"Translating" picture book prose into rhyme
by Glenda
The Poet Glenda's Husband Sees in the Mirror?
This may be more of a problem for Dr. Phil than for this forum, but I figure I'm more likely to get a response in this forum. Here goes...
I'm working on my dream of publishing a picture book. Yes, I know it's a longshot, but dreams are supposed to be longshots, right? I'm okay with that.
Well, I made the mistake of showing it to my husband. Now, I'm not going to call him controlling, but (insert punchline here).
He means well. But he also tends to think he knows better. So here's what happened...and I really still can't believe it...
I'd completed a few drafts of my picture book and hadn't yet shown it to anyone. (I would have read it to my children, but we don't have any.) I showed it to my husband.
He disappeared into his office and emerged two hours later with a grin on his face. Are you ready for this?
He had TRANSLATED my story into a poem. He was very proud of himself and very invested in the outcome. He now thinks that we should approach publishers as a "team." Never mind that I worked for six months and he worked for two hours.
This was supposed to be MINE. Also, I'm not at all convinced that his rhymed version is any better than my prose version. I'm no expert, but I don't even think the rhymes are that good!
Here, see what you think. The first paragraph is my first paragraph, and the second paragraph is my husband's rhyming translation.
Once upon a time there lived a girl named Linda who had a little brother named Michael. Linda was two years older than Michael, and quite a bit bigger too.
My husband's:
A girl named Linda had a brother named Stu,
Who was half her age and about one half of her height too.
Do you see that? He even changed the younger brother's name! "Nothing rhymes with Michael," he explained.
I read the other post from the lady with the "wife" who was pushing her point of view on the first lady's book, so I'm guessing this is an okay subject to post. Help!
