Saying Your Words with “Verve”

By the author, Jim Doti

The next four pages are critically important to the narrative structure of the book.  Up to this point in the story, Jimmy has had a challenge thrown at him (being cast in the play), and he hasn’t figured out how to confront this challenge.

One way for him to do this, of course, would be for him to suddenly be able to enunciate his words clearly.  But that would be an unrealistic cop-out.

I think it would be more believable for the characters in the story who have already supported Jimmy to mentor him as he confronts the challenges he faces.  When I first introduced Mrs. Lyons as Jimmy’s first grade teacher, I wrote, “He likes her.  She is nice to him, but she can’t stop the other kids from teasing him.”  As I’ve continued to develop her character, I’ve worked to portray Mrs. Lyons as a kind and caring teacher – the sort of teacher that any first grader would want to have.

After witnessing the children make fun of Jimmy during the rehearsal, it’s now time for Mrs. Lyons to reach out to him, to show her confidence and trust in him and to give him the encouragement he needs to rise above his classmates’ constant teasing about the way he speaks.

Since this scene takes place in the classroom, Jimmy doesn’t have the feeling of safety that brought him comfort in his mom’s hat room.  I need to show that he likes and respects his teacher, but at the same time he feels apprehensive and somewhat fearful.  I also need to find a means for Mrs. Lyons to explain to Jimmy how he can use body language, or verve, to better express his verbal lines in the play.

To illustrate what she means by “verve,” Mrs. Lyons recounts looking out of her classroom window after school the previous day and seeing Jimmy greet his dog, Blackie.  She tells Jimmy that while she didn’t hear what he was saying to Blackie, she could figure it out by seeing his physical expressions and mannerisms.  (As soon as I thought of that storyline,  I immediately called Lisa and asked her to add a very subtle image of Mrs. Lyons looking out the window in her illustration of that scene on pages 15-16.)

The following text for pp. 21-22 follows the storyboard I outlined in “Storyboarding the Book” (Feb. 10):

The next day, when the school bell rings at 3 o’clock in the afternoon to signal the end of class, Mrs. Lyons asks Jimmy to wait.  He stays seated at his desk as his classmates run noisily and happily out of the school room.  He worries that he has done something wrong.

After all the other students are gone, Mrs. Lyons says, “Well, James, I’m sorry that some of your classmates laughed at you yesterday.  I want you to know that I think you’re doing just fine.”

“But I don’t say the worbs right,” moans Jimmy.  “I’m going to woom the play.”

“You’re not going to ruin the play.  In fact, unlike the other actors, you already know all your lines and even where to stand on the stage.”

“But the people womp understand me.”

“Yes, they will, James.  Remember, it’s not only what you say that’s important.  How you say it is important, too.  You have to say your words with “verve.”

“What do you mean?” asks Jimmy.

“Well, James, yesterday I was looking out the window and saw you greet your little dog.”

“That’s my dog Blackie,” said Jimmy.

“I couldn’t hear what you said to Blackie, but I could tell from your actions that it was something like, ‘Hi, Blackie, I missed you.’”

“Yeah, that’s what I said,” replies a surprised Jimmy.

“That’s what I mean.  It’s not just the words coming out of your mouth.  People also understand by watching what your body is saying.  Then, while wagging her finger at him, Mrs. Lyons says, “Remember that, James!”

Although a seed is now planted in Jimmy’s mind regarding a solution, he still doesn’t quite get it.  So in the next scene, I have his mom expand on the idea of verve.

There is something, though, that troubles me here.  If Jimmy is simply spoon fed by his mentors, he will come across as a weakling.  That’s not a good personality trait for the protagonist of the story.  Indeed, up to now, Jimmy’s fear of being in the play, coupled with his submissive response (even crying!) to student heckling, marks him as a bit of a wuss.  I need to show that he not only has some gumption but also figures out a way, albeit with some help from Mrs. Lyons and his mom, to successfully confront his personal challenge.

I do that on pp. 23-24 by having Jimmy observe his mom’s action when she uses verve while saying something that just happens to be an important line in the play.  It’s that unintentional action on her part that is Jimmy’s “voilà” moment.  It’s also the deus ex machina in the story, where an unintended action serves to resolve Jimmy’s problem and helps bring the story to a happy conclusion.

Later that evening at home, Jimmy tries to explain to his mom what Mrs. Lyons said to him after school.  

As she listens, Jimmy’s mom places a large bow on a hat she is finishing up.  “I agree with Mrs. Lyons that you have to say the words with expression, with verve,” she says.  You can’t just mouth the words.”

“What is … werb?” asks Jimmy.

“What we mean by ‘verve’ is that you have to use your hands, your face and your body to express yourself in a lively way.  That’s what ‘verve’ is.”

“I don’t understam,” answers Jimmy.

“I know that,” says his mom.  “I can tell you don’t understand by the way you’re squinting your eyes and pressing your lips together.

Jimmy doesn’t say anything, but he realizes his mom is right.  He is squinting his eyes and holding his mouth off to one side.

Suddenly, his mom gets up from her chair.  She raises her arm and then points her finger upward and says excitedly, “I have an idea!  Let’s practice the lines in your play.”

But Jimmy is not listening.  Instead, his eyes focus on the way his mom raises her arm when she exclaims, “I have an idea!”