Author Feature: Danette Vigilante
The Trouble with Half a Moon by Danette Vigilante
DF: Your first book about a teen girl named Dellie titled The Trouble with Half a Moon, has received great reviews. What inspired you to write this story? What has been the response from your teen readers?
DV: As a kid, my heart had been broken by a little boy who was very similar to Corey, the neglected boy from Trouble. I carried that little boy around with me all these years and though I didn’t know exactly what I was writing when I finally sat down to write The Trouble with Half a Moon, I knew I wanted to give that little boy a chance for a good life. I realized right away that I needed someone brave enough to step up and help Corey and that’s where Dellie came in. Not only is she courageous but she was able to reach beyond her own hard times in order to help save him. The response from my teen readers has been goose bump inducing! The greatest thing I’ve heard from several students was that before reading my book, they didn’t have an interest in reading for pleasure (one even said she thought reading was for nerds!) but now that has all changed. I think back to when I was a kid struggling with reading and then one day, I stumbled upon Judy Blume’s books and BAM! Everything changed for me. I couldn’t get enough reading in. It thrills me beyond belief that it’s possible that maybe, just maybe, I’ve done the same for someone else.
DF: Your forthcoming book, Saving Baby Doe (2012, G.P. Putnam’s Sons) has a teen boy, Lionel as the protagonist. What was it like as a female author, writing from a male voice? What resources, internal or external helped you to envision and create Lionel?
DV: Writing from a male voice was a challenge. I have two girls which meant that I had to listen more closely to my nephews or to groups of boys hanging out at places like the mall— all while trying not to be too creepy!
As far as envisioning Lionel, I was lucky. For the longest time, there seemed to be this tall for his age, rounded cheek, kid hanging around in my head. Yes, I do realize how crazy that sounds but I was not about to argue. After all, he (Lionel) had waited patiently.
DF: What life experiences do you draw upon as a writer? Do your own children “show up” in any way in your stories?
DV: I grew up in the Red Hook Houses in Brooklyn. It was a scary time and I witnessed some things a kid shouldn’t be exposed to. But still, I wouldn’t change where I grew up for anything. Those apartments, hallways and people (especially the people) run through my veins and make me who I am.
Growing up in a housing project had many negative things attached to it. Starting Junior High School began my understanding that I was from the “other side of the tracks” (or in my case, the highway). I soon learned that people from outside the projects had this preconceived notion of what we were like, or I should say, what we were supposed to be like.
Naturally, when I started to write, I found myself back in my housing project, only now I had the opportunity to show the world that all kinds of people live there. People who work and care about the world, people who love their families and people who want the very best for themselves and for their children.
So far, I haven’t had my children show up in my writing. Maybe when they’re older and out of the house … revenge will be mine! Sorry, did I say that out loud?
DF: Living in New York City is every writer’s dream. How does being a lifelong resident of NYC influence your work?
DV: I think living in New York City is the best place to people watch! What better way to pick up bits and pieces for characters, by watching the many different people who live here or are just passing through?
DF: Any tips for aspiring children’s writers seeking to be published?
DV: Yes, I think it is very important for you to read. Reading and writing truly do go hand in hand. I think of reading like a vitamin. It’ll help your writing to stay healthy and in the game.
Also, NEVER GIVE UP. But, that doesn’t mean you should keep trying to get in the door using the same key over and over again. No matter how painful, you have to be willing to listen to what others have to say about your work. This is especially true if you’ve gotten a rejection from an editor or an agent and they took the time to write you a note regarding what they felt wasn’t working in your manuscript. If you’re lucky enough to have this happen, be happy! You’ve just gotten free advice from a professional.
Read your work over with those words in mind to see if they ring true. This happened to me with TROUBLE just before Putnam picked it up. It was like having the map to a treasure chest I had spent years searching for.
One other thing, read your work aloud. You’ll be amazed at how much you catch this way.
