Celebrating Sun & Son with Linda Joy Singleton w/Prize
How did you come up with the idea for Sun & Son?
I had already published Crane & Crane, which idea came naturally to me since my husband was a Crane operator and we lived near a sandhill crane sanctuary.
I enjoyed the way the words sounded paired together as homonyms. But originally it was just an idea that I came up with for the annual challenge of writing a picture book idea every day for a month. My agent was the one who encouraged me to try this unusual format and bring it from Idea to Manuscript.
In doing research for Crane & Crane on homonyms, I wondered what other words in the English language suggested the three Cs – Character, Conflict and Comparison. And Sun & Son was the only one!
Sun & Son was natural to write about because as a parent I enjoy a special relationship with my son. And those three Cs were present, so I couldn't resist the challenge to make it work.
How did you develop the idea from those words?
Since I love nature and live in the country and camp, it was very natural for me to write about how important the sun is to the earth. I love to enjoy a day in the sun with my family, and we have gone on many camping trips. Although I am not good at fishing, I incorporated that into the story. I strived to create nature scenes that I thought that parents and kids could relate to.
What was your revision process for this book?
The beginning was pretty easy.
But the ending was originally going to show the world spinning around and showing a new family starting the day with a son in the sunshine in the other side of the earth. But, late in the art process, my editor said that this ending didn’t give her a warm fuzzy feeling like the ending of Crane & Crane. So I had to rewrite it. I had thought the book was finished as it had been about two years into the process. So this development gave me a feeling of extreme panic. But that night, I kept thinking. The next morning I woke up, and all of a sudden the perfect word hit me…
I wrote to my editor right away, with a subject line of “I Think I Have It”.
And she wrote back YES!
That word was…
Together.
So when you reach to the last page of the book, hopefully you will get that warm fuzzy feeling too.
You have included links on your website to increase the book’s appeal to educators, teachers and librarians. Please tell us about those resources and how that came about.
With the help of some close writing friends, I developed a nature scavenger hunt activity.
And to supplement that, I came up with the idea of making a sheet to teach how to write a homonym story.
I also have one for Crane & Crane that I’m happy to share.
I recommend that writers develop activities that will broaden the appeal of their books and provide added experiences for their readers.
What advice do you have for aspiring authors?
When you get an idea that excites you, but is challenging, don’t be afraid to give it a try… you never know. It could be your next published book.
PRIZE GIVEAWAY: Linda Joy is graciously giving away one copy of Sun & Son to one lucky winner who shares this post (tell us where) and comments in the comment section! Prize winner will be chosen in a random drawing on June 30th. Get an extra chance for telling us why you would love to win this book!
Linda Joy Singleton is the author of over 55 MG, YA, and picture books Her most recent books are the Curious Cat Spy Club series, Crane & Crane, Memory Trap, and Sun & Sun. She offers writing advice, book news, free stories, and downloadable activities for kids including a board game “Save the Cats” at www.LindaJoySingleton.com
