Caroline Starr Rose

award-winning picture book and middle-grade author

A First Read, A Last Read

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When a box of ARCs arrives at my house, I go over them like any author would, studying what’s been included on the back cover, lovingly taking in every detail of what’s inside besides the story itself (this time around there’s wonderful praise for Blue Birds and a stunning Klondike goldfields map).

As soon as I can, I sit down with the book for a celebratory read through. It always takes a bit of adjustment at first, seeing words on the left-hand side of the page (when working with a printed draft, I keep everything one sided), but soon I’m involved with the story, as I hope future readers will be.

This reading is a both looking forward and back. It’s the culmination of years of hard work and the realization the book is no longer mine alone. Like any completed piece of art, a piece moves from create to connect when it is given to a broader audience. Meaning and interpretation and all those potential opinions — they aren’t mine to shape or even know. They aren’t for me, anyway, just as the book is no longer for me. As Katherine Paterson says,

Once a book is published, it no longer belongs to me. My creative task is done. The work now belongs to the creative mind of my readers. I had my turn to make of it what I could; now it is their turn.

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This weekend, I sat with Jasper on airplanes, in airports, and in the Orlando sunshine, grateful for the opportunity to see it as a whole, completed thing, and super grateful that even this late in the game there is a chance to make corrections (Because errors — there still in there! I found I’d typed west when I meant east, that Jasper claimed to see someone nod his head even though he’d just closed his eyes, that one particular paragraph worked better moved over half a page and another was much stronger broken up and reassembled.).

Here you go, Jasper. You’re ready to make it on your own without me. I wish you many readers and friends on this next leg of your adventure.

Five Things I Learned From NaNoWriMo

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Here’s an oldie but goodie for those of you in the NaNoWriMo trenches. Enjoy!

It was with a bit of reluctance I decided to join in this year’s National Novel Writing Month. For those of you unfamiliar with NaNoWriMo, it’s a month-long challenge to produce 50,000 words on a new piece of writing. I’d tried NaNo in 2009 and failed miserably. I never, ever was going to do it again. But things came together for me this year in a way that joining in made sense:

  • BLUE BIRDS was off with my editor
  • I was at the point with my research for a new novel that I was itching to get started
  • I read this blog post by Darcy Pattison
  • My critique partner, Valerie Geary, promised me peanut butter cookies if I made it through

I didn’t sign up officially. Instead I created a contest of one I called Fake-o NaNo, where I aimed to write 1500 words a day six days a week. I missed one day, had a good number of sessions I didn’t hit 1500 (and a couple I wrote more), and felt finished with the draft a few days before Thanksgiving — the exact day BLUE BIRDS “flew” back to me in a big padded envelope.

Here are five things I learned from the experience:

  1. Slow and steady has been my writing mantra this year. But sometimes fast and furious is just as important. Typically, I write verse novels and picture books. It’s a sloooow process, especially when I’m initially drafting. But with this new novel, I’m trying my hand at prose, something I haven’t poked at for seven or eight years. Throwing words on a page was a very liberating, non-committal way to reintroduce myself to this form. With my first NaNo attempt, I got stuck during the first week and decided to stop. This time around was no different. I faced the same impossible rut one week in. But I kept moving, mainly by sticking to the next lesson I learned.
  2. Sometimes you just have to write about the writing. While I’ve kept a journal for this book since April, I still have a lot of exploring to do. Many days I found myself writing about what was working in the story and what wasn’t. Things I’d have to look further into, characters I needed to add, relationships I needed to develop. Really, the draft became a running commentary, an in-the-moment chance to reflect on my ideas (or lack of them). I know this will be invaluable when I return to the book in a few months.
  3. Practice holds the fear at bay. I’ve written here a lot about how much angst is bound up in my first drafts. The creative process is a scary thing for me, and beginning (and finishing) a first draft is my biggest challenge. By holding myself to a daily goal, I was able to break through some of that fear by simply showing up and doing the work.
  4. Embrace the mess. The “draft” I finished with is quite possibly the messiest, worst thing I’ve ever written. But it’s been such a great experiment in getting words down, feeling out characters, and sometimes learning exactly what I don’t want to write about (by first doing just that). Knowing I could toss it all took me in some directions I might never have discovered if my approach had been more careful.
  5. Did I mention the cookies? Committing out loud to a friend kept me honest. And the cookies were a great pay off!
Are any of you participating in NaNoWriMo this year? What has your experience been like?

 

Editing Tricks: Working Backwards Means Forward Momentum

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This picture is from my third-round edits, another time recently when I used a technique I hadn’t before. I had the manuscript with my editor’s comments bound and printed a second copy to work from longhand.

I’ve often heard of authors working backward during edits as a way to find errors they might not otherwise, but I’d never tried it until last week. In preparation for First Pages Pages (the first time I’ll see Jasper and the Riddle of Riley’s Mine looking like an actual book and the last time I’ll be able to make changes to the manuscript), I started with the last chapter and moved toward the first.

I’m not sure what I was expecting, but I’ve found working this way means I’m not caught up in the momentum of the story (and am therefore able to notice small details I might not otherwise). I’m also able to see each chapter as it stands alone, which reveals what’s working and what isn’t. I can’t rely on what I think has already happened (though I can go back to verify).

This is a technique I’ll use again.

Any tips or tricks you use while editing?

Giving Jasper as a gift? Be sure to get your bonus pack!

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Jasper and the Riddle of Riley’s Mine is a perfect read for cold winter nights and would be a wonderful holiday gift for a young reader in your life (if I do say so myself!).

If you’d like to receive the journal, sticker, and two bookmarks pictured above, simply order a copy of Jasper and send your receipt and your mailing address to carolinestarr@yahoo.com by December 14. It’s a wonderful way to round out your gift — for a young reader or yourself.

 

 

WILL and JASPER, JASPER and WILL

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Here’s a roundup of Ride On, Will Cody! and Jasper and the Riddle of Riley’s Mine goodies that might interest you. I’ve included snippets from each and encourage you to click through to read or listen to more. Enjoy!

podcasts

Books Between, Episode #26: Caroline Starr Rose + Favorite Fictional Dads

This week I am welcoming to the show Caroline Starr Rose – author of the recently released middle grade historical adventure Jasper and the Riddle of Riley’s Mine. We chat about the inspirations behind her latest novel, encouraging kids to read more, and we reminisce about Little House on the Prairie.

Read-Aloud Revival, Episode #71: The Research and Inspiration Behind Fascinating Historical Fiction, Caroline Starr Rose

Caroline Starr Rose is back, and she’s joining me today to talk about her historical fiction, plus she’s sharing inspiration for young authors and tips for introducing novels in verse to our kids.

interviews and guest posts

Caroline Starr Rose: An On-Going Private Conversation :: Sharing Our Notebooks

I write historical fiction, so the idea of keeping a notebook to gather my research and questions about a new project isn’t a new one. But over the years my notebooks have expanded into something other than just a collection of historical tidbits. They’ve become an on-going private conversation where I can noncommittally explore the fragile beginnings of a new idea or work out troublesome knots once the story’s under way.

Q and A with Caroline Starr Rose :: Albert Whitman blog

What makes your book stand out?

There are a handful wonderful picture books about the Pony Express — They’re Off!: The Story of the Pony Express, Whatever Happened to the Pony Express, and Off Like the Wind: The First Ride of the Pony Express come to mind. I wanted to write a book that went beyond the history and created an experience, that thrust the reader right into the ride alongside Will Cody. I hope readers feel energy, surprise, fatigue, and courage in the rhythm and movement of the words and art as they turn each page.

Getting to Know Caroline Starr Rose :: The Deliberate Reader

Has being a writer changed you as a reader?

Oh, yes. I used to be quite the reading snob (not that there’s anything wrong with that!). But the longer I’ve written, the more I’ve learned to appreciate books that I might not have picked up fifteen or twenty years ago. I think knowing the hard work that goes into writing has both broadened my taste and shown me plenty to admire in the books I’ve read. I’m constantly impressed with the way other authors tell a story through their choices with plot, structure, form, and point of view.

Bringing History to Life: Ride On, Will Cody! :: The Deliberate Reader

Can you tell us about the upcoming book?

Ride on, Will Cody! is a picture book about the third-longest ride in Pony Express history. According to legend, young Will Cody (later America’s greatest showman, Buffalo Bill) rode for the Pony Express at the age of fifteen. He claimed to have covered 322 miles in under twenty-two hours on a ride that required twenty-one horses. I should add that while most historians now believe Cody didn’t ride for the Pony Express, he no doubt had a huge influence on America’s collective memory of the eighteen-month venture through the reenactments he later included in his Wild West show. On a personal note, I’ve decided even if the story of his ride is more legend than truth, it still embodies the courage of the young men who rode for the Pony Express and gives a sense of Cody’s big, bold character. That’s enough for me.

Ride On, Will Cody! is an in-the-moment adventure as boy and horse (and reader) hit the trail together. I’m so happy readers will soon be able to jump in!

Friend Friday: Caroline Starr Rose :: Kirby Larsen

Ride On, Will Cody! languished for years on submission. I had plenty of time to wonder if the book was over and done with. Dead on arrival. Not. Gonna. Happen.

But this story about resolve and a long, long ride wasn’t finished yet. I asked my agent to try one more editor. Months passed. I finally let myself grieve. The story just wasn’t meant to be.

And then. (You know you want to click through to learn more!)

Coming October 12: An Interview with Caroline Starr Rose :: Falling Leaflets

Writing about historical figures can be daunting. What advice would you give writers who are looking to represent a person from history with limited text and just 32 pages to work with?

Go deep rather than wide. A historical picture book isn’t meant to cover everything in a character’s life. Pick a moment and shine a light on the character’s response to the event. Show us her bravery or his curiosity, her commitment or his determination. Let us live the moment right alongside the character. Leave us feeling as if we’ve been there!

 

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