Episode 42: Did you ever want to write something that did not connect to your book?-with Debbi Michiko Florence
Welcome to episode #42! Authors Grace Lin and Debbi Michiko Florence answer this kid question: Did you ever want to write something that did not connect to your book?
TRANSCRIPTS:
Grace Lin: Hello. I'm Grace Lin, children's book author and illustrator of many books, including the middle grade novel Where the Mountain Meets the Moon and the picture book A Big Mooncake for Little Star.
Grace Lin: Today I'm here with Debbi Michiko Florence, the author of the Jasmine Toguchi book series as well as the middle grade novel Keep it Together, Keiko Carter. Hi, Debbi.
Debbi Michiko Florence: Hi, Grace. Thanks for having me.
Grace Lin: Oh, so glad that you're here. All right. Are you ready for today's question?
Debbi Michiko Florence: I am. I'm excited.
Grace Lin: All right. Today's question is from a person named Sophie, and they ask-
Sophie: Did you ever want to write something that did not connect to your book?
Grace Lin: "Did you ever want to write something that did not connect to your book?" Ooh, this is a hard one. I think she's asking did you ever have stuff that you didn't get to put in there, like extras?
Debbi Michiko Florence: that is an excellent question. Well, there have been many times that I've written parts in a book that have to come out because it doesn't go with the story. But the thing that comes right to mind right now is I had an idea for a book five for Jasmine Toguchi that I didn't get to write, because there's only four books.
Grace Lin: Oh no. Are you saving those just in case they'll be a fifth book?
Debbi Michiko Florence: Maybe. It's funny, because I've had three different people write to me suggesting ideas for that was exactly what I was thinking for book five. And then, of course, other wonderful readers have written to me because I think they think I haven't written a book five because I ran out of ideas, so they're all trying to help me come up with ideas. So it's super cute and very helpful. But, yeah, book five, if I ever get to write it, I would love to have Jasmine and her family go visit Obachan in Japan.
Grace Lin: Oh, that would be exciting.
Debbi Michiko Florence: Yeah.
Grace Lin: That's a great idea. But that idea didn't fit in your other books. Is that what it is?
Debbi Michiko Florence: Right. Yeah. I mean, there wasn't room enough to have them go to Japan in each of those four books, but I kind of left book four off with maybe that might happen.
Debbi Michiko Florence: If anyone has read Flamingo Keeper, the big sister, Sophie makes a wish that they could go visit grandma in Japan and kind of just ends like that.
Grace Lin: Oh, well, we'll hope that you get around to writing that in book five. That would be so exciting.
Debbi Michiko Florence: That would be fun. That was a great question.
Grace Lin: Yeah. That happens to me quite a bit too. I know when I wrote Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, Where the Mountain Meets the Moon has lots of Chinese folktales mixed into the larger story. There are so many folk tales that I wanted to put in there, but it just didn't fit in the story. So that's why I had to write book two, which was Starry River of the Sky, and then there was even more stories and that's why I had to write When the Sea Turned to Silver. So only extras that didn't connect in the book, they ended up being new books.
Debbi Michiko Florence: That's an awesome.
Grace Lin: So that makes sense.
Debbi Michiko Florence: Yeah.
Grace Lin: Yeah. It makes sense that you're going to use that for another book.
Debbi Michiko Florence: That will be fun. Yeah.
Grace Lin: Is there any other things that you said you had to cut out of the books before that you can remember?
Debbi Michiko Florence: I had another scene and I think it was... Oh, I can't remember now. I think it was booked two or three in which the kids were in the library looking for research books. Oh, maybe it was book four. Isn't this horrible? Forget.
Grace Lin: When you write so many books, you can't remember which.
Debbi Michiko Florence: I know. Well, it's been a while too. But I had a longer scene where the classmates were in the library and kind of getting into silly hi-jinks and trouble in the library that I had to cut because it didn't really move the story forward, even though it was fun to write.
Grace Lin: Yeah. I think that's what it is when you have these extra things and they don't connect to your book. Not because they don't have the same characters in them, but because it just doesn't move the story forward. That's what happened to me in When the Sea Turned to Silver. I had put in this story about the stone cutter and I had loved this story so much and I wanted to keep it in there so much, but it just didn't do anything to the overall story and the book was already so long so I had to cut it out. And I'm like, "Oh, some day I'll use it." It's all these things that we'll use someday.
Debbi Michiko Florence: Do you have a file where you keep all your ideas to use some other time?
Grace Lin: I should, right? Right now, it's just all in my head, but I really should because I know I'll for get them.
Debbi Michiko Florence: I will forget.
Grace Lin: Well, thank you so much, Debbie, for answering that question and thank you so much, Sophie, for asking it.
Debbi Michiko Florence: Thank you Sophie. And thanks Grace.
Grace Lin: Bye.
Debbi Michiko Florence: Bye.
Today’s BOOK REVIEW is from Alona! She is going to tell us all about The Critter Club #4 , Marion Takes a Break by Callie Barkley and illustrated by Marsha Riti.
The book I would like to talk about is The Critter Club Four, Marion Takes a Break, written by Callie Barkley, illustrated by Marsha Riti. This book is about a girl named Marion who sprained her ankle, so she can't do the horse show. She is sad, but she watches her sister do the horse show and feels better. I like this book because it is fun.
Thanks Alona!
More about today’s authors:
Debbi Michiko Florence is the author of the middle grade novel Keep It Together, Keiko Carter (Scholastic/May 5, 2020), the Jasmine Toguchi chapter book series (Farrar Straus Giroux), and other books for children. A former classroom teacher and zoo educator, Debbi has spoken on panels at the National Council of Teachers of English Annual Convention, the Decatur Book Festival, and the Brooklyn Book Festival, among others; taught workshops at the Jackson Hole Writers Young Authors Writing Camp, the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, and other conferences; and presented at numerous schools and libraries. She is on the faculty of The Highlights Foundation. A third-generation Japanese American, born and raised in California, Debbi now lives in Connecticut with her husband, rescue dog, bunny, and duck. She loves to travel with her husband and daughter.
Grace Lin, a NY Times bestselling author/ illustrator, won the Newbery Honor for Where the Mountain Meets the Moon and her picture book, A Big Mooncake for Little Star, was awarded the Caldecott Honor. Grace is an occasional commentator for New England Public Radio , a video essayist for PBS NewsHour (here & here), and the speaker of the popular TEDx talk, The Windows and Mirrors of Your Child’s Bookshelf. She is the co-host of the podcast Book Friends Forever, a kidlit podcast about friendship and publishing (geared for adults). Find her facebook, instagram , twitter ( @pacylin) or sign up for her author newsletter HERE.
Special thanks to the High Five Books & Art Always Bookstore, Ms. Carleton’s 2nd grade class at Jackson Street School for their help with our kid questions and reviews.
