FLY written by Brittany Thurman
I started this blog last year because I was struggling so much with rejection and disappointment. I had to remind myself that every book starts somewhere and the journey can be so different. I wanted to learn how published authors and illustrators created their book so others can be inspired to persevere.
I’m grateful for all the amazing authors and illustrators that have shared their story!
That said, I recognize that I haven’t been updating as routinely. I won’t make any lofty promises this year, but I am going to post more…especially because there are so many amazing stories behind the stories.
On that note: I’m thrilled that the first book to kick off the recently minted Lunar New Year is FLY, with gorgeous illustrations by Anna Cunha.
This is the debut book by author Brittany J. Thurman and I’m so excited that she’s willing to share her process.
Brittany is a former children’s specialist focused on ensuring that children’s literature reflects our real world – which is what we definitely need! She has always had an affinity for stories thanks to her grandmother and growing up could not get enough of bookstores and libraries.
(I mean, saaaame!)
If she wasn’t a writer she would be an architect and she can often be found biking, hanging out with family, enjoying a musical or play, or snuggled up with a good book.
Okay, enough blathering from me…onto the interview!
Brittany, thank you so much for taking the time to share your journey writing and publishing FLY. What is the story behind your story? What sparked your story concept?
So, here it is. We all know Langston Hughes, right? (If this answer is ‘no’, that’s a problem!) “What happens to a dream deferred?”
I constantly think about my dreams, my family's dreams, the dreams of young Black kids, teens, adults around this country, this world. One day, I was on my lunch break and I started to write a poem about (you guessed it) my own dream. In particular, how as a Black girl (now woman) growing up in a country that increasingly devalues my life, how can I step into each new day with the confidence in knowing what I want to achieve is mine? Has always been mine. Will be mine, if I continue to follow the path my ancestors have painstakingly sacrificed for me. My poem was a combination of worries, doubts, ambitions and intricate details of myself. An ode, if you will.
As I shopped this poem around, the response was, “this is great, but…” Heavy sigh! So, over a period of one year I worked on the poem, shifting it from verse to narrative. Incorporating my protagonist, Africa, and building on the community aspect within the story.
I believe that the things we achieve will not and could not be possible without community, so I wanted to show what it looks like when one's community supports them, regardless of having all the solutions and answers.
How long did it take from idea to book?
It feels as if it has only taken three years from idea to book. But as I look at past emails and a long paper trail, it was a total of six years from when the idea popped into my head to publication! 72 long months but each one has been worth the wait!
It is absolutely worth the wait! What was your revision journey?
March 2016: Wrote poem on my lunch break entitled, You Girl
November 2016: Attended SCBWI conference & presented You Girl to editors
November 2016: REJECTION(S)!
January 2017: Revisited You Girl and shifted the story into a narrative.
2017-2018: Continued to revise, edit, cry, dry my tears and revise again.
September 2018: Sent Fly to my incredible agent & Fly goes on sub!
October 2018: Suffered through multiple rejections… sigh!
November 2018: Fly is acquired by Caitlyn Dlouhy! Hooray!
January 2019: Signed contract for Fly! Mega hooray!
Okay, now the big question I want to ask…what was the hardest part of revising?
Knowing when to stop. It has always been difficult for me to gauge my manuscript. How do I know when it’s truly finished? How do I know when to quit editing and truth the process? I’ve decided to lean into intuition. When it feels good to me, when it feels as if nothing else can be done on my end at that moment, then it’s ready to send to my agent or editor. As long as my soul is happy with what I’ve created, I’m all good.
Oh, man. I need to put that on my wall: “As long as my soul is happy with what I created, I’m good.”
I had to repeat it because it makes so much sense. Did you have an ‘ah-ha!’ moment with your manuscript during the revision process? If so, what triggered it?
The first time I showed Fly (previously entitled, You Girl) to an editor, they were confused about the opening line.
“Africa was a girl whose face held remnants of her name.”
For months I debated over this line. It was clear in my head that this opening sentence meant the protagonist held elements of her ancestry through her reflection. But how would this be illustrated for children to understand?
My ‘ah-ha’! Moment came when I looked at my own birthmark, which always looked like a continent to me. I decided to make this sentence more clear. I changed the line to reflect that Africa had a birthmark in the shape of her name. This birthmark, evident from the cover, ‘has always shown her what she’s made of’. This element of the story is a thread throughout the book.
I love it! It’s wonderful when you have that breakthrough and it just all fits together. What advice do you have for other writers? Are there any resources you would recommend to help with the revision process?
What is your next project? As you are querying, on submission, or as you navigate the release of your first book, always be in the process of creating the ‘next thing’. Whether you are writing down a physical draft, or milling the contents of a story over in your head, fuel the ‘downtime’ with the momentum of creation. .
And now, Brittany has kindly shared a snippet of one of the first drafts of her book…
And the final words that will be arriving on the shelves!
Brittany, I can’t wait for FLY to launch and…FLY off the shelves.
(I know, I’m sorry, I couldn’t help myself).
If you haven’t connected with Brittany be sure to find her on Twitter (@janeebrittany) on Instagram (@britjanee) and follow her updates on her website: www.brittanythurman.com.
Purchase FLY on Bookshop.org and Brittany’s favorite local indie, Carmichael’s Bookstore.
Congratulations on your debut, Brittany! I look forward to all of your other future forthcoming stories.