Good morning. Today I will be 'talking' to Ingrid Law, the author of
Savvy.
Marya: Where did the idea of someone having a savvy come from?
Ingrid: In some ways, a "savvy" is just a metaphor for some aspect of growing up. When we are kids--especially kids becoming teens--so many things can feel huge and out of control, just like a new savvy. But I also wanted to show in the book that everyone has a talent, whether or not they call it their "savvy" or not.
Marya: Why did you call it a savvy rather than a gift or a talent?
Ingrid: I knew I wanted to write a book about magical children without ever using the word "magic." Yet, I wanted to pick a word that anyone could relate to and "savvy" fit the bill nicely. Also, the word was originally a noun and was used as such for over one hundred years before ever being used as an adjective.
Marya: What do you think your savvies are?
Ingrid: I always answer this question three ways. My dream savvy would be to fly or breathe underwater. My silly savvy is that I am clumsy and spill things all the time. And my real savvy is that I smile a lot.
Marya: It seems to me that a lot of people don’t even try to discover what their true inner savvies are because they are so busy making a living and surviving? Would you agree?
Ingrid: Yet, even so, even while making a living or simply surviving, we have all have strengths. Sometimes it's just a matter of recognizing what those strengths are. A savvy doesn't have to be something grandiose. It can be as simple as being good at making pancakes into shapes, or always knowing when our child might need a hug. That may sound simple and sentimental, but having been a single mom for fourteen years, I know how important it is to recognize the importance little things that make a day more special. Often it is those things that end up being most important to someone else.
Marya: How did you come up with idea for Mibs’s savvy? It is certainly unusual.
Ingrid: Mibs is learning to trust her own voice and know when to block out the voices of other people. But I wanted to have a fun and visual way for her abilities to manifest to demonstrate this concept.
When Mibs’s savvy arrives it is not what she hoped for at all, and at first she cannot imagine how her savvy could ever be useful. She has to experience certain things before she is able to see how her savvy could be an asset.
Marya: Do you feel that a lot of people are like Mibs in that they don’t truly appreciate the gifts that they have?
Ingrid: Things don't always go the way we want them to or the way we hope. We have no control over how tall we are or what color eyes we have--or even some of the things that happen to us in our life. Some things are out of our control. Yet, other things can be attained through hard work and the belief that the skills and talents we each have hold merit. Mibs resists her new savvy because it's not something she believes will help her poppa, and that is what she wants more than anything. But her savvy is really there to teach her about herself and help her become the person she is going to be.
Marya: Your book is full of powerful imagery. Do you feel that you are particularly sensitive to seeing and capturing imagery as you go about your life?
Ingrid: Yes, I tend to respond to life through metaphor. I see pictures where there aren't meant to be pictures and think of stories when I listen to music. I've always made up stories in my head, long before I ever put them down on paper.
Marya: Savvy has been very well received. How does this make you feel?
Ingrid: It's been very exciting and, at times, more than a little overwhelming.
Marya: Some of the books I have reviewed have given me something that I believe I will always carry with me. Savvy is one of these books. What would you like your book to give your readers?
Ingrid: I hope that Savvy might encourage readers to appreciate themselves and others for who they are and to know that everyone has gifts, even if those gifts take work or don't come easily at first.
Marya: Are you planning on bringing back Mibs and her colorful family?
Ingrid: I love these characters and their crazy family tree. I am working on a follow up to Savvy, though the main character is someone knew. There will be a few familiar faces along the way, but I felt that Mibs's story has been thoroughly told and want to look at the idea of getting a savvy from an all new perspective.
You can find out more about Ingrid by looking at her
website and her
blog
savvy is a magical gift that you acquire when you turn thirteen. In Mibs' case she became able to hear the voices of tattoos and other markings that people around her had on their skin. In my town this would be very disquieting because so many people have tattoos. What would the Mayan glyphs that a friend has tattooed on his arms say? What would the ivy tattoo on my own hand tell me?
