If you’ve seen the movie Freaky Friday, you know that its premise is about change and growth through role reversal. For my Friday Blog entry I thought it would be interesting to interview aspiring writers; the same writers who spend lots of time reading the interviews of published authors and dreaming of the day when they might get their book on the shelves…
Today’s Freaky Friday interview is with
Laurie Krauss Kiernan. I had the good fortune of meeting Laurie at the 2009 Rutgers One-on-One Conference.
Can you tell me a little bit about how you got started as a writer?
I had a fabulous boss and eight year career with (RESS) Remediation and Educational Support Systems, securing government funding and implementing programs in several states, before stepping down to devote more time to my children. I had five unforgettable years as a stay-at-home mom before my youngest started first grade. Then I decided it was time for me to go back to work. Unfortunately, RESS had folded, but my former boss was principal at a local school district, so I started working for him as a substitute teacher. At the same time, I went back to school to earn a Master’s Degree.
I hated substitute teaching and I sat in evening graduate classes, listening to fulltime teachers complaining about their jobs and students. The only enthusiastic person was my children’s literature teacher. His passion for books was infectious. I decided that I wanted to write the stories that would instill that kind of passion in readers. I also decided that I didn’t want to teach, but I had to earn money, so I thought about a brainless job that I could do, while I pursued a writing career. I started an in-home pet care service and have never once looked back. I love doing my brainless work. I get some of my best writing ideas while walking dogs.
From the look on your face in the picture it appears that your job is full of heart. I also have to say that it takes a smart woman to know what you love and how to be happy.
On your journey as a writer, you’ve had the opportunity to be an SCBWI RA. Can you tell us a little bit about the experience?
It’s really kind of funny. It begins in that children’s literature class. One of the assignments was to read and critique 40 children’s books. I read a lot of picture books and thought I could write those. No problem. I pounded out two in one night. Simple. HA! Another assignment was to read Laurie Halse Anderson’s Speak, because Laurie was going to visit the class. I remember standing in line with my copy of Speak to be signed by Laurie. I was so excited, I was shaking. When I made it to the front of the line, I fell into babble mode, telling Laurie how I wanted to write books and how I wrote 2 picture books in a few hours and asked her how I could get them published….quickly….like by Christmas. Laurie was very kind. She didn’t tell me that I was an annoying newbie with unrealistic expectations. Instead, she suggested that I join the SCBWI. She also mentioned that the Eastern PA Chapter of the SCBWI held an annual fall conference at this university.
I went home, looked into the SCBWI and signed up for the Eastern Pennsylvania Chapter’s Pocono Retreat. That event just made me more enthusiastic. But then the sad announcement came: There would be no annual Fall Philly Conference unless volunteers came forward. Well, I couldn’t let them cancel the conference that Laurie told me to go to, so I put my name on the list of volunteers. The other two people that wrote their names down didn’t want to direct the conference, so I agreed to plan and implement a conference that I had never attended for an organization that I had just joined. Yes, I’m insane! And I should probably mention that I had only a month to get the program together and mail out the brochure. Somehow, I managed to pull it off and over 100 people registered. Travel, hotel, venue, etc. were all in line. Then four days before the event was to happen, terrorists attacked our country. That’s when I realized what a great organization SCBWI was. Volunteers came forward to help me piece this program together and Jerry and Eileen Spinelli agreed to fill in for two scheduled speakers who couldn’t get out of airports as planned. A handful of people didn’t show and asked that their tuition money be donated to the Red Cross. The day was full of hugs, warmth, and a shared determination to show the terrorists that they could not stop us from doing what we had planned.
I’ve never heard that story, but it only verifies what I already know…you guys throw a fantastic conference and Children’s Writers are some of the BEST people in the world.
A few months after that infamous 2001 Fall Philly Conference, I reluctantly agreed to take LauraLee Wren’s place heading the Eastern PA Chapter of the SCBWI.
WOW! I must ask, even though I’m now sitting here with goose bumps on my arm…was there a downside to being RA? Do you have any regrets?
I won’t say that I regret my time as a RA, but I will say that I wish I had time to be just a member of SCBWI before taking on that role. I never had an opportunity to develop my craft before becoming consumed by the responsibilities of running events and a chapter of the SCBWI. I loved organizing, but it took me away from my original goal. I found that I wasn’t writing at all. I was putting every spare moment into running the chapter.
After two years of looking for somebody to replace me as RA, I became very ill with a crippling case of Lyme Disease. I could barely walk, form a full sentence, or make it through the day with less than 16 hours of sleep. I had no other choice than to announce that I would fold the chapter if no one came forward to take my place. I am so grateful that
Marilyn Hershey stepped forward and she’ doing a great job.
I attended my first Eastern PA Poconos Conference with Marilyn last April. She had big shoes to fill, but she did an amazing job. I’ll be back this year for sure!
I know you just got back from the Rutgers One-on-One Conference. What’s currently on your agenda?
I’m still on the mend. After months of unsuccessful oral antibiotic therapy for the Lyme, my doctors had to get aggressive. They inserted a PICC line into my arm and taught me how to give myself a daily antibiotic IV drip. With the help of some awesome visiting nurses, I did that for a month and now am beginning to remember what life was like before Lyme. My friends and family helped me to keep my business alive when I was sick. Now I’m back to running the business and writing. And I’m loving life!
Yay! Before you go, can you give us your top 5 books and how they’ve influenced you?
My five favorite books :
Richard Peck’s A Long Way from Chicago. I love Grandma Dowdel! To my family’s dismay, I want to be just like her!
Joyce Moyer Hostetter’s Blue. Fabulous writing and I learned a lot too ☺
Jordan Sonnenblick’s Notes from the Midnight Driver. Sol is so real! Reminds me of my dad.
John Grogan’s Marley & Me. I still don’t know who the three anonymous people were that put that book in my mailbox, but I laughed and I cried and it helped me to get through making the difficult decision to euthanize my 16 year old yellow lab.
And my favorite picture book is Eileen Spinelli’s Sophie’s Masterpiece. Eileen just has a way of telling beautiful stories that make me say, “Awwwwwwwwwwwww”.
Thank you so much for stopping by and being freaky :o) Don’t forget to check in with Laurie Krauss Kiernan about her writing, SCBWI, Dogs or Lyme. Thanks Lauire-I’ll see you in April…watch out Poconos…here we come!
If you’ve seen the movie Freaky Friday, you know that its premise is about change and growth through role reversal. For my Friday Blog entry I thought it would be interesting to interview aspiring writers; the same writers who spend lots of time reading the interviews of published authors and dreaming of the day when they might get their book on the shelves…
Today’s Freaky Friday Interview is with
Laurie Bryant. Laurie has an amazing amount of information to share so I’m going to get right to it.
Laurie, we’ve been attending the same local SCBWI Shop Talk meetings for quite some time now. I’m privy to your unique corner of children’s writing, but can you tell us a little bit about what you do and how you got started?
My start in writing sounds like a movie-of-the-week plot. About 14 years ago I had a car accident that looked pretty serious (I rolled over a van), but I walked away. I had a rather spiritual friend who visited soon after and she posed an interesting question: “If that had been it for you and you had died that day, what would have been your biggest regret?” And she insisted that I could not use anything like missing my kids grow up because that was too easy. It had to be personal and only about me. I didn’t hesitate. I said that despite the encouragement of professors at college and a deep desire to do so, I had never submitted any writing for publication. That realization of a second chance hit home and I knew I had to give it a shot.
My first submissions were nonfiction articles. I had attended a workshop by local author Pauline Bartel at DCC and she had correctly pointed out that new writers often aim too high–shooting for that picture book or chapter book with a big publisher. She introduced the writers to all the article possibilities with magazines of all sizes and markets and taught us about the value of published clips. I wrote some humor parenting pieces and bought a Writer’s Market and sent my first two submissions out. Within a few months I was in print in Christian Parenting Today and Hudson Valley Parent, and soon after my first article for kids was purchased by a now-defunct magazine called The Flicker. That editor really liked my work and wanted more. They quickly went under, but that gave me the confidence to branch out. I sold enough humor and simple pieces for parents and kids to realize I could do it, but knew I really couldn’t grow as a writer until I forced myself to do research work that required quotes and interviews. I HATED the idea and knew that my own phobia of approaching strangers and using the phone would get in the way! I’d never do it on my own. To overcome my hesitation, I wrote an editor at the Poughkeepsie Journal who also wrote a weekly family column. I thought his style and voice were similar, so I sent clips. He assigned me some freelance work and I was forced to confront my fears and get over myself. It worked and I wrote a few dozen stories of all kinds for them. I still don’t like doing interviews or getting quotes, but I can do it.
My first fiction work was actually more of an experiment. I wanted to know if I could craft a story of length with multiple plot threads, so I turned my hobby of reading fan fiction into a writing test. I wrote a serious adventure novel in the Hogan’s Heroes TV fandom and posted it online. It won three online fic writing awards and still stands as the single most glorious writing experience I have ever had, even if I can never make a dime on it. The immediate feedback from hundreds of passionate fans who are waiting for the next chapter was incredible, as was their reaction to the story, and I am now at 40,000 hits on that work.
From there, and since I tend to see stories as scenes of dialogue first and fill in exposition and narration later, I started work on a play alongside my seventh graders who were doing an assignment based on O. Henry’s The Ransom of Red Chief. My story of a kidnapping gone awry (The Ransom of Miss Elverna Dower) is now being published by Pioneer Drama and won their 2009 Shubert Fendrich Award for playwriting. As a director, I think it’s hard to find intelligent non-musical plays to produce in middle schools, so doing my own work kind of filled a void there, too. I’ve also written and produced a musical parody of the musical parody Spamalot, and that was an absolute blast. (Don’t know how to sell that one yet as music and parody rights confuse me.) Seeing an audience react to your work on stage is incredible. I’ve written a middle grade novelization of the Ransom play, and am well into a second middle grade novel–an historical fiction piece that includes one of my heroes, Babe Didrikson. I also have a novel for adults in progress. I like writing in different genres and for different audiences, and every bit of it informs the next thing I do. I am, however, committed to getting my middle grades out there as I need to see a book in print and on the shelf to satisfy my final writer’s bucket list goal.
WOW!! Thank you for sharing that. I love how you found your way back to writing. I had a similar experience when my dad passed away. I didn’t want to live my life with any regrets.
I’d like to focus a bit on your playwriting for a minute if you don’t mind. Can you tell everyone a little bit about how you get a play recognized with an award and on its way to publication?
First off, unlike the magazine and book markets the play market is limited to a handful of publishers and they do it all–they publish, package merchandise and handle sales of performance rights and royalties. To qualify for submission, most want proof of performance, or at the very least proof of a formal workshop reading for the script. I found that frustrating at first because you need to find that opportunity on your own and then wait for after production to submit with photos or printed playbills or reviews. In retrospect, it was the right thing to do as seeing the play workshopped and staged really helps with fixes to stage or tech directions and you can hear any problems with dialogue flow.
I submitted to Pioneer Drama as they are probably the leader for school and local theatre markets. After seeing the play staged, I really believed it would be picked up by someone. Upon your first submission to Pioneer you are automatically considered for their annual scriptwriting award. I was notified of publication first, and that my script was also a finalist for the award. About a month later I received a nice plaque and even nicer check as the award winner. That can be valuable as it means my script will be pushed a bit harder and receive a designation as such in the catalog and hopefully attract attention of directors. I think it’s rare that a comedy win the award. Most winners are plays with heavier content dealing with social issues. The award and play publishers are listed in the Writer’s Market books and online and most guidelines are posted at the publisher website.
The most daunting thing is getting formatting right, but I used MovieMagic Screenwriter software and it takes care of all that for you as you type. That really lessens the anxiety for the writer! I’m lucky that I also direct in my middle school, which makes getting that production credit or access to actors for a workshop easier. I’m trying to get other playwrights and directors together in a Yahoo group for networking and linking up writers with theatre groups who are always looking for the next play to produce. I just formed a Yahoo group called Fifth Word Playwrights and I hope it takes off. We really need each other.
Producing plays is not like adopting a novel for use in a classroom, you can’t do the same one every year. We use a different musical and a nonmusical play each school year. Believe me, the school market especially needs quality and intelligent work to stage. It can be hard to find something to produce in a middle school as our kids shy away from romance and corny melodrama, yet want something fun and edgy. I started writing my own plays because I had a hard time finding ones I wanted to produce–even in the catalog that I will appear in. I couldn’t stand to look at one more formulaic madcap murder mystery comedy with an alliterative title. Like most directors, we wanted something sharp, smart and with strong characters and plot. We really stretch our young actors and it works if you choose the right play. If any writer loves to write dialogue, I’d suggest experimenting with your story as a play. You have no room for lots of narration, your dialogue has to move the story. It’s a great exercise.
I’m fascinated! Do you plan on continuing to write plays? Will you be notified if a play of yours is performed elsewhere? How does that work?
Yes, though when I started writing I had no interest in writing plays, I am sure now that I will continue. I love dialogue, and the feeling of seeing your characters come to life on stage is indescribable. Watching an audience watch your play is like having the greatest critique group ever! You get completely honest reaction. I have two more plays in progress and Pioneer said they’d like more from me, so although I will continue in other genres I guess I’m a playwright for good. Some publishers post online when and where plays are being produced, so I guess you could keep track that way. I’ll get annual royalty payments and statements, but I am honestly not sure whether I will always know who is doing my play in time to try to see it. I hope to. I’d love to see someone else interpret it. I did get to see the original cast at Lagrange Middle School because I directed it. Some playwrights don’t even get to see that much. I think I’d eventually like to take a stab at writing material for adult actors and audiences, too.
I would love to know the next time you put something on. It would be a treat to come and see it…and I can because we are in our local SCBWI together!!!! What advice do you have for everyone who is writing for middle grade. It seems to me that you are getting so much insider information in a large variety of ways. What should we remember when writing for this age group?
I like having the seventh graders at my disposal, not so much to test out my writing, but to reassure me that there are kids out there that still read and who can appreciate edgier work or more intelligent comedy. You see a lot of really bright, unique kids in theatre, and their grasp of vocabulary and plot twists is amazing. I think I write for them. I like comedy that comes from characters, not from slapstick situations. I also tend to resist writing to the lowest common denominator in that I really hate the idea of toning down vocabulary or writing ‘fart humor’ in my plays or other works.
You see a lot of that out there in the play market, and that is what makes it hard for me to find things I want to produce. I take the Pioneer award to mean that they also appreciated that my play hit the mark that others may miss. I like the idea of important characters who can speak in more than on sentence and use multi-syllabic words, even in a middle grade whose characters may not be perfect or even good students. I know exactly those kids in my school—and it reinforces that they can and do pull off higher-level thinking and conversation.
That alone helps me with dialogue for both plays and novel work. Of course, I have yet to publish a middle grade novel, so I am only shooting for being true to the story I want to write. I did get a great critique at our SCBWI conference in June, where I was told that the dialogue in the book, an historical fiction piece set in the midwest in the ’30s, was spot-on in terms of believability and colloquial dialect and expression.
Like I said, I think that ear for dialogue is what helps me in both styles of writing and there is no doubt that my work on plays has fine-tuned it. The old idea of not talking down to the kids is good advice, but I also think there is a lot of heavy content out there, and those kids aren’t all into social awareness stories. Some just want something smart and fun.
I think your students are very lucky to have you. Now I just need your top 5 books and how they’ve influenced you.
I was always an avid reader, though I read across so many genres it is hard to pinpoint just a few. I guess that reflects that now I also would find it hard to categorize myself as a writer. I honestly didn’t read YA much. I read lots of nonfic and bios of my favorite old movie stars, and I simply loved The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster. It is so rich with language and imagery and humor, and I just loved that it was smart and the way it played with words. The sharper the reader is, the more you can ‘get’ out of that book. When I started directing, I made sure to produce the stage version and try to bring it to life. I think that may be the single most brilliant book I have ever read. That is the poster book for not talking down to your reader and lifting him up to you instead.
I tore through dozens of Star Trek fiction titles when I was young. (Yes, I confess to being a Trekkie!) I guess that was my entry into the fan fiction world, and through those books I learned that I didn’t love each writer’s take on ‘my’ characters and I would sometimes imagine my own stories–and I found that much more rewarding.
I remember reading lots of mysteries and all of Agatha Christie’s stuff, and reading her Curtain very slowly because I didn’t want to get to the end. I’ll cheat on the rest and change the rules a bit…I was very much a TV kid. I even majored in TV in college as an undergrad. The greatest influence on my writing life was really a handsome ghost who may have gotten his start in literature, but first came to me via TV.
The Ghost & Mrs. Muir was one of my favorite series and I lived for it in reruns throughout the ’70s. Carolyn Muir had the life I always wanted (still want!); she lived in the wonderful old house overlooking the ocean and had this never-ending supply of freelance assignments and fictional stories to bang out on an old Remington typewriter, and all the while was haunted by the dashing ghost of a sea captain who happened to be in love with her. I’m a character-driven person, and even at a young age I just loved their interplay and the hopelessness of their relationship. I’ve written two fanfic novellas for that fandom and it was great crafting experience to play with characters I knew and loved so much and give them my version of the happy ending they got in R.A. Dick’s original novel and the original film in the ’40s, but never had on the TV screen. The TV characters more closely matched my vision than even the original novel, one of the few cases of something being better or more developed on TV than in print. Imagining fanfic stories for G&MM and for Hogan’s Heroes actually helped first get those creative plot bunnies hopping. Both series needed endings, and in my writing I was able to wrap up all the loose ends dangling in my head. Any fiction I write really began there.
Thanks for the chat. It’s great to revisit the whys and wherefores.
Laurie, I can’t thank you enough for stopping by and being freaky. I feel like you have great things ahead of you and I appreciate you sharing your experiences with us. If you’d like to follow Laurie’s progress or ask a follow-up question about play writing, you can find her on Facebook.
If you’ve seen the movie Freaky Friday, you know that its premise is about change and growth through role reversal. For my Friday Blog entry I thought it would be interesting to interview aspiring writers; the same writers who spend lots of time reading the interviews of published authors and dreaming of the day when they might get their book on the shelves…
Eileen can you tell us a little bit about how you started writing for children and how your journey took you to Rutgers last weekend?
I began writing middle grade fiction about three years ago. I wrote my first middle grade novel with a good friend – we went to law school together and had done several legal research projects together – so we knew we’d be a good match writing-wise.
It took us about 8 months to complete that novel, and we’ve been revising it since. My second novel – which I wrote alone – is a middle grade mystery. That’s the one I went to Rutgers with. I’d heard great things about Rutgers, and I was so excited when I got in. It was great experience.
Can you tell our massive readership (we dream big here) a little bit about your Rutgers experience and who you would recommend it for next year. I’d also love to know more about the process of co-writing. What are the ups and downs? It sounds like so much fun!
About Rutgers: my initial reaction is that I’m glad I didn’t go any sooner. It’s a conference I’d “save” for when you’re almost ready to sub to agents/editors. It’s such a great networking opportunity, it would be sort of a shame to have access to all those fab agents and editors when you don’t have a completed, well-revised MS ready to send out. I also think it would be intimidating to go too early on in your writing journey. So, I’m not sure I’d recommend it for true Newbies, but I think if you’re like me, and trying really hard to get to the next level with your writing, it’s a tremendous opportunity.
About co-writing: the pros are, I’m not sure I would have completed that first manuscript without someone else pushing along too. Working with another person definitely keeps you motivated, and makes it FUN! Two times the brainstorming/creativity. Plus a built in critique partner. But I don’t think I could have done it with just anyone. Kari (my writing partner) and I were a particularly good fit – we have similar working styles, writing styles. And we are very, very close friends, so we can be really honest with each other.
The only real con is that when our schedules are out of synch (as they are a lot these days) its hard to find time to write at the same time. We definitely work better when we conference call and write vs. emailing drafts back and forth. This has been especially true during revisions. So that gets tricky. And it’s how I ended up writing a second book alone – I have a lot of daytime hours when I can write and Kari can’t.
I agree about being ready for Rutgers. It might even be better to have more than one thing ready, so that you can maximize the imput you get from your mentor. They are usually happy to give advice on more than one project. One of the big topics of conversation at the conference was “Staying Power in Children’s Literature.” It’s hard to think about that when its so difficult to get your foot in the door. What has been your worst low point on your journey to being published and what has been the high point that has motivate you to move forward?
My low point – I guess was about a year ago when I stopped subbing my first MS to agents because I realized that it just wasn’t strong enough to keep putting it out there without a pretty major overhaul. And then, my co-author and I hit a bit of a slump where life just got in the way of writing, so it felt like we just weren’t moving forward the way we wanted to.
My highpoint happened pretty recently, right before Rutgers, when I realized that we’ve FINALLY made the major pacing change to the beginning of the novel that we hope will give it the sparkle it’s been missing. Plus, one of my critique group members just signed with an agent, so I’m feeling pretty optimistic that if I keep at it, something good will eventually happen. And we’ve been much more productive this fall, which feels really great.
You mentioned that you went to law school. Are you currently working as a lawyer? What does being a lawyer bring to that table as a writer?
No, I’m not practiced and really never have. I got married the weekend after my graduation and found out I was pregnant weeks after passing the NY and NJ bar exams. We planned to start a family right away, so I didn’t plan on working when my kids were small. (They are now 10 and 12 and I still have no plans to practice law).
But a background in law was helpful in writing. Legal writing (not overblown legalese, but clear, direct legal writing) is a very sparse, no extraneous verbage kind of writing, so in a way, it was good training for being a fiction writer, too.
I also worked with my co-author on several legal writing projects in law school, so it laid the groundwork for that partnership as well.
Being a mom has its upsides and down sides when it comes to being a children’s writer. Any advice? Tricks of the trade to share?
Advice about combining writing with motherhood? If you’re lucky enough to be a stay at home mom with kids in school (like I am) my advice is leave the laundry and write as much as you can while they’re at school! Writing is a good distraction from middle school homework torture, too, if you have a son like mine – the absent-minded professor type. Smart, lovable, completely disorganized. Writing has been a source of sanity this year!
I think that when you are a mom, the writing can give you a true north on your internal compass. I think it allows your children to see something deep and real about you that isn’t necessarily completely wrapped around them. (Let’s be honest…they can be all-consuming sometimes LOL!)
OK, time for your top 5 books and their influence on you…
My top 5 kids books – ooh, tough. Let’s see: completely unoriginal, but Harry Potter is my absolute favorite. I think they are brilliant, brilliant books. I also love Millicent Min, Girl Genius, and A Curse Dark as Gold by Elizabeth Bunce. (And I think Cheryl Klein edited all 3 – so you could say I’m a huge fan of hers!) My other two faves are much older books – The Mixed Up Files by E.L. Konigsburg, and The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin, both of which I have always loved.
You’ve got some of my favorites in their! Thank you so much for stopping by and being freaky :o) If you’d like to find out more about
Eileen Feldsott stop by and friend her on FB or visit her on Verla Kay’s Blue Boards.
Have a Happy Halloween everyone!
If you’ve seen the movie Freaky Friday, you know that its premise is about change and growth through role reversal. For my Friday Blog entry I thought it would be interesting to interview aspiring writers; the same writers who spend lots of time reading the interviews of published authors and dreaming of the day when they might get their book on the shelves…
This week’s children’s writer is Aidan Sabatini and he is a little greener than the anyone I’ve interviewed in the past. He isn’t an SCBWI member yet, and hasn’t attended any conferences, but I don’t think it has held him back at all. He has completed four picture book manuscripts and there is no end in sight.
Can you tell me a little bit about yourself?
I’m four years old and I’m a super hero. I’m Tornado Boy!
If you’re not using that for a future book idea, I may have to steal it from you. So, Aidan, why do you want to write children’s books?
Because I’m a children and because I’ve been born this way.
I can’t argue with that. What was your first story?
GHOST BUNNY.
Very Nice, fluffy but spooky. Can you tell everyone what GHOST BUNNY is about?
Its about a whole bunch of monsters and I really like it.
Have you written anything else?
Yes. CHRISTMAS MONSTERS, BIRTHDAY MONSTERS and ROLLER COASTER: DISNEY PARK.
What is your favorite part of writing a book?
Drawing all the cool pictures.
Wow! So, you are an author/illustrator. What are your plans for the future?
Maybe we can do HALLOWEEN MONSTERS or something…(“we” meaning your awesome teacher and publisher, Mrs. Rogers.)
I’m seeing series potential here. It’s going to be hard for my ego if you get an agent and a book contract before me. No matter what, I want to be there for your first book signing. :o)
Well, its about that time. Can you tell the readers what your 5 favorite books are and why?
1. Five Little Monkey’s Jumping on the Bed-I like when they are jumping on the beds. (Uses it like a training manual.)
2. The Kissing Hand-I like it because it makes me feel happy. (Those kisses make me happy too.)
3. The Itsy Bitsy Spider-I like it because the cat makes the spider fly off the chair and it is funny. (Duh!)
4. I Ain’t Gonna Paint No More!-I like it because he puts a whole bunch of paint on himself. (Oh, I love this book too! In fact, it reminds me of…)
5. The Henry and Mudge Books-I like them because they have a dog, sleepovers and spy gear in those books. (Hmmmm sounds like another back door trick to get a puppy…I told you, I’m thinking about it!)
Aidan, I can’t thank you enough for stopping by and being freaky. You did a great job and I really appreciate you letting me interview you while your brothers were upstairs playing without you. If you’ve become a big fan of Aidan, you can find out more about him on his Mom’s Facebook page.
****Excerpt from GHOST BUNNY****
“Ghost bunny is the scariest guy in the world. He is SO big! He can smell his favorite food from another universe.”
I’m hooked!
I had the great fortune of attending the Rutgers One-on-One Plus Conference for the second year in a row. Happy 40th Anniversary!
The fun started with a pre-conference dinner made up of about 10 of Verla Kay’s Blue Boarders. Some of us had met before, but most of us only knew each other through the boards. We had a great time getting to know each other and wondering what our waiter would do next. LOL!
The next morning, I arrived for the conference with a lot less grey hair than the year before. Navigating the campus is much easier when you’re not battling the homecoming football crowds. We arrived with plenty of time to get our packets, research our prey and gorge on bagels and coffee.
Susan, Ellen and Tiffany deep in research.
Laurie, Jodi and Susan gear up for our One-on-One Success Story: Karen Rostoker-Gruber.
Karen Rostoker-Gruber is an award-winning children’s book author and a Conference Council Member. She inspired us with her success story and reminded us what an honor it was to be one of the 83 people chosen out of hundreds of applicants. Yay!
Vivian Grey, author, Council Chair and Founder of the RUCCL One-on-One Plus Conference inspired us with her story of marching past tanks in 1969 to meet with Rutgers’ President Mason Gross. To his credit he responded, “There is no better time for us to have a conference for young readers.”
Vivian was honored for her contribution.
After Vivian’s welcome, I met with my sweet and talented mentor Gretchen Hirsch, Associate Editor at Simon & Schuster. She was so helpful that the 45 minutes were gone before I knew it and it was time for a panel discussion. Thank you so much Gretchen. :o)
The Panel Discussion was on: “Staying Power in Children’s Literature.”
Moderator: Rachel Orr, Agent , Prospect Agency
Panelists:
Emily Sylvan Kim, Agent, Prospect Agency
Margery Cuyler, Publisher, Marshall Cavendish Children’s Books
Peter Catalanotto, Author/Illustrator
Colin Hosten, Digital Books Coordinator, Disney Publishing Worldwide
Emily Sylvan Kim and Rachel Orr
The first topic of discussion was about what was the single biggest challenge in creating staying power in an author’s career?
Emily reminded us that the book going out has to be the best it can be. If the first book doesn’t do as well as expected, it will likely make it hard to be successful with the second book.
Margery felt that digital books will increase staying power in the future. She also commented that 50% of sales at Marshall Cavendish come from the backlist, so if you write a good book it will have staying power.
Peter reminded us to be timeless and not write to trends, stressing that we have to write what is important to us. His suggestion for our writing was to return to the feelings of our youth, not what causes the feelings. It is the feelings that are timeless.
Colin also felt that good publishing is good storytelling. The way you do it (digital or print) doesn’t affect the strength of a story. It’s about making an engaging connection with the reader.
Peter Catalanotto and Margery Cuyler
Other bits of wisdom pointed out during the panel discussion:
*Margery told us to know what age our inner writer was. If you know that, then we are more likely to do your best writing for the correct age group.
*Peter said not to forget, when working with books for younger children, we are writing to please two different audiences. Kids don’t buy or review books. The buyer is a wall-they are not the audience.
Colin Hosten
Another component of the discussion was about technology. Margery felt it was very important that she learn everything she can about new media. She is very excited about how it can be used in education with things like links in eBooks. Peter thinks that technology doesn’t have to be your thing. In fact, he’s still amazed that when he pulls a tissue out of the box, another pops up to take its place LOL! He cautioned us to spend your time being the artist that you are. Emily reminded us that the technology is also a plus when searching for an agent. There is lots of info out there. Peter followed up with…”you get an agent so you can have someone else do all that technical stuff.” :o)
Then it was off to lunch with the Editors (agents and awesome published authors too).
I had lunch with Connie Hsu, Assistant Editor at Little Brown Books for Young Readers.
Michele Burke, Associate Editor at Knopf & Crown Books for Young Readers.
Stacy Cantor, Editor at Walker Books for Young Readers.
Gail Carson Levine, author of sixteen books and best known for her Newbery Honor Award book ELLA ENCHANTED.
I also had the pleasure of touching base with some other great people like Tina Wexler, Agent for ICM and Jenne Abramowitz, Editor for Scholastic Trade Paperbacks/Club Originals.
Gail Carson Levine and Me *swoon*
I had to get her picture because the boys are big fans of her books, especially the THE TWO PRINCESSES OF BAMARRE.
After lunch we broke off into our tables for our 5 on 5 sessions. I was delighted to have my table moderated by Courtney Bongiolatti, Associate Editor at Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers. She was the the moderator at one of my tables at the Writer’s Intensive in NY last year and she does a fantastic job.
In addition to spending more time with my mentor Gretchen Hirsch, I also was able to take in the advice of…
Karen Chaplin, Editor at Puffin/Speak Books
Diane Landolf, Random House Children’s Books
Elana Roth, Agent at Caren Johnson Literary Agency
Kate Sullivan, Assistant Editor at Poppy, an imprint of Little Brown Books for Young Readers
Lastly, the whole gang got together for the last event of the day (unless you count a bunch of us talking a mile-a-minute in Jodi’s mini-van on our way back to the hotel!) Our Keynote speaker was the lively, funny and thoughtful Judy Freeman. She started off with a quote from the book Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney…”What will you do to make the world a better place?” What a lovely way to start. :o)
Judy led us through a long list of books worth loving and a few that were not. (She has awards for those.) She’s also been working for James Patterson and is creating an amazing website called
ReadKiddoRead.com. Be sure to stop by and check it out.
After the conference we all wandered around the lobby a little while, exchanging thoughts and good-byes. It was a wonderful conference, but now it’s time to reap the benefits of a battery recharged. A big thanks to all the wonderful folks at Rutgers, all the mentors who shared and all my fellow mentees…like Judy reminded us…Madeleine L’Engle had 27 rejection letters for A WRINKLE IN TIME.
