BLOOP written by Tara Lazar
I’ve always wondered how established writers keep churning out magic. It must be sorcery, right?
Well, today, we will find out.
(Spoiler: it is a little bit of sorcery).
I’m very excited that the one and only Tara Lazar, author extraordinaire, shares her revision journey for her 10th picture book, BLOOP!
And this fur-tastical tale is delightfully illustrated by Mike Boldt.
Coincidentally (or perhaps not?) the 10th book she has written in her pajamas. And if you have ever wondered what she’d look like as a Disney princess well...wonder no more.
And now, onto the questions…
Tara, thank you so much for gracing this little blog with your words. Could you share what sparked your story concept?
I was at a party at a gorgeous home, and as everyone knows, at parties I play with the family pets. These two dogs had THE LIFE--posh, fluffy beds, run of the house, treats and toys galore. I said to a friend, “if aliens came to earth, they’d think the dogs were in charge!” She told me that should be my next book. Of course!!!
We all need a friend (and brain) like yours. How long did it take from that fateful party to a published book?
I’ve told that joke about dogs being in charge for years, but it never dawned on me to turn it into a picture book until my friend suggested it. DUH. But once she did, I thought about it for a couple of months, then wrote a first draft in a day or two. Then there were weeks of revision.
What was your revision timeline?
I don’t pay close attention to the revision timeline. Plus, my acquiring editor left before an illustrator signed onto the project, so my timeline is all wonky! I will say this--my revision timeline has significantly decreased over the past decade.
Something we all aspire to one day! What would you say was the hardest part of revising this story for you?
This book shot out well right away, so I don’t recall struggling with the revisions. Of course, that’s not the case with every story, but I find the ones that flow out of me well the first time are typically the ones that get picked up. Plus, I ponder a story for a long time--weeks or months--before committing a single word to paper. I would say a lot of “revision” happens in my head first, as I’m developing the story.
That’s amazing! When you were revising in your head (and on the page) did you have an ‘ah-ha!’ moment?
During the revision process, the ending just appeared in front of me like AHA! It was surprising yet inevitable, which my agent, Joan Paquette, has always said is the key to a satisfying conclusion.
That is definitely the dream. What advice do you have for other writers? Are there any resources you would recommend to help with the revision process?
When revising, I recommend starting a new document from scratch, not writing over the old file. What I do is print out the old version so I have it to refer to, but I start anew with a blank page. That way I don’t feel beholden to anything I’ve written before. I’m more ruthless when it comes to cutting, because I’m not actually deleting. It isn’t there in the first place!
That is brilliant - I’ll have to try that tactic one day!
Since the story came out so quickly (and was also revised in Tara’s head) there isn’t a draft snippet to share.
But here are some sneak pictures of the delightful illustrations from Mike Boldt and the trailer for BLOOP:
If you haven’t connected with Tara (seriously, how could you not?) be sure to follow her on Twitter (@TaraLazar), Instagram (@TaraLaser) and keep up to date on her book news on her website.
BLOOP is out now so purchase your copy at Bookshop.org or at Tara’s indie, The Bookworm.
Thank you, Tara! I can’t wait for book 11...