Debbie Ridpath Ohi's Blog, page 94

New comic up on Writer Unboxed

I post a comic for writers on Writer Unboxed the first Saturday of every month. Just posted a new one this morning: "Finding Focus."

Julie Falatko shares why she and her children love picture books (and includes I'M BORED, yay!)

Julie shares why she and her children love picture books from Candlewick Press on Vimeo.

Thanks so much to Julie Falatko (@JulieFalatko on Twitter) for this wonderful video. Love how she pulls out I'M BORED at the end and starts reading it! See her original post on ReadingStartsHere.com.

I'm especially honoured, considering the company.

Thanks, Julie! And thanks to Samantha Berger for the heads-up. :-)

On Twitter: #YABooksWithALetterMissing

If you're trying to get work done today, I strongly advise AGAINST checking out the #YABooksWithALetterMissing hashtag

Just a sampling:

 

The Fault In Our Sars: Two teens with a mostly non-fatal illness find love at a benefit concert in 2003. #YABooksWithALetterMissing

— Sarah LaPolla (@sarahlapolla) July 2, 2013

"The Huger Games" (Suzanne Collins) - may the super-sized odds always be in your favor. #YABooksWithALetterMissing

— Chuck Miller (@chuckthewriter) July 3, 2013

Cod Name Verity-- how one brave fish won the war #YABooksWithALetterMissing

— Gillian Berry (@mizgillianberry) July 2, 2013

Interview: Tim Federle on Writing, Editorial Process and BETTER NATE THAN EVER

I recently read (and loved) Tim Federle's BETTER NATE THAN EVER, which came out from Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers earlier this year. Here's my MicroBookTweet, in case you missed it. I especially recommend it for those who have been teased for being different and could use encouragement for pursuing their own Big Dreams.

Tim grew up in San Francisco and Pittsburgh before moving to New York to dance on Broadway. His debut novel, BETTER NATE THAN EVER -- described as "Judy Blume as seen through a Stephen Sondheim lens" by Huffington Post -- was named a New York Times Book Review Editors' Choice and an Amazon Best Book of the Month. TEQUILA MOCKINGBIRD: COCKTAILS WITH A LITERARY TWIST, Tim's novelty recipe guide, was called "pun-tastic" by Epicurious and "a joy" by the London Evening Standard.

About BETTER NATE THAN EVER:

Nate Foster has big dreams. His whole life, he’s wanted to star in a Broadway show. (Heck, he’d settle for seeing a Broadway show.) But how is Nate supposed to make his dreams come true when he’s stuck in Jankburg, Pennsylvania, where no one (except his best pal Libby) appreciates a good show tune? With Libby’s help, Nate plans a daring overnight escape to New York. There’s an open casting call for E.T.: The Musical, and Nate knows this could be the difference between small-town blues and big-time stardom.

Where to find more about Tim Federle: Website - Twitter

Q. What's your writing process? What was your writing process for BETTER NATE THAN EVER?

Usually title comes first and then the characters follow. Plot is last. Writing a book is like going on a cross-country road trip, and so I've gotta know upfront who's riding shotgun. And for BETTER NATE THAN EVER, once I settled on E.T.: The Musical as Nate's central goal, it gave me the burst of giddy energy to write the first draft in a month. (I didn't eat much. Or shower.)

Q. Do you outline first, or plunge right in?

My outline for BETTER NATE THAN EVER was really, really simple. Like, literally: (1) boy gets on bus to (2) go to an audition for a big musical in New York but (3) things go awry and (4) he should eat a lot of donuts along the way, just because. But for the sequel, I did more up-front planning. My secret plotting weapon is the late great Blake Snyder's "beat-sheet," developed for screenplays and found in his SAVE THE CAT book.

Q. How did BETTER NATE THAN EVER get published?

Tim's agent, Brenda Bowen (Greenburger Associates)With a great deal of luck. I'd done all the reading you can do about how to get an agent (AgentQuery.com, Nathan Bransford's genius blog, etc.), but my agent actually found me, right before I was about to query the universe. I'm represented by Brenda Bowen, who read some of my earliest writing, which had been slipped to her by a mutual friend. Brenda reached out to me to say: "You could write for kids, and you should." I trusted her. She's a former editor, and gave me some terrific notes on the first draft of BETTER NATE THAN EVER ("His grandparents cannot be eaten by lions, Tim," was my favorite), and then off it went into the world.

David Gale at Simon & Schuster was the perfect editor for this project. He gets realistic fiction, he gets diversity, he got me. And, more importantly, Nate.

Tim Federle, lower right, with other members of the cast of "Babes in Arms" in East Haddam, Conn., in 2002. (NY Times)

Q. What was the editorial process like?

David Gale is a remarkably trusting editor. For BETTER NATE THAN EVER, he asked a few key questions and prodded gently at one overarching theme--that Nate relied too heavily on his best friend, Libby, in the first draft--but otherwise, David let my voice be my voice. Before his long tenure as an editor, David was a children's books reviewer; he really knows how to help an author tell the story he meant to tell. And in terms of timeframe, it was…quick. Like, really quick. I began the first draft of BETTER NATE THAN EVER on March 1st, 2011, and less than four months later, we had an incredibly lucky sale. (Though it took me approximately 30 years to acquire all the Broadway references in the book…)

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Q. What advice do you have for aspiring tween writers?

Aspiring tween writers: Get out of your comfort zone.

When I was your age (he said, waving a pipe), allllll I wanted to do and all I was ever going to be was a Broadway dancer. And then I moved to New York and I got to do that for a long time, and when it came time to follow my second calling, which was writing, I felt intimidated by people who'd had far broader life experiences.

Do you hate public speaking? Push yourself to do it. Do you struggle with foreign languages? Do you think history class is a bore? I did too, on both counts, and it's limited my writing at times. Try to find your own way in to things that feel too dense to access.

And my number one piece of writing advice: don't edit as you go. That's what worked for me, at least, because typing The End -- even if your first draft kinda sucks -- is very liberating.

Also: get through English class but know that the real world just wants a good story, and isn't as worried about brilliantly placed semi-colons and properly argued theses. Those are important for your toolbox, but don't get bogged down or overwhelmed with "the rules" of writing. There are no rules. Only the ones that help you tell the story that only you can tell.

Q. What are you working on now? Any other upcoming events or other info you'd like to share?

FIVE, SIX, SEVEN, NATE!, the sequel to BETTER NATE THAN EVER, is in bookstores this coming January (2014). And Running Press recently published my literary cocktail guide, called TEQUILA MOCKINGBIRD (think: Are You There God? It's Me, Margarita), that is decidedly NOT for kids.

Where to find more about Tim Federle: Website - Twitter

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For more interviews, see my Inkygirl Interview Archive.

It's official: Penguin Random House merger is complete

Looks like it's official: Penguin and Random House are officially merged. CEO Markus Dohle sent the following to letter to Random House authors and illustrators (possibly Penguin as well? I received one because I'm illustrating the RUBY ROSE books for Random House Children's):

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To Our Authors,

Today, Random House and Penguin are officially united as Penguin Random House. For us, today is a beginning, and I very much want to reach out to you on our first day as a new company, because it all begins with you: you and the books you write and entrust to us to publish. For us, this is a sacred trust, one that before today Penguin and Random House have honored separately. Now it is a commitment and a privilege that unifies us.

Going forward, we will be defined by our mission for publishing with passion the books you write. In our author-focused, publisher-empowered culture, we respect that your most important day-to-day relationship is with your editor and your publishing team, and that will remain untouched at Penguin Random House.

Continuity within Penguin Random House will benefit all of us: The continuity of nearly 250 imprints and publishing houses worldwide, which will retain their individual identities and autonomy. The continuity of experienced, knowledgeable global and local leadership teams, drawn from both Penguin and Random House, who will fully support our publishers in realizing their objectives and your vision for your books. The continuity of vigilant protection of your intellectual property and copyrights.

Over time, as we gradually begin to integrate our companies, we will learn from one another and evolve to better serve you and your readers. With both businesses performing well, we can take our time with this process, to better understand and analyze the complexity and nuances of these important decisions.

One key development I am personally most excited about involves the future investments we will be making on a global scale for growing your readership in all markets. We will be strengthening our supply chain and our support services for physical booksellers while broadening opportunities in the digital arena. We will be developing more cutting-edge marketing tools and programs, further expanding our consumer insights and market analytics capabilities, and continuing to accelerate our penetration of emerging markets worldwide, all of which will allow us to maximize the number of readers we reach on your behalf.

The creation of our new company is the strongest possible affirmation of the future of trade publishing, and of the importance of maintaining strong and vibrant publishing companies, with diverse and innovative editorial teams. Our unprecedented alignment of resources and relationships is built on this foundation: the passionate belief that connecting authors and readers is at the heart of all we strive to accomplish together. On behalf of my colleagues, I deeply thank you for the opportunity to publish your books.

All my best,

Markus Dohle

Chief Executive Office, Member of the Bertelsmann Management SE Executive Board

Writing & Illustrating A Picture Book For Simon & Schuster Children's, Part 3: Back To The Manuscript

 

POSTS SO FAR: Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3

Part 1: Intro

Part 2: Brainstorming, Story Pitch, Thumbnail Sketches

(Note: This series of blog posts is NOT meant to The Definitive Guide of how a picture book is created. Your own publishing experience may differ, depending on your situation and people involved. Thanks for following along! -- Debbie)

I haven't posted in this series for a while because my editor and I decided to put the project on hold while I worked on illustrations for NAKED!, a new picture book written by Michael Ian Black. Entertainment Weekly posted the announcement in January, and I received the final version of the manuscript at the beginning of the year. Have been working very hard (but having sooooo much fun!) on the illustrations since then, and handed in the final art earlier this month. I'll be posting more sample pics on the NAKED! FB Page soon.

Now it's back to my own project, the very first picture book that I'm writing AND illustrating. Since my last post, I'm delighted to have exciting news:

- It's been confirmed that Laurent Linn is going to be my art director (YAYYYY!! Laurent was my art director for I'M BORED and NAKED!). 

- Justin Chanda (my editor) and I have picked a title: WHERE ARE MY BOOKS? I know it shouldn't matter that much, but I have to admit that I screamed a little bit on the phone, I was SO EXCITED.

And though the book isn't coming out until Spring/2015, I felt compelled (yes, COMPELLED) to create a Facebook Page in celebration of my very first children's book with writing and illustration credit: https://www.facebook.com/DebbieOhiBooks. If you're on Facebook, I'd be grateful if you'd Like it. :-)

Anyway, Justin and I had a phone meeting last week about the mss and thumbnails. Next step for me: go back and revise the mss. Justin says that the picture book dummy I sent him is in good shape, but that there are some awkward bits in the text here and there that don't read well out loud, plus the ending seems rushed.

He advised me to always read the text out loud ("It changes everything") to help find places where it doesn't flow well. If there are sections of the text that are not fun to read out loud, then there's a problem that needs to be fixed.

Aside: Justin said that the "read aloud" test is good for novels for older readers as well, not just picture books.

So...I've gone through the mss many times now, reading it aloud and tweaking. Justin's asked me to try writing in third-person instead of first-person, and getting rid of some of the dialog that was slowing down parts of the story (and not fun to read out loud).

I am SO enjoying this process. I do not exaggerate when I say that by the end of the phonecall, I had a stupid-happy grin ear-to-ear. I lovelovelove this creative collab aspect.

Justin is a brilliant editor. He's able to see straight into the heart of what works and doesn't work in a picture book story, and (just as important) is able to communicate this. He doesn't micro-manage, but guides me in the right direction and trusts me to follow through. His enthusiasm is infectious and inspiring. 

And I'm learning SO MUCH. 

Here are a few things I've learned so far in this whole process:

Writing a picture book mss is easy. Writing a good picture book that is different from anything out there AND has commercial appeal is much more of a challenge.

Awareness of pacing and page-turn placement is vital.

Read the text of your picture story out loud. If there are parts that are not fun to read out loud, then those are problem areas that need to be fixed.

 

Now, back to work.

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This is part of an ongoing series of blog posts about writing and illustrating a picture book for Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers.

Interview: Audrey Vernick on writing picture books, editing process and BOGART AND VINNIE (Bloomsbury/Walker)

Audrey Vernick writes picture books and middle-grade novels. Her nonfiction book Brothers at Bat: The True Story of an Amazing All-Brother Baseball Team, illustrated by Steven Salerno, was a New York Times Notable Book of 2012 and BCCB Blue Ribbon Winner 2013. A two-time recipient of the New Jersey Arts Council’s fiction fellowship, Audrey lives with her husband, son, daughter and two dogs near the ocean.

Audrey was kind enough to answer a few questions about her newest book: BOGART AND VINNIE: A Completely Made-Up Story Of True Friendship, written by Audrey and illustrated by Henry Cole (Walker/Bloomsbury), a Junior Library Guild selection.

About BOGART AND VINNIE:

When Vinnie, a crazy-happy dog, gets lost at a nature preserve, he finds comfort in the company of Bogart, a big, lazy rhinoceros. Everyone at Wildlands Preserve believes that Bogart and Vinnie are the best of friends. In reality, the games they play—hide and seek, follow the leader—have more to do with Bogart trying to rid himself of an unwelcome, albeit very enthusiastic, visitor. Can Bogart and Vinnie survive their misunderstood relationship and brief brush with fame?

Where to find out more about Audrey Vernick: Website - Blog - Twitter - Facebook

Interior image from BOGART AND VINNIE (Bloomsbury). Written by Audrey Vernick, ill. by Henry Cole.

Q. What was your writing process for BOGART AND VINNIE?

I’m not sure I have a process, but if I do, this book did not fall within its usual parameters. Bogart and Vinnie’s story is a weird one.

I became tickled with the idea of trying to satirize the nonfiction inter-species friendship picture-book genre. It seemed like the strangest phenomenon—so many of these books were published by different houses but their cover design is nearly identical, as though they’re different books in the same series. That was how I envisioned the cover of Bogart and Vinnie, initially, but this project kept growing in different directions.

Vinnie, the crazy-happy dog, was patiently waiting around for a new project after the one he appeared in, A Puppy’s Guide To Training, failed to sell. Vinnie’s unshakable enthusiasm was something I really enjoyed working with. (And please let it be noted for the record that he was written before the movie Up came out. Similarities have been pointed out. ) Bogart, for years, was a pot-bellied pig. And though the story now takes place at a nature preserve, its original setting was a shelter.

Audrey's office. "I always believe I need an office. Now I have one. It’s always a mess. And I never use it. The “OG” you see is not GO in the wrong order, nor does it stand for nearby Ocean Grove, New Jersey. A friend and neighbor, shortly after we met, decided I was the spitting image of Ogee from Magilla Gorilla, despite the fact that I am not six inches tall and do not have orange hair. The letters were a gift from her."

Most of the changes came about because of an editor’s interest. She loved the idea at first but wanted to really push the satire, to include elements from some of the famous inter-species friendship books—Owen & Mzee, Tarra & Bella, Suryia and Roscoe—and elements of Christian the Lion too.

Click the image above to see a PDF (395k) sample of one round of edits for BOGART AND VINNIE. From Audrey: "(This is) a very marked up pages of an early draft by Stacy Cantor, who was my editor at Walker (no longer there)."Once I completed that revision, her coworkers thought no, there should probably be less reliance on pre-existing knowledge of those other books. And by the way, was Audrey married to the idea of Bogart as a pot-bellied pig?

That was a hard one. Bogart had been a pig for a long time on paper and in my head. They wanted an animal whose contrast with a dog was more extreme, for greater comic effect. And so Bogart morphed into a rhinoceros. I guess Bogart and Vinnie is the best example among my books of accepting editorial guidance.

From the beginning of my writing life, I was always impressed when writers, faced with a requested revision that resulted in a near miss (something I have experienced on many occasions), politely said they were grateful for the experience and knew they had a stronger book as a result.

I am almost always willing to give an editor’s suggestions a try. (The only exception that comes to mind is the editor who suggested I fictionalize Brothers at Bat to give it more drama.) But I rarely share that “this is surely better than it was” sentiment. Not that I think it’s worse. It’s just different. I gave something a try and now I have a different story. I did a lot of experimenting with this book.

I really loved the idea of a book whose story and illustration played against its narration. There are still elements of that in the book—readers will get that Bogart cannot stand Vinnie. That has more to do with the genius of illustrator Henry Cole than with my writing. Once Henry came on board, I knew the book would be fine. So much that is funny about this book comes from what Henry brought to it.

Interior image from BOGART AND VINNIE (Bloomsbury). Written by Audrey Vernick, ill. by Henry Cole.

Q. What advice do you have for aspiring picture book writers?

Photo from school visit in Newark, NJ.I wish I could go back in time and give myself some advice, but the sad truth is I didn’t want to hear it then. A lot of what I know now had to be learned by doing and living through.

Still, I think I would grab back-then-me by the shoulders and scream right into my face, “Don’t get too hung up on what you think is your first truly viable/sell-able manuscript.”

Even though my first picture book, co-written with my sister Ellen Gidaro, DID finally find a home, it took years. Many years. And I had a crazed myopic focus that could have benefited from some mellowing. I could have written so much more during that time.

From Audrey's first bookstore reading & signing of BOGART AND VINNIE, "with my pals Evan and Noah at Booktowne in Manasquan, NJ."Hand-in-hand with that advice is this: Do NOT become fixated on exceptions to the rule.

I really, really felt like if Kevin Henkes got to write long texts, there was no reason I shouldn’t be allowed to, too. Sure, no-name Audrey Vernick. You keep submitting your 1400-word manuscripts and see how that works out for you.

The intensity of desire for that first sale is something I will never forget. It is all-consuming, or at least, it was for me.

And though I don’t hear a lot of people saying this, I think a major factor that comes into first sales (and subsequent sales) is luck—hitting the right editor’s desk on the right day with the right manuscript.

In the case of one of my early sales, the acquisitions meeting was postponed a ridiculous number of times. The last postponement nearly killed me. But ultimately, the reason the book was acquired had everything to do with the weekend get-away a key player at the meeting had taken that very week, which had made her curious about the life of the subject of my book. Had the meeting taken place the previous week, it would not have sold.

"With my son and husband at the Baseball Hall of Fame, where I gave a talk on Effa Manley (and, two years later, on the Acerra brothers from BROTHERS AT BAT), doing the wave."

Q. What are you working on now? Any current news or upcoming releases you'd like to mention?

I just finished revision on my second novel, Screaming at the Ump, which comes out April 1. I’m halfway through a first draft of another, presently titled Army Of One. There’s a picture book I adore that needs more revising—and my editor at Clarion gave me great notes for it. I’m also in the early stages of co-writing a chapter book with my friend, the excellent writer Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich.

But I spend most of my time gushing over Priscilla Burris’ art for our spring 2014 release, Edgar’s Second Word. I am not sure there has ever been anything cuter in existence. Ever.

I have a couple of New Jersey appearances for Bogart and Vinnie this month, and then I think the summer’s mostly quiet until the (always awesome) Princeton Children’s Book Fair in September. One of the things I’ll be working on this summer is the picture book revision workshop I’m teaching at an SCBWI conference in Michigan in October. I’m really looking forward to that!

 

Where to find out more about Audrey Vernick: Website - Blog - Twitter - Facebook

 

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For more interviews, see my Inkygirl Interview Archive.

Gratitude, Encouragement and Inspiration: My Eighth Grade Teacher, Mr. David Smallwood

So much goodstuff has happened to me since 2010, when I was offered my first book contract. This is one of a series of blog posts (in no particular order) about people to whom I am grateful. Posts so far: My career-changing SCBWI conference - My thank you letter to the SCBWI - A thank you to Justin Chanda and Simon & Schuster Children's.

Above: My eighth grade teacher, David Smallwood, surprised me (and yes, made me weepy) last year by attending my very first book launch, for my illustrations in I'M BORED.  Not only that, but he gave me a folder full of my writing back then, which he had kept all these years:

Most of these stories and poems were written solely to show my teacher for the pure fun of it, NOT because they were assigned. All were typed manually (with mistakes laboriously fixed with correction fluid), and a few illustrations. Back then, I mainly wrote science fiction, horror and mystery, and was fond of twist endings.

David Smallwood (I still can't help but think of him as Mr. Smallwood, though he encourages me to call him David now) is the first teacher who ever encouraged me in my creative writing. I loved his sharp wit and the way he noticed individual students, no matter how quiet or shy. I clearly remember how much his comments about my writing made me more confident, drew me out of my shell.

We used to have a "who can be more witty/snarky" letter war going on that I hugely enjoyed. I used to spend hours with a thesaurus in my efforts to find longer and longer words in our literary one-upmanship contest:

 

I'm still fascinated by words, slightly off-beat humor and snark.

After I graduated from grade school, my friend Cathy and I used to go back and visit Mr. Smallwood from time to time. As high school students, we felt so sophisticated and grown-up as we reminisced with our former teacher about our year, exchanged gossip about what others from our class were up to. Sometimes Mr. Smallwood would ask me about my writing.

Visits grew less frequent once I started attending university. I reveled in my new independence. Unlike high school, I found boys that interested me AND were interested IN me: geeky nerdboys who liked the same books and movies as I did, who didn't think me odd for not wearing makeup and hating clothes shopping. I had a boyfriend.

Earnscliffe Public School seemed so very distant, though from time to time I found myself thinking of Mr. Smallwood because none of the profs I had in university inspired me the same way. Mr. S and I would exchange snailmail letters, but the time between our letters grew as I got distracted by my studies and then by work.

Years passed, and we eventually lost contact until we found each other on Facebook. Last Fall, I sent him an invite to the launch of I'M BORED at Type Books in Toronto on whim, not really expecting that he'd be able to attend since he lived out of town and we weren't really in touch. 

At the launch, he hung back behind most of the people, so I didn't see him until I signed books. Even then, he was one of the very last people in line. I can't remember what he said, but I recall recognizing the voice and looking up. Then screaming, "MR. SMALLWOOD!!!"

I was SO incredibly touched that he had made the trek out to attend my very first book launch, and proudly introduced him around. My husband had heard many stories about my favorite teacher, so it was a special pleasure to finally be able to have them meet in person.

Side note: Although I've gotten close a few times, my agent and I haven't yet found a home for my middle grade novel manuscripts. I've shelved two so far and I keep working on my craft. Some of my Torkidlit pals, the MIGWriters critique group and friends/family help me finetune my stories. I'm much more confident about my writing now than I was in the beginning, and continue to work on getting better.

When I updated Mr. Smallwood on what was going on with my writing, he encouraged me not to give up on getting my novels published.

And I won't. 

It WILL happen.

To Mr. David Smallwood and all the school teachers out there who continue to encourage young people in pursuing their creative passions: THANK YOU. You make more difference than you can possibly imagine.

(Thanks to my friend Walter K. for the book launch photos.)

 

Kelly Light, Kidlit Dynamo: On Illustrating THE QUIRKS and ELVIS AND THE UNDERDOGS, Middle Grade Novels, Writing & Illustrating Picture Books

I first came across Kelly Light's work online. Not only did I love her fun character sketches, but I was also drawn to her writing -- edgy, fun and bubbling over with enthusiasm for all things kidlit. Then I met her at an SCBWI conference and found she was the same in person!

If you haven't already, I strongly encourage you to read Erin O'Shea's great KidLitArtists.com interview with Kelly about how Kelly went from animation/marketing to being a fulltime children's book writer and illustrator.

Kelly is also one of the most productive freelancers I know, with many projects on-the-go and in the pipeline:

The Quirks, Welcome to Normal - Spring 2013 Bloomsbury. Author: Erin Soderberg, Illustrator: Kelly Light. Facebook Page.

Elvis and the Underdogs - Spring 2013 Balzer and Bray. Author: Jenny Lee, Illustrator: Kelly Light. Book website. Facebook page.

The Quirks: Circus Quirkus - Spring 2014 Bloomsbury. Author: Erin Soderberg, Illustrator: Kelly Light.

Elvis and the Underdogs: Secrets, Secret Service and Room Service - Spring 2014 Balzer and Bray. Author: Jenny Lee, Illustrator: Kelly Light.

Louise Loves Art - Fall 2014 Balzer and Bray. Author & illustrator: Kelly Light.

Lola Knows a Lot! - Fall 2015 Balzer and Bray. Author: Jenna McCarthy, illustrator: Kelly Light.

plus three more picture books she can't talk about yet. :-)

You can find out more about Kelly at her website, Facebook and Twitter. She is represented by Elizabeth Harding, Curtis Brown Ltd.

Q. How did you start illustrating middle grade novels?

I was checking my emails, the night that I gave my first workshop on character design at the NESCBWI conference in April, 2012... when I spotted an email from Bloomsbury. I was excited to read that they and the author of The Quirks: Welcome to Normal both were interested in me illustrating this new Middle Grade chapter book. I did not respond that night. I was too shocked. The next day I whispered to someone..."I just got my first offer." They exclaimed ,"What are you waiting for!?"

S0, I went home and typed that I would LOVE to read it. This would be my first book with a bigger publishing house.... I was excited to read my first manuscript. I sat down on the living room couch, which is where I love to read in the quiet... put my feet up... read the first chapter... and fell in love with the quirky characters.

Sketch for THE QUIRKS: WELCOME TO NORMAL. Copyright © Kelly Light.

The Quirks: Welcome to Normal by Erin Soderberg was so imaginative, I could not wait to start drawing the images that were exploding in my brain.

I signed on for that project and started sketching.

Copyright ©2013 Kelly Light.

 

One month later, I was on a plane to Florida and got another email. This time from Balzer and Bray, and imprint of Harper Collins. Would I sketch some dogs with "personality". They were looking for an illustrator for a middle grade chapter book as well. I drew during the entire plane ride. Because I was going on vacation- all of the dogs that I drew became characters that in my head worked at a surf shop... They were silly. But it did the trick and I got the book!

Sketches from LOUISE LOVES ART. Copyright ©2013 Kelly Light.

Elvis and the Underdogs by Jenny Lee was underway as well. It stars a boy named Benji who is need of a service dog. When that dog arrives, it is a big Newfoundland named Elvis. It's a book filled with heart.

The two chapter books kept me busy through the summer and the fall with character design, cover design, cover color concepts and interior sketches. During that time I also was lucky to sign 3 picture book deals. I learned to juggle- fast.

Character sketch for LOUISE LOVES ART. ©2013 Kelly Light.

Working on "MG" - or middle grade. Is a lot of fun. Drawing for an older audience allows for some broader humor and a lot of detail. The black and white art for me stays fresh as it's pure drawing. I loved MG as a kid. Most of my all time favorite books are MG. It was a drawing frenzy of happiness as I sketched the interiors. It may just be my sweet spot as an illustrator. Having said that...

Middle grade illustration is a lot of work in a shorter amount of time. The deadlines come quick. The covers need to be done first so that the books can go into the catalogs and out to the buyers. The print time is a much quicker turn around, so most publishers will have these books in kids' hands with in a season. Start to finish- 6 months - top.

Have whiplash yet?

I do.

Early character design sketches for THE QUIRKS. Copyright © Kelly Light.

Then... there is a good chance, if the first book does well in sales..you have a series on your hands. Suddenly you have to see your life blocked out books and books ahead. Deadline to deadline. As if your life is now a chapter book itself. Good fortune? Yes.... but B-U-S-Y.

The relationships that I have built with both of my art directors are very important because of the short and firm deadlines. They say when they need it and I say if it's possible with in my staying alive for me to do that. We all have really gotten to know how each other works and thinks..and recovers post deadline.:)

Cover image for Elvis and the Underdog Facebook page.

So- knowledge is power, as School House Rock taught us in the 70's. Know before you get in... MG is fun, fast and furious.

Now that both first chapter books are out, it is delightful. I am already finishing the covers on the second books in both series.

I have had contact with the author of The Quirks, Erin Soderberg, She and I connected when she contacted me to tell me how much she loved the illustrations and I told her how much her words hit my imagination.

As far as how I create the art for the MG chapter books, I work in Photoshop. Time constraints make this the easiest way to go. Revisions- tweaks... quick fixes don't get any easier than working in layers. I sketch character design by hand tho... something about paper and pencil and that initial spark... it all just goes together.

Q. What's your typical work day?

Mondays - I do the administrative stuff and try to plan out the week. The least amount of art gets done on a Monday. Friday seems to be my most productive day.. which weirds me out. Maybe it's because I know during the weekends it's harder to accomplish a lot.

Each Day is kinda like this: Wake up. This is not an easy task even when I have not been up for a deadline. I wake up around 6-6:30. I get my 13 year old (who moves even slower than I do in the morning) - off to school.

I do my social media in the mornings usually while I have coffee and egg whites and an English muffin. I am a creature of habit. I eat the same thing every morning. Then at 9 - I am off to the gym, 4 days a week. I think the amount of time I spend sitting on my tucchus is awful for me. So- this is non-negotiable time for me. (I do slip up right at a deadline tho..can't not sleep and go to spin class)

I come home and hit the work. I work until 2:45. Then I get the kid...and hope she has after school plans, so I can go back to work. Most days she does. I work until dinner. Notice I am not saying that I cooked that dinner. I am lucky if I have time to cook twice a week these days. I try to cook in large quantity so we have left overs, when I do. The other nights... it's every Light for themselves..

I go back to work from 7 until I can't stay up any longer. I try to take off Friday nights and Saturday nights. Altho, right before a deadline ... I have no idea what night it is so I just keep working..... food is brought to me.. I grunt. I devolve a bit.

 

Q. Could you describe your studio?

I work up in my attic.

The act of ascending those steps helps. Working in the house is a distraction, so I am happy to close the door and feel a bit in a world of my own.

Above my studio door, I hung pictures of people I really look up to. They all have 1 thing in common. They marched to the beat of their own drum. Followed their own path.

My studio is a bit messy right now...cause I am so busy... but I like to share a realistic picture of my journey...so here goes...

Above my head right now. My inspiration wall for Louise Loves Art. "You Are Here" - it's a message to myself. I get kind of lost in my work, in the flurry of how much work I have.. that I feel a bit disconnected from life. I hung that up a few weeks ago to look at. I also need to get a handle on what has happened and be really, really present and own it. I did this, it did not happen to me.

To my left right now:

Those manilla envelopes are all manuscripts. There's the finished Elvis book! A mock up of The Quirks diner mugs the author and I made for promotion, The cover mock up for Louise, an old radio, I collect them, my first reader and Richard Scarry, who I love.

To my right, right now:

That's my Cintiq. I got it a year ago- it makes work faster than drawing on a Wacom tablet. My revisions on Louise. My uke ... it's a de-stresser. I sing a lot.My clock, Spartacus...he has a name, and my favorite thing in the world- The Iron Giant.

Behind me:

My drafting table. Most of my sketching happens there.

Above my drafting table hangs:

This is how I feel these days . Like Charlie after the elevator ride... he has to get to work...and wear the heavy pumpkin colored top hat and make great chocolate.

Where I never sit:

This is my thinking chair... but now- it's covered in books by people I know! Which is thrilling!! Jane Yolen says..(I am paraphrasing) "In this business, if you can not be happy for the success of your friends, you have no business being in it."

My book shelves.... imploding:

TOYS!!!! Stuff! Dust!!

And Pepperland... I am a Beatles nut.

I have a dog, Jabba the Mutt and my daughter's cat, Jedi..who hang out up here allllll the time. Here's an old pic of them..kitten on the internet. Awww.

Q. What advice do you have for those interested in illustrating middle grade novels?

I think what I can say to those who wish to illustrate MG chapter books is - It's all about character. You are drawing for 7-11 year olds. These kids want to know the characters. This is the age when the characters are your friends. The characters help you get through some crazy changes in your life. They want to connect- SO be specific with the "WHO". WHO is the main character?... draw them so they feel real...like they could sit next to them at school. Who are the friends and the side kicks and the adults? They should all have something recognizable to the reader , just like in real life, no matter how unrealistic you may draw them. They should FEEL real. Also... bring THE FUNNY. This age loves to laugh. The illustrations in MG can really add humor and another layer to the text.

I am a true believer in Laughter is the best medicine- and this age group wants to laugh their way into and through their tweens...

Having some strong black and whites of the right age kids in your portfolio in REAL moments that happen in 4th grade- 5th grade. Braces. Awkwardness. Cliques start to form. Girls travel in packs. Bullying or standing up to it. School stress. Being bad at sports. Someone is an underdog. Science Fair explosions... There- I gave you some ideas!!

Advice from Kelly:

My "getting here " story is typical. I've met many people like me who tried for years and years to get published before they got their first book deal.

My "I've got book deals! "I had better learn to juggle fire while on a unicycle!?!" story.. is a little atypical. I currently have 10 books under contract.

Sketch from LOUISE LOVES ART. Copyright © Kelly Light.

These days, I want to yell out my car window.. "Don't give up!", everywhere I go, but that's too simple. "Hang in there!" "Follow your passion!" -- they all are true but not enough to cross over and get books.

So let's talk turkey.

Do not waste time.

This is not a hobby. If you are serious about making childrens' books - take yourself and your work, seriously and have some serious fun doing it.

You must work it.

Work your butt off.

Sell the hell out of yourself.

Put your best foot, face and work forward.

Stop wondering what they want. Stop looking at other people's work. Make the art that is YOU. The art that you were born to make.

You were a 4 year old, a 2nd grader , a 4th grader.. that never left you. Just listen.. he/she's telling you exactly how it felt to be that age.

In the end - that's it in a nutshell.

Q. What are you working on now? Any other upcoming events or other info you'd like to share?

I am now finishing my first picture book as Author.Illustrator. It is called "Louise loves Art" w/ Balzer and Bray. It comes out fall 2014.

I have 3 picture books lined up behind that like planes on the runway at JFK. Everyone hope for me... I do better than JFK does.... at getting up in the air on time!

I am looking forward to school visits and talking to kids about the importance of "drawing". Most kids draw and at some point stop. I wonder how many kids these days have the time to . From being a Mom in this age of technology and over booked activities.. I worry.. no kids watch the clouds... and see rabbits or dragons. No kids steam up the back car window with their breath and draw with their fingers. No kids stop to pick dandelions..blow the seeds than tie the stems into shapes. The act of drawing is like visual meditation. So I wanna bring drawing back. That's my own hope for what my picture book will spark when I get the chance to talk to kids about expressing themselves. There's a line in my book, "I love art. It's my imagination on the outside." I wrote that before I wrote anything else. It's a motto and a mission statement.

--

You can find out more about Kelly at her website, Facebook and Twitter. She is represented by Elizabeth Harding, Curtis Brown Ltd.

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For more interviews, see my Inkygirl Interview Archive.

Video: Maurice Sendak On Being A Kid (Blank On Blank's Animated Version)

Blank On Blank finds vintage interview tapes and adds new animations. Their mission: "to curate and transform journalists' unheard interviews with American icons. The future of journalism is remixing the past."

I enjoyed this 2009 interview with Maurice Sendak in his Connecticut home, and thought the creators did a good job at matching the tone of the animations to the interview content. You can find more info about Blank On Blank's other projects at their website. (Thanks to Monica Edinger for the video link.)

Yesterday was what would have been Maurice Sendak's 85th birthday. Google had a great Google Doodle tribute to Sendak:

Some advice for writers from Maurice Sendak:

"Unplug when you need inspiration." (4 Lessons On Writing (And Life) From Maurice Sendak | PRDaily)

"Wield a more subversive sword!" (from a Slate post/obituary)

Stories about children need to reflect the truth. (Why Maurice Sendak Insisted He Didn't Write For Children | TIME)

More Maurice Sendak video goodness...

Maurice Sendak talks about his career, William Blake and writing children's books ("I don't know how to write children's books...") in 2011 in his upstate New York home. Warning: some of Maurice's language is not child-friendly. :-)

Maurice Sendak on his work, childhood, inspirations: