ReFoRe Bonus Links + Ask Carrie

4/30/2015

Lucky you! This posted early! The normal posting date for Ask Carrie + Bonus Links will be the last Thursday of the month in the future.

Ask Carrie
Urania Smith wants to know:
“How much room does an author have in dictating that a person of color is reflected in the illustrations when the topic is not cultural? I think it's important for kids to see themselves reflected in books where culture isn't the focus also.”

Carrie:
Thanks for the question, Urania! The flavor we give our text influences the way an illustrator visualizes a creation. Therefore, we need to put as much as we can into our characters before we write. Interview your character. Do you know everything about him or her? Every detail will not make it into a picture book, but the voice will come across loud and clear. Physical features and “descriptive” types of details are not normally included in illustration notes. However, as a writer who supports your statement: “I think it’s important for kids to see themselves reflected in books where culture isn’t the focus,” it can’t hurt to offer an illustration note to spread #WeNeedDiverseBooks fever.

Of course, I am one opinion. What do you think? Chime in below and start thinking of new questions. I will answer one or two during the next Ask Carrie session.

Lucky you! This posted early! The normal posting date for Bonus Links + Ask Carrie will be the last Thursday of the month in the future.

Bonus Links
Cornering Your Passion to Boost Growth
by Carrie Charley Brown

As soon as you walk into my house, you get a glimpse of my office. It is not neat. It is not tidy. The floor is covered with picture books. They’ve replaced the carpeting, with the exception of a small path to my chair. If you venture to the living room, you’ll find library bags full of picture books lining the hall. More stack the coffee table and beneath it on the floor. What’s for breakfast? Picture books. Lunch? Picture books. Dinner? Well, you know. -To read the rest of this post visit WRITERS RUMPUS

Save the Scraps
by Carrie Charley Brown

Revision ignites my thoughts… Oh, the possibilities! And with so many directions to turn, why ignore any of them? As writers, we are quick to dismiss an idea that doesn't sit right. If you are like me, typing most drafts directly into the computer, that little backspace action can permanently erase a perfectly good idea. Fast. But, what if you had kept your nearly dismissed ideas? -To read the rest of this post visit the GROG.

THINK QUICK interview with Picture Book Author Monica Kulling

Hi Monica! Congrats on the upcoming May 1st release of your second Tweedles picture book, The Tweedles Go Online. I love the family dynamic and subtle pieces of history that are weaved into this story. All of the THINK QUICK themes below appear in your book. Let’s see which way you lean. Remember, THINK QUICK!

On Communication:
Talk on the Phone or In Person?

(Read Monica's answer and more about The Tweedles at Carrie On… Together!)

12 Comments

Manju Howard link

4/29/2015 04:07:46 am

Writers should show a character's racial or ethnic background in the text. It's not enough to give a character a foreign name (Vikram) and tell the illustrator that the character has tan skin (Indian). Diversity goes deeper.

Carrie Charley Brown

4/29/2015 06:58:31 am

I agree, Manju. A name is not enough. An illustration note, to me, is an extra nudge, if needed. Thanks for reading!

Ann Magee

4/29/2015 11:24:17 am

Great answer, Manju, and I agree. But how does an author do that without being too obvious? For example, I have a ms that is inspired by a real story. It's about an African American homeless boy who wants to be an ice skater. Nothing in my ms at the moment would show this boy's race or culture, though, because in reality, there isn't anything about him/his hopes/his dreams/his situation that makes him stand out as a minority. I've been playing with the dialogue though. Any thoughts?

Ave Maria Cross

4/29/2015 05:04:30 am

Even if a book is not culturally themed, it is imperative that words writers use reflect idiomatic expressions and jargon used by a specific race and nationality so that an illustrator will be able to visualize who the characters are especially if they are fourth or fifth generation African American characters who have their own spin on American English and who desperately need to see themselves up front and center in the illustrations. That being said, the standard variety of English should not be compromised entirely.

Carrie Charley Brown

4/29/2015 06:56:25 am

Very well said, Ave! Thank you so much for this input! That is exactly what I was trying to say about the character's voice. You said it in much clearer terms. :) Thanks again!

Urania Smith

4/29/2015 11:19:27 am

Carrie, the issue I have with that as an African American is that the jargon that African Americans speak is not universal amongst African Americans. It can differ form state to state, city to city, and neighborhood to neighborhood. Also it's not universally used within the African American community as many children are chided not to speak slang, as I was. I think I'd find it kind of offensive if every PB I picked up, the character was speaking in a certain way just so the audience would know they're African American (unless these picture books had some type of historical, cultural, or regional significance to it). What if the book is about buying a pet? Must I write, "I wanna pet," if I want my MC to be depicted as African American?

Ave Maria Cross

4/29/2015 03:58:03 pm

"I wanna pet" is not a great example of African American English and that example is very disturbing. Granted, colloquial African American linguistics vary depending but keep in mind that it's not always slang. African American English stems from African languages and is exquisitely musical. Read Zora Neale Hurston. What if your example character wants a chocolate brown dog with brown eyes and nappy hair, just like him (a poodle perhaps?). Now, I'm not trying to write your story but as a fledgling kid lit writer, I believe that we must make it known somehow to the illustrator who we actually want the characters to portray through the choice of words we use to describe them -- I'm just saying, a/k/a I'm jus' sayin'...

Urania Smith

4/29/2015 05:07:57 pm

I understand what your saying, Ava. Btw, I have read Zora Neale Hurston, and I understand the history of the African American dialect. I understand that many linguist consider African American English a dialect because it follows rules just like English. I agree with this assessment. The example you give has a cultural significance, because the character in that instance wants a dog that is a mirror of him/herself. My question was more to do with books where the cultural significance of the character doesn't come into play. While I value the musicality, style, and uniqueness of the African American dialect there are many black people that would say, "I'm just saying." And my question is, is that the only way to write a black character? I think there is a lot more leeway when you get into books for older children, because you have a lot more room for description than in picture books.Think of books like, "I Like Myself." The child in that book could have been any color, but she is black. This is one example, but there are others out there. I have a book where the human character hardly talks, because the book is told primarily from the pet's perspective. My question is can I dictate the color of my character if I want a black child featured in the book? Are we as writers even allowed to do that?

Carrie Charley Brown

4/29/2015 06:30:28 pm

Thank you for clarifying your question, Urania. In this situation, it may warrant a simple request in an illustration note, to show your passion for children in the real world. Keep in mind, the illustrators will still take it upon themselves to portray the characters in the way they perceive the story. Or an editor or agent may ask that you take out the illustration note before the illustrator has a chance to see it. So, it is somewhat out of our control. But, it can start with a suggestion... it's always worth a try.

Also, as mentioned above, I believe your character needs to come across strong, no matter what race, and therefore, I would still recommend interviewing your character and knowing them intimately before writing. Not every detail will be included in your text, but the voice of the character will shine through their actions. Whether or not that will dictate their race, is to be seen in each individual situation. Ave mentioned one way that the voice may come across for one particular child, but that doesn't mean it has to apply to every text. I am sorry for offending you. My answer was not directed to one particular race, but open to all. Keep in mind, my answer is a subjective opinion. I appreciate the lively discussion.

Urania Smith

4/30/2015 03:02:17 am

Ave, sorry for repeatedly calling you Ava.

Urania Smith

4/30/2015 04:40:03 am

I'm not sure why my other reply didn't post. In it I was saying, Carrie, that there was no need for you to apologize. I didn't feel offended by your opinion. In fact, I appreciated the perspective that you and Ave brought to the subject. When I mentioned being offended, I was referring to the hypothetical event that I find myself reading many picture books with African American characters, and the language of every character is given stylistic flourishes for no other reason than to point out the character is African American. I think that would make African Americans appear homogenous in our speaking styles. Also, I'd like to say that I expect a diversity of opinion in a discussion if we are going to engage in an honest one, and appreciate a good and lively debate.

In you last comment you addressed my specific concerns, and I agree with every thing you said. The character has to have a good voice regardless of race. And sometimes you will need to add dialect to convey a characters race, because that may be something integral to that character. I did not ask specifics in my question, because I did want it to be open to all. Thank you for the discussion!

Carrie Charley Brown

4/30/2015 05:22:27 am

I agree, this is a great discussion! Thank you for asking the question. I would love to hear more opinions, as well, and hope more people will chime in.

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