When my son was in kindergarten, he had a friend who wasn’t that nice to him. In my opinion, the other five-year-old boy was too competitive with my son.
One night as I was tucking my son into bed, he said the “friend” had hurt his feelings.
“I think he only feels in black and white,” my son explained. “I have more feelings than in a big crayon box.”
My muse had spoken! I quickly wrote down what he had said. Next, I wrote a children’s story called “The Colors of My Feelings.” I was and am a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI). I submitted the story to my So Cal chapter for a writing contest and it won first place. I also entered it in a Writer’s Digest national competition and it won for Children’s Fiction. Even after winning two awards, I submitted it to dozens of publishers only to have it turned down. That was close to 25 years ago.
I’m thinking about revising it and going through the SCBWI market research report for publishers. I’m starting with small ones. But compared to 25 years ago, there are not many options to submit unsolicited manuscripts. Something I did learn was most publishers who will read queries or accept manuscripts, want them by snail mail. For a while they preferred email. Can you imagine how inundated they were with emails?
They have returned back to paper and a self-addressed stamped envelope if you want your story back and a response. That’s how it was in the good old days.
Here’s my story. I may clean it up and try to find a home for it again.
The Colors of My Feelings
I have a friend who doesn’t act like a friend. We used to be best friends. But now he always wants to be the leader. I said it was my turn, but he called me a name. He hurt my feelings. I think his feelings are only in black and white. I have feelings in many colors — more than you can find in a crayon box.
When I’m feeling smart, I feel bright blue. I’m bluer than the bluest sky.
When I feel shy I turn yellow inside. It’s a soft secret yellow like the petals in the center of a dandelion.
My happy feelings are the brightest shade of white. I have bright white feelings when it’s my birthday. Happy birthday to ME!
When I fall down and skin my knee, I turn black and blue on the outside and inside, too.
When I see a special girl with long brown hair and big brown eyes, I feel all purple inside.
When my friend cuts in the lunch line to stand next to her, I get a little green.
When he trips me while I’m carrying my spaghetti lunch, I turn red, I see red, the whole world is red, red, RED.
When everyone laughs, I turn carnation pink. I hate being pink.
Sometimes I wish I only felt in black and white.
But the girl with the long brown hair has feelings, too. She comes over and asks if I’m okay. I look into her eyes and I see a soft, deep brown. I really like brown. I ask her if she wants to be my friend. She smiles and with gold sparkles in her eyes she whispers, “Yes.”
School’s out. We race to the playground to see who gets to the swings. I get there first. The girl with the long brown hair gets the swing next to me. I pump and swing higher and higher in orange.
When I get home, it’s time for homework. I look in my backpack. I left my worksheet at school. I feel gray and pink colors swirling around me like they are going down a drain.
I feel magenta when I tell Mother.
She makes me feel better, like the color of a juicy fresh peach, as she drives me to school to get my homework. I promise not to forget it again.
It’s bedtime and Mother and Father have turned out the lights. It’s scary in my room alone. All I see is black. I close my eyes and it’s still black.
I wake up in the morning. All my colors are rested and refreshed, ready to shimmer and shine. Mother and Father give me a hug. Together we look out the window at the gray clouds and see a rainbow bending across the sky.
Many of my blog friends are published authors
I greatly admire them and enjoy reading their books. Congratulations on being published. I’m going to continue to try. Although I started writing fiction when my kids were young, I’ve had years when I had no time to write. There were things that got in the way called life, work, raising a family, moving and even homeschooling for three years. But I have time now, so I plan to take advantage of it.
What ideas for stories or blog posts have your children sparked for you?
Pretty good writing. Does your group have an illustrator? Anyway, my comment is more for your opening gambit, because even though we agree on lots of things, this is not one of them. Competition is good, even the pressure part, and especially with little boys. Life is designed to do one thing: make you work. It is unforgiving, and never stops adding pressure. The earlier they learn to deal with it, the better it will prepare them for life. Yes, even in Kindergarten. Otherwise, they will always be searching for a place to hide.
Thanks! As for an illustrator, editors believe it’s their job to find the right illustrator for the project. I was told in conferences that unless you are the writer and artist, to never submit it with an illustrator. I do agree with you with competition and little boys. Although as a young mom when I wrote this, I had a different point of view.
Because we learn, constantly.
Thank goodness for that!
I can see this book nicely illustrated. I think you can try and self publish. One of my good friends who I enjoyed lunch with yesterday published a children’s book “The Isle of the Crocodile” about Cuba. She is Cuban. I am still trying to learn from her how to self publish. I like your writing. Very clear and easy to read.
Thank you. Before I self publish, I’m going to try the traditional publishing road again. I do have a series of cookbooks written and self published in the 1890s and 1900s by my great grandmother I’d like to self publish.
I would google children’s publishers. I am sure the market is competitive. Good luck! The cookbooks sound interesting.
I have a market research report downloaded from SCBWI with all the children’s book publishers listed. Each listing tells exactly what they are looking for. The majority are not open to submissions. Then I follow up with their websites for more info and changes. It’s a tedious process.
Yes, it is! Been there!
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This is such a lovely and colorful story Elizabeth. I’m sure you can get it published 👍🏼👏🏼
Thank you for the encouraging words!
It’s a pleasure my friend 💖
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Lovely story EA! It would be even more wonderful illustrated with all the colors of emotion.
Thank you. That’s the hope someday. I can visualize it. I’d love to see it happen.
Love it.
Thank you!
This is such a sweet story, E.A. — I hope you can find a great publisher.
Thank you, Erin. I hope so too!
Proof that it’s a great idea some times to pull out things we’ve written in the past. So much good stuff here EA. Love it. Good luck this second time around.
Thank you, Brian! Yes, I think it’s a good idea to put writing away for years. Then you can look at it with fresh eyes.
Oh my goodness. Delightful. Look at what you’ve got right in front of you. A gem, I say. A gem! 🥰
Thank you, Vicki! I just wish a publisher thought so too. 😉
I hear you…but I think you’re exploring all options, aren’t you? Go, Elizabeth, Go! xo! 🥰
Yes, I am 😊🤞
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Wonderful story! It would make a great children’s book. You might want to consider a hybrid publisher. Traditional isn’t what it used to be (or maybe it is and I’m now disillusioned!)
Thank you for your optimism. I don’t think traditional is what it was when I wrote this 25 years ago. I don’t want to self publish, but I’m learning about hybrid publishers. Maybe it’s a good option. I’m finding very few traditional publishers accepting unsolicited picture book manuscripts. I have submitted a couple manuscripts for middle grade novels, but I was told by the editors that my stories weren’t “edgy enough.” I’m not into “edgy” for fifth and sixth graders. It’s new world out there.
I love this! What your son said about the whole crayon box just melted my heart.
Yes, keep trying. Its hard. I know! But as I keep telling myself it ONLY takes 0NE YES! 😊 Go on querytracker.com. You will find hundreds of publishers that accept unsolicited manuscripts. Good Luck!
Thank you for your encouraging words! I actually had one publisher say yes and I said no! That was 20 years ago. What was I thinking? It was a small publisher who offered me a contract of $500 for a 500 run. I scoffed at it! Oh, to get a do-over! He’s no longer in business. I checked about 15 years ago.
Ooh! Hindsight is 20/20 right! But Congrats on the Yes and let that motivate you to keep trying. 😊
Thanks! No kidding. I was on a roll getting published in magazines and newspapers and my ego got in the way! I’ve learned!
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Elizabeth – this is so beautiful!! I love that you are going to continue to try. Do you know how many times Dr. Seuss was turned down before he published? Something like 33 or 133. Oodles! You go!
Thank you, Wynne. Yes, I’m going to try but I’m surprised at how fewer opportunities there are now. I didn’t know that about Dr. Seuss. That’s encouraging.