A kindergartner asked me the other day to a read book to her. She handed me one from her book box then snuggled onto my lap. Her pick? More Parts by Ted Arnold. Each page I read reminded me of my own writing, and the one main thing my editor taught me: Floating body parts are taboo in the literary world.
Now, what is a floating body part you may ask? The answer was found in a simple children's book. It is a cliche that we use to describe something. In our book, the little boy was fearful because he had heard someone say that their baby sister cried their lungs out at night. A phrase commonly heard, but is it physically possible? No. The young man was also nervous to hear a joke in fear that it may crack him up.
I must admit, there were plenty of places in my novel where my heart broke or jumped through my throat. My mind raced, ears steamed, and yes, even my blood boiled. Guess what my editor said needed to be done? DELETE, DELETE, DELETE.
So now when I read Parts, More Parts, and Even More Parts to a class, I quietly chuckle to myself. For I know that even a picture book can be a powerful learning tool for every author. And for the kids? Well, they laugh simply because they think the book is funny.
Now, what is a floating body part you may ask? The answer was found in a simple children's book. It is a cliche that we use to describe something. In our book, the little boy was fearful because he had heard someone say that their baby sister cried their lungs out at night. A phrase commonly heard, but is it physically possible? No. The young man was also nervous to hear a joke in fear that it may crack him up.
I must admit, there were plenty of places in my novel where my heart broke or jumped through my throat. My mind raced, ears steamed, and yes, even my blood boiled. Guess what my editor said needed to be done? DELETE, DELETE, DELETE.
So now when I read Parts, More Parts, and Even More Parts to a class, I quietly chuckle to myself. For I know that even a picture book can be a powerful learning tool for every author. And for the kids? Well, they laugh simply because they think the book is funny.
RSS Feed
