Beatrix Potter said, “There is something delicious about writing the first words of a story. You never quite know where they’ll take you.”
Those words are just as true if you’re someone who plots out every aspect of every story you write or if you prefer to discover the story as you go along. I first sat down with the initial idea for the WIP I’m working on in November of 2002. It began with the line “There once was a boy named Philly the Kid…”
The original idea stemmed from a college writing assignment, and after writing the first words I began envisioning a series of picture books. Twenty-year-old Jen had no idea how difficult a task it was she’d taken on.
A long and winding road
It wasn’t long before I realized writing picture books was not the fun, simple project I thought it would be. Writing 20-page research papers complete with bibliography and full citations for an elective classes on topics I barely cared about (other than the grade) was far easier. On top of that, I’d begun to see that there was much more to this Philly’s journey than could fit in a handful of pages.
After setting aside the idea of writing picture books, I began learning more about children’s books and the growing middle grade market. I also kept my eye on young adult fiction, whose characters were growing increasingly older and whose storylines seemed to be growing increasingly darker.
What I’ve learned in the years since is that each genre is a diverging path. While they may have similar concepts at heart—a youngling wrestling with some aspect of growing up and learning about who they are—how their stories are developed is vastly different.
When I wrote those first words nearly twenty years ago, I had no idea the journey they’d embark me on would be one of my own. I’ve played with that same story idea as a picture book, as children’s story, and a middle grade fantasy. It’s been a familiar face beside me as I developed news skills and a deeper understanding of the world I wanted to be a part of as a writer and as an editor.
But I also discovered that my Philly wasn’t at home in any of those worlds. After sitting on the shelf for a number of years, he and I are venturing into the wilds of YA fantasy. Not because I think it’s easier, but because as I’ve learned more about the craft of writing, I’ve learned that this is where his story could best be told.
I’ll be honest and say that I’m still not sure if his story will be one that is ever published. But I have hope that it will.
Don’t be afraid of your writing journey taking a detour!
I don’t regret for a moment the long journey Philly and I have been on together. Working with him has helped me develop my craft as a writer. And it’s also encouraged me to read deeply and widely in each of the categories I thought he might one day fit in.
All that reading has in turn helped me develop a sense of whether a story a client sends me is best suited for children, middle grade, or young adult. It has also helped me direct them to other stories that are similar to theirs and to offer developmental edits that can help them get their story on the right track.
If you’re still try to figure out where you fit as a writer and where your story belongs, I’d encourage you to take a break from writing and go on a reading adventure. Pick the category you think your story belongs in and grab as many different titles in that section of the library as you can. Read old classics. Read new releases. Ask other readers what authors they would recommend.
While there’s plenty you can learn from writing conferences, classes, critiques, and books on writing, I still believe the best source of inspiration and growth you can invest in during the early stages of your writing journey are in books you hope your stories will one day sit beside.
As you read, watch carefully how the author takes you from the first word to the last. What intrigues you as a reader? What frustrates you? And if a story begins to lose your attention or confuses you as an adult, chances are, it’s done the same for young readers as well.
The road to get from writing the first words of a story to its official last sentence may take a little longer than you’d like, but I can say with confidence as one who is still on her own journey, it’s worth the extra time.
Endure fort!
Jen