By D.J. Brandon
Readers often believe that authors choose the stories they will write and then take the “driver’s seat,” in full control of the narrative as it moves forward. But that isn’t always so. Sometimes, it happens like this:
A fictional character approaches and lightly taps your shoulder. You’re thinking of sending her away. But then she tugs insistently at your sleeve. Reluctantly, you give her your ear.
“So I guess you’ve heard I’m an author,” you say.
She nods. And you ask her name.
“I’m Meadow,” she says. “I’m twelve years old.” Then she tells you about something confusing, unsettling, that happened to her. Something that was terribly wrong. Something that meant facing hard truths and finding the courage to speak out.
Now she has your attention.
“I’m listening,” you say. “First, tell me a little about yourself.”
And that’s the trap.
“Chickens?!” you say. “You’re raising 4-H chickens? But I know nothing about that.”
She looks at you with narrowed eyes. “You asked,” she says. “That’s who I am. So figure it out.”
And that’s how my novel in verse, Tell Me Why the Jack Pine Grows, began for me. With just a few short months in which to write Meadow’s story, I had no time to waste. Fortunately, I recalled that my piano teacher, Michelle, was raising chickens. And I immediately enlisted her help. She invited me to meet her “girls,” a flock of ten hens that Michelle and her family had been tending for some time. Michelle and her nine-year-old daughter, Annabelle, provided me with a wealth of information about chicken personalities, the “language” of chickens, and their daily routines. They introduced me to their delightfully adventurous Pineapple, a Polish bantam who became the model for Meadow’s favorite 4-H hen, Buttercup.
Next, I went to my county extension office and met with the 4-H livestock coordinator, Tammi. Before I knew what was happening, I was volunteering as an evaluator at two public presentation events with an amazing group of 4-H youth. I was impressed by these young people’s knowledge of their subject matter, their poise and self-confidence as they offered demonstrations and oral presentations on topics dear to their hearts. And best of all, I was watching Meadow grow and develop right before my eyes.
As for the inciting incident that drives the story forward; the incident involving the man in the green car? Without giving too much away, suffice it to say, Meadow knew when she first approached me that she had chosen the right author to tell her story. She knew because that part of her story and the feelings of confusion and anxiety that followed were oddly similar to my own when, at Meadow’s age, a car stopped beside me on a country road as I walked home from my bus stop.
As the weeks passed, I succeeded in writing Meadow’s story and turning it in on time. It was, in many ways, an incredible journey. One that caused me angst during the writing process as the old feelings of fear and uncertainty came flooding back. But it was a worthwhile journey; one that I am glad to have undertaken because I know that somewhere out there, there are other kids like Meadow who need to know they are not alone. So to Meadow, and all of the characters who regularly take to tapping my shoulder and tugging at my sleeve, I say, “Thank you! Thank you for convincing me to tell your stories.”
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About D.J. Brandon
Closing out a long career as a pediatric nurse, D.J. Brandon set out to turn her dream of writing stories for kids into a new career. West 44 Books’ Graveyard Gruber series followed. Now, with Tell Me Why the Jack Pine Grows, Brandon has written her first novel in verse for middle grade.
Residing with her husband in the small western New York town where she grew up, Brandon is the mother of two grown children and the grandmother of five, who inspire her writing every day. Visit her website: www.djbrandonauthor.com and follow her on Instagram @djbrandonwrites.