A conversation between Megan E. Freeman and Nicole M. Hewitt about her novel The Song of Orphan’s Garden, presented by The Children’s Book Review.
In a heartfelt conversation about her novel in verse, The Song of Orphan’s Garden, author Nicole M. Hewitt sits down with her good friend, bestselling author Megan E. Freeman (Alone and Away), to discuss the inspirations and creative choices that brought this unique fantasy-in-verse to life.
Hewitt reflects on the creation of The Song of Orphan’s Garden, a fantasy novel told in verse. She delves into the delicate balance of weaving intricate world-building with the precision of poetic language, sharing how she crafted distinct voices for the two main characters. Acknowledging the rarity of fantasy-in-verse, Nicole offers inspiration to fellow authors, revealing how she trusted her instincts and wrote what she loved, even when it meant taking a risk.
Megan E. Freeman: Congratulations, my friend. You’ve been an officially published author for about two months now. What has surprised you about having your book in the world?
Nicole M. Hewitt (NMH): I’ve been surprised and happily overwhelmed by the friends and family who have shown up for me and my book. Friends I hadn’t seen since grade school bought the book and offered their sincere congratulations. Family members I only see at weddings or funerals came to my launch event (yes, my book launch ranked right up there with a wedding–let’s not compare it to a funeral!).
Publishing a book can feel so all-encompassing. You know how much of your heart and soul (and blood, sweat, and tears, to extend the cliche to its fullest) go into this creation, but very few other people are privy to that knowledge. I honestly didn’t think most people would understand how colossal of an event this was in my life–but I was wrong.
The Song of Orphan’s Garden is a fantasy, which is unusual for verse novels. How did you balance the world-building that fantasy requires with the distillation of language demanded by poetry?
NMH: Worldbuilding, in verse, is a true challenge. There’s no room for wordy descriptions or elaborate backstories, so I had to assess which details would have the most impact and use imagery to its fullest advantage to paint a picture in the reader’s mind. Then I had to trust the reader to expand on those details with their own imagination. A fantasy has to have a bit more action (and active plot) than your average verse novel, so I had to play until I found ways to convey those events in the most poetic manner possible.
But the true story in The Song of Orphan’s Garden is interior. A review in “The Bulletin” captured this fact perfectly (actually, this review captured so many aspects of the book perfectly—I kind of want to frame it!): “The verse format of this middle-grade fantasy is surprisingly effective, foregoing heavy exposition and world-building to bring readers right into the emotional worlds of the characters.”
You absolutely should frame it! So then what was the process you went through to find the verse forms for the two characters’ points of view? And how did you arrive at the choice to occasionally intersperse the free verse with formal poems?
NMH: I needed to make sure that Brob’s and Lyriana’s voices were distinct. Lyriana’s voice is lyrical and somewhat formal. Brob’s style is more relaxed, and he injects more humor into his narration. The formatting for each character reinforces those styles and also makes the change in point-of-view more distinct on the page.
For me, adding in formal verse was an easy decision. Formal verse is how I first fell in love with poetry. There is something enthralling about reading a sonnet aloud, allowing rhyme and meter to trip along the tongue. An entire book in formal verse would be overwhelming for the average middle grader, but I wanted to gift the reader with a taste of these forms. Hopefully it will spark something inside them, and they will seek out more! The formal verse also allowed me to explore other voices in the story–most of the formal poems are narrated by characters other than Lyriana and Brob: the Seasonal Spirits, the king, Brob’s mother, and even the wall around the garden.
Was The Song of Orphan’s Garden the book you queried your agent with? Tell us that story.
NMH: No. As Shakespeare said, “the course of [publishing] never did run smooth.” (Okay, he said this about love, not publishing, but I’m sure he would agree with the sentiment.) I originally signed with my agent, Deborah Warren, at East West Literary in 2019 with an earlier manuscript written in prose. Unfortunately, it didn’t sell (I still have hope that one day it will make it into the world in an updated form). But while I was on submission, instead of focusing on rejection letters, I poured myself into writing another book, this time in verse. I went on submission with The Song of Orphan’s Garden in 2022 and steeled myself for another long wait (so much of publishing is waiting)–and this book sold in a month! You just never know what will happen in this business.
And just to jump on the Shakespeare bandwagon, I would argue that you could substitute “publishing” for “love” in many contexts and the sentiment would still apply perfectly. Did you discover anything about the business side of the industry that you weren’t expecting? Has anything surprised you about having an agent or working with an editor?
NMH: I’ve been constantly surprised by the variabilities in the publishing industry. There is no one “publishing experience.” Even within the same imprint, methodologies, schedules, marketing strategies, and more may vary wildly. No matter how much you learn about the industry, you can never be fully prepared for your own publishing journey.
You know I’ve been re-reading Rick Rubin’s extraordinary book, The Creative Act: A Way of Being, and I’m really interested in how different artists experience creative inspiration. How do ideas or stories come to you and how do you filter or interview them to choose which ones to explore?
NMH: I’ve been thinking about this a lot as I’ve been creating materials for school visits, and I’ve realized that much of my inspiration comes from my own childhood. Books I read, imagination games I played, friendships, family experiences–all of these have been integrated into my writing in one way or another.
As far as how I filter them, that is a mysterious and nebulous process, even to me. I’d love to say I have a structured method for determining which ideas will work, but honestly, I just go with my gut and write what I love. (I had no idea if a fantasy-in-verse, especially one that incorporated formal verse, would sell when I wrote it, but it was the book of my heart, so I forged on!)
Okay now I want every aspiring author to have that statement framed on their walls: Go with Your Gut; Write What You Love. It’s the perfect mantra.
You also work part-time as a bookseller. What have you learned being on the sales side of the industry that has informed your perspective or approach to being a traditionally published author?
NMH: This is actually a more difficult question than you’d imagine. I think if there’s one thing I’ve learned by being a kids’ specialist bookseller, it’s that kids are picky! They want what they want, and sometimes they have a very narrow focus (“a dragon story that’s part of a series;” nothing else will do). But I’ve also seen firsthand that those same kids will sometimes surprise themselves and fall in love with something new–if you can get them to try it. That’s why I love blended genres; they feel familiar in some ways but also encourage kids to branch out.
Reflecting back, is there anything you wish you’d known or done differently when you first started this journey to becoming a traditionally published author? Conversely, what were some of the choices you made along the way that have really served you well?
NMH: Honestly, I don’t think I would do anything differently. My journey is my journey, and it brought me where I am. It’s easy to look back and say, “Oh, I should have been writing in verse all along” or “I should have been more confident in myself and my craft,” but what good does that sort of thinking do? Writing, just like life, is truly a myriad of revolving-door choices, and we learn from each and every decision.
One choice that has definitely served me well, though, is surrounding myself with other writers in every way I can. Not only have I gained invaluable craft and industry knowledge through these relationships, but I’ve found an unmatched level of support in this community. No one understands the exquisite highs and the savage lows of the publishing process better than a fellow author can.
And how do you keep yourself productive in the face of life’s other demands? Any tips for aspiring creators?
NMH: This is a struggle for me, especially when I’m writing without a deadline. Luckily I have an incredibly supportive (and organized!) accountability partner who keeps me on track when my meandering mind wants to wander. You may have heard of her–she’s the innovative, inspirational, and incredibly talented author of ALONE and AWAY. (Or, as I like to call her in casual conversation, “my good friend, New York Times bestselling author, Megan E. Freeman.”)
Ha. The appreciation is absolutely mutual and equally invaluable from where I’m sitting, too.
NMH: All joking aside, The Song of Orphan’s Garden would not exist without you, Megan, and neither would anything I’ve written since. If it weren’t for our weekly calls, I would have long ago let life’s complications (and, yes, I’ve had my share of them) derail me completely.
Life is complicated! It’s all part of the equation, right? There’s no question that our accountability practice has been a game-changer for both of us. Writing SMART goals in our Google Doc, having regularly scheduled accountability calls, being cheerleaders, and sharing resources with each other has not only helped us both achieve our goals faster, but it’s also been a lot less lonely and a lot more fun.
Okay, one last question. If you could wave a magic wand over your book and give it one gift to take into the world, what would that be?
NMH: Hope for harmony in a divided world. May each person who reads The Song of Orphan’s Garden find their heartsong and blend it with others’ to use it as a force for good in this complex concerto of a world.
Amen, sister. May it be so.
About the Book
The Song of Orphan’s Garden
Written by Nicole M. Hewitt
Ages: 8-12 | 352 Pages
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends (2025) | ISBN: 978-1250906045
Publisher’s Book Summary: Combining the gentleness of Miyazaki, the wintry wonderland of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, and the whimsicality of Newbery winner The Girl Who Drank the Moon, Nicole M. Hewitt’s debut middle-grade novel, The Song of Orphan’s Garden, is an enchanting fantasy tale with all the makings of a new classic.
In an arctic world that’s getting colder every day, Lyriana’s only hope of survival is to get her little brother Zave and herself to the fabled Orphan’s Garden. It’s rumored to be the one place in the world not controlled by deadly Winter Spirits or ruled by the tyrant Giant king. In Orphan’s Garden, healing trees will melt away Winter’s pains, and Lyriana and Zave can live safely in the warmth of Spring. If the garden exists, they must find it. They won’t live much longer without it.
Brob, a Giant boy, also needs sanctuary. When the Giant king banishes his family to the Winter Blight, it’s a death sentence. Orphan’s Garden is his family’s only hope, and as far as Brob’s concerned, it belongs to him. After all, he was the one who accidentally used an ancient magic to grow the garden years ago. He has no intention of sharing his haven with pesky humans, who will just use up its magic and ruin it.
When it becomes clear that Orphan’s Garden is in danger of being destroyed, Lyriana and Brob are the only ones who can save it―but only if they can put the ages-old battle between Humans and Giants aside and find a way to work together.
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About the Author
Nicole Hewitt is a middle-grade author living in the Chicago suburbs with her husband, three grown kids, and two overly enthusiastic pups. She hates to run, but she succeeded in finishing a marathon (it was for a good cause!). She enjoys nature but doesn’t see nearly enough of it in Illinois, so her family travels to national parks as frequently as possible. She also loves to sing and can often be heard spontaneously composing incredibly profound songs about the fluffiest members of her family (the dogs, in case you weren’t sure). The Song of Orphan’s Garden is her debut novel.
For more information, visit nicolemhewitt.com.
About the Interviewer
Megan E. Freeman attended an elementary school where poets visited her classroom every week, and she has been a writer ever since. She writes middle grade and young adult fiction. Megan is also a Pushcart Prize–nominated poet. An award-winning teacher with decades of classroom experience, Megan taught multiple subjects across the arts and humanities to students of all ages. She lives near Boulder, Colorado.
Visit her online at MeganEFreeman.com.
This interview—Fantasy Meets Poetry: Inside Nicole M. Hewitt’s Groundbreaking Novel ‘The Song of Orphan’s Garden’—was conducted between Nicole M. Hewitt and Megan E. Freeman.
