The Novel in Verse, by Thalia Chaltas:

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Prose is the normal, everyday writing people are used to seeing in magazines, newspapers, and books. Verse is poetry.

Why write a novel in verse?

My first and most personal answer is, "Because that is how it came out of me." I tend to think in whorls of words that go together, and I have been writing poetry most of my life.

The other answer I can give is that using poetry for Because I Am Furniture allowed me to do two seemingly opposing things. I could both lighten the weight of the subject of abuse and incest with fewer words and more white space, and use denser, stronger words to portray abuse and incest that might have been overwhelming in prose.

I am fascinated to hear that "reluctant readers" and those with learning disabilities often love novels in verse. They can be read in less time than traditional prose novels. Language is simply put, but does not talk down to the reader. Words don't blanket every page visually. And poems often mimic the word-entangled patterns of thought, as opposed to the full sentences and correct grammar written prose can present.

Poetry has taken a recent turn, being in novel format. Free verse is the most common poem form used for novels. In free verse there are no rules of rhyme and meter, unless the author is making a point with them. Formality is set aside in this style of poetry, but creating a novel in verse is serious business. There are many poems to link in a coherent way. Character arcs and minor plot threads to weave throughout. Large issues to lay down with very few words. And the voice must be believable within the confines of the verse.

Writing comes naturally to me in free verse, and so creating poems is the simple part for me as an author. Editing that verse into a novel... is the next blog entry.

Thalia Chaltas, Because I Am Furniture, Viking Children's, Penguin Books