Beth Anderson, Children's Writer

Writers are always in search of a special way to tell a story or a unique format that serves the topic. In this post, Eileen Rajala Meyer shares the process that led to the final version of BUILD A SANDCASTLE.

GIVEAWAY! Leave a comment after the post to be entered in the drawing for a copy of BUILD A SANDCASTLE!

Congrats to Jilanne Hoffmann, winner of FANTASTIC FLORA from Ann McCallum Staats!

Finding “Something Extra” by Eileen Rajala Meyer

First of all, thank you, Beth, for the opportunity to share with your readers today!

Have you ever searched for “something extra” in a project?

After working for months on a new picture book project, completing my research, revising dozens of drafts of rhyming text incorporating numerous poetic devices, and compiling useful back matter—the picture book text was polished to a gleam! Yet I felt it was still missing something. It needed a little something EXTRA.

But I couldn’t put my finger on just what that was . . .

The project was BUILD A SANDCASTLE (Illustrated by Manica Musil, Reycraft Books)—a rhyming ode to a favorite summer activity with insights into the step-by-step process of sandcastle building; themes of friendship and STEM were woven in as well.

Weeks passed and I still had no new insights, but luckily for me, I had signed up for an SCBWI-Florida sponsored event, Critique-a-Palooza. I was matched with Sunita Apte from Reycraft Books and would have twenty minutes of her time in a Zoom session to discuss this project. (She had received a copy of the manuscript ahead of our session.)

Our meeting, and her critique, proved pivotal. We discussed the project in detail. The story, pacing, voice, and characters were all working well, but we both agreed the draft still needed “something extra” to make it stand out.  What could that be? We tossed around a few ideas and then Sunita made some great suggestions. Since this was basically a non-fiction “how to” or process book, we didn’t have a significant change that could be made to the plot. (I wanted the sandcastle to be constructed and stand—and not get wiped out by a monster wave!) But maybe there was something that we could do with the characters. What about introducing a new character?

Sunita really liked the STEM-focused back matter I had provided for the book. (Reycraft Books is part of Benchmark Education, so projects with a lean into learning something new had caught her eye.) She suggested moving back matter material onto page spreads instead and introducing a character that brought the information to life. This new character would share the useful STEM tips page by page for young readers. EUREKA! We had our missing “something extra”! And so, I decided to introduce an additional character: a spunky starfish.

Over the next few months, I carefully revised and tweaked to add Starfish’s new starring role and playful voice spread by spread. Starfish had useful tips to share with young builders about a variety of topics . . .(here are a few short excerpts)

safety:

“As you move sand, avoid digging large holes. Near the ocean, a deep hole could harm a mama sea turtle coming ashore at night to lay eggs. The hole could injure a walker, too. Make sure fellow beach dwellers are safe near your work site.”

science:

“Sand is made up of teeny grains created from rocks and broken shells. Dry sand isn’t very strong is it? But when you mix sand and water together . . .”

fun:

“Show off your dance moves as you tamp down the foundation . . .”

construction pointers:

“Ooh la la . . . I love adding fancy details to a castle! If the towers get a bit dry as you work, use . . .”

(Note: you’ll have to read the picture book for a full reveal of Starfish’s helpful tips!)

Starfish now had a starring role! I recirculated the project to my critique groups. Final adjustments were made. (A shoutout to critique partners everywhere—those caring souls who help ensure every single word is spot on. In fact, this book is dedicated to my circle of critique group colleagues.) Most importantly, my critique partners agreed that thanks to Sunita’s input, I had found that “something extra” to set this project apart. With an invitation from the editor I worked with, I submitted the revised version. Soon after, Sunita offered a contract for BUILD A SANDCASTLE.

Paired with artist Manica Musil’s unique and inventive sewn-felt artistry, the result is a picture book that is both a charming celebration of a beloved summer activity and a useful guide for young builders. I hope that you’ll take a look, read it aloud with a young friend, and spend some time at the beach this summer building your own sandcastle!

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BIO:   Eileen Rajala Meyer has fond memories of summer days spent at the beach. She is the award-winning author of The Superlative A. Lincoln: Poems About Our 16^th President (Illustrated by Dave Szalay, Charlesbridge Publishing). Her poems have appeared in children’s poetry anthologies, including the recent Schoolapalooza (Bushel & Peck Books), and children’s magazines such as Highlights High Five, Ladybug, and more. A member of the Rhyme Doctors team, she shares articles and tips about different aspects of writing poetry and rhyme in a free monthly newsletter. When she’s not writing, Eileen likes to stroll on the beach near her home in Florida. Visit EileenMeyerBooks.com and RhymeDoctors.com to learn more.