WHOLE WHALE written by Karen Yin

Hello Internet world of readers and writers!

I’m extremely thrilled to launch this new blog series. As a pre-agent writer and lifelong reader, the spark for creating this blog was borne from my own desire to reignite my spark to keep going with my writing...especially when it can feel like rolling a big boulder up a hill. 

A steep, steep hill.

If you’re also like me and find yourself up against the writing and revision wall, I think you’ll enjoy this post interviewing my brilliant critique partner Karen Yin. 

Karen’s story, WHOLE WHALE, is launching May 2021 from Barefoot Books and illustrated by the talented Nelleke Verhoeff.

I feel immensely privileged to be a part of Karen’s growing and soon to be flourishing writing career. If you’re not familiar with Karen’s other work, she is the creator of Conscious Style Guide, the first website devoted to conscious language, and Editors of Color, tools for diversifying writing staff and sources. 

Oh, and there’s more.

(I know, overachiever much?)

Karen also created AP vs. Chicago, a guide for anyone who gives “a dollar sign, ampersand, exclamation point, and pound sign about style.” She’s also the recipient of the Lambda Literary Fellowship, a Table 4 Writers Foundation grant, an SCBWI Nonfiction Grant, and selection of her flash fiction by the Los Angeles Public Library for its permanent collection and Short Story Portal.

I am very, VERY lucky to have her as a critique partner. 

Now, onward with the interview.

Karen! HELLO! Thank you for being the first interviewee for this series. What is the story behind WHOLE WHALE? What sparked your story concept? 

I became enamored with the words “whole whale” as a picture book title. It got me thinking about size, space, and where a blue whale would be welcome. While I was pondering whale problems, acts of gross inhumanity were taking place at the U.S.-Mexico border. The U.S. government, which has a long history of separating children from their parents, was tearing families apart at an alarming rate. Life intersected with art, and WHOLE WHALE began its life as a celebration of inclusiveness and family.

My original pitch: “One hundred creatures can fit in this book—but surely not a whole whale! When animals congregate on the pages to be seen and counted, the largest is in danger of being left out. WHOLE WHALE touches upon the issues of immigration, keeping families together, and what ‘family’ means.”

I love that. How long did it take from the pitch to becoming a published book?

From first draft to final draft, a year and two months! 

What was your revision timeline for your story and some of the milestones in your process? 

I edit as I write, and I save versions throughout the day, which makes it tricky to pinpoint the moment one draft becomes another. Altogether, I have about forty, fifty versions of the manuscript.

• 9/4/19: Wrote a rough logline and four exploratory openings to find a way into the story.

• 9/14/19: Finished the first draft.

• 9/17/19: Revised after feedback from critique partners.

• 9/26/19: Revised after feedback from a poet, also my former creative writing instructor.

• 9/29/19: Revised to include an impetus.

• 10/29/19: Revised for #DVpit.

• 10/30/19: Sent the manuscript to Barefoot Books (requested during #DVpit).

• 11/23/19: Revised after a paid critique.

• 11/26/19: Sent the latest draft to a lit agent (requested during #DVpit).

• 12/2/19: Revised the ending for an R&R from the same agent, who eventually passed.

• 1/10/20: Signed with Red Fox Literary!

• 3/30/20: Received an inquiry from Barefoot Books regarding the manuscript’s availability.

• 3/31/20: Sent the latest draft (with the new ending) to Barefoot Books.

• 4/2/20: Received an offer from Barefoot Books.

• 6/8/20: Reverted to the original ending per Barefoot’s request.

• 7/14/20: Signed the book contract!

• 9/9/20 to 10/30/20: Revised the ending four times for clarity.

• 11/3/20: Agreed on the final draft.

That is fantastic…especially the forty or fifty versions of the story! What was the hardest part of revising for you?

The hardest part of revising was figuring out why a hundred animals were congregating in the pages of a book. Are they hiding? Throwing a birthday party? Networking?

The story had a clear problem that needed solving, but it wasn’t anchored to anything. I thought about it for days and finally came up with an impetus that I was happy with.

Did you have an ‘ah-ha!’ moment with your manuscript during the revision process? If so, what triggered it?

At an SCBWI conference, Mem Fox spent considerable time dissuading us from rhyme. So when my story took shape as rhyme, I did my darndest to quash it. But whenever I attempted prose, it would morph into verse.

Eventually, I stopped fighting it and wrote a tentative draft. When I read it to my partner, she immediately began reciting it back because the animals were so much fun. After that, I was all in. I’m so glad I trusted my creative impulse and let the story unravel in its own way.

Trusting our own creative impulse is important! What advice do you have for other writers? Are there any resources you would recommend to help with the revision process? 

I’m with my friend Eric C. Wat, author of SWIM, who told me that step one in his revision process is to get over himself. 

So get over yourself, then get to work.

HA! Okay, definitely need to put that on my wall. 

For readers who are curious, here are some snippets from early versions of WHOLE WHALE:

First draft of the opening:

A mink, a moose, a mouse caboose,

a skink, a skunk, an elephant trunk.

One hundred animals can fit in this tale,

But surely not the whole whale!

First version with an impetus:

Imagine if one hundred came

to say hello and play this game.

One hundred creatures wait their turn,

but someone has a big concern.

And, the final book version along with a sneak peek of a beautiful spread:

An empty page? It’s time to play!

The animals are on their way.

One hundred might fit in this tale,

but can we fit a whole blue whale?

Thank you, Karen! 

You can pre-order your copy of WHOLE WHALE everywhere books are sold...but if you’d like a signed copy (or ten, you really need ten, trust me) head over to Once Upon a Time Bookstore here. 

Be sure to follow her on Twitter (@KarenYin), Instagram for her art (@KarensOffice) and head over to her website (KarenYin.com) to learn more about her upcoming work. 

Check back next week for another journey from first draft to final book!