Monday, May 17, 2010

Author Pat Brisson talks about how she came to write, The Best and Hardest Thing

How I Came to Write The Best and Hardest Thing
Pat Brisson   published May 2010 by Viking Press 
     
I am primarily a picture book author, and tend to think short.  But several members of my writing group write novels and I’ve long been tempted to give one a try, although the thought of holding all those ideas, themes, characters, and scenes in my head for such a long time seemed daunting. So I chose an idea I could sum up in a single sentence: A fifteen-year-old gets pregnant and decides to give up her baby for adoption.
I’ve heard people compare picture books to poetry, because every word counts and the best are written in a lyrical style.  And since I’ve written picture books, I naively thought I could write a novel in verse. It would be easy!  Like writing a lot of little picture books!  Hah!
It wasn’t easy.  But it was definitely a learning experience.  I bought many books about how poetry works and how to write poems and gave myself a crash course, trying to learn as much as I could.  I would start each morning reading about forms and find one – a pantoum, for instance, where the second and fourth lines are repeated as the first and third lines of the following stanza, - and think: this form would be great for showing the character’s mind going back and forth trying to make a difficult decision.  Then I’d spend the afternoon writing a pantoum for the book.  This went on for months. Okay. . . years.
I learned about the aubade, the sonnet, the triolet, the haiku, the ballad, the blues poem, the villanelle, the list poem, the performance poem, the pastiche.  I learned about free verse and blank verse, the use of repetition, and meter, metaphor, simile, personification, line breaks and different kinds of rhymes.  And I tried to incorporate the things I was learning into the book I was writing.  It was a challenging undertaking, but one I enjoyed. 
And I thought that readers might enjoy learning some of the things I had learned about poetry, so I decided to include a Chatty Glossary in the back of the book.  This would be like an author chat – a chance for me to explain the different forms and why I chose them for that particular poem.  I thought it was a genius idea, but my publisher didn’t share my opinion. So if you want to see the Chatty Glossary, go to my website patbrisson.com  and let me know what you think, okay?
I hope you enjoy reading The Best and Hardest Thing.  And I hope you read the Chatty Glossary.  But most of all, I hope you fall in love with poetry.  Read it.  Memorize it.  Let it speak to you and let it carry you through the rough times and the happy times.  Try your hand at writing it and find out for yourself how satisfying this search for the right word, perfect image and beautiful sound can be.

Pat, with help from her son, created a couple of  awesome youtube videos about her new book to share with readers. You won't want to miss that box of matches. Sparks fly! Listen as Pat reads excerpts on these links: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JeD5R12OZks



The Best and Hardest Thing will resonate with teenage girls on many levels, because it is about so much more than what happens when you're fifteen and make a mistake. I'm not going to say more about the story; I want you to read it for yourselves. I will tell you that the ending is unforgettable. Yes, I wept, and then I wept some more. If you are a teen or love a teen or was a teen, then buy this book. Share it; give it often as a gift. The story will stay with you long after you've read the last page. Thank you, Pat, for writing this book!

Pat has graciously donated an autographed copy of The Best and Hardest Thing. Simply leave a comment on this post by May 26th for a chance to win the book! The winner will be chosen by random.com. You can also purchase a copy by clicking on this shortened amazon.com link: http://www.littleurl.net/b40901


While you're over at amazon, take a look at Pat's new picture book, Sometimes We Were Brave published Jan 2010 by Boyds Mills Press http://tinyurl.com/244kfrw (amazon.com).
 Jerome's mom is a sailor. When her ship is in home port, she and Jerome bake cookies, read books together, and take their dog, Duffy, for walks. When mom's ship goes to sea, she gives Jerome a hug and says, "Be brave, Jerome. I'll be back as soon as I can." 


Here's the link to Pat's web-site one more time. patbrisson.com

Leave a comment by May 26th for a chance to win The Best and Hardest Thing!  We look forward to hearing from you.

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22 comments:

  1. I can't wait to read this. What a great idea to write a novel in verse with this topic. It's a great way to get inside the character's mind. Loved the Chatty Glossary.

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  2. Hi Clara: I'm so glad you sent the email announcement to me because this book definitely sounds up my alley. Although all the weeping. . .:) Anyway, just wanted to say thanks for letting us know about THE BEST AND HARDEST THING and giving us a chance to win the book!

    Margo Dill
    http://margodill.com/blog/

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  3. Thanks for the comment,Amy! You'll be moved by this story, and you'll have a great time studying the different poetry forms, too. Your name goes in for the drawing.

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  4. This is a book you would love, Margo. Your name is added to the drawing.

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  5. Kudos to Pat for trying a new genre. And to work out all that poetry... stupendous! I bet this is a great book. Thanks for letting us know about it Clara.

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  6. Thanks for leaving a comment, Jen. Imagine writing in all those forms of poetry. Pretty amazing. Your name goes in for the drawing!

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  7. Thoughtful comment, Toby! I know you would enjoy the story and all the poetry forms Pat used. Thanks for dropping by.

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  8. Oh, Pat, I can relate. A PB writer trying to "write big"! The Best & Hardest Thing sounds like a true labor of love, not too far off from carrying a child. The cover is gorgeous, and I'm sure the words inside don't disappoint.

    Off to check out the Chatty Glossary!

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  9. Thanks for your comment, Kristin! I'm glad Pat was willing to share the writing challenges of her book. Enjoy the Chatty Glossary!

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  10. Terrific interview. Thanks for bringing Ms. Brisson to my attention.

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  11. What a wonderful post. I especially loved, "I hope you fall in love with poetry. Read it. Memorize it. Let it speak to you and let it carry you through the rough times and the happy times."

    Thanks

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  12. Thanks for dropping by to leave a comment, Sliding on the Edge! Indeed, where would we be without poetry?

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  13. Wow! You wrote a novel in verse about teen pregnancy?! Why haven't I heard about this? I'm adding it to my shopping list right now! Thanks for stopping by my book review blog, btw. :-)

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  14. Oh, my mistake! This was a guest post. Apologies for spreading my confusion! I'm still excited about this book!

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  15. Thanks for leaving Pat a comment about her book, and thanks for following my blog! :-) I'll be checking in on you again!

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  16. Oops, that last comment was for Katrina!

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  17. Sounds like an interesting book! I'm always amazed at people who can write any kind of poetry. I attempted a novel in verse a while back and while I enjoyed working on it, I just don't think I knew enough about poetry at that point. Maybe one day I'll give it another try.

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  18. I'm always amazed by people who can write poetry, too, Anna. Maybe after reading Pat's Chatty Glossary you'll give it another try. Best wishes.

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  19. I would love a chance to win this. I'm fascinated by such details as her choice of pantoum to show the character's back and forth emotions, and her entire study of poetry. Wow.

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  20. love the best and hardest thing its one of my fave books

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