FREE FOR YOU AND ME: WHAT OUR FIRST AMENDMENT MEANS written by Christy Mihaly
Have you ever come across a book and thought: “I need to buy this for EVERYONE in my life?”
Today, I’ve got just the book for you.
FREE FOR YOU AND ME: WHAT OUR FIRST AMENDMENT MEANS was published a year ago today, March 3rd (HAPPY BOOK BIRTHDAY!) and the topic remains incredibly important.
Everybody - kids and adults - should really read it.
I’m so grateful that Christy Mihaly has agreed to share her revision journey for this picture book, which was illustrated by Manu Montoya. Christy is a former lawyer and author of more than 25 books for kids, mostly in nonfiction or informational fiction.
(Great news, fiction fans - her first fiction picture book is scheduled to be published next spring! Here’s hoping that she’ll be willing to share THAT revision journey too *WINK*). Christy also loves writing poetry and is happy to help others find the poetry in their prose.
And now, enough of my blathering and onto the fun part…
Hi Christy! First of all, woooow! Twenty five books! I’m so excited to hear how you breathed life into your picture book about the First Amendment. What sparked your story concept?
Thank you, Shay. I’m happy to be here. Free for You and Me started with my alarm about our political and public discourse, four years ago. I kept hearing statements reflecting a fundamental misunderstanding of the Constitution. Folks who should have known better called for flag-burners to lose their citizenship. Sheesh. Somebody needed to do something to help kids appreciate the principles of democracy that some adults had forgotten (or never learned).
I shared these thoughts with my wonderful agent, Erzsi Deak. She joked that I should create a board book about the Constitution. We laughed. But the idea wouldn't leave me alone.
I find poetry can distill complex ideas into their essence. So I wrote some poems about freedom. I soon had a collection of poems, but they lacked focus. I fiddled with them awhile until finally I landed on the First Amendment: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances." Not exactly kid-friendly language, right?
I went ahead and created a poem boiling down each of the five freedoms the First Amendment guarantees: Freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of assembly, and the right to petition the government for redress of grievances. These became the heart of the book.
Sheesh, indeed...and agreed. I want to mail your book to literally everybody I know. How long did it take from idea to book?
December 2016 to March 2020: That would be three years, three months.
Three is a lucky number, so I’m told. What was your revision timeline?
Jan. 2017: First draft and revisions. I wrote poems about our freedoms. First title: “The Land of the Free.” After revisions, I sent a draft to a paid critiquer and to a critique partner.
Feb. 2017: More revisions. I added brief explanations and excerpts from the Declaration of Independence and Constitution. Second title: “It’s a Free Country!”
March 2017: Submitted for a paid editor critique at the New England SCBWI conference. Shared with my monthly online critique group. I considered their comments, and realized – ah-ha! – I should focus on the First Amendment.
April 2017: Revised with a First Amendment focus. Sent to my agent, who loved it but had a few suggestions. After a couple rounds of revisions, she sent it out on submission. And … rejections started rolling in.
April 2018: I reviewed the comments that various editors had made (while rejecting the manuscript) and then – ah-ha! – did a major rewrite. The book needed more of a dramatic arc to make it accessible for kids. I added historical vignettes illustrating the history of the First Amendment, and incorporated a contemporary story in which a group of young people used their constitutional rights to fight against a school dress code. Shipped it off to my critique group. They loved the changes.
May 2018: Revised further. Sent a new-and-improved version to my agent, who thought it was terrific and sent it out. Immediately received an editor’s response that she loved it but would like some revisions. She wanted the book to focus on a younger audience, and made suggestions. I thought her notes were terrific, and revised to simplify the language and story. I sent the revision to my ever-patient critique group, incorporated their input, then shipped it back to my agent, who re-submitted.
June 2018: The editor agreed the revised story was stronger and the concept was “smart,” but she passed. Argh. I was disappointed but I also felt the ms was much stronger. I brought it to a writing workshop, where editors were encouraging.
July 2018: More submitting.
August 2018: An editor loved it but wanted it rewritten without the rhyme; I declined. Then Wendy McClure at Albert Whitman said she was taking it to acquisitions.
November 2018: Received offer of publication with Albert Whitman.
January 2019: Negotiated contract, worked with Wendy to finalize the manuscript. With excellent illustrator Manu Montoya already on board, a spring 2020 release was planned. Wrote a couple of new poems that Wendy requested. We also spent a lot of time discussing the illustrations. We agreed that we needed to find a way to make the art inclusive and kid-friendly. How to add diversity to a book focused on the founders? We decided to go for a “Hamilton” approach -- we’d have a diverse set of kid characters who would get in costume for the historical stories.
February 2019: Off to copy-editing!
April 2019: Received cover sketches and started reviewing art. Much back and forth about this.
August 2019: Sent pdf of book to constitutional expert for review and blurb. (We were still finalizing the back matter, which I then revised to respond to his minor comments.)
October 2019: Received ARCs, which I brought to a book festival. Excited!
March 2020: FREE FOR YOU AND ME was published, just as Covid hit. (Demonstrating that in book publishing - as in life - you can't plan for everything.)
What was the hardest part of revising?
I actually love revising. To me, the hardest part is knowing when to stop.
Ha, that is true. I often think that perhaps the time to stop is when you realize you’re just “petting” your manuscript and fiddling with a word or two. It can always be revised. Did you have an ‘ah-ha!’ moment with your manuscript during the revision process? If so, what triggered it?
“Petting” your manuscript is so much fun, though, right?
Yes, I had two ah-ha moments, actually.
In early revisions, I realized that centering the book on the First Amendment would give it the necessary focus. That was key.
Later, I realized that adding historical stories and a contemporary narrative would give the book greater depth and kid appeal.
What advice do you have for other writers? Are there any resources you would recommend to help with the revision process?
The main thing: Get other people’s eyes on your work. That’s the best way to get “unstuck,” identify what is and isn't working, and find fresh inspiration.
Find trusted critique partners. If you’re looking for a critique group, SCBWI has listings of groups with openings. And, once it's safe again, seek out conferences and writing workshops. This is a great way to meet other writers, and many conferences offer opportunities for feedback from editors and agents. Many also offer scholarships, just ask.
Other helpful resources: Picture book writers should seriously consider joining the 12x12 Picture Book Challenge. https://www.12x12challenge.com/.
Rate Your Story offers quick manuscript critiques from published writers (including me). https://www.rateyourstory.org/.
And of course, keep reading Shay’s blog. Keep going, and good luck to you!
Those are GREAT tips and resources. Now, dear readers, Christy has kindly shared a rough first draft of a poem that was eventually included (as revised) in the book...
FREEDOM OF RELIGION
It’s being clear
that differences
are welcome here . . .
and we can pray
and worship, each
in our own way.
...and the final words with the full poem:
FREEDOM OF RELIGION
The Constitution makes this clear:
every faith is welcome here.
There’s not just one our laws protect,
for all alike deserve respect.
This means that each of us can pray
and celebrate in our own way.
This illustrated spread shows how I incorporated historical vignettes into the book to illuminate the constitutional concepts (and yes, those are George Washington’s actual words, from a letter he wrote in 1790):
And here's the final image, with a concluding poem to wrap it all up:
This looks fantastic!
Be sure to follow Christy on Twitter (@CMWriter4Kids), Instagram (@ChristyMihaly) and her Facebook author page. For updates and more, don’t forget to visit her website, ChristyMihaly.com. Christy is also a founding member and regular contributor to GROG (a group blog) of writers and educators here.
If you’d like a signed copy of one of Christy’s books, visit Bear Pond Books or check out the links below to her local indie.
Leave a comment in the space at the bottom of the checkout form requesting a personalized signature and the name you want the book dedicated to!
FREE FOR YOU AND ME: WHAT OUR FIRST AMENDMENT MEANS illustrated by Manu Montoya
HEY, HEY, HAY! (A TALE OF BALES AND MACHINES THAT MAKE THEM) illustrated by Joe Cepeda
Thank you again, Christy.