THE FORT written by Laura Perdew
Laura describes herself as a nature lover and tree-hugger (I mean, trees truly deserve a lot of love and appreciation) and has written many books about the natural world.
In a year unlike any other, Laura has managed to publish SIX (that’s right, six) picture books with four more coming in March 2021. Her picture book science series about animal adaptations came out in August 2020, covering mammals, fish, amphibians, reptiles, and fish.
But...if you asked her ten years ago where her writing heart was, she would have said fiction.
I’m thrilled that Laura shared her writing and revision journey for her story, THE FORT, illustrated by Adelina Lirius. And yes, this one is fiction.
As a writer and an environmentalist, when Laura isn’t writing she is likely outdoors - hiking, running, and exploring. She is always digging up some cool facts, like how wood frogs freeze SOLID every winter and then thaw out.
Ah, wood frogs. Nature’s little popsicles.
And onto her journey...
Thank you for sharing your journey, Laura! Tell us, what is the story behind your story? What sparked your story concept?
To be honest, I have no recollection of what sparked my story. I can say that I’ve always loved forts and I had two small children of my own when I wrote the first draft.
So, take those ingredients and sprinkle in a little compromise and some imagination and…VOILA!
Mind you, I wrote the story as if I knew what I was doing (writing-wise), which I did not. That came later. But the most interesting thing about this book, I think, is that even though the story went through DOZENS and DOZENS of revisions, the heart of the story in that first draft is still in the final book.
How long did it take from idea to book?
FOREVER! But the real answer is 12 ½ years.
Wow! What was your revision timeline?
2007: Wrote a first draft (no, that date is not a typo). I had a writing friend and my sister read it and give advice, then revised
Late 2007: Embarrassingly, I submitted it to agents and editors. I received a lot of nice form letter rejections (through snail mail!) and also a couple hand-written notes, but no offers
2008: Full manuscript was requested several times by an editor
2010: Full manuscript requested by an agent who passed
2012: Full manuscript requested by another agent, who also passed.
2012 to 2011: Grew a thick skin, didn’t give up
Fall 2011: I got a professional critique and kept revising
2012 to 2018: I kept submitting off and on throughout the years
January 2018: I participated in Tara Lazar’s Storystorm (again) in January 2018, which sparked my AH HA moment and I revised
March 2018: I participated in a #PitMad Twitter pitch party and the pitch was “liked” by Courtney Burke who, at the time, was at Page Street Kids. I polished it up and sent it off to her. She asked for a revise and resubmit, which OF COURSE I did
May 2018: The contract came!!
Summer 2018: We had a conference call to discuss possible illustrators and the manuscript went through a few more minor revisions
September 2018: first thumbnail sketches came in – YAY! The other sketches came in over the next few months
June 2019: Folded and gathered copies arrived
2020: After all those years, the book launched a month into the pandemic
What was the hardest part of revising?
I never found revising hard. Whenever I went back to my story with something new I’d learned or some advice I’d gotten, I was fired up to tackle it. That was fun.
The hard part was finding an agent or editor to believe in the story like I did!
I hope one day I can appreciate revising as much as you do! Did you have an ‘ah-ha!’ moment with your manuscript during the revision process? If so, what sparked it?
I had a very powerful ‘AH HA’ moment.
Originally the story was titled THE PRINCESS AND THE PIRATE, and the girl was the princess and the boy was the pirate. Then, following Storystorm 2018 the creative part of my brain was in overdrive.
And BOOM!
I remember the creative lightning bolt that hit me as I was out on a run: make the girl the pirate and the boy the prince!
Once I got back home I immediately sat down to make the changes and it just seemed so RIGHT.
What advice do you have for other writers? Are there any resources you would recommend to help with the revision process?
For me, being part of SCBWI has helped tremendously with both the craft of writing and building community. I have a writing group, too. Over the years I’ve also attended many workshops and conferences.
The biggest thing for THE FORT, though, was that I believed in it. I never gave up.
I also think it’s important to remember that writing is a journey; there are always things to do and learn, and so many people to meet. Plus, if you keep writing and learning, you never know where the journey will take you.
Have fun!
That is great advice. Most of us are running toward that destination of a published book, but when we do that we might forget the progress we made. And now an example of a snippet from an early draft (which Laura also kindly shared a photo)...
One day the princess and the pirate met. “What are you doing in MY castle?” the princess demanded.
“This is not a castle,” the pirate replied. “This is MY ship.”
“No! This is MY castle and pirates have to leave. I will use my magic wand on you!”
“No, YOU have to leave. I’ll make you walk the gangplank!”
...and the final polished words in the story!
…then he heard a voice outside. A pirate voice. Singing a sea chanty.
“Blow me down!” the pirate hollered. “What are you doing on MY ship?”
“Nonsense! This is MY castle. And if you don’t stay out, I will put you in the dungeon!” declared the prince.
It’s interesting how changing one element can really power a story.
If you’re not following Laura, make sure to find her on Twitter (@lmperdew) on Instagram (@authorlaurap) and be sure to check out her website for her latest news and updates.
You can purchase her books through Bookshop.org to support indie bookstores!
Thank you again, Laura!