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They say “write what you know” and that’s what Tim Kehoe, inventor, did when he wrote The Invisible Mind of Vincent Shadow a wanna be toy inventor. Tim lives in St. Paul Minnesota with his wife and five children.

Q. After being a successful toy inventor, what prompted you to write a children’s book?

I've wanted to be a writer for as long as I can remember. In fact, just like in my new book The Unusual Mind of Vincent Shadow, I had a secret attic "lab" growing up too. But instead of inventing toys, I invented stories in my secret lab. But then I didn't do much writing until Brad Pitt's production company contacted me about creating a children's movie together. That's when Vincent Shadow was born!

Q. When did you start writing this story? And how long did it take you to finish it?

I started in the fall of 2007 and worked on it for about eight months.

Q. What did you find the most difficult about writing your book? How did you overcome that?

I find it difficult to judge my own writing. Toy inventing is much easier. If you set out to build a toy plane that really flies, you know it is working when the plane takes flight. It can be much harder to know when a scene or chapter is working. I rely heavily on my wife and kid's reactions.

Q. I understand you self-published your book and then got picked up by Little, Brown. Can you tell us about that process?

Yes, I originally self-published the book. And I really enjoyed the process. I hired an illustrator, purchased Adobe's InDesign software, and laid out the entire book myself. I printed a few hundred books and started knocking on the doors of local bookstores. I had a lot of support from local bookstores in the beginning, but it was local author Vince Flynn that finally helped me land a publisher. Vince put me in touch with his agent and we received a couple of offers within weeks.

Q. Do you have another book in progress? If so, will it be about the same character or a different character?

Yes, I actually just finished the second Vincent Shadow book. It will be out later this year.

Q. Do you have a writing tip to share with our readers?

I found that I need to develop a detailed outline before I write a word. And then I give myself permission to completely ignore it when the characters decide to go in another direction.

Read all about Tim here: http://www.timkehoe.com and specifically about his books here:
http://www.vincentshadow.com

Attention toy inventors – check this out.

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Ann Ingalls co-authored LITTLE PIANO GIRL (Houghton Mifflin, January 2010) with her sister, Maryann Macdonald.   Ann lives in Kansas City and Maryann lives in New York.  Ann also writes for children’s magazines.  Read more about her at her new website:  http://anningallswrites.com/

Q. Tell us how LITTLE PIANO GIRL came about.  What inspired it? 

I had written a nonfiction alphabet picture book called J is for Jive. When looking for endorsements for that work, a member of the Kansas City Jazz Ambassadors suggested that I change the W in the alphabet book from Work Songs to Williams. The more I read about her, the more intrigued I became. I shared the idea with my dear sister and she wanted to partner for this project. We have co-authored lots of things, some of which have sold to magazines and one that won a third place in Missouri Writers’ Guild’s poetry contest several years back.

Q. What brought you and Maryann together to work on this project?  (Besides the fact that you are related…)

Maryann and I share a love of music, storytelling, and the same ideas about what makes a good picture book. We edit each other’s work and enjoy good music, singing together badly and a serious love of oatmeal raisin cookies.

Q. What can you tell us about collaborating on a project?

This requires respect for the other’s ideas and flexibility. We split up the research and shared what we each learned. We each interviewed prominent individuals in the jazz community, read the same liner notes, Mary Lou’s hand-written notes, interviews in Melodymaker Magazine and Downbeat. I sought out the endorsements. We each looked for agents and we passed the manuscript back and forth or read it aloud to each other about 100 times. No kidding.

Q. Where did you and your sister grow up?

We grew up in the Detroit metropolitan area where Polish food is good and Motown Music is grand. We taught each other lots of silly dance moves and cheers. We were both cheerleaders in high school and can still remember some of them. No more splits or cartwheels for us.

Q. How long have you been writing for children?  What got you interested in writing for children?

I have been writing for children since the first day I entered a classroom. When I started teaching special education in Michigan in the Dark Ages, interesting text was not available for older readers with lower reading ability. That was great practice for keeping it simple but using some high interest words.

Q. Now that you’ve sold a book do you still plan to write for magazines?

Yes, ma’am. I love to write anything that pleases others. I’ve worked with some of the greatest editors at High Five and Primary Treasure (Kathleen Hayes and Aileen Andres Sox.)

Q. Can you tell us about your current work in process?

I am working on about 30 or more projects and crossing my fingers on a couple that publishers are holding. Each of those manuscript has had 3 or more readings by the editorial board but I never count my chickens even after they’ve hatched.

Q. What would you like to tell others about writing a historical picture book?

It took two years to do the research, one year to write it, six months to find an agent ( I need a new one!), six months to get a contract, one year to find an illustrator, one year for her to do the illustrations and one year for Houghton Mifflin to print and market the book.

Q. Anything else you’d like to share with our readers?

I love to read other people’s work. I love it when they read mine and offer suggestions to make it better.

I can’t eat chocolate because it gives me migraines but take pleasure in seeing others enjoy that. Eat some chocolate for me.

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Judy Young, from Springfield, Missouri is a poet and children’s author, whose 8th book comes out this month.  She is speaking at the Missouri SCBWI Conference in St. Charles on November 7th.  Judy has a big picture window AND A FIREPLACE in her office. (Not that I'm jealous or anything...)

Q. How did you get started writing for children?

I was very fortunate! S is for Show Me, A Missouri Alphabet, my first book for children, came about because of “who I knew.” I happened to know my husband! Ross is a professional artist. He usually doesn’t do illustrations, he paints paintings, but Sleeping Bear Press saw an ad of his in a national publication, and he was contacted asking if he’d illustrate a nonfiction children’s book about Missouri. Sleeping Bear did not yet have an author for the Missouri book of their Discover America series, so I submitted my work. They liked the idea of a husband and wife team, that I’d been published in magazines and that, at that time, I worked in the schools so knew school curriculum. So, I was selected to write S is for Show Me, A Missouri Alphabet, and my husband illustrated it. It was a first for both of us. Three years later, when queries for R is for Rhyme, A Poetry Alphabet and Lazy Days of Summer were both accepted on the same day, I quit my day job and became a full time writer. (That was an exciting day – I still zoom up to cloud nine just thinking about it!) I now have eight titles published and three more that are scheduled for release between 2010-2012. 

Q. Many of your books are written in rhyme.  Do you have any advice for writers who also want to write rhyme?

Yes, several of my books are a mixture of rhyming poetry and nonfiction prose. One thing important with writing rhyming poetry for children is to not force the rhyme by using unusual sentence structure. When conducting poetry-writing workshops for adults, I often see wording such as “to the store he did go” because they can’t figure out a way to make what they want to say rhyme with “went.” It is very awkward sounding, hard for young readers and listeners to comprehend, and will invite “reject letters” from publishers. Writing poetry takes as much time as any other kind of writing. You can’t take the easy way out but have to work to make the rhymes work. Many revisions and rewrites are necessary until you can say what you want AND make it rhyme naturally fluently. My other bit of advice would be about meter. Learn metric patterns and practice them until your poems “scan” or use good and consistent meter.

Q. Several of your books are also ABC books, yet we hear over and over that ABC books are hard to sell.  What do you think made yours sell?

I have three ABC books, S is for Show Me, A Missouri Alphabet; R is for Rhyme, A Poetry Alphabet, and H is for Hook, A Fishing Alphabet. But, these books are not typical alphabet books. They have the ABC component but are more about the subject matter that happens to be arranged in alphabetical order. And they are multi-tiered for different ages. Each page has a letter, a poem, sidebar expository and captivating illustration. Young readers find the letters of the alphabet and what they stand for. They read the poems, or have them read to them. As they get older, they can read details about the subject in the side bar. My publisher has published many alphabet books with the same format about a wide range of subjects. I came up with the subject for R is for Rhyme and H is for Hook and my ideas about two diverse subjects that I enjoy were accepted. R is for Rhyme has had a wonderful success story, with several awards including the Mom’s Choice Gold Award and Educator’s Choice Award. It was also choreographed for the 58th performance by the Creative Dance Department of the University of Utah. It was awesome seeing my words interpreted in dance!

Q. You have two historical fiction books.  Did you come up with the ideas for these or did your publisher approach you?  Did you find it difficult switching from poetry to prose?

Both The Lucky Star, which received a 2009 Storytelling World Honor Award, and Minnow and Rose are historical fiction picture books, and I have another historical fiction scheduled for release in March 2011. I came up with the ideas for all of these books and submitted finished stories to my publisher.

I really didn’t have difficulty switching genres from poetry to prose. The creative process is the same for both, they’re just written in different forms, but I really think writing poetry helps my prose. In poetry, each word plays an integral part. That should be the focus of prose, as well. Writers, especially for picture books, must be flexible. Many words are not necessary and you must be able and willing to get rid of what’s not needed for the story, even if you think you “that one sentence is brilliantly written.” It may be, so kiss it and hug it, and then, get rid of it. My first draft of Minnow and Rose had 4,578 words. Forty-two drafts later, the book ended up with about 1,500.

Q. What do you like best about writing historical fiction?

I like just about all parts, but the research is always fascinating, and I like to make sure I research every little thing. Even Ruth, the main character’s name in The Lucky Star, was researched. The story takes place during the Great Depression and Ruth was one of the top ten names in the 1920s, when my Ruth would have been born. And the book she won in a spelling bee was an actual publication from the Great Depression time period. I want to make sure that everything I have happen could have happened, even if it didn’t.

Q. Your newest book has poetry with illustrations that are completely integral to the book.  Can you tell us how this nonfiction project came about?

My eighth book, The Hidden Bestiary of Marvelous, Mysterious and (maybe even) Magical Creatures releases September 15, 2009. This book is a “creative nonfiction” in that there are facts about animals, but the main character and what he does is completely fictitious.  Basil B. Barnswhitten is a great animal scout, searching the world for specific animals that are described in poems throughout the book. Also in the poems are clues in which readers are to determine if the creature is endangered, extinct or never existed. There’s a field guide as back matter to give more information about each creature. And the illustrations are so awesome! The specific creatures are hidden in lushly camouflaged backgrounds along with many other creatures on each page. The cover art alone has 44 animals on it!

This book came about and was produced in a very unique way. Laura Francesca Filippucci, from Italy, submitted some illustrations on spec to my publisher. The illustrations had an animal that blended into the landscape, that when you first looked at it, you didn’t notice, but then all the sudden, you see, for example, the building is really a tiger. My publishers liked what they saw and wanted to use her. They contacted me and asked me if I would like to work on the project (yes, a writer’s dream is to be asked by a publisher to do a project!)  I researched and came up with a list of animals to be illustrated. Then, as the illustrations were completed, I wrote to fit the illustrations.

Q. Can you share about your current work-in-progress?

My next book, The Missouri Reader, which comes out in April 2010 is currently at the illustrator. It has everything: poems, performance poetry, nonfiction, biographies, a short fiction story, a rebus story, a “chapter book” fiction story, and even a play! It was a lot of fun to work in so many different genres! But other than final proofing when the galley copy is ready, my part is done. I’m currently working on a novel for middle grade readers (3rd-5th graders), and I have a couple picture book manuscripts that I’m getting close to having ready for submission. I like to let things sit a month or so and come back to them with a fresh look before I actually send them off. As for details, I disclose very little about what I’m working on.

Q. What is your number one goal for your writing right now?

To write a “best selling, Newbury Award winning, to be made into a blockbuster movie” book  – isn’t that everyone’s goal?

Visit Judy at www.judyyoungpoetry.com

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Veda Boyd Jones is the author of 32 children's books: five historical novels, twenty-one biographies, three nonfiction books, and three picture books.  She also writes for adults.  See her impressive list of publications at www.Vedaboydjones.com.

Veda was born in Arkansas and resides in Neosho, Missouri.

 

Q. What inspired you to become a writer?

A. Like many writers, I read a book that wasn't very good and said, "I can do better than that." Turns out I couldn't, at least not initially.  The book I read was a romance, and I wrote four complete romances and earned rejections before selling the fifth manuscript. Those four were practice, and I later revised and sold all of them.

Q. Tell us about your very first publication for children. How long did it take to get it accepted?

A. My first sale was a short story to a now defunct magazine, Wee Wisdom. At the time, I didn't know the difference between a magazine story and a picture book story, so I first submitted the piece to book publishers, and it was rejected. Then I targeted a few magazines, and still it came back rejected. On the thirteenth submission, it sold to Wee Wisdom. I made a copy of the $30.00 check before I cashed it, and I just got the file out to look at it again. I was absolutely over the moon. Unfortunately, the magazine that had published for nearly 100 years, folded before printing my piece. Rights were returned to me, and I got to keep the money. I later sold the story to another magazine.

Q. You obviously must work full time on your writing. People say, “Don't quit your day job.” How long did it take before you were able to devote full time to writing (if that's what you do)?

A. When I started writing, I was lucky to be a stay-at-home mom. I wrote for two hours a day, from one until three in the afternoon, while my sons took naps. If they couldn't fall asleep, they could look at books in bed, quietly. But they usually slept. When the youngest of the three started first grade, I became a full time writer.

Q. I've heard some editors talk about the importance of establishing a brand, i.e. that a writer should stick with one genre. Have you found it difficult to work in multiple genres?

A. I like the variety, and I've never had an editor tell me that it didn't work to play the field as I have.  I don't write romances anymore, although I was already writing for children when I wrote the last couple romances. I've written for first grade through high school, and I like the variety of vocabulary levels and appropriateness of topics for the different grades. I've written fiction and nonfiction, and I find I like both.

Q. Did you find it harder to break into the children's market or the adult market?

A. It was easier to break into the adult market, but I was first writing short pieces for encyclopedias, and an advanced degree (I have an MA in history) goes a long way toward getting assignments. Networking is the name of the game when it comes to breaking in. An editor I'd worked with on romances actually recommended me to another editor, which is how I got my first children's book assignment, a biography on Tara Lipinski, the ice skater.

Q. What's your typical writing schedule?

A. Before my husband retired as an architect, I worked all day on writing. Of course, I took time to have lunch with friends on some days, and I always lunched with writer friends on Wednesday. A typical day: I would clean up breakfast dishes, throw a load of clothes in the washer, sweep the kitchen, tidy up, and head to my office by nine. I'd work until lunch, take a break, then return to the computer. Some times I'd write, and some times I'd market what I'd written. When Jim came home from work, I'd quit, too, unless I was on a really tight deadline. These days we start our day with a long walk, then I do some house chores, and then I head for my office for an hour or so. Jim and I have traveled some, and I have not written nearly as much now that he's here at home. But that's okay. I still speak at lit fests and schools and writer's conferences.

Q. What are you working on now?

A. I'm working on a middle-grade novel, but at this very moment I have three assignments for an almanac, so I'll research and write those pieces then get back to the novel.

Q. What's the most important tip you can give other writers?

A. Learn to revise. As my friend and fellow writer Joan Banks told me, "You wrote every word the first time. Now look at every word again and make sure it's exactly right." I failed to do that when I first started writing, and my work was sloppy. Once I learned to revise and really tighten my pieces, they started to sell. Not that I sell everything I write.  I still get those pesky rejections, but I've learned not to take them personally. 

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For many reasons* I didn’t get around to finding and interviewing a real, live person. Instead…

 

Meet the Kansas SCBWI Fall Conference Staff, via other bloggers who actually have their acts together and interviewed them!!!!

 

Jennifer Brown, author of The Hate List (Little Brown, 2009)

http://susanameyers.blogspot.com/2009/07/quickie-interview-jennifer-brown.html

 

Bruce Coville (too many titles to list)

http://gizmodo.com/5066863/my-favorite-childhood-sci+fi-author-fries-my-brain

 

LD Harkrader, Airball: My Life In Briefs (Roaring Brook Press, 2005)

http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Secret-of-My-Success---An-Interview-With-Childrens-Writer-L-D-Harkrader&id=113519

 

Cheryl Harness (illustrator and nonfiction goddess)

http://www.cherylharness.com/faq.htm

 

Dian Curtis Regan (whose latest book, Barnyard Slam, comes out fall 2009)

http://cynthialeitichsmith.blogspot.com/2007/06/author-interview-dian-curtis-regan-on.html

 

Ruta Rimas, associate editor, Balzer+Bray (HarperCollins):
http://terrypierce.blogspot.com/2009/01/mini-view-ruta-rimas.html

Twitter: @ritarascal

 

I couldn't find blog interviews with the following, but here are helpful links:


Eve Adler, associate editor, Henry Holt Books for Young Readers

Ted Malawar, Firebrand Literary

Tom Nelson, illustrator

Perhaps I should make it my goal to track these folks down and interview them for KidLit Central before September 11.

Happy writing, everyone!

Colleen Ryckert Cook is a freelance writer and editor who is in the midst of a breakthrough with her middle grade manuscript THE WOLF BELT.

Photos snagged unabashedly from www.presidentialscholars.org, Aviva Kasowski, www.childrenslit.com, www.terrypierce.blogspot.com, Bruce Coville, www.librarything.com, KidLit Central, Jennifer Brown

*multiple freelance deadlines, two hyped-up sons on summer break and no camps to dump them at this week, local writer events, Twitter-based storytelling experiment conclusion that lasted days, insomnia, possible alien abduction...

 

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Laura Manivong’s first novel, a historical novel based on her husband’s experiences in a Thai refugee camp, is coming out next spring. Laura is also the author of One Smart Fish (Children's Press, 2006) and has sold a story to Highlights for Children.

She was born and raised in Kansas City on the Missouri side, and now lives in a Kansas City suburb on the Kansas side. See http://LauraManivong.com for more details.

I met Laura at an SCBWI Critique group in 2005.

Q. When did you first get the idea for Escaping the Tiger?

Ever since I met my husband (whose experiences inspired this book), I’ve shared bits of his background with friends, from his years in a POW camp as a young boy, to escaping Laos by crossing the Mekong River, to his time spent in a refugee camp. Most people responded with, “You have to write his story!” Problem was, I didn’t have a clue how. Yes, I was a writer, for television promotions, but this was wholly different, and terrifying, in scope. So the idea has been there since marrying Troy in 1994, but no attempts were made until years later.

Q. When did you start writing the manuscript? And how long did it take you before it was finished?

I made attempts at writing scenes in 2000, but writing this novel was not a linear process. I’d started by telling it as a biography, but getting every detail exact was overwhelming. Then I wrote it as a picture book. I bore children. I reworked it. I focused on my job as a television producer. I wrote other stuff. I reworked it and sent it to publishers. A kind editor said my story was lovely but my protagonist was too old for a picture book. So then I decided it was time to learn how to write a novel. I’ll let you know when I’ve figured that out, but somehow I managed, through my lovely agent, to get the thing sold to HarperCollins Children’s Books in December of 2006.

Q. Can you tell us about the research you did for this novel?

I picked the heck out of my husband’s brain. I talked to his friends and family. I read a book written by the father of Troy’s best friend, titled I LITTLE SLAVE, A PRISON MEMOIR FROM COMMUNIST LAOS, as well as INDOCHINA’S REFUGEES: ORAL HISTORIES FROM LAOS, CAMBODIA, AND VIETNAM. I read novels. I trolled the Internet. I cried, I lost sleep, got excited, felt like a failure, ate M&Ms, relished the successes, and kept trying.

Q. What was the hardest part in writing this story?

The crying, the lost sleep, feeling like a failure, and way too many M&Ms.

Q. I understand you tried selling it to publishers directly first. How many houses did you try before you decided to go the agent route?

From my records, it looks like I subbed this project, in its different forms, directly to publishers about six times. But the bigger picture is this: I subbed my first project, a poem, in July 1999. I subbed 109 times with various manuscripts before I started looking for an agent in 2006. I got an offer from the first agent I queried, but it wasn’t a match so I continued querying, 19 more times, before I got another offer which I enthusiastically accepted. The manuscript was not ESCAPING THE TIGER, but another novel that I am currently revising. See? It’s not a linear process for me.

Q. Did you come up with the title of the book or did the publishing house?

The first title I had was “Sticky Rice,” a staple in the Lao diet, and the food my character longed for in the refugee camp, but I thought most people would assume sticky rice meant overcooked rice. Not the image I wanted. Then it was “Skeleton Boy,” a nickname my husband had because he was so skinny; I thought that title would appeal to boys. It sold with this title, but my editor wisely pointed out that it sounded like a horror novel so I went to my Internet friends for help. Author Kate Messner came up with ESCAPING THE TIGER based on a Thai phrase. I asked my husband about it, and he said it’s a phrase about running away from the tiger but getting caught by the crocodile, very similar to “out of the frying pan, into the fire.” My editor loved it, so the title choosing was a joint effort.

Q. I love what you’ve done with your book trailer. Our readers here may not have heard how you created it. Could you tell us about your process?

I thought about a hook. I wanted my trailer to be very short. As a TV producer, I’ve spent my career making 30 second commercials and promotions so I knew interest could be piqued in that length of time. I wrote the script first, thought about visuals that would demonstrate danger and intrigue, solicited my family as actors, begged my colleague to shoot it, and spent about forty hours editing it. I needed to add mountains into the landscape to make it look like Asia instead of Kansas, and another colleague was patient enough to teach me. When you watch it, look for the mountains in the background, and know they were not in the original footage. Shout out to Bob and Daniel for all their help!

Note: Check out the Escaping the Tiger book trailer at Laura’s site.

Q. When you start talking to kids after they’ve read the book, I’m sure they’ll ask you how much of the story is true. What do you think you’ll tell them?

The actual story is made up, but it’s based on real experiences and real emotions.

Q. Do you have some tips to share with our readers about writing a novel, or the writing life in general?

Me? Offer tips about writing a novel? Is this a trick question? What I can say is you must get out and try new experiences, attempt things that scare you, be willing to see things that make you sad, angry, jubilant. Writing is all about sharing emotions, something we writers refer to as opening a vein.

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What Really Happened to Humpty is Jeanie Franz Ransom’s first mystery, and her first collaboration with private investigator Joe Dumpty.  Doesn’t that sound like a fun story?  Let’s go talk with this picture book author who has 5 books in print.

Q.  Jeanie, what got you started with the idea of writing a mystery about Humpty?

 

A lot of my ideas come from wondering “What if?.”  In Humpty’s case, it was “What if Humpty Dumpty hadn’t fallen off that wall by accident? What if he was pushed?”

 

 I’d never written a mystery before, so I really had no idea what I was getting into. What started out as a simple picture-book whodunit became more complex. A minor character wrote herself into a major role, and the plot had more twists and turns than I’d originally planned. 

 

Q.  You sold your first piece to Seventeen at age 17 which obviously means you had some talent!  However, in your bio you mention that you didn’t seriously start writing for children until you had your own children.  What was it that made you decide to go that direction?

 

I’d never thought about writing for children until I became a mom. I’d written for “grownup” magazines for years, and also was an advertising copywriter. But when I started reading to my first child, I thought how easy it would be to write picture books. They were nice and short, like the ad copy I wrote. I mean, how tough could it be, right?  I soon learned that although it may be easy to write a picture book, to write a good one, and to get it published, is an entirely different story.  

 

Q.  What was the first book you sold? When did it come out? Can you tell us about how you chose that topic?

 

The first book that I sold was GRANDMA U. Three months later, I sold I DON’T WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT. However, the second book that I sold came out first (in 2000), and the first book came out second (in 2002). Are you still with me here?! That was my introduction to the picture-book publishing process.

 

I got the idea for GRANDMA U when one of my sons asked, “How does Grandma know so much about everything?” I thought about it. Maybe grandmas go to a special school to learn how to be grandmas. And that’s how GRANDMA U got its start.

 

I chose the topic of divorce for I DON’T WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT because my sister was going through a divorce. My niece was quite young at the time, and I couldn’t find a book anywhere that wasn’t too long, too complicated, or too outdated, so I decided to write my own. Nine years after publication, I DON’T WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT is still in print, and has been translated into several languages.

 

Q.  What are the advantages and disadvantages you’ve found from working with multiple publishers?

 

From my experience, the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages. In fact, I am hard pressed to think of any disadvantages. The main advantage is related to the “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket” philosophy. Having more than one publisher is job security. Even if one house is temporarily closed to submissions – or ends up closing its doors – you’ll still have another publisher who is open to your work. Having multiple publishers also increases your chances of making a sale.

 

Q.  You said you are now working on a middle grade novel.  What can you tell us about it?

 

I can tell you that it’s not done! (-:  But I have several people in my life nudging me to finish it, so I imagine it will see the light of day sooner or later. The book is called WHAT I DIDN’T DO ON MY SUMMER VACATION, and it was inspired by my work as a school counselor. It seems that every kid has to start the school year writing about their summer vacation. But not every kid has a wonderful summer. Parents divorce, pets die, friends move. I had one student in particular in mind when I started this book – her father died over the summer and all the fun the family had planned went right out the window.  

 

Q.  Right now marketing books is tough.  What advice would you give to other writers?

 

I think you have to get a little more creative. Every writer needs a website. Beyond that, the avenues for self-promotion abound, with more opening up all the time. The social networking sites can be useful, including having a Facebook page. Look for opportunities to guest blog, start your own blog, or both. Podcasts are another marketing tool, as are book trailers. Then there’s Twitter. If stuffed animals can have followers, you should be able to, too!

 

It’s also important to make person-to-person contact with potential buyers of your books, through book signings, school visits, library programs, or conference workshops. Giving away a clever promotional item which ties in with your book at signings and special events can help people remember you. Just make sure to include your name and website info. Bookmarks are great, but everyone does them. You don’t have to spend a lot of money, either. For example, in my latest book, WHAT REALLY HAPPENED TO HUMPTY?, the main character, Joe Dumpty, is a private detective.  I had some business cards made up for Joe, and attached a miniature plastic magnifying glass to each one. The business cards cost me next to nothing, and the little magnifying glasses were a whopping $4 for bag of 144.

 

Closing Comments:  Wow, what a great idea for Joe Dumpty.  Thanks for sharing with us, Jeanie!

Award winning author Jeanie Franz Ransom resides in St. Louis, Missouri.  Here’s Jeanie’s website for more insight into her and her works: http://www.jeanieransom.com/index.html - you can check out her Ransom notes, too.

 

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I met SueBE, as she is affectionately called because of her email address, when she was the Regional Advisor for SCBWI Missouri. She’s been an encourager and an inspiration to me. Recently she had an article in WOW! Women on Writing that you won’t want to miss if you’re interested in writing fantasy. Here’s the link: http://www.wow-womenonwriting.com/30-FE2-WritingFantasy.html. Also check out a guest post on Sue’s blog by Lee Braff (http://suebe. wordpress. com/2009/ 06/17/fantasy- subgenre/). According to Sue, Lee is a huge fantasy fan and wrote to her about a subgenre Sue had left out in her article. “Realizing how much information she had shared with just little ol' me, I asked her if I could post it on my blog and, fortunately, she said yes.”

Now for some Q & A . . .

Question: I often see your articles in Children's Writer. How long have you been writing for them? Are you/have you been an instructor for The Institute of Children's Literature? For how long?

Although I've never been an instructor for the Institute of Children's Literature (ICL), I've been writing for them since 2000 when the editor asked one of her writer's for the names of other writers that would be suitable for this kind of work. This writer, an acquaintance from a Kansas SCBWI conference, sent in my name and I've been writing for ICL since. I also sometimes write for their annual guides.

Question: How long have you been writing?

I've been writing since about 1991. I was married and worked days while my husband worked nights. I had been interested in writing for a while when I decided to take a continuing education class with Patricia McKissack. My timing was excellent because this was the last time she taught the course and she is definitely the one who got me started. I've been writing ever since.

Question: What was/is one thing difficult for you in writing? How did/do you overcome/solve this problem?

Only one thing? Just kidding. I LOVE writing for children. It allows me to explore a wide variety of topics that interest me. But since I am a full time writer, I have a really hard time working in "my" writing. I get busy meeting deadlines for ICL, Children's Writer's and Illustrator's Market and my various contracts. Finding time to do my own work, the things I don't have contracts for but that allow me to pursue all those nifty topics, can be really difficult. Fortunately the ladies in my critique group hold me accountable. Like Stephanie Bearce, I'm in the Gordian Knot group and knowing that I have to have something to show to them on a regular basis makes me find time for the fun stuff. Besides, I get such good feedback from them! Why wouldn't I want that?

Question: Tell us about some of your published works for children.

My first regular gig was writing for a now out-of-business magazine called Young Equestrian. The editor was active in SCBWI and asked those of us she knew to query her newly acquired magazine. I've loved horses since I was a kid but never been fortunate enough to ride regularly -- my big claim to fame being that I can tell the front end from the back end. But this was an editor who wanted work NOW. I took home several copies of the magazine and noticed that she occasionally published breed profiles, pieces detailing the history of a particular breed of horses. Over several years, I wrote a variety of these as well as profiles of riders, how-tos and even a side bar on manure!

But my absolute first sale was a rebus that I wrote after reading a how-to article. "The Flying Contest," a piece about kite flying, appeared in Ladybug. It was the first rebus I wrote and the only one I've managed to sell.

Question: What’s your current work in progress?

I'm getting ready to do a shrunken manuscript analysis of a picture book that is all but ready to go out. Called Princess in the Garden, although the title may change, it is an original folktale with an environmental theme. I'm also rewriting a piece for Carolyn Yoder of Highlights and getting ready to rewrite a chapter book about a little boy looking for the perfect pet. Hint: He does not get or even want a dog. But I probably won't be able to spend much time on these (why is my critique group glaring at me?) until I finish editing the first issue of 21st Century Family.

Question: Recently you became the editor for a new magazine, 21^st Century Family. Please tell us about that project.

This is another example of being in the right place at the right time. And being just a little bit out-spoken.

In a post on my blog (suebe.wordpress.com), I discussed virtual magazines vs e-zines and gave Simply Fishing as an example of a virtual magazine. Someone commented that the publisher was getting ready to start a family/parenting magazine and was looking for writers. I didn't want the publisher to be swamped with inappropriate content so I phoned the office. They had discussed the possibility of such a magazine but knew they didn't have connections to the appropriate writing community. When asked about my own background, I was happy to fill them in and hung up having agreed to consider taking an editorial position.

I am now managing editor of 21st Century Family, a virtual magazine. This means that instead of being delivered to your inbox or simply being a web site, readers will have the experience of turning pages. In terms of content, we are a family magazine serving parents of infants through grandparents of teens because families take a wide variety of forms. I encourage people who are interested in writing for us to check out the guidelines which I've posted on my blog.

I am currently editing the content for the first issue and will let everyone know as soon as possible when we have a regular production schedule. And I now totally understand when an editor says, "I'll know it when I see it." Some of the best articles for the first issue were pitched by people I had never met, even on-line. They pitched pieces I don't have the background to have developed myself or even to have realized that was a possibility. I'm learning to love surprises.

Question: What are some tips you’d like to share with our readers?

Pay attention to guidelines -- when an editor asks for 2000 words, that is what they want.

Join a critique group. They will not only help you shape your writing, they will keep you going when your confidence flags.

You don't have to write every day, but you do have to write regularly. That's what will make you a writer.

Don't forget to read and read what is coming out now. You need to know what is being published today.

When someone asks if you can do something -- write, edit, critique -- don't be afraid to stretch yourself. You may be in for a great surprise.

For more on Sue Bradford Edwards check out her website http://www.suebradfordedwards.com and blogs.
One Writer's Journey (blog): http://suebe.wordpress.com
What We're Reading (blog): http://suebe2.wordpress.com

Thanks, Sue, for talking with us.

Sue

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I met Stephanie Bearce in 2004 when I attended a writers’ retreat in Columbia, MO.  I “re-met” her last fall at a conference and later learned she won an SCBWI grant for a novel.  Then I found out about her nonfiction books coming out, and wanted to know more.  Here are the questions I emailed Stephanie, and her answers.

1.       I see you have 6 nonfiction books coming out this year (4 in June and 2 this fall).  Can you tell us about the projects?

I am working on a contract basis for Mitchell Lane Publishers.  It has been a lot of fun because I have been able to write on a variety of science topics.  I’ve written about taking care of guinea pigs, how to build container gardens, and how a hybrid car works.  I love research and I have a science background so I find the work very interesting.

2.       In 2008 you won a work in progress grant for your book, Maddie’s Miracle.  What has happened since then?

When I entered Maddie’s Miracle it truly was a work in progress and was not finished.  Since that time I have finished a first draft and I am now working on revisions.  I’m hoping to get a solid second draft finished by the end of the summer.  Rewriting takes just as long as the initial draft, but it’s so important.

3.       How long have you been writing?

I have had what might be called a “spotty” writing career.  I actually studied journalism in college, but ended up with a science degree.  I then went on to teach science for many years and did not do much writing.  But in 2000 I published my first two books: And God Created Science – Space, And God Created Science – Weather.   Unfortunately, soon after those books were published, my husband became very ill with cancer and died.  I spent the next several years learning how to be a single working mom.  It has only been in the last three years that I have been able to devote significant time to writing once again.

4.       What made you want to be a writer?

I loved to read.  I was the kid that literally had a flashlight under the covers.  I read everything there was in my tiny hometown library.  Then every week my mother would drive me all the way to the county library so I could get new books.  I am still a voracious reader.  Reading has made me want to write.

5.       What was one thing that was hard for you to learn about the craft of writing?  How did you overcome/solve the problem?

I am horrible at grammar and I am still trying to solve the problem.  The best help for all of my writing problems is a wonderful critique group.  Every good group has people with a specialty.  One person will be terrific at plot, and another will be wonderful at character development.  I am especially grateful for the grammar gurus. Who knew that gerunds and infinitives were actually important?

6.       I understand you live in St. Charles, Missouri.  Have you always lived there?

No, I grew up in Kansas.  I lived on a farm near Council Grove and got my undergraduate degree from Kansas State University.  My family still lives in Kansas and I visit there often.  I even used Kansas for my setting for Maddie’s Miracle, and I recently sold a non-fiction story to Spider Magazine about Kansan, Samuel Peppard.  My heart belongs to Kansas!

7.       What’s your current work in progress?

I always work on multiple projects.  I usually have one fiction and one non-fiction project going at the same time.  When I get tired of facts, I can make up my own world.  Right now I am putting the finishing touches on a mid-grade mystery, The Guinea Pig Curse.  I am also working on a biography of aviation pioneer, Glenn Curtiss.

8.       What’s one thing you would like to tell someone starting out in this business?

Join SCBWI.  I know I’m “preaching to the choir.” But my involvement in SCBWI has led me to the best critique group in the world.  (Hooray for the Ladies of the Gordian Knot!)  It has provided me with classes, retreats, and introduced me to editors who have been interested in my work.  I don’t think I would have been published without the help of the wonderful people of SCBWI.

 

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Several years ago I met Sharelle when someone in Iowa recommended her as a speaker and we (Kansas SCBWI) invited her to speak.  Recently we used her writing exercise again since we had so many people who’d missed hearing her the first time.  It made me wonder what she’s up to, so the best way to find out was to interview her and share that info with you.

Questions:

1.       I see you have 4 books out—two YA and two for younger readers.  Can you tell us how each of these came about and when they were each published?

The first manuscript I sold, THE PURPLE RIBBON, was a manuscript I'd had in my drawer for four years and never submitted.  It was a talking animal story (which is the kiss of death in many quarters) and a really awkward length:  too long for a picture book, too short for a chapter book.  At the insistence of my aunt, who really liked the story and saw my characters on sheets and curtains and children's rompers, I finally sent it to Christy Ottaviano at Henry Holt and she promptly called me and said she wanted to buy it.  Do you think I dedicated the book to my aunt?  Yes, I did!  It was published in the spring of 2003.  In the interim, Christy Ottaviano also bought my middle-grade historical novel, OVER THE RIVER, and it was actually published before THE PURPLE RIBBON in the fall of 2002.  Then Holt offered me a two book contract which led to the ultimate publication of A HIGHER GEOMETRY (historical fiction, 2006) and THE SNOWS (a multi-generational saga, 2007).  

 

2.       How long did it take for you to get your first book published?

Years.  About six, I think.  Maybe more, depending on when I start counting.

 

3.       On your website you mentioned that you’ve always been a reader, and that you wrote two “terrible novels” in college, but then didn’t pursue writing.  What made you come back to writing?

Financial security.  :)  

 

4.       Have you resurrected those “terrible novels” in any way?

No.  They were truly terrible.  The first one would feel about as dated as GONE WITH THE WIND.  The second one was a poorly-plotted, boring mystery.

 

5.       Was there one thing in particular that was hard for you to learn about writing for publication?  What was it and how did you overcome/solve the problem?

I'm a "literary" writer and there's not much market for literary fiction because, unless the book wins a big prize, it doesn't sell.  However, I've accepted who I am.  I write what I write and hope for the best.  

 

6.       On your site, you mention that you are have writing students.  Tell us a bit about instructing.

These days, I teach creative writing in three venues.  I teach each summer at the Writing Festival at The University of Iowa.  I teach for the Institute of Children's Literature.  And I have some private students with whom I do revision workshops.

 

7.       What’s your current work in progress?

I have two.  I'm revising a YA psychological thriller for an editor who seems interested in the project.  The idea was hatched when we spent a winter on St. Simon's island and I spent too many hours walking the deserted beach.  And during NaNoWriMo last fall I started an adult novel (back to the college days, I guess :)).  I'm really enjoying working on it.  The fundamentals of writing for kids and writing for adults are the same, but there are many important differences, and it's fun to explore those.

 

8.       Any tips for writers not yet published?

Learn and practice your craft.  Be professional in all ways.  Learn about the industry.  Network with other professionals through organizations like SCBWI.  Don't give up.  And most important, just sit down and write.

 
Here’s her website for more information on Sharelle:  http://web.mac.com/sharellemoranville/Site/Welcome.html

Sue Ford resides in Olathe, Kansas.  She writes for kids under her maiden name Susan Uhlig.  Her recent sales have been to magazines, but currently she is marketing several novels, and working on updating her website (www.susanuhlig.com), and instructing for ICL, and writing an early YA novel.

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I'd like to introduce you to my writing partners:



Trouble and Strife. (Not their real names. We like to protect them from identity theft.)

It seems that most writers of the past have had animal companions.  Usually a dog, that they liked to pose with in their Official Author Publicity Shot, along with their Pipe and Brandy Snifter.

Sometimes it was a cat, curled up on their desk next to their inkwell and blotter.

Even a bird, that I suppose could have been a source of dialogue.

Today, writers still pose with their animal friends in their author photos and avatars.  Or even upload their pet's picture INSTEAD of themselves as an avatar. (No, I do not own a merman.  Though if you know where I can get one...)

Writers know that animals, ironically, remind us to be more human.  Even though I'm not a writer lacking for human contact, a dog and a cat still come in handy.

The dog keeps my feet warm.  Has to be taken out, which makes me get up so I don't sit for more than three hours and end up throwing a blood clot from not moving my legs all day.  She listens to my dialogue, and when she yawns, I know I've gone on too long.

The cat claws at the blinds, which makes me open them to keep her from chewing them into shreds.  Then I might spy something going on out there, which will feed what I'm working on, or just give my brain a break.

Oh, Kumbayah, everybody! 

They also spill my tea and run across my laptop keys while they chase each other all over the room, have little unsavory--ahem--"accidents" when I get engrossed in my writing, whine when they're hungry, bark at the mailman, the wind, the sun, random thoughts.

I wonder how many of you guys have an animal writing partner...and is it a good thing?



Lisha Cauthen is looking for an agent for a gosh-darn good YA MS for boys, while she works on another  YA MS for boys.  And plies her magic on the weekly KSCBWI newsletter, the Sunflower Scoop, blogs here as well as at The Imaginal Realm at  lishacauthen.wordpress.com and tweets @mermensing.  She is letting the dishes pile up.

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Have you ever found yourself telling a kid, “Don't talk with food in your mouth,” and then realized you were doing the same?  I recently caught myself out when I reread an article I'd written on character development.  Among the suggestions were questions to ask yourself about the character. I realized I couldn't answer any of them for the main character on my current work in progress.  Ouch!  I wish I could say I was only on page one of my novel. 

 

I know some writers write totally organically and learn their character as they go, but I know I need more.  So why do I keep trying to do without the preparation?  I wish I knew.  I may have to make a sign to go above my computer, “Do you know who your character is?”

 

Or maybe it's that I always have to get to a certain stage in a story before I care enough about all those  details of my character to find them out.  Of course, that definitely can cause major rewriting.

 

I've heard writers explain how they write very detailed bios of their characters, major and minor, before writing any of the story.  Others fill out complex charts.  For me that would be telling the character who they are more than discovering who they are.

 

Recently I discovered my main character's initials didn't stand for what I thought they did.  I'd given JD  his name a long time ago, when his story idea was only a glimmer of an idea.  I decided the J stood for Joshua.  The other day as I'm pre-planning a scene in my head, another character asked JD what his initials stood for.  He answered, “Jonah David.”  Whoa!  Time out!  Where did that come from?  But it felt . . . right.  Nice to meet you, Jonah David.

 

So where does that leave me?  Not totally in control.

 

But I think I need to work on a balance for this dichotomy.  Some pre-planning, some organic, followed by more planning, followed by more organic.  And, flexibility.

 

I'd love to hear how you work out this issue of character development in your work.  Tell me how you meet your character.

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"An absolutely necessary part of a writer's equipment, almost as necessary as talent,
is the ability to stand up under punishment,
both the punishment the world hands out and the punishment he inflicts upon himself."
– Irwin Shaw

 

Another rejection arrived in my inbox last week. The rational part of me figured the submission would end thusly – after all, how likely is the typical writer going to impress a well-known agent at the top American literary/talent agency? But a small part of me hoped this would be the one who fell in love with my writing.

 

You see, I had decided this submission would be my final go, the last chance before I gave up on my dream of becoming published. Silly, really, because it was the first time I had subbed this particular manuscript. My middle grade manuscript has seen many, many rejections (25 agents, five editors, not that I’m counting).

 

Jane Yolen says each rejection hurts a little less, but for me each rejection is one more arrow in my heart – a flaming arrow tipped in poison that causes debilitating anguish and drops me to my knees.

 

It was a rough week. I had nearly come to terms with giving up the dream. Then Jon Bard posted on his Twitter account a link to this.

 

Barbara Demarco-Barrett once wrote “Rejection is something to be gotten used to because if you don't, you become paralyzed. Learn from it. Learn to decipher what the rejection letters are really saying. And move on, allow yourself to progress and eventually you will be victorious.”

 

Decipher what the letter is really saying. I can do that. So here it is, excerpts from the no-longer last rejection I will see, broken down and translated for your entertainment.

 

“I'm sorry to be so long in responding to your pages, but a conference in January left me awash in reading...”

Translation: I’ve just spent 72 hours reading a whole lotta bad slush- yours was last - and my patience is shot to hell.

 

“It's nice to see your sharp sense of humor come across on the page.  There's something somewhat ‘early-Claire Cook’ about it…”

 Translation: …but you’re no Claire Cook.

 

“Unfortunately, I was tripped up by certain plot points, details which, if taken individually, seem minor (and a bit like I'm overthinking things), but added together, tell me I'm not the right reader.”

 Translation: Again, you’re no Claire Cook.

 

“While I could gloss over this admittedly small detail in the face of the wickedly funny girls night out scene…”

 Translation: I stopped reading halfway through Chapter 5. You don’t know how lucky you are I read that far.

 

“I regret that there were still other places wherein the characters seemed like they were being manipulated too much to serve the story, or the joke at hand, instead of driving the story as a result of their individual quirks and personalities.”

 Translation: And therein lies the problem. Work on character development, stop trying to entertain at the expense of your story, and dig a little deeper to a more honest revelation about your characters’ true motivations. Then maybe this manuscript will be ready.

 

It was a lovely note, really, complimentary and with specific feedback. I am grateful this agent took time to read and really think about what wasn’t working for her. In that respect, it was less a rejection and more a revelation. So thank you, Lovely Agent, for that.

 

Back to revising. Maybe someday…

Colleen Ryckert Cook is a freelance writer and editor in Kansas City. Bee stings don't bother her, but agent stings can cause swelling and pain.

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Meet Illinois Native: Gail Green


This past June on the SCBWI-IL listserve, Gail posted a call for volunteers to man the Orphan Works Bill booth at the Chicago Craft and Hobby Show. Wanting to help the cause, sweetened with free admission to the show, I volunteered. Meeting Gail was a treat. She's a great mix of creative energy and an open heart. And, isn't it fun to meet other SCBWI members with different interests?

Gail's latest book was released last month:

Animals and Teens
The Ultimate Teen Guide
Series: It Happened to Me #22
Gail Green
Scarecrow Press  February 2009

From the Scrarecrow Press website:
Teens live in an imperfect world where people judge each other on looks, popularity, bank accounts, or clothing styles-a world where people are not always treated fairly. But animals do not care about poor test scores or bad skin; they simply love unconditionally. Such devotion makes the human-animal bond so special.

In Animals and Teens: The Ultimate Teen Guide, author Gail Green illustrates various situations in which young adults become involved with animals, including providing foster care, pursuing career opportunities, or simply raising pets at home. Green shows how animals can enhance teens' lives and how teens can improve the welfare of animals that face abuse or live in shelters and wildlife preserves. Green discusses what is involved in the handling of service animals, such as dogs that provide physical assistance or horses that help with therapy. Animals and Teens also covers such basics as caring for animals and dealing with the loss of a pet.

The voices in this book come from a large cross section of teens and young adults whose stories will resonate with anyone who loves animals. From helping with animal rescue to overcoming learning disabilities, these heartwarming experiences demonstrate how each of us can make a difference through the incredibly rewarding human-animal bond.

I origionally planned to interview another author for today's post, but his new book release was pushed back. At the last minute, I emailed Gail to ask if I could interview her for today's post. She immediately emailed back and graciously answered my questions.

1) Did you grow up in Illinios? 
    Yes, I've lived here in Chicago my entire life.
    Cool thing - one of Gail's favorite things is to take the train to downtown Chicago and walk.

2) Can you tell me about your latest book?
The book I wrote is part of a series of books aimed at teens (“All about Me” series). My topic (animals) and the target audience (teens) are both something about which I am extremely passionate.
The years of junior high and high school are rough years for most.  Between school and grades, social pressures, family dynamics/problems or just all the physical and emotional changes of growing up, many teens wind up acting out, socially withdrawing, getting into trouble or just become difficult to live with. And all of the wonderful things that teen has to offer is often ignored (or lost) because the focus is instead on all the “bad” stuff. But, when a teen bonds with an animal, they can find a safe haven and a purpose. Not only do they have a friend they can trust, but they also have a friend who doesn’t care about all the other “drama” that goes on. My book is filled with stories about teens who truly believe they can get through or have managed to survive those turbulent years because of their involvement with animals.

Teens have so much to offer but are often just viewed by adults as “kids”.  The teens and young adults I interviewed for my book have expressed the feelings and viewpoint of their generation FOR their generation.  It is peer speaking to peer.  And we, as adults or younger children can gain tremendously from their experiences and observations about the human-animal bond.
 
3) How did you become so passionate about animals?
 I have loved animals my entire life.  Although my parents weren’t keen on pets and my mother was actually afraid of dogs, I sought out ways I could interact with animals.  I would play at friends’ homes where there were dogs, cats and other animals, learning how to properly interact with them.  Since I was more drawn to dogs overall, I would even go back to those friends’ houses when the friends weren’t there, just so I could ask their mom if I could walk their dog!  I babysat for a family with a dog but when I wasn’t babysitting, I would still go over there and spend time training the dog to do tricks.  I would spend hours at zoos and other places where there were animals, as well as pouring through hundreds of animal-related books, soaking in every bit of information I could absorb.

My husband and I have always had birds and fish but when our youngest child was old enough, we got our first dog…and were subsequently introduced to the incredible world of dog obedience. That experience was so fascinating and fun, we wound up getting heavily involved in dog sports and advocates for responsible pet ownership.  
 
  
4) Why did you write this book specifically for teens?
While my children were growing up, I was the “neighborhood mom”. Our home was a safe haven, a place of refuge for neighborhood kids who needed a caring adult to speak with when their family situations were in turmoil. Perhaps it was partly the interaction with our dogs (one of whom later became a certified therapy dog) as well as their comfort with me and friendships with my children, but whatever it was, I feel very honored to have been a part of the lives of teens who needed a sympathetic ear or the advice of an adult whom they knew they could trust.
 
5) What did you learn while writing this book?
In order to write a book that resonates with its readers, the words should be from the author’s heart and own experience.  Tying my two passions together in my book was pure joy. Not only did the entire book’s topics revolve around animals, the teens and young adults that I met and got to know through the interview process are some of the most incredible young people I have ever known.  From teens who suffered childhood abuse or difficult family situations that included divorce, death, etc to teens who volunteer at animal rescues and various therapeutic facilities that use animals for therapy, the teen voices in my book are definitely not just “kids”.  They are the future and the hope for all of us who love animals.  It is these young people who will carry on the torch for responsible pet ownership and the incredible human-animal bond for future generations.

It's so exciting to hear about writers and their passions. You can really see the spark in her writing.

Gail's love of animals shines through in her licensed artwork: Sweet PETatoes

For more infromation about Sweet PETatoes, check out the website: SweetPetatoes.com
To learn more about Gail, including her editorial services, check out her website: GailGreen.net
And, check out Gail's blog: Gail Green's Blog

Gail's artwork is very unique, friendly, and fun. I'd love to see her illustrations in children's books someday!

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For Meet and Greet Monday, I’d like to introduce my friend Alice McGinty!


Alice is the author of 40 books, both fiction and nonfiction, for children. Her latest, Darwin (Houghton Mifflin Books for Children, illustrated by Mary Azarian), is due out April 2009--just in time to celebrate his 200th birthday. Her other picture books include Eliza's Kindergarten Surprise (Marshall Cavendish Children's Books, 2007, illustrated by Nancy Speir), Thank You, World (Dial Books for Young Readers, 2007, illustrated by Wendy Anderson Halperin), and Ten Little Lambs (Dial, 2002, illustrated by Melissa Sweet). She is also the author of many series nonfiction books with Rosen Publishing, an educational publisher, and a self-published local history book for elementary school students, Celebrating Champaign Urbana History. Alice is also an Assistant Regional Advisor and Downstate Coordinator for SCBWI-Illinois. She lives in Urbana, Illinois, with her husband and sons.

SL: Congratulations on the publication of your latest book, Darwin! What inspired you to write a picture book biography of Darwin? Can you describe the process of writing it, from idea to publication? 

Alice: My agent actually suggested the possibility of writing a PB of Darwin, several years ago, knowing the 200th anniversary of his birth was coming. I did some market research and there seemed to be a need for a book about Darwin that was accessible for young children - with a strong narrative that not only told about his life, but introduced kids to his main scientific ideas and discoveries. I did several months of research, wrote and rewrote and revised for another several months and then began the submission process. I knew the book was still too long, but I wanted to find an editor to help me to cut and polish and set a direction with it. I was very fortunate to find one, Ann Rider at Houghton Mifflin, and we spent the next year (a little over a year, actually) revising and cutting and polishing it. Then Mary Azarian did the pictures, they hired a calligrapher to write Darwin's quotes, and it has turned out to be a beautiful book.



SL: It sure is. Tell us a little about yourself. Where did you grow up?

Alice: All over--I was born in Minneapolis, then moved to New Jersey, New York, Kentucky, and Illinois. 

SL: Who were your favorite authors as a child?

Alice: I loved Dr. Seuss (still do), and then as I got older, loved the Encyclopedia Brown, Bobbsy Twins, and Nancy Drew books, as well as Harriet the Spy, and From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler.

SL: Did you always want to be a writer?

Alice: I always wanted to write, yes, but never thought writing would be a career. Instead, I wanted to be anything from a chemist (because I thought it would be fun to mix potions and powders) to a ventriloquist (I was terrible at it) to a professional swimmer.

SL: What jobs did you have before you became a full-time writer?

Alice: I ended up studying psychology and therapeutic recreation in college and working in the field of therapeutic recreation with people with disabilities for many years. I enjoyed the work, including managing Special Olympics teams while being a special recreation program specialist with the Champaign and Urbana Park Districts' Special Recreation Program, and even traveling with our Special Olympics Basketball teams and our coaches (including my husband, Brendan). This was great fun. My worst job was a phone calling job (soliciting money) that I had for about 15 minutes before I quit.

SL: What inspired you to begin writing for children? Can you describe your path to publication?

Alice: I always loved reading children's books, and I always loved to play with words, so that combination inspired me to want to write children's books too. When my husband and I moved to Sweden for a time (he got a temporary job there) and I had some free time--I was done with college, and had worked in the field of Therapeutic Recreation for a couple of years--I wrote my first children's book manuscript about a child with a disability. It was very message driven! When we came back to the U.S. I began to submit it and collect rejections. I went to a book signing, and asked the author how I was supposed to do this, and she hooked me up with SCBWI. Then I wrote another manuscript, and another, and began to go to conferences, joined a critique group, and got involved in SCBWI. I continued to collect rejections with my fiction, but decided it might be good to try nonfiction, which I heard was easier to get published. Questions one night at dinner by my 5 year old son, about why he should eat his broccoli inspired me to write a nonfiction book about nutrition. I sent it to Rosen, and after a long wait, they commissioned me to write a series of books about healthy living, one of which was about nutrition. I followed that series with many others - about dogs helping people, spiders, and then biographies of children's book authors. I kept writing and submitting fiction during this time, going to conferences, and trying to improve my writing, and eventually, through a contact made in an SCBWI conference, sold my first picture book, Ten Little Lambs, and then others.

SL: Would you do anything differently in terms of launching your career as a writer if you could start over? What advice would you give beginning writers?

Alice: I don't think I would do anything differently. It's just a matter of persisting. Read in the genre that you want to write. Don't rush trying to submit your manuscripts. It takes many years to develop the craft of writing - give yourself the time to develop your craft and get better and better. Go to conferences, read books about writing, and train yourself. You are your own apprentice in this business - you need to set your own direction.

SL: Do you have a favorite book that you've written?

Alice: They're all my babies!

SL: What do you like to do when you're not writing?

Alice: I run, exercise, read, dance (my husband and I enjoy ballroom dancing). I play the guitar, visit schools, enjoy the outdoors, and I love to travel and hike when I get the chance.

SL: What are some of your favorite books of the past few years?

Alice: I am really enjoying reading The Underneath by Kathi Appelt. Beautiful language! And I love so many of Robert Burleigh's picture book biographies and nonfiction picture books, like Tiger of the Snows Tenzing Norgay: The Boy Whose Dream Was Everest. I had the chance to meet Robert Burleigh yesterday. Lucky me!!!

SL: What are your favorite and least favorite parts about writing?

Alice: Creating something new and exciting is my favorite part. My least favorite is knowing something is wrong with a piece and not knowing how to fix it.

SL: What are you working on now? 

Alice: A picture book about monsters and a picture book biography of Billie Jean King.

SL: We'll look forward to reading them. Thanks for chatting with us here on KidLit Central, Alice.

To learn more about Alice and her books, check out her website at http://www.alicebmcginty.com

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It’s a Gift! Will You Unwrap it?

 

As a dedicated humor writer, I tend to concentrate on the absurd. I look for absurd situations (such as me getting stuck in the orange tunnel at Atilla T’Hunnel Torturetown on a spring break rumpus with the kids), and when naturally absurd situations allude me, I create them (by, oh, I don’t know… replacing Hubby’s coveted bottled water with tap water for two weeks…?). I practice one-liners all day long (thank goodness for Twitter, where I can find homes for sentences such as, “Now that I think about it, Humpty Dumpty was a real wimp”) and spend hours refining my timing. I read humor how-to’s and biographies and scour humor websites and enter humor contests. I’m all about the funny.

 

But I’ll admit, while writing a weekly humor column was a goal of mine, it was never my ultimate writing goal. I’m a fiction lover, through and through. Fiction of all types, styles, and genres. I love to read it. I love to write it.

 

It’s just that when I try to infuse humor into my fiction… something bad happens. It’s like watching Charles Manson do a stand-up routine. It ain’t funny, people.

 

So last year I did something frightening and scandalous. I embarked on a writing project that was so out of my comfort zone—a serious young adult novel that popped into my head one morning in the shower. I wrote clandestinely, as if I were Agent 007 (shoot, who’m I kidding? I haven’t been a 7 since before the kids were born…). I lived in a constant state of writer panic for six months, sure I was barking up a tree when I wasn’t even qualified to walk into the forest. After I’d finished the novel, I practically hyperventilated while emailing it to my agent. Oh boy. Is that my career I smell burning?

 

Three weeks later my novel—my so-not-funny novel!—was in the middle of an auction between three major publishers.

 

So how is it that a humor writer who’d never even heard of young adult fiction (back when I was a young adult, they were still called… books) ends up signing a contract with a major publishing company for a serious young adult novel containing zero punchlines or comic scenarios?

 

Simple: I opened the gift.

 

That’s how I see my young adult novel, as a gift that was given to me. And when it arrived, instead of look at the tag on it and say, “Oh, this gift isn’t for me. I write HUMOR, not this stuff,” I simply said “Thank you,” and began writing. I took a chance and dove into a long project that didn’t look like a slam dunk to me. I wrote the story that wanted to be written. I asked my agent to take a look at a novel that was nothing like the work she took me on to represent. I embraced the gift, that story idea, and ran with it with all my might and… it worked.

 

I stopped trying to force what I “knew I could write,” what I thought “I should write,” what people “expected me to write” and instead wrote what I wanted to write. What I felt was the next story for me to tell.

 

Who knows, maybe this is one of those gifts that keeps on giving, and I end up regularly writing in a genre I never knew I could. Maybe this was a one-time gift and I’ll find my next gift wrapped in a whoopee cushion with a rubber chicken tied on top. Maybe I’ll be given another gift, in another genre entirely. Poetry, maybe? Hmm… There once was a girl from Nantucket…Maybe not.

 

I don’t know. But I do know one thing. I love gifts. If one shows up on my doorstep, I’ll unwrap it every single time. Will you?

____________________

 

Jennifer Brown is a two-time winner of the Erma Bombeck Global Humor Award (2005 & 2006) and freelance writer in Liberty, Missouri. Her column currently runs in The Kansas City Star, and she is the Saturday Featured Blogger on www.Mom2MomKC.com. Jennifer’s young adult novel, Hate List, is scheduled to be released in September 2009, through Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. Check out more of Jennifer’s work and contact her through her website at www.JenniFunny.com.

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Meet Illinois Native:  Ruth Spiro



Last year at the Kid Lit Conference here in Chicago, I sat next to Ruth at lunch. I, of course, was sporting my Make Art Not War t-shirt.

Ruth said, "Oh, my new book has art in it."
"OMG!" I squealed. "Tell me all about it." And, at that moment, I knew I met a new kindred spirit.



Wheeeeee! The book launch for Lester Fizz, Bubble-Gum Artist was September 7, 2008 at the Bookstall in Winnetka, IL.

(If I look stressed, my dear 16-year-old daughter drove me to Winnetka from St. Charles... need I say more?)

Lester Fizz, Bubble-Gum Artist
I hope by now my love of books that embrace art and creative thinking is apparent. Lester is a perfect example of most kids who think they aren't artsy or creative... but, really, we're all capable of that creative spark! Sadly, I have met a few well-known animators that were told (incorrectly) they couldn't draw. But, luckily, by ignoring the negative comments, they persevered. Children (and adults) need creative support and encouragement.
Last week at my Art Volunteer Workshop, I book talked Lester Fizz to the parents and grandparents. Lester Fizz is the perfect book to read to children to begin a discussion on art and creativity. The style of the illustrator, Thor Wickstrom, and the masterpieces that he chose to interweave through the book work fantastic together. By coincidence, some of the artwork depicted in the illustrations are in our school's traveling collection this year! It was so cool to see The Dance Class by Degas, The Boat Builders by Homer, and Children Playing on the Beach by Cassatt.

Here's some great reviews:
Anastasia Suen on Picture Book of the Day also has some fantastic activities for children to complement the book. Yay!
Esme at The Best New Children's Books from Esme's Shelf has some great things to say about Lester Fizz.

I had a few of my own questions for Ruth:
Because my last post was about creative thinking and brainstorming... Your story and characters are so fun and creative! Do you have any secret brainstorming/ creative energy things  that you like to do? (Naps? Chocolate?)
 I get my best ideas while walking  - there's something about the rhythm - and it has to be a track or walking  path, not a street, so I can safely zone out and not get hit by a car! I also  like to make lists, for example, all word associations I have with, say,  bubblegum. Then, I look at the words to see if anything jumps out or inspires  me.

I have do know, do you have a favorite artist or piece of artwork? Or a favorite piece that the illustrator added to  the book?
 I love Thor Wickstrom's version of  Sunday Afternoon on the Grande Jatte by Georges Seurat. Maybe because I've  seen the real thing at the Art Institute so many times? (I love how Thor worked Lester into The Pink Studio by Matisse!)

Do you  have one favorite character from your book?
 Lester, of course! Next, it would  be the tooth fairy. (You have to see Degas as the tooth fairy!!)

Did you grow up in Chicago/the  Midwest?
 Grew up right here in Chicago and  Highland Park

Any other questions I could ask that people would  be interested in?
Hmmm... let's see... I never thought I'd grow up to be  a children's book author. It was a happy accident that I tried something new  and discovered I really enjoyed it.

Check out Ruth's book and share it with a child. We need more books that embrace art and creativity... because I believe that creative thinking is a cornerstone of our future.

Have a great week!

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 Most Mondays, this space will be reserved to help you get to know the 30 of us at Kidlit Central News or to get up close and personal with editors, agents, authors and other industry folk who have Midwestern connections.

But leave it to me to take a different path today. I have a great excuse. Ever since I returned from SCBWI in LA a week ago tomorrow, I’ve been running with the motivational party favor they handed out. I’ve been tailing three kids -- new characters for a new book.

I know that authors have all sorts of ways to meet their characters. Some exchange letters or emails. Others fill out character profiles. But I mull. I marinate. I walk and see shadows begin to take definition. The shadows rarely step into direct sunlight to tell me their names and deepest secrets. Most often, they barely peek out from behind Curtain #3. And I hesitate to rush them.

For me, it’s way too early to ask their favorite foods or what they’re hiding under their beds or about their good luck charms. I need to know, first, what they want and what’s keeping them from getting it. That’s certainly much more personal and harder to detect than how often they wash their hair. More times than not, my characters won’t share right away.

Maybe, I would be better served by warming them up with a bit of small talk first.

"So Ruthie, that is your name, right?"

"Yeah."

"Cute shirt, but weren’t you wearing a blue one earlier?"

"Yeah. I sloshed some of my Cheerios milk on it and didn’t want to smell all curdled by the end of the day."

"So are Cheerios your favorite?"

"My grandma’s favorite. One of these days I’ll have her buy me some Honey Smacks."

And yeah, just now, writing this off the top of my head in 1.35 minutes, I learned something about Ruthie, but it’s not what I need to know yet. "It’s a start, isn’t it?" you might say. To some, sure. However, I find that once my characters start spouting minutiae, it’s difficult to stop them from talking about Uncle Waldo’s ear hair and Aunt Bertha’s sloppy kisses when I most need them to bare their souls.

So I’m lurking like a schoolgirl with a crush, passing by them in the hall trying to watch them without making eye contact. Ready to pick up a dropped paper. Getting a long drink from the water fountain while they’re confiding in their closest friends. One of these days, they’ll be confiding in me, but for now I need to tiptoe around the edges and gain their trust. That day will come when I least expect it. But it will come.

How do you meet your characters? What do you need to know about them first? How do you get them to confide in you? And can you tell Ruthie I’m okay to talk to?

Jody Feldman
St. Louis, Missouri

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