Long-Lost VanderMeer Children’s Book
Jeff VanderMeer • May 14th, 2008 @ 2:23 pm • Fiction
Although in my previous post I said it was unlikely I’d ever write anything YA, children’s fiction is another story. Thus, I share with you a few pages of my long-lost children’s book, Henry and the Frog, originally written for Erin. (I also have a series idea.) If I knew anything about the children’s fiction market, I might actually try to get it published, but, alas, I’m clueless on that subject. One thing’s for sure: my tarded illos would need to be replaced by real art…
May 14, 2008 at 3:32 pm
Hey, that’s pretty neat! I’ve thought about writing a children’s story. You should persue it Jeff. Gaiman, Barker, Mieville…now Vandermeer! haha. I’d read it. Hey, i know this is off topic but i was thinking about vocabulary recently and i’ve been dying to know something maybe you can answer. Do you do anything special to expand your vocabulary? Do you just casually read and look up words? Do you study other languages? Use Word Smart books? I was wondering if you use any special techniques for making words ‘stick’ and using them in your fiction. Do you ever use a thesaurus? Writers never seem to talk about this.
I’m trying to improve my vocabulary for my writing and i am trying to figure out the best way. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks
May 14, 2008 at 3:34 pm
I have a two-volume, look-at-with-magnifying-glass Oxford English Dictionary. When I have time, I pull it out and just randomly open it and go where it takes me…
May 14, 2008 at 5:23 pm
Nice work, although a ladyfriend of mine really approved of the squirrels. She said if you were to add radioactive mutant squirrels to your next book, she’d volunteer to draw them. Just passing it along, ya know.
May 14, 2008 at 7:02 pm
This comment is motivated by selfishness (i.e. the kind of books I like to read) and not a knock on children’s lit or those who read it: Please, Jeff, keep it real — and don’t EVER pursue your children’s series!
May 14, 2008 at 8:53 pm
Oh, it wouldn’t cut into my adult fiction writing time.
May 14, 2008 at 10:39 pm
This reminds me of something I wrote in 2nd grade. It was hand written and poorly drawn on stapled together pages. It starred Sir Lancelot, although I spelled it Lance-A-Lot, because I was seven and I thought he was a knight who used his lance… a lot. It was terrible of course, but my teacher loved it and made copies and gave it all the other 2nd grade teachers. I wished I had it still.
ANYWAY: I have a seven year old son, and I would love to be able to buy him a Jeff Vandermeer book. He’s old enough to start having his mind warped, I think.
May 14, 2008 at 10:40 pm
Yeah, well, that’s supposing it’s actually any good! LOL!
Jeff