Tammy Lewis
Brown is the author of “Soar Elinor!” and “The Map of Me.” Below is a complete transcript of her interview with Cracking the Cover.
Background — Have you always wanted to write? Why?
I love to read and from about third grade on I was always in the middle of reading a new book, but writing a book, or maybe being a writer, never occurred to me until I was in my thirties. Authors didn’t visit my school and I guess I thought books were written by dead people. (I know that sounds crazy but it’s true!) After college I went to law school and had a successful career as a trial lawyer, but after my children were born I remembered how much I’d loved middle grade novels. Within a year I’d enrolled in Vermont College’s MFA program in Writing for Children and Young Adults. My whole life turned around—now everything revolves around books and writing.
Why write for young readers?
Middle grade novels, even realistic ones, are magic. Young readers get totally immersed in great stories and those stories have the power to change their lives. I love the idea that something I write could open a kid’s mind to new possibilities. Plus I just love reading books for young readers. They’re usually much more story driven than books written for adults. The prose is clean and direct (but not necessarily simple!)
Do you have any rituals? Do you write all day?
My full time job is writing but I don’t usually get to write all day. First thing every morning, before anything else, I write three pages in my journal. It’s free writing, as fast as I can go. This is where I plan my writing course for the day, try out new ideas, gripe about errands or deadlines . . . whatever. After that I take care of writing business. I post a women’s milestone on my blog On The Fly every morning and arrange school and Skype visits. By ten or so I start writing my work in progress. I like to draft new work by hand and organize those pages in a binder. Once I have a full draft I head to the computer and begin MANY rounds of revision.
Where did the idea for “The Map of Me” come from?
A long time ago I heard a news report about two sisters—one seven and the other nine—who stole a car to drive hundreds of miles visit a long lost relative. The nine year old steered the car, but she couldn’t reach the pedals, so the seven year old sat in the floor and pushed the gas and brake with her hands. I loved that scary, wacky image of the kids and the car. It shows so much sisterly cooperation and such a deep desire to get where they needed to go. Years later, when I was ready to start a new novel, a girl named Margie popped into my head. It seemed she “was” the driver of that car and she insisted I write about her journey.
Briefly tell me a little about it.
The Map Of Me is the story of two girls twelve-year-old Margie and her smarty pants little sister Peep, who steal a car to bring their chicken obsessed momma back home. Peep is super smart—she’s been promoted from third grade up to Margie’s sixth grade class—and Margie isn’t sure she’s good at anything . . . except driving. Who says twelve-year-olds can’t drive? It’s a funny novel but sad too.
How long did you work on it?
I started The Map Of Me in 2005 and it was finished last year so five years total. It went through lots of revisions!
Who is your favorite character in the book? Why?
I love pretty much all the characters—even the family Margie meets for just a moment at a rest stop, but Margie has to be my favorite. Margie doesn’t think she’s good at anything much but that doesn’t hold her back. Margie’s motto is probably “do now, think later.” Her story has so many special moments. I love the unfortunate square dance incident, the trouble with the plaster hand print, and the night Margie found Momma in the back yard. Each of those scenes tugs hard at my heart strings—and I wrote them!
The Map Of Me focuses on the trip to find Momma but there was a ton of family history that came before Margie pulled the key from under the floor mat and hit the road in the Faithful Ford. Working that backstory in so it didn’t overwhelm the road trip was tricky.
I don’t want to give it away but the ending was tough to write, too. Margie isn’t a girl who sits around moaning and waiting for things to get better, but she’s not a miracle worker. Some family problems don’t have easy solutions. Kid readers know this. Many young readers come from very difficult family situations. I felt it was important to honor the fact that sometimes there aren’t simple answers to tough problems.
I loved coming up with strong sensory images like the wet grass under Margie’s bare feet or the scratchy Arctic Velvette upholstery. Those details made me feel like I was part of the story.
What do you hope readers will get out of “The Map of Me”?
I don’t really write to a “theme” as such, but by the end Margie learns that everybody has his or her own path. You have to follow your own dreams and not worry too much about what other people think. Chart your own course. Follow the map of you!
Margie has a brave front, but on the inside, she has many insecurities. Was it hard to tap into that?
My teachers at Vermont College taught me to dive into genuine emotions. Tim Wynne-Jones in particular recommended that I study the techniques method actors use to inhabit their characters. I strongly recommend A Challenge For The Actor by Uta Hagen for any writer who wants to get an authentic character onto the page. I’ve never stolen a car but I’ve done plenty of things I knew I wasn’t supposed to do. Once I tapped into those feelings in the same way an actress might, it wasn’t hard to transfer them to Margie.
You capture Margie’s voice so eloquently. Is it hard to write from a sixth-grader’s point of view?
One of my other Vermont College teachers, Norma Fox Mazer, claimed I’m a nine-year-old at heart and I think she’s right! For whatever reason Margie’s voice came to me loud and clear. She always had a very specific way of looking at things. That was a gift!
I have! Here it is. I completely understand why Margie feels funny about drawing a Map of Me but it’s a great activity. Check out my Activity kit for more about making your own. (And you don’t have to share it with anybody if you don’t want to! I won’t tell.)
Chickens play an unusual role in “The Map of Me.” What made you decide to include them?
Oh the chickens! The chickens weren’t a part of the novel for a long time but that’s hard for me to believe now. They have such a central role in the finished book. Originally I pictured Momma’s kitchen with pink boomerang formica countertops but if she had that sort of countertop I knew she’d put something pretty amazing on them! I’m interested in those collectible figurines advertised in ladies magazines and on TV shopping networks so I had an idea that Momma might go overboard with those collectibles. And with a daughter named Peep she had to collect chickens . . . and finally there it was.
What are you working on now?
My next novel will be a middle grade mystery with lots of creepy elements. I’m just finishing a draft now. I can’t wait to spring it on the world.
Looking back, how has your writing evolved from when you first started until now?
Wow. When I started I just wrote without thinking about it. I didn’t have a good understanding of plot, perspective or theme and I didn’t know there were techniques to accomplish different storytelling goals. Vermont College changed all that. Now I write with intention. I know the “rules” or at least I know lots of them, so I know when I can break them. I can’t say enough about how a strong writing program builds a writer’s toolbox. And as time has gone by and I’ve become more comfortable with those tools I’m getting better at mixing writing by instinct with writing with intention.
Did you have a favorite book or book that really resonated with you as a young reader?
As I said from third grade on I ALWAYS had a book open. My favorites were From The Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler (I know Margie would love to meet Claudia! They’re birds of a feather) and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.