WOW Wednesday – On Failing to be Perfect by Michelle Hodkin

by Jan Lewis

Today, we’re re-posting a fabulous post by Michelle Hodkin. The fact that it’s okay to be imperfect is something we can all stand to be reminded of from time to time.

On Failing to be Perfect

by Michelle Hodkin

I have a lot of flaws. But the one that stands in my way the most? The one that keeps me up at night, that makes my stomach turn?

I just want to be perfect.

Which is laughable. Because I’m not, and I never will be.

And it’s even more ridiculous because I have friends and family and people in my life who know it and love me anyway. Or because of it, I don’t know.

And yet. I still just want to be perfect.

It’s the poisonous voice that tells me not to do something if I can’t do it well. The voice that tells me it’s better to not try than to try and fail. The one that told me when I was thirteen that I’d never be good at math, so I should drop that whole fantasy of becoming an epidemiologist and focus on something I could do—like teach. Or practice law.

I’m not unhappy with the choices I made—on the contrary, I’d say things have worked out pretty nicely. But that voice that tugged me toward them—that voice is poisonous. Because nobody’s perfect. And it’s okay to fail.

You will have triumphs and you will have disasters. You will do well on some tests and not as well on others. You will have good relationships and you’ll have bad ones. But what’s important is that you experience. That you try. That you put every ounce of effort into everything you do and do the best you can at whatever you attempt, so that at the end of the day, you have no regrets.

And then? You still won’t be perfect.

But you will be great.

About the Author

Michelle Hodkin grew up in Florida, went to college in New York, and studied law in Michigan before writing the New York Times bestselling Mara Dyer Trilogy. Her first novel, The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer, was published in 2011 and was a YALSA Reader’s Choice selection. The sequel, The Evolution of Mara Dyer, was published in October 2012, and the third book, The Retribution of Mara Dyer, is due out in 2013. Rights to the series have sold in fifteen countries, and the books are being translated into several languages, including Portuguese, Italian, German, Spanish, Dutch, Turkish, Russian, Czech, and Chinese. When Michelle isn’t writing, she can usually be found prying strange objects from the jaws of one of her three rescued pets.
Check Out Michelle’s Website
Follow Michelle on Twitter

Jan Lewis

Jan Lewis writes YA fantasy of the contemporary and traditional varieties. She lives in Oklahoma with a husband, two kids, two cats, a dog, and a mother. Instead of unpublished, she prefers to call herself pre-published. While she enjoys drafting, her heart is truly in rewriting and editing. She loves ladybugs, fairies, blue roses, cats, musical theater, and pretty much all things geek.

Post © Jan Lewis and/or Adventures in YA Publishing. All rights reserved.

Posted: Jan 23, 2013

Category: Imported from AYAP

Tags: WOW Wednesday

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← Previous: Three Ways Cause and Effect Can Build Your Story Next: WOW Wednesday: Celia Rees on Updating Old Ideas to Create Something New →

The first slide is an animation of a science/magic room in a castle. A cartoon character of a mad-scientist looking man in in the foreground says: “Hello! Dr. Frankenstein here to say, Well Done on kid lit zombie week! I’m an expert at reviving the dead, and let me assure you, with a little spark, you can bring dead projects to life. Especially if you dig up parts from other dead things. I’ll even let you have a sneak peek at my laboratory’s store room to consider potential parts for your dead project. If you see something with a yellow glow, that means you should click it. Have fun!”

He points to the right side of the screen and a new scene slides in of a castle science/magic storage room. There are various cartoon Frankenstein body parts scattered around. Some of them have a yellow glow. If you click on them, the images below appear (I’ve added alt text to them, so I hope it works).

The Heart of your story is the main character. The protagonist is the beating core that truly brings your story to life. If your MC doesn't make kids (and their grown-ups) care within the first few pages, your story will flatline. </p>
<p>Your main character needs to be:<br />
• Relatable enough for kids to see themselves<br />
• Unique enough to stand out in the slush pile<br />
• Active enough to drive the story<br />
• Memorable enough to survive multiple readings at bedtime</p>
<p>Where do you find this amazing donor heart? It might be the very thing you loved so much about the manuscript you want to revive. It might be the younger sister from your shelved YA novel. Or maybe it’s the hilarious kid you blogged about meeting at a school visit. Find a character beating with potential and place it in the center of your story.<br />

The Brain of your story is the theme or central message. The theme is the big idea that controls everything else. Picture books are more than stories - they're tiny life lessons disguised with humor and heart.</p>
<p>But your theme needs to be:<br />
• Subtle enough not to trigger the dreaded "didactic" rejection<br />
• Clear enough for a four-year-old to grasp<br />
• Universal enough to speak to both kids and adults<br />
• Fresh enough to prevent agents and editors from responding with "Not another sharing/bedtime/first-day story!"</p>
<p>Check your other dead manuscripts to see if there is a recurring theme, something that really seems to be speaking to you. Find the bit of poetry you scribbled on the back of a receipt to see what theme inspired it. Reread the pep talk you texted your critique partner at 1am. Pick the theme that will drive your story, giving it purpose, direction, and deeper meaning.<br />

The Legs of your story is the plot. Not to be confused with a grave plot.🤪 The plot is what keeps everything upright and moving, as well as providing support for all the other elements. You have very few words to use in a picture book, so you need to do a lot with each plot point.</p>
<p>In general, your plot should:<br />
• Hook readers fast<br />
• Build tension that a child can follow<br />
• Create page turns that feel natural<br />
• Wrap up in a way that satisfies</p>
<p>You can borrow a plot twist (a leg) from one manuscript and the opening (the other leg) from a different manuscript. Consider if the subplot of the middle grade novel you trunked would work better as a picture book. Or maybe your Facebook post about a disastrous camping trip could become a story for kids. Just keep putting one foot in front of the other until you have your storyline.

The Arms of your story are the side characters.

The Torso of your story is the setting. Setting helps a story breathe and connects all the elements of the story. It isn't just where your story lives, it's what makes your story ALIVE. It's the difference between "this happened in a park" and "this happened in that park, the one with the twisty slide that burns your legs and the creaky swing that sounds like a baby crying.”</p>
<p>Your setting should:<br />
• Make your character's world feel real<br />
• Contain your story in a way that makes sense to young readers<br />
• Connect different scenes and moments organically<br />
• Give your illustrator enough room to add visual subplots</p>
<p>Half-finished manuscripts are a great place to dig up settings, since you worked out the place details before the plot petered out. Or maybe you had to cut a second fantastic location from your chapter book. You can also revisit the detailed caption from your Instagram carousel documenting your tour of that delish candy shop. Disinter a robust setting that can house all of your story's vital organs.

After you press the Click When Done circle button, the lights flash with the sound of electricity buzzing. Then the screen goes black and lightning zaps across the screen with the sound of thunder.

The screen then lights up to show the storage room, and all the Frankenstein pieces have been assembled into the whole monster. An upbeat song plays in the background. Then a speech bubble pops up with the words, “I’m alive! I’M ALIVE!” Then the screen goes to black.

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