Colleen Ryckert Cook

So far, 2010 has been good to my fellow writers in Kansas City.

In March, Laura Manivong’s young adult novel Escaping The Tiger (HarperCollins) debuted. In it, twelve-year-old Vonlai escapes the dangers of Communist Laos only to find worse dangers in a Thai refugee camp. That most excellent summary comes from Laura. The story is based upon the experiences of her husband, Troy, his family and many other Lao refugees in the late 1970s and throughout the 1980s.

Barbara Stuber celebrated the release of her historical young adult novel Crossing the Tracks (Margaret K. McElderry Books) in June. Barb takes her heroine, Iris Baldwin, and her readers on a poignant journey that shows at heart we’re all hobos – homeward bound.

Find out more about Laura at www.lauramanivong.com

Find out more about Barb at www.barbarastuber.com

Humans need to simplify. We listen closely to those who explain things easily because we assume they’ve figured it out. Sure, there are things in life that are that simple: You gotta eat, you gotta breathe, you gotta move. Clean up after yourself. Honor your commitments. Wash your hands before you eat.

 But much of life isn’t so delineated. Our values can’t be color coded into Blue vs Red. Morality and ethics exist beyond religious labels.

 The goal for a nonfiction writer is to simplify topics to make them readily understood. We adapt a point of view (often determined by whoever pays us to write it), then research, interview, analyze facts, consider differing opinions, write, strip away half of what we wrote, rewrite some more. Eventually, if we’ve done our job, we make that point so concisely readers will say “Aha! I get it!” And we’ll have taught them something new.

 Fiction, like life, is complex. We still adapt a point of view. We research, eavesdrop, ponder, recall, write, strip away half of what we write, rewrite some more. But instead of making our point in two columns, we must layer in fears, longing, smells, tastes, sounds. We veil an essential truth with all the complexities that make us human. If we’ve done our jobs, our readers will say, “Ah. I get it.” They’ll clutch our books to their chests and sigh. And we’ll have made their word a richer, more complex place.

The lovely Dawn Metcalf interviews up-and-coming writers this week at Officially Twisted. Today is my turn. Swing by and have fun at my expense.

And check out Dawn’s YA novel, SKIN & BONES, coming Spring 2011 by Dutton Books!

I will pay it forward sometime in April, but first I must narrow the list of all the great writers I know. Time to pull names out of a hat!

Lots going on in my world this last month. 

First, a road trip to Austin, via flight to Dallas.

My longest-known friend Deanna and I Thelma and Louised it to Austin to see Jonathan Coulton and Paul & Storm in concert. Highlights of the road trip include Airstream cupcakes, glass blowing, Manos Hands of Fate MST3K-style, kolaches and free-range chickens.

 Then on February 19, nine other area writers and I visited Mill Creek Elementary’s Author Illustrator Workshop. My group, the fifth graders, learned the two most important qualities of a freelance writer: the ability to stare out windows for long stretches and work in slippers. 

They also learned being a freelance writer means you have to be an impersonator, to mimic the personality and voice of the company that hires you. I taught them the clever acrostics STUDY, WRITE and CREATE!

Next up: Laura Manivong’s ESCAPING THE TIGER launch party! It was SRO for Laura’s novel debut! The masses were out to celebrate with the entire Manivong Clan. Escaping the Tiger is based in part on the experiences of Laura’s husband Troy and his familywho escaped Communist Laos by crossing the Mekong River into Thailand. Reading Reptile managed to pack in about 250 family, friends and fans last night and sold every last one of Laura’s books.

Also of note: I submitted my second and third manuscripts for Rosen Publishing, created a yearbook for my kiddo’s school, started a new project with American Animal Hospital Association, saw the mockup for my first book with Rosen, and wrote lots with my Jedi Council Jenn Bailey, Lisha Cauthen, Kim Peek and Sue Uhlig.

We have tons planned for Kansas SCBWI this year. In January Jenn brought her talents as a social media maven to Social Media 101. This weekend Sandy Asher taught our writers the secret to the perfect picture book. In May Lisa Harkrader will lead us all into four-alarm novel writing. Stay tuned for more details on our July workshop and September conference (hint: Bruce Hale)!

On February 13, family, friends and fans joined sisters and coauthors Ann Ingalls and Maryann Macdonald at Reading Reptile in Kansas City. The reason: celebrate the release of their new picture book Little Piano Girl, illustrated by Giselle Potter. The biography of jazz legend Mary Lou Williams was a true labor of love for the sisters. Congratulations!

Check out this excitingcool post from my buddy