will to write always triumphed over the disappointment of rejection. Writing made me feel alive, engaged, complete in a way few other things could. It was impossible to give it up, even during the most discouraging days of my early career.

Maureen: Did you revise after rejections of your books?

Karen: Yes, I did a great deal of revision after a manuscript was rejected. Sometimes the revisions were inspired by comments in the editor's letter. Sometimes the revisions grew out of my ability to see the flaws in the manuscript after it had been away for awhile, sitting on an editor's desk. In the beginning, I wanted to write what I thought the editor wanted to read. This was a mistake. I needed only to write what I was passionate about.

Mel: Could you tell us about your husband and children, and how they have helped you in your writing career?

Karen: My dear husband would take my daughters out on the weekend for hours at a time so I could work. As my children grew older they were required to read and comment on all of my writing projects. As a result they have developed into incredibly analytical readers. That skill has been enormously helpful to them academically. And it was tremendously helpful to me as a developing writer. I still call on them as early readers on every book. They help me see if what I'm living with inside my brain makes any sense out in the real world.

Mel: Do you have a certain reader or certain readers in mind as you are writing each book?

Karen: No. I write for the story itself. I'm trying to make it "true" to itself . The reader is not a major consideration until the book is pretty far along.

Maureen: What's your writing process—what part of day do you write, and is it every day?

Karen: I take care of e-mail from about seven to nine in the morning. After that the real work begins. If I am researching, I read all day and well into the night. If I am writing, I begin at around nine a.m.. If the work is going well (or I am in first draft), I might write until ten at night or later. If the work is not going well, I often stop at three in the afternoon. I do this every day, Monday through Friday. On Sunday, I start early (about 7am) and answer my fan mail until each letter has received a response. Sometimes I'm at my desk until ten or eleven at night.

Maureen: How do you begin with an idea for a story?

Karen: Story ideas begin as a flicker. I pursue the idea, researching it from several angles. I might read thousands of pages of research, only to decide the story is not mine to write. When the flicker turns into a small conflagration, I follow the idea until it forms itself into a book.

Mel: Karen, have you had more than one publisher, or did you find and keep Scholastic as your publisher?

Karen: I have quite a few publishers.

Mel: When you are writing a novel, and working with an editor, does the editor ever ask you to compromise—delete or change—aspects that you consider crucial in the novel? If so, how are you guided in your response?

Karen: I have indeed been asked to make critical changes in my books. I listen very carefully to what the editor is saying, trying to understand what about the book is bothering the editor. I have gone back and completely rewritten my book in order to address the editor's concern. At times I've felt the book was made stronger by these changes. At other times I've thrown away the revision and gone back to the original. You, as the writer, have to understand your work (and your editor) in order to know when it is right to make changes and when you must defend the work as it stands.

Mel: Can you describe how it is working with your editor? Is it all pleasure? Pain plus pleasure? All pain? How do you handle that give-and-take editing process?

Karen: The relationship between author and editor is different with each author, each editor, and each project. The day the revision request letter arrives is always difficult. The editor is asking so much and at first I can't imagine how I'm going to do all that's required. But within a few hours I begin growing excited about the revisions and by the next day or so I can't wait to get going on the new draft. It is one of the most satisfying relationships one can have in life when author and editor are compatible and one of the most frustrating when they are not.

Mel: How many books did you publish before Out of the Dust?

Karen: Out of the Dust was my tenth children's book.

Mel: Did you have any idea as you were writing Out of the Dust that it would be an award-winning book?

Karen: No. I was writing what I "had" to write, what compelled me, what sent me racing to my desk each morning. I didn't think about anything else. It would be deadly to think about awards while one is writing. Don't you agree?

Mel: Yes, it seems like it would be writing to others’ expectations instead of your own. Where did the root idea come from for Out of the Dust? Did your family have experience of the Dust Bowl days of Oklahoma or Kansas or another affected state?

Karen: No one in my family had ever been to the Great Plains so I had loads of research to do. The most gratifying comments on Out of the Dust have been from those who grew up in the Panhandle during the Depression and wanted to know which family I came from. If they believed the book that much, I know I must have done something right.

Mel: The conflict in Out of the Dust increases geometrically as the story line plays out, and becomes so painful readers shudder, I think. What is your own personal acquaintance, if any, with the kind of severe suffering Billie Jo underwent in that novel?

Karen: We all experience pain, loss, sorrow. Even the youngest child understands these things and can relate to them. To know you are not the only one who ever suffered a grief or a prolonged sadness brings a certain degree of comfort.

Mel: How did you decide to write Out of the Dust in poetry?

Karen: It wasn't a conscious decision. It grew organically out of the research.

Renee Kirchner: Yes, I loved Out of the Dust and have read it five or six times, and recommended it many times. Can you explain more about how you decided to write the entire novel in free verse poems?

Karen: Thank you, Renee. I didn't set out thinking, "Hmmm, now I'm going to write a novel as a cycle of poetry." It felt important to represent to the reader how spare the life of an Oklahoma farm family was during this period. How each word, each gesture, each action took great effort. Poetry seemed such an organic way to convey the essence of the story to the reader.

Mel: Many editors seem to frown upon poetry. Why is that, do you think, and what kind of poetry WOULD appeal to editors?

Karen: Unfortunately there is a lot of bad poetry out there. My heart goes out to the dedicated, language-sensitive ears of editors. Editors work such long hours and are rarely recognized for the incredibly difficult and often underpaid service they provide. Subjecting them to bad poetry is cruel. Make certain you're not submitting something for your own gratification. Try it out on others. If they are finding fault with it, please don't submit it to an editor. Editors want to find wonderful writing. Try to provide them with it.

Christa Turner: I've been told that writing poetry of any kind is a difficult course to follow. How did you find a market for your Out of the Dust? How long did it take before you were successful in selling it?

Karen: The "breaking in" to children's literature happened for me nine books before Out of the Dust so it wasn't as difficult for me to sell it as it might have been if it had been my first book. My editor loved the manuscript from the start, just the way I presented it to her. That isn't to say I didn't need to revise the book. I did. But I submitted it to my editor as a poetry cycle and she accepted it in that format.

Christa Turner: Where did you come up with such a beautiful and tragic concept for your story?

Karen: The book has its roots in a picture book I was working on about a young urban child who longed for rain. My writing group asked me to explore the idea further and I ended up studying the Dust Bowl. That research led to Out of the Dust. Incidentally, the picture book was also published. It’s titled Come on, Rain!

Renee Kirchner: Karen, I love the main character, Billie Jo, in your novel, Out of the Dust. How did you come up with her character? Is she based on someone you know?

Karen: Thank you, Renee. Billie Jo is an example of a character growing out of the research. Once I'd completed the bulk of the research for Out of the Dust, I needed a character to carry the story. That's how Billie Jo came into existence.

Mel: Your recent Stowaway, the story of a boy who stowed away on the 1768 voyage of Captain James Cook, came after The Music of Dolphins, contemporary history, and Out of the Dust, 1930s history. Since Stowaway is also historically based—though not in verse—do those books mean you have an intense interest in history?

Karen: I really do love history, particularly the way it resonates through time.

Mel: The red-haired hero, Nick, of Stowaway seems to suffer pain that is similar in intensity to that Billie Jo suffered in Out of the Dust. Tell us how you conceive of conflict in a novel; does it just seem to flow naturally out of the story's plot as you develop the book?

Karen: Yes, the conflict almost always grows organically out of the research.

Lynn Murray: What are the criteria for evaluating a historical fiction idea? Other than author interest, is it the availability and quality of sources? Whether books exist on that topic?

Karen: Yes, Lynn, all of the above. You must be tremendously interested in the period to really "get" it. You must read exhaustively all you can find about the period (including studying the music and the art, reading poetry, plays, newspapers, books from and about the period). I feel if I can't contribute anything fresh to the topic then I shouldn't waste my time or the time of the reader. That is part of the reason I research so exhaustively. And the more I read about the period, the better I am able to recreate it with some degree of accuracy and integrity.

Lynn Murray: Do editors require annotated manuscripts for historical fiction? Or for historical documentation supporting a scene or fact in one's book? I have been writing my manuscript using the footnotes section in Word, inserting the notes and source document proof mainly for myself as a way of keeping my research straight. But I intended to submit my manuscripts without these notes.

Karen: Lynn, this plan sounds perfect.

Lynn Murray: Could you please discuss the function, length and content of an author's note.

Karen: Author's notes are as individual as the authors who write them. I prefer a shorter note including only what the reader needs to know to put the book in context.

Carolyn Johnson: What would you suggest a dedicated writer do after the steps I’ll describe are followed, and yet a rejection slip for a diligently worked-on middle- or intermediate-grade manuscript is still the result? The steps I’ve followed are these: markets researched, market chosen that seems best for the manuscript, the chosen market's instructions done (including a cover letter that was diligently thought out and written).

Karen: I'd suggest you take a good look at the manuscript. If you still believe it is strong enough for submission, make an itinerary for it and keep sending it out. But also continue to work on new material. Don't wait for the sale of that one piece. Each time you write you become a better writer. It's like exercising a muscle. Keep at your craft, keep learning. You might think your writing is in good enough shape now but ten years from now you might see your work quite differently.

Mel: Tell us about the Newbery selection process each year. How is it conducted so as to narrow down to the one best book of the year?

Karen: I have absolutely no idea how it all works. I know the committee reads pretty much every qualifying book with care and hope that they have discovered the gem. The individuals on the committee have certain favorites and they defend those favorites to their fellow committee members with passion and conviction. What happens beyond that is a certain magic I cannot explain, never having sat on such a committee.

Mel: Did you have any inkling when Out of the Dust was published that it would be, could be a Newbery winner?

Karen: None. I never gave it a moment's thought.

Mel: Did you know before you won that Out of the Dust was being considered for the Newbery Medal?

Karen: Not a clue. The year before there had been a lot of buzz about The Music of Dolphins. When it did not receive a Newbery Medal or Honor I told my editor I didn't ever want to hear rumors and speculation about my work again. She graciously obliged.

Mel: Can you tell us about the final notification you received that you had won the Newbery, and your feelings at the time?

Karen: The phone call came from Ellen Fader. I had met Ellen and was fond of her. I was surprised to hear her voice on the other end of the line and chatted casually with her. She quickly informed me that this was not a social call, that she was the chair of the Newbery committee. Suddenly my heart started pounding, not only in my chest, but in my eyes, my ears, my throat. That's when I fainted. When I came to a few seconds later she was still talking. I hadn't heard what she'd said. I was crying. She was crying. When she hung up, I didn't know what I'd won, the medal or an honor. It wasn't until the Today Show phoned me that I knew I'd won the medal. It was really as incredible as you can imagine. In my book A Time of Angels I write about the national celebrations following the end of World War I. If you took all the national excitement at the conclusion of that war and compressed it down into one moment inside one single human heart, that's how it felt to win the Newbery Award.

Mel: Out of the Dust was well deserving of that Newbery Medal, and you’ve expressed the experience of receiving the Newbery very vividly, Karen!

Maureen: After you won the Newbery Award, did your life change? How did you use the money?

Karen: My life did change after winning the Newbery. It gave me a sense of being supported by the enormous children's book community. But the Newbery also robbed me of my privacy, it turned me into a public person. This was a little difficult for me. You don't receive money for the award itself. The additional revenue arrives on your doorstep in the form of considerably higher royalty checks.books tend to sell well after they've won a major award. I've used the money in a number of ways. I am most grateful that the success of my writing has helped me to quietly assist others less fortunate than I have been.

Mel: Tell us also how The Music of Dolphins evolved, and from what roots, please.

Karen: After hearing a radio interview about Genie, a contemporary wild child, I found myself drawn to the idea of a book in which I could explore what it means to be human, about our animal nature versus our human nature, about humanity itself and its evolution. I wanted to use first person narration to tell Mila's story, tricky since Mila has no language at the beginning of the novel. This is how I created Mila's voice: We had a young girl staying with our family the summer I began work on The Music of Dolphins. Emilee was French and knew not a single word of English when she came to us. I had not studied French in over twenty years. I noted the retrieval of French from some dark, dusty place in my brain. I noted my emerging French vocabulary and syntax as I resurrected rusty language skills in order to communicate with this charming young child in our midst. That rediscovered French became the template upon which I based Mila's voice. I also spent time at a dolphin research facility in Florida as well as with the Florida Coast Guard. I attended lectures on nonverbal communication and interrogated my speech pathologist friends, using their expertise to guide me. My doctor assisted, too, in helping me understand the health issues of a child who had spent three quarters of her life in the sea.

Mel: Karen, do you find your writing is pressured now—as Katherine Paterson seemed to indicate—because of winning the Newbery Medal?

Karen: Yes. There are certain expectations. I always try to write the best book I am capable of writing, but others are looking at me and my work differently now. The bar is raised. I often wish the Newbery and Caldecott Awards could only be won once by any individual.

Mel: Have you been consciously trying to make every book an award-winner since Out of the Dust?

Karen: No. Each book must come from your soul, not from your desire for accolades.

Mel: Is the market for children's books as healthy as it was, say, six years ago when Out of the Dust was published, Karen? What signs do you see that it might be growing?

Karen: I don't know. I'm afraid I don't pay attention to the marketing end of the business. For me it's all about the writing. I'd be writing even if my books didn't sell because I have to write. The fact that my work has been a success surprises me, delights me, and makes me feel gloriously grateful.

Mel: What advice would you give to a just-starting writer who has maybe just graduated from the ICL course, and not yet sold any writing?

Karen: Write every day. Read every day. Think of yourself as an author. Experience life with all of your senses. Don't wish away a single moment. Good or bad, live it all!

Mel: And for those writers who have sold a few pieces, but would like to write and sell more, including books, what suggestions do you have for them?

Karen: Market your work fairly (no multiple submissions) but aggressively if you truly believe it is competitive and others outside of your family agree with you. And keep to a schedule, creating new work regularly as your completed work makes its rounds. Follow up with editors who have shown any interest in your work. Remember, these editors are not the enemy. They sincerely want to discover something wonderful. Don't disappoint them. You cannot believe how hard they work. If it takes them a long time to get back to you don't curse them or wish you could hold their firstborn hostage until they reply to you. Know they are doing the best they can. Make their day. Give them something fantastic, exciting, clean, legible, pleasurable, well crafted to read. If they take the time to send you a letter, even if it's a rejection, write them a brief, sincere thank you note. They'll remember.

Mel: May I ask what your writing project is now that will next be published, Karen? And about its progress?

Karen: Just out: The Cats of Krasinski Square, a picture book based on a story I found while researching Aleutian Sparrow. Cats is set during the World War II occupation of Warsaw and shows the courage of the Resistance in defiance of the Gestapo. It's a book about survival, courage, and humor in the face of the darkness engulfing the world during that period in history. Next up: H. C. Andersen: The Most Incredible, a look at the evolving mind of a genius and how early experiences shape the mind and soul of a remarkable individual.

Mel: Heartfelt thanks to you, Karen Hesse! You’ve put your words into this Guest Chat just as ably as you put them into your books for children. I hope we may interview you again after you have even more books published. Continued good fortune to you in your writing!

 

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