Amanda Davis's Blog, page 2

November 14, 2022

#RisingStarsinKidLit: Sarah Skolfield

Rising Stars in KidLit began as a way to highlight my fellow KidLit creators who are working their tails off to birth their beautiful book babies into the world. These interviews cast a light on the wonderful work of pre-published or pre-agented authors and author-illustrators who are destined to be stars! For the next several features, we’re collaborating with the hardworking creators of the PB Rising Stars Mentorship Program, Kailei Pew and Ebony Lynn Mudd, to highlight the wonderful and talented creators who were selected for the 2022 Mentorship Program. Learn more about the PB Rising Stars Mentorship program HERE. Meet Rising Star
Author Sarah Skolfield

Sarah Skolfield grew up in Maine and still lives there, which makes her one of the luckiest people on Earth. She is also lucky to have a husband, three teenagers, one un-athletic dog and one food-driven cat sharing her world. She spends days, evenings, weekends, and holidays working as a Physician Assistant in the emergency department of a community hospital. As a writer, she wants to bring joy to kids and parents by making them laugh. She’s willing to drive long distances for the chance to play field hockey. If you are a field hockey player or fan, you are already her best friend.

Sarah is currently seeking agent representation.

AD: Hi Sarah and welcome to the blog! Thank you so much for being here! I can’t wait to learn more about you and your work. Let’s start with your experience in the PB Rising Stars Mentorship Program. Can you tell us who your mentor was, what inspired you to apply, and how the program went for you ?

SS: Thanks for having me on your blog, Amanda! My mentor was Andrew Hacket. His debut PB Ollie, the Acorn, and the Mighty Idea, illustrated by Kaz Windness, will be published in 2024 with Page Street Kids. Andrew was extremely generous with his time and the mentorship exceeded my expectations. We jumped right in with ambitious goals and kept to our schedule. Post-mentorship, I’m more confident in my writing and revising.

I’m always on the look-out for opportunities to improve my writing and I’ve applied to a few mentorships in the past. So, when Kailei announced this mentorship, of course I checked it out. Andrew’s bio stood out to me and even though applicants could apply to two mentors, I only applied to Andrew. I felt like he would be the best fit for me. And he picked me! I was at work (where there is almost no down time) so I didn’t get the news until I was scoffing down a protein bar for “lunch”. Then I had to finish my day before I could really soak in the news.

It’s been an amazing experience. Kailei and Ebony put together a top-notch program right out of the gate. I keep forgetting this is a first for the mentors themselves.

AD: So cool! Andrew and I actually connected through the Rising Stars blog a while back and now through our local Massachusetts/NESCBWI connections and other kidlit/teacher communities. He’s awesome, and I’m sure had a wealth of knowledge to share. What a great partnership! Sounds like an amazing experience with a variety of opportunities to grow, learn, and make connections. Alright time for a speed round…

Top three favorite children’s books of all time? Unfair question! How am I supposed to pick only three?? And you didn’t specify picture books. Just children’s books. But I’m going to stick with the PBs. So, if I must pick only three. On this day, I will have to go with: Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale (because of the line “She went boneless.”), Old Rock (is not boring) by Deb Pilutti (Rock is solid in understanding who he is, which is not boring, and I love the slow transition his friends make to better understand and admire him) and Horrible Bear by Ame Dyckman, illustrated by Zachariah O’Hora (wonderfully subtle but powerful kindness/forgiveness message)Coffee, tea (or neither)? Coffee in the morning. Green tea for cool evenings. Always decaf. Even that AM coffee. It’s my warm, comforting beverage.Where is your safe place? In a bookstore. Or my backyard. Or camp. All of these just bring me peace. The bookstore can be dangerous to my wallet, though. Have to use caution there. One of Sarah's safe spaces. © Photo Credit 2022 Sarah Skolfield

One of Sarah’s safe spaces. © Photo Credit 2022 Sarah Skolfield

Dogs, cats, (or neither)? Both. Dogs are for taking walks and playing fetch (mine is defective in that area, but what can you do?). Cats are for cuddling and amusing you when they try to play it cool after doing something stupid.Early bird or night owl? Early bird for sure. But I can be a night owl when it is required. My superpower is functioning without sleep.Three words to describe what it takes to make it in the kidlit world…perseverance, optimism, wonder.

Sarah enjoys writing outside on her deck with her dog, Hannah, who often wants attention. Photo Credit 2022 Sarah Skolfield

AD: Okay, now down to the serious stuff….please dish us the dirt on who you are and your journey into the fabulous world of children’s books.

SS: I’ve always loved reading and used to fall asleep reading under the covers with a flashlight. Writing seemed like a fun thing, too, but I never did anything about it. Until the day I was in a bookstore, wrangling my two toddlers and their baby sister. A book about writing while raising kids jumped off the shelf. The idea that I could be a writer occurred to me. It was literally that moment that set me on this path. Writing for kids was the natural choice. The wonder kids have for their world is inspiring. I want to be a part of that forever.

AD: I love that visual of reading under the covers with a flashlight. I think there’s a story in there somewhere I also love that your inspiration to write came from a book (and bookstore)! How serendipitous! It sounds like your ‘aha’ author moment came later in life but did you always know you wanted to be an author? Have you explored other paths or had/have other jobs?

SS: I have a lot of interests. Writing was in the back of my mind but I didn’t consider it a career option when I was younger. I majored in Russian Studies in college to satisfy my interest in foreign language and culture. But I also took science classes and then went to graduate school to become a Physician Assistant. I’ve been working in emergency medicine and urgent care at the same hospital since graduating from PA school in 2000.

AD: Oh wow! Thank you for all you do in your role as a PA. What an interesting contrast to your work as a children’s book author. Considering the different interests you have, I’m wondering what topics or themes do you tend to focus on in your writing?

SS: I focus on humor with heart. I like stories that highlight friendship or perseverance. I want my stories to encourage kids to read, read, read and to be good people.

The beautiful view from Sarah's deck at sunset. © 2022 Sarah Skolfield

AD: Breaking into the publishing industry is not easy! What’s been the biggest challenge you’ve faced thus far? What have you done to persevere?

SS: My biggest challenge is self-sabotage, listening too much to the inner critic and putting pause on projects I should probably be trying harder to develop. To persevere? I just keep going. I might pause for a while, but I know it’s never permanent.

AD: Yes! As creators (and humans), we tend to focus on the flaws of our creations or areas for improvement. This helps us grow and develop, but we need not forget the many things we are doing well. With this in mind, what has been your biggest accomplishment or something you are most proud of thus far on your journey?

SS: Hmm…from the big picture perspective, I’m proud that I haven’t given up. It might be easier to give up. And think of all the other things I could be doing. Like laundry and vacuuming! From a more fine-tuned perspective, being chosen for the PBRising Stars mentorship was a big accomplishment for me.

AD: This reminds me of a quote I heard that said, the only way we won’t succeed at something is if we give up. I truly believe that. Good for you for pushing through. That’s definitely something to be proud of. In a similar vein, what do you feel are your strengths as an author? What makes your work unique to you?

SS: I think I have a good sense of how to “leave room for the illustrator”. And I can’t wait to prove it!

AD: That’s so important-and hard to do! We can’t wait to see! You mentioned you have a lot of interests, what about inspirations…what inspires your work?

SS: Almost anything. Two traffic cones on the side of the road. A mispronounced word. My cat doing something stupid. I write down random ideas and sometimes don’t remember where they came from. It could be a phrase or a concept. Sometimes it’s just a character name. Sometimes a whole story pops into my head (unfortunately, this is rare).

AD: Love this! Inspiration is all around. We just have to be on the lookout and remain curious. Alright, tell us about your creative process and what you do to keep ideas flowing or what you do when feeling stuck?

SS: If I’m stuck because I’m too busy or I’m too tired, I give myself a break. But if I’m well rested and I have time but ideas aren’t flowing, I get up and pace the loop through my living room and kitchen. I leave my notebook on the kitchen counter. Walk in circles for a few minutes. Jot something down. Repeat. It sounds weird but it usually works. I am also developing a pre-writing ritual. Something that tells my brain “you are about to write.” So far I have a favorite pair of sweatpants (who doesn’t write in sweatpants??? aren’t they required???) and a scented candle. I think I need some quiet background music, too. Suggestions welcome!

AD: Ooo I love this idea of a pre-writing ritual. It seems like from the psychological perspective, that would work. Classical conditioning so our brains associate that ritual with writing. Like the Pavlov’s dog experiment! You’ll have to keep us posted on how it’s going. I really love listening to this indie/pop station on Youtube called, AlexRainBird Music. You can listen to the Autumn/Fall playlist HERE. Love your list of things to do when stuck, can you also share some of the things that have been most integral in your growth as an author?

SS: Hands down my critique partners have been most integral! I have attended conferences and webinars, read craft books and received critiques from agents and editors. All of that is important, but having CPs to help distill that information is priceless.

AD: Shoutout to the CP’s!! Any final advice you have for fellow kidlit creatives?

SS: Keep looking for a critique group until you find one that really fits. And, of course, do all the usual stuff: read a lot of picture books, read craft books, put your butt in your chair (or pace your living room) and WRITE a lot. Some of it will be garbage. Some of it won’t. I guarantee you have to allow yourself to write garbage. I’m still struggling with that one.

AD: And lastly, where can readers find out more about you and your work?

SS: Right now I am only on Twitter: @sarahskolfield but hope to have a website soon.

Sarah, thank you so much for sharing more about you and your work with us and more about the PB Rising Stars mentorship! We can’t wait to read your humor and heart-filled stories! Wishing you all the best in your search for an agent. Feel free to drop a comment below to support Sarah and her work. Be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss out on the next Rising Stars in Kidlit feature and follow along on Twitter at #RisingStarsinKidlit!

The post #RisingStarsinKidLit: Sarah Skolfield appeared first on Amanda Davis.

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Published on November 14, 2022 16:00

#RisingStarsinKidLit: Sarah Skolfield

Photo Credit © 2022 Rachel Skolfield Sarah Skolfield grew up in Maine and still lives there, which makes her one of the luckiest people on Earth. She is also lucky to have a husband, three teenagers, one un-athletic dog and one food-driven cat sharing her world. She spends days, evenings, weekends, and holidays working as a Physician Assistant in the emergency department of a community hospital. As a writer, she wants to bring joy to kids and parents by making them laugh. She’s willing to drive long distances for the chance to play field hockey. If you are a field hockey player or fan, you are already her best friend.

Sarah is currently seeking agent representation.

AD: Hi Sarah and welcome to the blog! Thank you so much for being here! I can't wait to learn more about you and your work. Let’s start with your experience in the PB Rising Stars Mentorship Program. Can you tell us who your mentor was, what inspired you to apply, and how the program went for you ?

SS: My mentor was Andrew Hacket. His debut PB Ollie, the Acorn, and the Mighty Idea, illustrated by Kaz Windness, will be published in 2024 with Page Street Kids. Andrew was extremely generous with his time and the mentorship exceeded my expectations. We jumped right in with ambitious goals and kept to our schedule. Post-mentorship, I’m more confident in my writing and revising.

I’m always on the look-out for opportunities to improve my writing and I’ve applied to a few mentorships in the past. So, when Kailei announced this mentorship, of course I checked it out. Andrew’s bio stood out to me and even though applicants could apply to two mentors, I only applied to Andrew. I felt like he would be the best fit for me. And he picked me! I was at work (where there is almost no down time) so I didn’t get the news until I was scoffing down a protein bar for “lunch”. Then I had to finish my day before I could really soak in the news.

It’s been an amazing experience. Kailie and Ebony put together a top-notch program right out of the gate. I keep forgetting this is a first for the mentors themselves. AD: So cool! Andrew and I actually connected through the Rising Stars blog a while back and now through our local Massachusetts/NESCBWI connections and other kidlit/teacher communities. He's awesome, and I'm sure had a wealth of knowledge to share. What a great partnership! Sounds like an amazing experience with a variety of opportunities to grow, learn, and make connections. Alright time for a speed round…

Top three favorite children’s books of all time? Unfair question! How am I supposed to pick only three?? And you didn’t specify picture books. Just children’s books. But I’m going to stick with the PBs. So, if I must pick only three. On this day, I will have to go with: Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale (because of the line “She went boneless.”), Old Rock (is not boring) by Deb Pilutti (Rock is solid in understanding who he is, which is not boring, and I love the slow transition his friends make to better understand and admire him) and Horrible Bear by Ame Dyckman, illustrated by Zachariah O’Hora (wonderfully subtle but powerful kindness/forgiveness message)Coffee, tea (or neither)? Coffee in the morning. Green tea for cool evenings. Always decaf. Even that AM coffee. It’s my warm, comforting beverage.Where is your safe place? In a bookstore. Or my backyard. Or camp. All of these just bring me peace. The bookstore can be dangerous to my wallet, though. Have to use caution there.

One of Sarah's safe spaces. © Photo Credit 2022 Sarah Skolfield Dogs, cats, (or neither)? Both. Dogs are for taking walks and playing fetch (mine is defective in that area, but what can you do?). Cats are for cuddling and amusing you when they try to play it cool after doing something stupid.Early bird or night owl? Early bird for sure. But I can be a night owl when it is required. My superpower is functioning without sleep.Three words to describe what it takes to make it in the kidlit world…perseverance, optimism, wonder.

Sarah enjoys writing outside on her deck with her dog, Hannah, who often wants attention. Photo Credit 2022 Sarah Skolfield AD: Okay, now down to the serious stuff….please dish us the dirt on who you are and your journey into the fabulous world of children’s books.

SS: I’ve always loved reading and used to fall asleep reading under the covers with a flashlight. Writing seemed like a fun thing, too, but I never did anything about it. Until the day I was in a bookstore, wrangling my two toddlers and their baby sister. A book about writing while raising kids jumped off the shelf. The idea that I could be a writer occurred to me. It was literally that moment that set me on this path. Writing for kids was the natural choice. The wonder kids have for their world is inspiring. I want to be a part of that forever.

AD: I love that visual of reading under the covers with a flashlight. I think there's a story in there somewhere :) I also love that your inspiration to write came from a book (and bookstore)! How serendipitous! It sounds like your 'aha' author moment came later in life but did you always know you wanted to be an author? Have you explored other paths or had/have other jobs?

SS: I have a lot of interests. Writing was in the back of my mind but I didn’t consider it a career option when I was younger. I majored in Russian Studies in college to satisfy my interest in foreign language and culture. But I also took science classes and then went to graduate school to become a Physician Assistant. I’ve been working in emergency medicine and urgent care at the same hospital since graduating from PA school in 2000.

AD: Oh wow! Thank you for all you do in your role as a PA. What an interesting contrast to your work as a children's book author. Considering the different interests you have, I'm wondering what topics or themes do you tend to focus on in your writing?

SS: I focus on humor with heart. I like stories that highlight friendship or perseverance. I want my stories to encourage kids to read, read, read and to be good people.

The beautiful view from Sarah's deck at sunset. © 2022 Sarah Skolfield AD: Breaking into the publishing industry is not easy! What’s been the biggest challenge you’ve faced thus far? What have you done to persevere?

SS: My biggest challenge is self-sabotage, listening too much to the inner critic and putting pause on projects I should probably be trying harder to develop. To persevere? I just keep going. I might pause for a while, but I know it’s never permanent.

AD: Yes! As creators (and humans), we tend to focus on the flaws of our creations or areas for improvement. This helps us grow and develop, but we need not forget the many things we are doing well. With this in mind, what has been your biggest accomplishment or something you are most proud of thus far on your journey?

SS: Hmm…from the big picture perspective, I’m proud that I haven’t given up. It might be easier to give up. And think of all the other things I could be doing. Like laundry and vacuuming! From a more fine-tuned perspective, being chosen for the PBRising Stars mentorship was a big accomplishment for me. AD: This reminds me of a quote I heard that said, the only way we won't succeed at something is if we give up. I truly believe that. Good for you for pushing through. That's definitely something to be proud of. In a similar vein, what do you feel are your strengths as an author? What makes your work unique to you?

SS: I think I have a good sense of how to “leave room for the illustrator”. And I can’t wait to prove it!

AD: That's so important-and hard to do! We can't wait to see! You mentioned you have a lot of interests, what about inspirations...what inspires your work?

SS: Almost anything. Two traffic cones on the side of the road. A mispronounced word. My cat doing something stupid. I write down random ideas and sometimes don’t remember where they came from. It could be a phrase or a concept. Sometimes it’s just a character name. Sometimes a whole story pops into my head (unfortunately, this is rare).

AD: Love this! Inspiration is all around. We just have to be on the lookout and remain curious. Alright, tell us about your creative process and what you do to keep ideas flowing or what you do when feeling stuck?

SS: If I’m stuck because I’m too busy or I’m too tired, I give myself a break. But if I’m well rested and I have time but ideas aren’t flowing, I get up and pace the loop through my living room and kitchen. I leave my notebook on the kitchen counter. Walk in circles for a few minutes. Jot something down. Repeat. It sounds weird but it usually works. I am also developing a pre-writing ritual. Something that tells my brain “you are about to write.” So far I have a favorite pair of sweatpants (who doesn’t write in sweatpants??? aren’t they required???) and a scented candle. I think I need some quiet background music, too. Suggestions welcome! AD: Ooo I love this idea of a pre-writing ritual. It seems like from the psychological perspective, that would work. Classical conditioning so our brains associate that ritual with writing. Like the Pavlov's dog experiment! You'll have to keep us posted on how it's going. I really love listening to this indie/pop station on Youtube called, AlexRainBird Music. You can listen to the Autumn/Fall playlist HERE. Love your list of things to do when stuck, can you also share some of the things that have been most integral in your growth as an author?

SS: Hands down my critique partners have been most integral! I have attended conferences and webinars, read craft books and received critiques from agents and editors. All of that is important, but having CPs to help distill that information is priceless.

AD: Shoutout to the CP's!! Any final advice you have for fellow kidlit creatives?

SS: Keep looking for a critique group until you find one that really fits. And, of course, do all the usual stuff: read a lot of picture books, read craft books, put your butt in your chair (or pace your living room) and WRITE a lot. Some of it will be garbage. Some of it won’t. I guarantee you have to allow yourself to write garbage. I’m still struggling with that one.

Two of Sarah's favorite writing spaces in her home-blank walls are waiting for her to decide what pictures to put up :) Photo Credit © 2022 Sarah Skolfield AD: And lastly, where can readers find out more about you and your work?

SS: Right now I am only on Twitter: @sarahskolfield but hope to have a website soon. Sarah, thank you so much for sharing more about you and your work with us and more about the PB Rising Stars mentorship! We can't wait to read your humor and heart-filled stories! Wishing you all the best in your search for an agent. Feel free to drop a comment below to support Sarah and her work. Be sure to subscribe so you don't miss out on the next Rising Stars in Kidlit feature and follow along on Twitter at #RisingStarsinKidlit!

Photo Credit © Angela Wood Photography Hi! I'm Amanda!

Amanda Davis is a teacher, artist, writer, and innovator who uses her words and pictures to light up the world with kindness. When she’s not busy creating, you can find her sipping tea, petting dogs, and exploring the natural wonders of The Bay State with her family and her rescue pup, Cora.

Amanda is represented by Jennifer Unter of The Unter Agency.

Amanda's award-winning picture book, 30,000 STITCHES is out now with WorthyKids/Hachette Book Group! Her next picture book, Moonlight Memories, illustrated by Michelle Jing Chan, releases June, 2023. Click here to learn more.

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Published on November 14, 2022 06:30

November 7, 2022

Rising Stars in KidLit: Ayah Yasser

Photo Credit © Aya Khamis

Ayah Yasser is a Muslim PB/YA writer and Engineer. She has always been a reader, and became one of those who ended up writing. She writes about human emotions, and ‘real’ characters. Flawed people (like everyone), struggling with their moral compass, desiring to do the right thing – always learning to do better. Fun fact (slightly nerdy): She creates software products in the day, and writes at night. She finds those two things very similar; both tell stories.

Ayah is currently seeking agent representation.

AD: Hi Ayah and welcome to the blog! Thank you so much for being here! I can’t wait to learn more about you and your work. Let’s start with your experience in the PB Rising Stars Mentorship Program. Can you tell us who your mentor was, what inspired you to apply, and how the program went for you ?

AY: Thank you for interviewing me, Amanda! The PB Rising Stars Mentorship was an amazing opportunity I came across without planning! Someone from the Twitter writing community encouraged me to apply, and told me that I would be a match for mentor Aya Khalil (Twitter, Website, Instagram). It seemed that one of my draft PBs, and my type in general fits her list, and I felt that we had things in common; in addition to the name of course So I did apply, and I was incredibly fortunate to be one of the mentees, and Aya’s. PB Rising Stars Mentorship taught me a LOT about the art of PB writing; from my mentor Aya, founders Kailei and Ebony in workshops, and other amazing people who led sessions. They all made it work perfectly!

AD: Sounds like an amazing experience with a variety of opportunities to grow, learn, and make connections. Alright let’s do a speed round…

Top three favorite children’s books of all time? Matilda by Roald Dahl (author) and Quentin Blake (illustrator), The Arabic Quilt: An Immigrant Story by Aya Khalil (author), Anait Semirdzhyan (illustrator) & Soul Food Sunday by Winsome Bingham (author) and C. G. Esperanza (illustrator)Coffee, tea (or neither)? Coffee! I try to limit my caffeine to 1-2 max per day (I already have trouble sleeping being a grand over thinker). Where is your safe place? With people I love; I just forget about everything which worries me and live in the moment. Dogs, cats, (or neither)? I’m not an animal person, but I love patting people’s cats and I appreciate the loyalty of dogs. Early bird or night owl? Night owl!Three words to describe what it takes to make it in the kidlit world…Empathy, perseverance, confidence.

AD: Okay, now down to the serious stuff….p lease dish us the dirt on who you are and your journey into the fabulous world of children’s books.

AY: I have been a reader since I was a child; I started with shop signs and billboards, then newspapers, parents’ magazines, and everything I could find. So far it was all in my native language, Arabic. Then I learned English at school and couldn’t stop reading textbooks, then stories! Discovering fiction definitely altered my taste Soon I was reading novels and went as big as the Harry Potter series and from there I was mostly interested in the Young Adult genre, and I starting writing a YA novel. For years, I’ve been doing editing and querying rounds (still am, and I’m plotting series), until I was encouraged to pair with someone from the writing community on a Picture Book / the Middle Grade genre in general. I started reading and writing that genre, and it has been a great journey! PBs and YA novels are different; I feel that moving between them is like switching languages.

AD: I love how since you were young, you’ve looked to your surroundings for inspiration and have always been a reader but did you always know you wanted to be an author a well? Have you explored other paths or had/have other jobs?

AY: It all started with the YA novel; it was before college. I didn’t take it seriously until I started college, but then I knew. So I studied Engineering, graduated, and I’m now a software Product Manager by day and I work on my writing whenever I can (with the hope of doing it profession
ally and having more time for it at least part-time).

AD: What topics or themes do you tend to focus on in your writing? Favorite genres you like to write in or favorite techniques?

AY: I love contemporary, and things I deal with / am surrounded with usually creep into my writing; e.g. self-image and self-acceptance. I also focus on representing people I know and those who aren’t represented much in fiction; i.e. those from / who live in the Middle East and Muslims. I think the best thing about fiction is reading and learning about everyone, and also finding a couple of books to read about a character you relate to; someone who could be you!

AD: Yes! Seeing ourselves in the characters and stories we read is so important and powerful but getting our stories into the hands of agents and publishers so children can relate and connect is not easy! What’s been the biggest challenge you’ve faced thus far? What have you done to persevere?

AY: Believing in myself is an ongoing challenge; I keep reminding myself about my strengths, and try to focus on compliments and any sort of motivation from others. Publishing rejections make it even tougher, but we have to keep trying

AD: Yes! Never give up!!

Ayah finds inspiration in her travels and at airports such as, the beautiful King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Photo Credit © 2022 Ayah Yasser

AD: You mentioned the challenge of self-doubt and often as creators (and humans), we tend to focus on the flaws of our creations or areas for improvement. This helps us grow and develop, but we need not forget the many things we are doing well. With this in mind, what has been your biggest accomplishment or something you are most proud of thus far on your journey?

AY: For PBs, it’s being chosen to be a PB Rising Star mentee; I know that everything happens for a reason, and I intend to keep going until I make it. For YA, I wrote a novel, did rounds of edits, got some good feedback, and planned a number of sequels. I try to tell myself that this itself is winning, and that I will catch a break in the publishing industry at some point.

AD: In a similar vein, what do you feel are your strengths as an author? What makes your writing unique to you?

AY: I think that I understand emotions in a certain way, and I write about them in a relatable manner, which makes people say “Yes, that’s it!”. I weave it into the story to make the reader feel what the character is feeling, and I mix it up with humor in other scenes. I apply this to stories which aren’t currently widely in the market (stories set in the Middle East + Muslim stories in general). I simply write what I wish I could have read.

AD: What inspires your work?

AY: I take little things from my life and take those ideas to a complete fiction form.

Natural views; especially beaches inspire Ayah. © 2022 Ayah Yasser

AD: Tell us about your creative process and what you do to keep ideas flowing or what you do when feeling stuck?

AY: When I’m hit by an idea, I write down notes on my phone or record a voice memo. The deeper I go into it, the more I get other ideas, and I keep that process. It’s one of the fun parts! When I’m not very inspired, two things bring the ideas back: spending time with people and fiction is usually helpful; books, series and movies take me to another world, and help me see something new.

AD: Notes and voice memos on the phones are the best! What sorts of things have been most integral in your growth as an author?

AY: Iterating over and over on my work, and trying the group approach (mentorship, courses, and I’m working on the critique partner part after I have been heavily advised on that one)

AD: Oh yes!! I’m jumping on the critique partner/group recommendation train as well. Couldn’t do without. Having your community to help you improve and support you during the crazy ups and downs of the journey is vital! I’m sure you’ll find the same when you find the right match, too!

Visual motivators help Ayah keep going! © 2022 Ayah Yasser

AD: What advice do you have for fellow kidlit creatives?

AY: Keep going! Draft and write, and get to know the writing community; it helps in shifting gears and trying new things. Also, doing things differently helps, and this mentorship made me realize that writing doesn’t have to be solo. I still find it tough to share my writing, because I worry about conflicting feedback, but there’s a stage for everything, and we don’t always have to take all feedback.

AD: Conflicting feedback can be tough but often the rule of threes comes in handy. If you hear the same thing three times or more, you may want to reexamine that portion of your story. Alright Ayah, sadly we’re coming to the end of the interview so please tell us where we can find out more about you and your work…

AY: Writer me is mostly active on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AyaxYasser

Thank you so much for sharing more about you and your work with us and more about the PB Rising Stars mentorship, and your creative journey! We can’t wait to read your stories! Wishing you all the best in your search for an agent. Feel free to drop a comment below to support Ayah and her work. Be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss out on the next Rising Stars in Kidlit feature and follow along on Twitter at #RisingStarsinKidlit! Lastly, since today is election day, this is your friendly reminder to go out there and CAST YOUR VOTE!!

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Published on November 07, 2022 16:00

Rising Stars in KidLit: Ayah Yasser

Photo Credit © Aya Khamis Ayah Yasser is a Muslim PB/YA writer and Engineer. She has always been a reader, and became one of those who ended up writing. She writes about human emotions, and ‘real’ characters. Flawed people (like everyone), struggling with their moral compass, desiring to do the right thing - always learning to do better. Fun fact (slightly nerdy): She creates software products in the day, and writes at night. She finds those two things very similar; both tell stories.

Ayah is currently seeking agent representation.

AD: Hi Ayah and welcome to the blog! Thank you so much for being here! I can't wait to learn more about you and your work. Let’s start with your experience in the PB Rising Stars Mentorship Program. Can you tell us who your mentor was, what inspired you to apply, and how the program went for you ?

AY: Thank you for interviewing me, Amanda! The PB Rising Stars Mentorship was an amazing opportunity I came across without planning! Someone from the Twitter writing community encouraged me to apply, and told me that I would be a match for mentor Aya Khalil (Twitter, Website, Instagram). It seemed that one of my draft PBs, and my type in general fits her list, and I felt that we had things in common; in addition to the name of course :) So I did apply, and I was incredibly fortunate to be one of the mentees, and Aya’s. PB Rising Stars Mentorship taught me a LOT about the art of PB writing; from my mentor Aya, founders Kailei and Ebony in workshops, and other amazing people who led sessions. They all made it work perfectly! AD: Sounds like an amazing experience with a variety of opportunities to grow, learn, and make connections. Alright let’s do a speed round…Top three favorite children’s books of all time? Matilda by Roald Dahl (author) and Quentin Blake (illustrator), The Arabic Quilt: An Immigrant Story by Aya Khalil (author), Anait Semirdzhyan (illustrator) & Soul Food Sunday by Winsome Bingham (author) and C. G. Esperanza (illustrator) Coffee, tea (or neither)? Coffee! I try to limit my caffeine to 1-2 max per day (I already have trouble sleeping being a grand over thinker). Where is your safe place? With people I love; I just forget about everything which worries me and live in the moment. Dogs, cats, (or neither)? I’m not an animal person, but I love patting people’s cats and I appreciate the loyalty of dogs. Early bird or night owl? Night owl!Three words to describe what it takes to make it in the kidlit world…Empathy, perseverance, confidence. AD: Okay, now down to the serious stuff….please dish us the dirt on who you are and your journey into the fabulous world of children’s books.

AY: I have been a reader since I was a child; I started with shop signs and billboards, then newspapers, parents’ magazines, and everything I could find. So far it was all in my native language, Arabic. Then I learned English at school and couldn’t stop reading textbooks, then stories! Discovering fiction definitely altered my taste :) Soon I was reading novels and went as big as the Harry Potter series and from there I was mostly interested in the Young Adult genre, and I starting writing a YA novel. For years, I’ve been doing editing and querying rounds (still am, and I’m plotting series), until I was encouraged to pair with someone from the writing community on a Picture Book / the Middle Grade genre in general. I started reading and writing that genre, and it has been a great journey! PBs and YA novels are different; I feel that moving between them is like switching languages.

AD: I love how since you were young, you've looked to your surroundings for inspiration and have always been a reader but did you always know you wanted to be an author a well? Have you explored other paths or had/have other jobs?

AY: It all started with the YA novel; it was before college. I didn’t take it seriously until I started college, but then I knew. So I studied Engineering, graduated, and I’m now a software Product Manager by day and I work on my writing whenever I can (with the hope of doing it professionally and having more time for it at least part-time). AD: What topics or themes do you tend to focus on in your writing? Favorite genres you like to write in or favorite techniques?

AY: I love contemporary, and things I deal with / am surrounded with usually creep into my writing; e.g. self-image and self-acceptance. I also focus on representing people I know and those who aren’t represented much in fiction; i.e. those from / who live in the Middle East and Muslims. I think the best thing about fiction is reading and learning about everyone, and also finding a couple of books to read about a character you relate to; someone who could be you!

AD: Yes! Seeing ourselves in the characters and stories we read is so important and powerful but getting our stories into the hands of agents and publishers so children can relate and connect is not easy! What’s been the biggest challenge you’ve faced thus far? What have you done to persevere?

AY: Believing in myself is an ongoing challenge; I keep reminding myself about my strengths, and try to focus on compliments and any sort of motivation from others. Publishing rejections make it even tougher, but we have to keep trying :)

AD: Yes! Never give up!!

Ayah finds inspiration in her travels and at airports such as, the beautiful King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Photo Credit © 2022 Ayah Yasser
AD: You mentioned the challenge of self-doubt and often as creators (and humans), we tend to focus on the flaws of our creations or areas for improvement. This helps us grow and develop, but we need not forget the many things we are doing well. With this in mind, what has been your biggest accomplishment or something you are most proud of thus far on your journey?

AY: For PBs, it’s being chosen to be a PB Rising Star mentee; I know that everything happens for a reason, and I intend to keep going until I make it. For YA, I wrote a novel, did rounds of edits, got some good feedback, and planned a number of sequels. I try to tell myself that this itself is winning, and that I will catch a break in the publishing industry at some point.

AD: In a similar vein, what do you feel are your strengths as an author? What makes your writing unique to you?

AY: I think that I understand emotions in a certain way, and I write about them in a relatable manner, which makes people say “Yes, that’s it!”. I weave it into the story to make the reader feel what the character is feeling, and I mix it up with humor in other scenes. I apply this to stories which aren’t currently widely in the market (stories set in the Middle East + Muslim stories in general). I simply write what I wish I could have read.

AD: What inspires your work?

AY: I take little things from my life and take those ideas to a complete fiction form.

Natural views; especially beaches inspire Ayah. © 2022 Ayah Yasser AD: Tell us about your creative process and what you do to keep ideas flowing or what you do when feeling stuck?

AY: When I’m hit by an idea, I write down notes on my phone or record a voice memo. The deeper I go into it, the more I get other ideas, and I keep that process. It’s one of the fun parts! When I’m not very inspired, two things bring the ideas back: spending time with people and fiction is usually helpful; books, series and movies take me to another world, and help me see something new.

AD: Notes and voice memos on the phones are the best! What sorts of things have been most integral in your growth as an author?

AY: Iterating over and over on my work, and trying the group approach (mentorship, courses, and I’m working on the critique partner part after I have been heavily advised on that one)

AD: Oh yes!! I'm jumping on the critique partner/group recommendation train as well. Couldn't do without. Having your community to help you improve and support you during the crazy ups and downs of the journey is vital! I'm sure you'll find the same when you find the right match, too!

Visual motivators help Ayah keep going! © 2022 Ayah Yasser
AD: What advice do you have for fellow kidlit creatives?

AY: Keep going! Draft and write, and get to know the writing community; it helps in shifting gears and trying new things. Also, doing things differently helps, and this mentorship made me realize that writing doesn’t have to be solo. I still find it tough to share my writing, because I worry about conflicting feedback, but there’s a stage for everything, and we don’t always have to take all feedback.

AD: Conflicting feedback can be tough but often the rule of threes comes in handy. If you hear the same thing three times or more, you may want to reexamine that portion of your story. Alright Ayah, sadly we're coming to the end of the interview so please tell us where we can find out more about you and your work...

AY: Writer me is mostly active on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AyaxYasser Thank you so much for sharing more about you and your work with us and more about the PB Rising Stars mentorship, and your creative journey! We can't wait to read your stories! Wishing you all the best in your search for an agent. Feel free to drop a comment below to support Ayah and her work. Be sure to subscribe so you don't miss out on the next Rising Stars in Kidlit feature and follow along on Twitter at #RisingStarsinKidlit! Lastly, since today is election day, this is your friendly reminder to go out there and CAST YOUR VOTE!!

© Photo Credit Angela Wood Photography Hi! I'm Amanda!

Amanda Davis is a teacher, artist, writer, and innovator who uses her words and pictures to light up the world with kindness. When she’s not busy creating, you can find her sipping tea, petting dogs, and exploring the natural wonders of The Bay State with her family and her rescue pup, Cora.

Amanda is represented by Jennifer Unter of The Unter Agency.

Amanda's award-winning picture book, 30,000 STITCHES is out now with WorthyKids/Hachette Book Group! Click here to learn more.

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Published on November 07, 2022 06:27

October 31, 2022

Rising Stars in KidLit: Margarett McBride

Margarett McBride, M.A. is a children’s book author and illustrator who resides in North Carolina but is proudly from Saginaw, Michigan. She uses her work to uplift the experiences of marginalized people and showcases what a safer, healthier, and more hopeful community looks like for youth of color. In addition to being a creative writer and artist, Margarett is also a Ph.D. Candidate in Developmental Psychology. She studies how neighborhood experiences influence Black youth and family well-being and development. Margarett also loves creating art through her business, Made By Margarett, LLC, volunteering at community festivals, and working with organizations to help increase community members’ sense of belonging. You can learn about her research, writing, and art at margarettmcbride.com, or you can follow her on social media @RenaissanceMars to stay up to date on her work and presentations. Margarett is currently seeking agent representation.

AD: Hi Margarett and welcome to the blog! Thank you so much for being here! I can’t wait to share more about your work and beautiful art with readers. Let’s start with your experience in the PB Rising Stars Mentorship Program. Can you tell us who your mentor is, what inspired you to apply, and how the program is going/went for you ?

MM: I have enjoyed my time as a PB Rising Stars Mentee. I’ve always been an “apply to everything, figure it out later” person. When I saw the application call, I knew I would apply, but it came at the perfect time. I had a book contract with a publisher but felt like I had no guidance, and I was in a place where I started to look into finding an agent. After seeing the fantastic mentors for the program, I was sold. Since I apply to many things, I am used to rejection and often expect it. To my surprise, my Twitter notifications were blowing up one day because I learned I was selected.

I was blessed to be paired with Tonya Abari as a mentor and Trenise Ferreira as a mentee twin. I genuinely believe these relationships will extend beyond the program and that they were the perfect people to be paired with for my writing journey. We have similar values and desires for the kidlit community and our readers.

Beyond my mentorship experience, the PB Rising Stars organizers did an outstanding job facilitating community amongst the mentees and providing training opportunities. Getting a glimpse into everything that people in the program are working towards (books, courses, etc.) was beautiful, and I am excited to see the fruits of all the seeds being planted by everyone.

AD: Relationships and community are huge! I’m glad you feel you built both through your time in the mentorship and your application story is a good lesson on never giving up! You never know when that win will come! Alright let’s do a speed round…

Top three favorite children’s books of all time? “Of all time” is too stressful for me because I love so many books! When I was a kid I was obsessed with The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle. My latest favorite book is Soul Food Sunday by Winsome Bingham. My favorite book from my first publisher, Free Spirit Books, is Jayden’s Impossible Garden. Coffee, tea (or neither)? Neither, I prefer hot cider or hot chocolate.Where is your safe place? My safe place is wherever I feel like I can be my complete self.Dogs, cats, (or neither)? I have a Goldendoodle named Appa so by default dog, but I like cats too! Margarett's Goldendoodle, Appa taking a snooze. Photo Credit © 2022 Margarett McBride

Margarett's Goldendoodle, Appa taking a snooze. Photo Credit © 2022 Margarett McBride

Early bird or night owl? Early bird!Three words to describe what it takes to make it in the kidlit world… Genuine, Community, Determination

AD: Okay, now down to the serious stuff….p lease dish us the dirt on who you are and your journey into the fabulous world of children’s books.

MM: Besides my love of books as a child, my journey into children’s book writing began around seven or eight years ago. I went to the University of Michigan for my undergraduate degree, and my first year writing course was about children’s books, taught by Elizabeth Goodenough. In that course, we learned about the history of children’s books, their components, the art, and everything in between. Our final assignment involved writing a children’s book story.

At the time, my stepfather was incarcerated. This experience and seeing how the family responded to his incarceration inspired my first book, then titled, Nelson’s Significant Letter, now titled Dear Dad, Love Nelson. The story initially consisted of one letter that Nelson wrote to his father. After graduating, I decided I wanted to see this project expanded. I looked into SCBWI and how to submit the manuscript to publishers. I also took another children’s book course with Susie Wilde through my local art center. I used that opportunity to rewrite my story into several letters, and I completely revamped the story thanks to Susie’s guidance and the feedback from our critique group in the class. After a few years of submitting to publishers, I found a breakthrough in 2021 from a Twitter Pitch Competition (#PBPi
tch). Meg Bratsch, the then acquiring editor for Free Spirit Publishing, liked my pitch and made my goal a reality. This story will come out in 2023 with Free Spirit Publishing. Since then, I’ve written another book that will be published with Free Spirit as well (details to come) and was lucky enough to be in community with the PB Rising Stars community. This is just the beginning of my journey, but I am excited to develop and grow within the kidlit community.

AD: That’s amazing, Margarett! Congratulations on both of your forthcoming titles. Dear Dad, Love Nelson sounds like both a beautiful yet difficult/important book to write. I look forward to checking it out and learning more about your next one. You mentioned you took a class in your undergraduate studies that sparked your path into kidlit but did you always know you wanted to be an author/illustrator? Have you explored other paths or had/have other jobs?

MM: When I was growing up, I thought I would maybe be an artist (not an illustrator), and I never intended to be an author at all. While I did love to read, I never thought of myself as a writer; honestly, English was always my least favorite class. Funny enough, many of the jobs I had consisted of being a writer to some degree. My first job was at a local newspaper (shout out to the Michigan Banner in Saginaw, MI). My two current jobs outside of being an author are also big writing jobs. One is a Ph.D. Candidate in Developmental Psychology at UNC. Being a student involved a lot of writing in general, but being a doctoral candidate and researcher involved so much writing that I am surprised I even found time and desire to do creative writing. My other job involved being a Senior Associate of Storytelling at Cities United. This job requires writing as well. This job also made me realize that even though I never wanted to be a writer or author, I’ve always been a storyteller who liked to fluctuate the medium where I told stories, whether with writing, art, or organizing.

AD: Always a storyteller at heart What topics or themes do you tend to focus on in your writing/art? Favorite genres you like to write in or favorite art materials/techniques?

MM: My creative, academic, and professional writing all centers around Black youth, families, and neighborhoods. In my work, I try to build safe, healthy, and hopeful communities; in my writing, I like to tell stories about what that looks like in real life. I want to write creatively about fictional scenarios based on my own family, research, or things that could happen. Even if the context is challenging, I like to make sure the story shows hope, healing, and love. I want to highlight the positive aspects of community and the humanity of Black families. It is always a bonus if I can also throw in some humor.

AD: Breaking into the publishing industry is not easy! What’s been the biggest challenge you’ve faced thus far? What have you done to persevere?

MM: So far, the biggest challenge was believing in myself and my story to keep going. We speak about being consistent or determined, but there is less talk about confidence and how sure you need to be in order to be consistent or determined. Thankfully I have a wonderful community that finds a way to boost my confidence when I doubt myself. The best way to persevere is to find your community and utilize them. Speak up when needed and talk about how you feel and what you experience. Finding the community is one step, but using them is the only way you can see the benefit of being in community.

AD: Yes! This is such an important reminder. Self-doubt can easily creep in and reaching out for help is crucial! In addition, as creators (and humans), we tend to focus on the flaws of our creations or areas for improvement. This helps us grow and develop, but we need not forget the many things we are doing well. With this in mind, what has been your biggest accomplishment or something you are most proud of thus far on your writing/illustration journey?

MM: For my second picture book, I designed a character and put out the option for me to be the author/illustrator of the story. While we decided to go in another direction for the illustrator, I was super proud of myself for making the design and asking about the opportunity. So while that didn’t end up being successful, I felt great because I developed a lot as an artist by creating the images. I even feel like I grew personally since I typically don’t advocate for myself or my future goals in that way. I am most proud of myself for putting myself out there as an artist and author. Maybe one day I’ll get to wear the illustrator hat as well, but for now, I am one step closer.

AD: Good for you for taking that leap and stating your needs and wants. I’m in the same boat with the author-illustrator goal. It will come when the time is right I adore your character below and hope to see more of them in the future.

AD: In a similar vein, what do you feel are your strengths as an author/illustrator? What makes your art/writing unique to you?

MM: Others believe and have told me that I have a gift of knowledge and voice. As a Ph.D. Candidate studying Developmental Psychology and how neighborhood experiences impact families, I have a keen understanding of not only my personal experiences but what life experiences look like for larger groups of people, especially Black Americans (youth and families). This knowledge of my own life and what happens to others has been crucial in my writing process and crafting relatable stories that hit on topics necessary to talk about on a larger scale. I have also been told I can get into my character’s voice. I think deeply about my family members and try to instill a little portion of them in my characters and stories, which helps my characters come to life and make them relatable to others. My readers can see their family members and themselves in my characters because of how I use voice in my stories. Those two factors are some of my greatest strengths and make me unique.

AD: Voice is something we so often hear about in this industry and something that is often hard to establish in our writing. It sounds like through a lot of personal and professional research and navigation, it led you to there. Yay! It’s also great that your work allows you to have a pulse on what’s going on in the lives of youth and be able to communicate these experiences in a meaningful way.

AD: What inspires your work?

MM: My friends, my family, and my research have been big inspirations for my work. As I said before, I try to instill a little of the people I love into my characters and stories. I research human development, so thinking about how the environment will impact my characters and their development is also a place of inspiration for me.

AD: Tell us about your creative process and what you do to keep ideas flowing or what you do when feeling stuck?

MM: What I do as a creative process varies depending on what is going on in my life. This season, I have been trying to let go of the feeling of being “stuck” and pivot to what feels natural to work instead. I do many different things (art, research, creative writing, work, etc.), which has allowed me not to get caught up in being stuck but to shift my focus until I get inspired to write again. Considering my inspirations, it usually works out. I think of new ideas when spending time with family or in the weeds of another project.

AD: What sorts of things have been most integral in your growth as an author/illustrator?

MM: Forcing myself into accountability groups has helped a lot. As I said before, I have taken different courses about children’s book writing and even art. These courses force me to work on my craft and share the development of my project with a group. This helps me keep going and allows me to get ideas from other people. Sometimes a new perspective is needed to push you forward and to get you out of the strict mindset we often place on ourselves. It is also a good way to make new friends!

AD: Yes, this is great advice! What other advice do you have for fellow kidlit creatives?

MM: I will sound like a broken record, but my advice to anyone trying to do anything is to find their community. Find community. Create community. Utilize community. There are things you can do yourself, but doing it with others or sharing your story makes it easier to keep going, grow, and get inspired. Find a class, create a support group, make a friend with similar goals, or even volunteer at the library. No matter what you do, you must be willing to take the first step.

AD: Where can readers find out more about you and your work?

Website General: https://margarettmcbride.com/
Website Art Business: https://www.madebymargarett.com/
Twitter: @RenaissanceMars
Instagram: @RenaissanceMars
Art Business Twitter: @MadebyMargarett
Art Business Instagram: @MadebyMargarett
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/margarettmcbride-989/

Margarett, thank you so much for sharing your art/writing with us and more about the PB Rising Stars mentorship, and your creative journey! Congrats again on your books. I can’t wait to read them. Wishing you all the best in your search for an agent. Feel free to drop a comment below to support Margarett and her work. Be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss out on the next Rising Stars in Kidlit feature and follow along on Twitter at #RisingStarsinKidlit!

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Published on October 31, 2022 17:00

Rising Stars in KidLit: Margarett McBride

Photo Credit © 2022 Margarett McBride Margarett McBride, M.A. is a children’s book author and illustrator who resides in North Carolina but is proudly from Saginaw, Michigan. She uses her work to uplift the experiences of marginalized people and showcases what a safer, healthier, and more hopeful community looks like for youth of color. In addition to being a creative writer and artist, Margarett is also a Ph.D. Candidate in Developmental Psychology. She studies how neighborhood experiences influence Black youth and family well-being and development. Margarett also loves creating art through her business, Made By Margarett, LLC, volunteering at community festivals, and working with organizations to help increase community members' sense of belonging. You can learn about her research, writing, and art at margarettmcbride.com, or you can follow her on social media @RenaissanceMars to stay up to date on her work and presentations. Margarett is currently seeking agent representation.

AD: Hi Margarett and welcome to the blog! Thank you so much for being here! I can't wait to share more about your work and beautiful art with readers. Let’s start with your experience in the PB Rising Stars Mentorship Program. Can you tell us who your mentor is, what inspired you to apply, and how the program is going/went for you ?

MM: I have enjoyed my time as a PB Rising Stars Mentee. I’ve always been an “apply to everything, figure it out later” person. When I saw the application call, I knew I would apply, but it came at the perfect time. I had a book contract with a publisher but felt like I had no guidance, and I was in a place where I started to look into finding an agent. After seeing the fantastic mentors for the program, I was sold. Since I apply to many things, I am used to rejection and often expect it. To my surprise, my Twitter notifications were blowing up one day because I learned I was selected.

I was blessed to be paired with Tonya Abari as a mentor and Trenise Ferreira as a mentee twin. I genuinely believe these relationships will extend beyond the program and that they were the perfect people to be paired with for my writing journey. We have similar values and desires for the kidlit community and our readers.

Beyond my mentorship experience, the PB Rising Stars organizers did an outstanding job facilitating community amongst the mentees and providing training opportunities. Getting a glimpse into everything that people in the program are working towards (books, courses, etc.) was beautiful, and I am excited to see the fruits of all the seeds being planted by everyone. AD: Relationships and community are huge! I'm glad you feel you built both through your time in the mentorship and your application story is a good lesson on never giving up! You never know when that win will come! Alright let’s do a speed round…Top three favorite children’s books of all time? “Of all time” is too stressful for me because I love so many books! When I was a kid I was obsessed with The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle. My latest favorite book is Soul Food Sunday by Winsome Bingham. My favorite book from my first publisher, Free Spirit Books, is Jayden’s Impossible Garden. Coffee, tea (or neither)? Neither, I prefer hot cider or hot chocolate.Where is your safe place? My safe place is wherever I feel like I can be my complete self.Dogs, cats, (or neither)? I have a Goldendoodle named Appa so by default dog, but I like cats too!

Margarett's Goldendoodle, Appa taking a snooze. Photo Credit © 2022 Margarett McBride Early bird or night owl? Early bird!Three words to describe what it takes to make it in the kidlit world… Genuine, Community, Determination AD: Okay, now down to the serious stuff….please dish us the dirt on who you are and your journey into the fabulous world of children’s books.

MM: Besides my love of books as a child, my journey into children's book writing began around seven or eight years ago. I went to the University of Michigan for my undergraduate degree, and my first year writing course was about children's books, taught by Elizabeth Goodenough. In that course, we learned about the history of children's books, their components, the art, and everything in between. Our final assignment involved writing a children's book story.

At the time, my stepfather was incarcerated. This experience and seeing how the family responded to his incarceration inspired my first book, then titled, Nelson's Significant Letter, now titled Dear Dad, Love Nelson. The story initially consisted of one letter that Nelson wrote to his father. After graduating, I decided I wanted to see this project expanded. I looked into SCBWI and how to submit the manuscript to publishers. I also took another children's book course with Susie Wilde through my local art center. I used that opportunity to rewrite my story into several letters, and I completely revamped the story thanks to Susie's guidance and the feedback from our critique group in the class. After a few years of submitting to publishers, I found a breakthrough in 2021 from a Twitter Pitch Competition (#PBPitch). Meg Bratsch, the then acquiring editor for Free Spirit Publishing, liked my pitch and made my goal a reality. This story will come out in 2023 with Free Spirit Publishing. Since then, I've written another book that will be published with Free Spirit as well (details to come) and was lucky enough to be in community with the PB Rising Stars community. This is just the beginning of my journey, but I am excited to develop and grow within the kidlit community.

AD: That's amazing, Margarett! Congratulations on both of your forthcoming titles. Dear Dad, Love Nelson sounds like both a beautiful yet difficult/important book to write. I look forward to checking it out and learning more about your next one. You mentioned you took a class in your undergraduate studies that sparked your path into kidlit but did you always know you wanted to be an author/illustrator? Have you explored other paths or had/have other jobs?

MM: When I was growing up, I thought I would maybe be an artist (not an illustrator), and I never intended to be an author at all. While I did love to read, I never thought of myself as a writer; honestly, English was always my least favorite class. Funny enough, many of the jobs I had consisted of being a writer to some degree. My first job was at a local newspaper (shout out to the Michigan Banner in Saginaw, MI). My two current jobs outside of being an author are also big writing jobs. One is a Ph.D. Candidate in Developmental Psychology at UNC. Being a student involved a lot of writing in general, but being a doctoral candidate and researcher involved so much writing that I am surprised I even found time and desire to do creative writing. My other job involved being a Senior Associate of Storytelling at Cities United. This job requires writing as well. This job also made me realize that even though I never wanted to be a writer or author, I’ve always been a storyteller who liked to fluctuate the medium where I told stories, whether with writing, art, or organizing.

AD: Always a storyteller at heart :) What topics or themes do you tend to focus on in your writing/art? Favorite genres you like to write in or favorite art materials/techniques?

MM: My creative, academic, and professional writing all centers around Black youth, families, and neighborhoods. In my work, I try to build safe, healthy, and hopeful communities; in my writing, I like to tell stories about what that looks like in real life. I want to write creatively about fictional scenarios based on my own family, research, or things that could happen. Even if the context is challenging, I like to make sure the story shows hope, healing, and love. I want to highlight the positive aspects of community and the humanity of Black families. It is always a bonus if I can also throw in some humor.

Art by © 2022 Margarett McBride AD: Breaking into the publishing industry is not easy! What’s been the biggest challenge you’ve faced thus far? What have you done to persevere?

MM: So far, the biggest challenge was believing in myself and my story to keep going. We speak about being consistent or determined, but there is less talk about confidence and how sure you need to be in order to be consistent or determined. Thankfully I have a wonderful community that finds a way to boost my confidence when I doubt myself. The best way to persevere is to find your community and utilize them. Speak up when needed and talk about how you feel and what you experience. Finding the community is one step, but using them is the only way you can see the benefit of being in community.

AD: Yes! This is such an important reminder. Self-doubt can easily creep in and reaching out for help is crucial! In addition, as creators (and humans), we tend to focus on the flaws of our creations or areas for improvement. This helps us grow and develop, but we need not forget the many things we are doing well. With this in mind, what has been your biggest accomplishment or something you are most proud of thus far on your writing/illustration journey?

MM: For my second picture book, I designed a character and put out the option for me to be the author/illustrator of the story. While we decided to go in another direction for the illustrator, I was super proud of myself for making the design and asking about the opportunity. So while that didn’t end up being successful, I felt great because I developed a lot as an artist by creating the images. I even feel like I grew personally since I typically don’t advocate for myself or my future goals in that way. I am most proud of myself for putting myself out there as an artist and author. Maybe one day I’ll get to wear the illustrator hat as well, but for now, I am one step closer.

AD: Good for you for taking that leap and stating your needs and wants. I'm in the same boat with the author-illustrator goal. It will come when the time is right :) I adore your character below and hope to see more of them in the future.

Art by © 2022 Margarett McBride AD: In a similar vein, what do you feel are your strengths as an author/illustrator? What makes your art/writing unique to you?

MM: Others believe and have told me that I have a gift of knowledge and voice. As a Ph.D. Candidate studying Developmental Psychology and how neighborhood experiences impact families, I have a keen understanding of not only my personal experiences but what life experiences look like for larger groups of people, especially Black Americans (youth and families). This knowledge of my own life and what happens to others has been crucial in my writing process and crafting relatable stories that hit on topics necessary to talk about on a larger scale. I have also been told I can get into my character's voice. I think deeply about my family members and try to instill a little portion of them in my characters and stories, which helps my characters come to life and make them relatable to others. My readers can see their family members and themselves in my characters because of how I use voice in my stories. Those two factors are some of my greatest strengths and make me unique.

AD: Voice is something we so often hear about in this industry and something that is often hard to establish in our writing. It sounds like through a lot of personal and professional research and navigation, it led you to there. Yay! It's also great that your work allows you to have a pulse on what's going on in the lives of youth and be able to communicate these experiences in a meaningful way.

Art by © 2022 Margarett McBride AD: What inspires your work?

MM: My friends, my family, and my research have been big inspirations for my work. As I said before, I try to instill a little of the people I love into my characters and stories. I research human development, so thinking about how the environment will impact my characters and their development is also a place of inspiration for me. AD: Tell us about your creative process and what you do to keep ideas flowing or what you do when feeling stuck?

MM: What I do as a creative process varies depending on what is going on in my life. This season, I have been trying to let go of the feeling of being “stuck” and pivot to what feels natural to work instead. I do many different things (art, research, creative writing, work, etc.), which has allowed me not to get caught up in being stuck but to shift my focus until I get inspired to write again. Considering my inspirations, it usually works out. I think of new ideas when spending time with family or in the weeds of another project.

AD: What sorts of things have been most integral in your growth as an author/illustrator?

MM: Forcing myself into accountability groups has helped a lot. As I said before, I have taken different courses about children’s book writing and even art. These courses force me to work on my craft and share the development of my project with a group. This helps me keep going and allows me to get ideas from other people. Sometimes a new perspective is needed to push you forward and to get you out of the strict mindset we often place on ourselves. It is also a good way to make new friends!

Art by © 2022 Margarett McBride AD: Yes, this is great advice! What other advice do you have for fellow kidlit creatives?

MM: I will sound like a broken record, but my advice to anyone trying to do anything is to find their community. Find community. Create community. Utilize community. There are things you can do yourself, but doing it with others or sharing your story makes it easier to keep going, grow, and get inspired. Find a class, create a support group, make a friend with similar goals, or even volunteer at the library. No matter what you do, you must be willing to take the first step.

AD: Where can readers find out more about you and your work?

Website General: https://margarettmcbride.com/
Website Art Business: https://www.madebymargarett.com/
Twitter: @RenaissanceMars
Instagram: @RenaissanceMars
Art Business Twitter: @MadebyMargarett
Art Business Instagram: @MadebyMargarett
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/margarettmcbride-989/ Margarett, thank you so much for sharing your art/writing with us and more about the PB Rising Stars mentorship, and your creative journey! Congrats again on your books. I can't wait to read them. Wishing you all the best in your search for an agent. Feel free to drop a comment below to support Margarett and her work. Be sure to subscribe so you don't miss out on the next Rising Stars in Kidlit feature and follow along on Twitter at #RisingStarsinKidlit!

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Published on October 31, 2022 06:25

October 24, 2022

#RisingStarsinKidLit: Trenise Ferreira

Photo Credit: © UCLA Photography Trenise Ferreira uses her Black Girl Magic to tell all kinds of stories. She's told them to second graders as a teacher, sports fans as a football writer, and Disney fans as a publicist at Walt Disney World Resort. When not telling stories about the black excellence (and animals, history or general silliness), she works in diversity, equity & inclusion corporate communications.

AD: Hi Trenise and welcome to the blog! Thank you so much for being here! Can you start us off by telling us a bit more about your experience in the PB Rising Stars Mentorship Program.

TF: I cannot rave about PB Rising Stars enough, and I'm so grateful for Kailei and Ebony for getting this program up and running! Being a part of the inaugural class is very special to me, and the other mentees I’m learning with are so incredibly talented.

My mentor is Tonya Abari and she is the perfect mentor for me! Our journeys to picture book writing have a lot of similarities, and there is just something so…empowering about having a mentor who looks like me. Her journey to publishing gives me hope that I, too, will get that exciting call about a book deal one day.

As an agented but pre-published writer, I have been interested in mentorship for a long time, but the programs are all for unagented writers. I tweeted about this predicament, and how, as a pre-published writer, I have a lot of questions and could use guidance myself on navigating things like managing the agent relationship, how to revise with more intentionality, what to do with your manuscripts aren’t getting any pickup, etc. Being agented but pre-published is kind of like No Mans’ Lands – my fellow writers and critique partners who are unagented are on one side of me, and then writers I admire who have sold multiple books are on the other. It can feel like there’s no place for you to go for guidance when you’re midway up the hill. So I was VERY excited to learn that there would be a mentor in PB Rising Stars taking on agented mentees! I knew having a mentor would make me a better writer, and that working with someone published would help me tighten up my manuscripts and approach them with new perspectives. So far, PB Rising Stars has been everything I could have hoped for and more.

In addition to having a super fun Slack channel to chat with my fellow mentees, I meet with my mentor bimonthly to talk manuscripts, receive feedback and ask questions/get answers about the publishing industry. If that wasn’t valuable enough, we’ve so far been through two webinars led by Ebony, that have been PHENOMENAL. The first helped us think more critically about how successful picture books are structured and why they work, and the second – honestly one of my favorite craft courses I have ever taken – was about taking inspiration from hip-hop music, using literary devices to revise with intentionality. That course was incredibly beneficial to me – it made me want to toss all my old drafts out the window and revise my heart out, haha! And in seriousness, taking the lessons I learned from that course did guide a revision of a current project that, I think, is my best work yet. When Ebony’s courses go live on Thursday (08/18), I HIGHLY recommend that aspiring picture book writers sign up!

PB Rising Stars has brought me a crew of incredible women who will one day take the PB world by storm, as well as got me connected with published writers that I can learn from. At this juncture in my PB journey, this is exactly what I needed.

AD: This is AMAZING!! You're spot on about the 'No Mans' Land' of agented but pre-published. I'm so glad you and Tonya were matched and that you've taken away many valuable insights from the process. These connections and communities that we immerse ourself in on our journey's can do so much for our growth, confidence, and motivation. I look forward to checking out Ebony's classes! Sounds awesome! Alright let’s do a speed round…Top three favorite children’s books of all time? The Rainbow Fish: I can’t remember what it was about now, but it had that beautiful shiny cover! I have always loved shiny things, hahaha! The Junie B. Jones series: I loved this series as a young girl, and I remember getting excited each and every time I got to buy new ones at what was then Crown bookstores.Captain Underpants: There was no joy in life greater than when the Book Fair would come to school, and my parents had given me money for the latest Captain Underpants books! I loved these so much, that I went and saw the movie when it came in 2017 (at the ripe old age of 27), and I had a BLAST reliving childhood.Coffee, tea (or neither) Definitely tea for me! As the child of a Jamaican immigrant, I am inclined to agree that the Brits are right on this one. Tea is everything!Where is your safe place? I feel the most at ease and at peace when I am at the beach, which is why I love living on the west side of LA. I’m about 15 minutes from the beach, and just being able to take a walk on the beach every day is so soothing and centering for me.Dogs, cats, (or neither)? Dogs, all day every day! I don’t have one yet, but my fiancé and I plan to get a French Bulldog one day named Napoleon, nickname “Poe.” Whenever we see Frenchies around town, we call them Poes!Early bird or night owl? In general, when it comes to my life away from writing, I am an early bird. But if I get on good writing or reading roll, you will absolutely catch me up after midnight, just finishing “one more” page or writing “one more” sentence.Three words to describe what it takes to make it in the kidlit world…Confidence, Wonder, Tenacity

Trenise and her fiancé after they climbed Koko head in Hawaii. An experience that she says will be a picture book one day! Photo Credit: © Trenise Ferreira AD: Okay, now down to the serious stuff….please dish us the dirt on who you are and your journey into the fabulous world of children’s books.

TF: When I was in third grade, my teacher told my mom that I could write children's books one day. I wish I could tell you what I wrote that made her think this, but since I started my kidlit journey in 2020 I think about it all the time! It only took 22 years, but my teacher was onto something.

Like it did for basically everyone on Earth right now, the COVID-19 pandemic had a drastic impact on my life, more specifically my day job. The shift to work from home really freed me up to pursue personal hobbies, and instead of learning how to make sourdough bread, I started writing books! I actually started writing chapter books first – I had read an article in the Hollywood Reporter about the creator of Magic School Bus (at the time, the remake of the show was coming soon on Netflix), and she mentioned that she was inspired to create a series about science for kids simply because one didn’t exist. And that got me thinking about how there are not really any book series that center women of color in history. When I was a kid, there was the American Girl book series which was FANTASTIC but beyond that… crickets. So I decided to write one!

That project has evolved from a chapter book to a middle-grade project, but it was the first story that popped so clearly into my head and I had to sit down and write it. I started it in May 2020 and finished it in early August of that year. It’s my passion project, and I just know that one day it will see the light of day.

But even if it doesn’t that project holds a special place in my heart for two reasons. One, my dad was the first person I told when I finished writing it, and a few weeks later he died. I think about him every day, and though he will never see me publish a book, he got to know that I finished one and that I was starting my journey as a writer. And two, because in December 2020, my fiancé gifted me a writing course through UCLA Extension so that I could revise and strengthen the manuscript, and that course would change the course of my writing journey.

It was an Intro to Writing for Children course, and the first assignment was to write a picture book. I wrote a pretty strong one, and my professor encouraged me to query it. I did, and I secured my agent with it! And now here we are two years and a handful of writing courses later, and I am firmly cemented in the kidlit community, waiting for my turn to post “vague publishing tweets” about good news!

AD: As a former educator, I love that your first author seed was planted by a teacher :) and good for you for seeing a gap in the picture book market and working to fill it! I can't wait to read your stories about women of color in history! So now we know being a children's book author was a path that was mentioned to you when you were young but did you always know you wanted to be an author? Have you explored other paths or had/have other jobs?

TF: In high school, I self-published a YA novel, loosely based on my high school experience. What a time that was, haha! But beyond that, I did not seriously consider being an author as a career until two years ago. After high school, I pursued Broadcast & Digital Journalism at USC and then got my masters in Multimedia Journalism from UC Berkeley. I was a sports journalist for the first three years of my career, and it was the absolute best! College football is my first love, and covering sports was my first stint at being a professional writer, if you will. I currently work in corporate communications, and before that as a publicist at Walt Disney World. So even though I am new to authoring, I have been a storyteller for as long as I can remember.

AD: Oh my goodness, I love this and can relate. As an English Communications major and Art minor in my undergraduate, Journalism was a big focus of mine. I love that when we write for children, we still get to interview sources and conduct research in our writing. It's one of my favorite parts. I love connecting with primary sources for my nonfiction kids books and getting to hear their stories and backgrounds. We are certainly lucky ducks to get to do this work!!

Trenise pictured on University of Southern California Game Day. She LOVES her alma mater and is a very proud Trojan! Photo Credit: © Trenise Ferreira AD: What topics or themes do you tend to focus on in your writing? Favorite genres you like to write in?

TF: I love writing about black American joy and culture, and especially black heroes, whether contemporary or from the past, that are not often taught in schools. I feel like a lot of the Black history narrative is: here are three people from the slavery era, here’s Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks, and here’s the Obamas. The end! And while all of those leaders and world-changers are incredibly important, there are even more figures from science, from culinary arts, from sports and from literature whose names we don’t say enough. I intend to say them, and with resounding joy and triumph while I do it. When not writing about the culture, I am a HUGE animal science nerd, so you will absolutely see lots of facts in my fiction.

AD: Love me some informational fiction!! :)

Trenise at the Colosseum in Rome. Trenise's curiosity about the world around her and history specifically inform a lot of her narrative non-fiction or informational fiction work. Photo Credit: © Trenise Ferreira AD: Breaking into the publishing industry is not easy! What’s been the biggest challenge you’ve faced thus far? What have you done to persevere?

TF: The biggest challenge so far has been getting a book deal, haha! Kidlit Twitter is always talking about the waiting when you’re querying, but the waiting while on submission is so much worse! It can be months of just…silence. Just waiting and waiting and waiting, ultimately to get a no. I’ve gone to acquisitions twice now, but no dice so far. The most recent rejection really hurt, and it took me the better part of a weekend to get over it. But, as a former journalist, rejection is something I’m used to. I don’t know if it gets easier to stomach rejection, as much as you get stronger and more confident in your writing to brush them off. On my hardest days, I remember that all my faves in publishing have faced rejection, and yet here they are, with multiple published books and in some cases, TV and movie adaptations.

My dad always used to say, “Whatever is for you is for you,” and it’s 100 percent true. When it’s for you, nothing can stop it from happening, and you look back and all the rejections were worth it to get to that perfect (for you) yes. AD: Yes! I love your positive outlook and the mantra from your father. Sometimes it's hard to stay positive in this industry and as creators (and humans), we tend to focus on the flaws of our creations or areas for improvement. This helps us grow and develop, but we need not forget the many things we are doing well. With this in mind, what has been your biggest accomplishment or something you are most proud of thus far on your writing journey?

TF: Getting my agent and being chosen as a PB Rising Stars mentee. I think I’m a very strong writer, and getting this far just validates what I believe about myself!

AD: Yay! Congrats to both! In a similar vein, what do you feel are your strengths as an author? What makes your writing unique to you?

TF: I think I’m a great ideator and because I write for a living in my day job, I write pretty good “crappy” first drafts. I have goals of being a prolific writer, and my knack for turning anything into a story helps me make progress towards that goal.

AD: What inspires your work?

TF: Sports and my heritage (my dad immigrated from Jamaica and my mom is Black American) inform my writing style. I try to write the way I/Black Americans talk, which adds a rich texture to my storytelling. Beyond that, literally, everything inspires me – whether it’s scrolling Twitter, seeing something interesting on a walk or hearing a conversation in passing – I use everything around me as fodder for new story ideas.

Trenise at Ernest Hemingway's House in Havana, Cuba, and as you'll see, she's reading A Farewell to Arms. You will always find her with a book in her hand -- or on her phone as an audiobook for when she's driving or traveling -- and that includes taking books on vacation! Photo Credit © Trenise Ferreira AD: Tell us about your creative process and what you do to keep ideas flowing or what you do when feeling stuck?

TF: Since January, I’ve committed to writing 12 minutes a day. It’s a super casual number, way less intimidating than 15 or 30 minutes, or even hour. But you know what? more often than not, I write for more than 12 minutes anyway. Sometimes, those 12 minutes are used on sketching out a plot, actually writing a draft, or revising. But other times it’s brainstorming character names for a new project, or even writing about how I have nothing to write about! By any means necessary, I get those 12 minutes done. Making it a habit has helped me become a stronger writer.

As far as keeping ideas flowing, I go on a lot of walks. Also, scrolling Twitter, haha! I am not kidding when I say that three projects I am working on write now were inspired by funny tweets. I also commit to writing down five ideas a week in my Hot Ideas File, so I always have a folder of little story seeds that, when the time is right, I will pull out and water and watch them grow.

Also, I read a TON. I read 10 picture books a week (or try to anyway lol) and I have a 55-book (MG-adult) reading goal for the year. I am currently on my 48th read, and with each book I read, I glean new insights into how to write interesting characters, how to use voice, how to add tension, the importance of good pacing, etc. If you’re not reading while writing, start!

AD: This is so helpful! I love choosing a random number of minutes to write (12 has always been a favorite number of mine) and I need to retitle my boring 'Idea' folder to 'Hot Ideas', ha!! That sounds much more appealing. I'm a big walker-thinker, too!

Trenise at Rose Hall, one of the most famous Great Houses in all of Jamaica. Trenise's Jamaican heritage is very important to her and also informs a lot of her writing. Photo Credit: © Trenise Ferreira AD: What sorts of things have been most integral in your growth as an author?

TF: Courses. I cannot recommend enough that new writers invest in themselves by taking classes to really learn the tangible and intangible skills necessary to succeed as a writer. I’ve taken courses through the writing program at UCLA Extension and Children’s Book Academy and absolutely recommend both. But there are so many out there that are worth the cost. Not only because you’ll learn from published writers and editors about how to improve your craft, but these classes are always great places to meet critique partners! I met some of mine through the CBA, and working with them is the best. AD: What advice do you have for fellow kidlit creatives?

TF: I have three pieces of advice:Don’t measure your life by agent likes, requests and rejections. Doing so takes the joy out of writing, and really it doesn’t matter how many rejections you get; all you need is one “yes” to change your life.Know when to log off/take a break. If you’re like me, you spend A LOT of time on kidlit Twitter. While the community can be amazing and supportive, it can be hard to watch people succeed and announce book deals when you’re still just trying to get agented. When you feel your eyes creeping off your own paper and onto someone else’s, log off. Take a break and refocus on what YOU do best and tell the stories only YOU can tell.Find the joy. Life can feel really heavy and honestly, awful these days. But you know who doesn’t should these burdens of adults? Children. They find joy and wonder in everything. Channel that when writing and you’ll be amazed at what you can create.
AD: Such wise nuggets of wisdom , Trenise. Thank you! And lastly, where can readers find out more about you and your work?

TF: If you couldn’t tell, I love Twitter! I’m most active there, @TreniseFerreira. Thank you so much for sharing your insights, more about the PB Rising Stars mentorship, and your creative journey, Trenise! Congrats again on finding an agent and wishing you all the best on this next chapter of your journey. We can't wait to see your books in the hands of young readers! Feel free to drop a comment below to support Trenise and her work. Be sure to subscribe so you don't miss out on the next Rising Stars in Kidlit feature and follow along on Twitter at #RisingStarsinKidlit!

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Published on October 24, 2022 21:00

#RisingStarsinKidLit: Trenise Ferreira

Photo Credit: © UCLA Photography

Trenise Ferreira uses her Black Girl Magic to tell all kinds of stories. She’s told them to second graders as a teacher, sports fans as a football writer, and Disney fans as a publicist at Walt Disney World Resort. When not telling stories about the black excellence (and animals, history or general silliness), she works in diversity, equity & inclusion corporate communications.

AD: Hi Trenise and welcome to the blog! Thank you so much for being here! Can you start us off by telling us a bit more about your experience in the PB Rising Stars Mentorship Program.

TF: I cannot rave about PB Rising Stars enough, and I’m so grateful for Kailei and Ebony for getting this program up and running! Being a part of the inaugural class is very special to me, and the other mentees I’m learning with are so incredibly talented.

My mentor is Tonya Abari and she is the perfect mentor for me! Our journeys to picture book writing have a lot of similarities, and there is just something so…empowering about having a mentor who looks like me. Her journey to publishing gives me hope that I, too, will get that exciting call about a book deal one day.

As an agented but pre-published writer, I have been interested in mentorship for a long time, but the programs are all for unagented writers. I tweeted about this predicament, and how, as a pre-published writer, I have a lot of questions and could use guidance myself on navigating things like managing the agent relationship, how to revise with more intentionality, what to do with your manuscripts aren’t getting any pickup, etc. Being agented but pre-published is kind of like No Mans’ Lands – my fellow writers and critique partners who are unagented are on one side of me, and then writers I admire who have sold multiple books are on the other. It can feel like there’s no place for you to go for guidance when you’re midway up the hill. So I was VERY excited to learn that there would be a mentor in PB Rising Stars taking on agented mentees! I knew having a mentor would make me a better writer, and that working with someone published would help me tighten up my manuscripts and approach them with new perspectives. So far, PB Rising Stars has been everything I could have hoped for and more.

In addition to having a super fun Slack channel to chat with my fellow mentees, I meet with my mentor bimonthly to talk manuscripts, receive feedback and ask questions/get answers about the publishing industry. If that wasn’t valuable enough, we’ve so far been through two webinars led by Ebony, that have been PHENOMENAL. The first helped us think more critically about how successful picture books are structured and why they work, and the second – honestly one of my favorite craft courses I have ever taken – was about taking inspiration from hip-hop music, using literary devices to revise with intentionality. That course was incredibly beneficial to me – it made me want to toss all my old drafts out the window and revise my heart out, haha! And in seriousness, taking the lessons I learned from that course did guide a revision of a current project that, I think, is my best work yet. When Ebony’s courses go live on Thursday (08/18), I HIGHLY recommend that aspiring picture book writers sign up!

PB Rising Stars has brought me a crew of incredible women who will one day take the PB world by storm, as well as got me connected with published writers that I can learn from. At this juncture in my PB journey, this is exactly what I needed.

AD: This is AMAZING!! You’re spot on about the ‘No Mans’ Land’ of agented but pre-published. I’m so glad you and Tonya were matched and that you’ve taken away many valuable insights from the process. These connections and communities that we immerse ourself in on our journey’s can do so much for our growth, confidence, and motivation. I look forward to checking out Ebony’s classes! Sounds awesome!

Alright let’s do a speed round…

Top three favorite children’s books of all time? The Rainbow Fish: I can’t remember what it was about now, but it had that beautiful shiny cover! I have always loved shiny things, hahaha! The Junie B. Jones series: I loved this series as a young girl, and I remember getting excited each and every time I got to buy new ones at what was then Crown bookstores.Captain Underpants: There was no joy in life greater than when the Book Fair would come to school, and my parents had given me money for the latest Captain Underpants books! I loved these so much, that I went and saw the movie when it came in 2017 (at the ripe old age of 27), and I had a BLAST reliving childhood.Coffee, tea (or neither) Definitely tea for me! As the child of a Jamaican immigrant, I am inclined to agree that the Brits are right on this one. Tea is everything!Where is your safe place? I feel the most at ease and at peace when I am at the beach, which is why I love living on the west side of LA. I’m about 15 minutes from the beach, and just being able to take a walk on the beach every day is so soothing and centering for me.Dogs, cats, (or neither)? Dogs, all day every day! I don’t have one yet, but my fiancé and I plan to get a French Bulldog one day named Napoleon, nickname “Poe.” Whenever we see Frenchies around town, we call them Poes!Early bird or night owl? In general, when it comes to my life away from writing, I am an early bird. But if I get on good writing or reading roll, you will absolutely catch me up after midnight, just finishing “one more” page or writing “one
more” sentence.Three words to describe what it takes to make it in the kidlit world…Confidence, Wonder, Tenacity

Trenise and her fiancé after they climbed Koko head in Hawaii. An experience that she says will be a picture book one day! Photo Credit: © Trenise Ferreira

AD: Okay, now down to the serious stuff….please dish us the dirt on who you are and your journey into the fabulous world of children’s books.

TF: When I was in third grade, my teacher told my mom that I could write children’s books one day. I wish I could tell you what I wrote that made her think this, but since I started my kidlit journey in 2020 I think about it all the time! It only took 22 years, but my teacher was onto something.

Like it did for basically everyone on Earth right now, the COVID-19 pandemic had a drastic impact on my life, more specifically my day job. The shift to work from home really freed me up to pursue personal hobbies, and instead of learning how to make sourdough bread, I started writing books! I actually started writing chapter books first – I had read an article in the Hollywood Reporter about the creator of Magic School Bus (at the time, the remake of the show was coming soon on Netflix), and she mentioned that she was inspired to create a series about science for kids simply because one didn’t exist. And that got me thinking about how there are not really any book series that center women of color in history. When I was a kid, there was the American Girl book series which was FANTASTIC but beyond that… crickets. So I decided to write one!

That project has evolved from a chapter book to a middle-grade project, but it was the first story that popped so clearly into my head and I had to sit down and write it. I started it in May 2020 and finished it in early August of that year. It’s my passion project, and I just know that one day it will see the light of day.

But even if it doesn’t that project holds a special place in my heart for two reasons. One, my dad was the first person I told when I finished writing it, and a few weeks later he died. I think about him every day, and though he will never see me publish a book, he got to know that I finished one and that I was starting my journey as a writer. And two, because in December 2020, my fiancé gifted me a writing course through UCLA Extension so that I could revise and strengthen the manuscript, and that course would change the course of my writing journey.

It was an Intro to Writing for Children course, and the first assignment was to write a picture book. I wrote a pretty strong one, and my professor encouraged me to query it. I did, and I secured my agent with it! And now here we are two years and a handful of writing courses later, and I am firmly cemented in the kidlit community, waiting for my turn to post “vague publishing tweets” about good news!

AD: As a former educator, I love that your first author seed was planted by a teacher and good for you for seeing a gap in the picture book market and working to fill it! I can’t wait to read your stories about women of color in history! So now we know being a children’s book author was a path that was mentioned to you when you were young but did you always know you wanted to be an author? Have you explored other paths or had/have other jobs?

TF: In high school, I self-published a YA novel, loosely based on my high school experience. What a time that was, haha! But beyond that, I did not seriously consider being an author as a career until two years ago. After high school, I pursued Broadcast & Digital Journalism at USC and then got my masters in Multimedia Journalism from UC Berkeley. I was a sports journalist for the first three years of my career, and it was the absolute best! College football is my first love, and covering sports was my first stint at being a professional writer, if you will. I currently work in corporate communications, and before that as a publicist at Walt Disney World. So even though I am new to authoring, I have been a storyteller for as long as I can remember.

AD: Oh my goodness, I love this and can relate. As an English Communications major and Art minor in my undergraduate, Journalism was a big focus of mine. I love that when we write for children, we still get to interview sources and conduct research in our writing. It’s one of my favorite parts. I love connecting with primary sources for my nonfiction kids books and getting to hear their stories and backgrounds. We are certainly lucky ducks to get to do this work!!

Trenise pictured on University of Southern California Game Day. She LOVES her alma mater and is a very proud Trojan! Photo Credit: © Trenise Ferreira

AD: What topics or themes do you tend to focus on in your writing? Favorite genres you like to write in?

TF: I love writing about black American joy and culture, and especially black heroes, whether contemporary or from the past, that are not often taught in schools. I feel like a lot of the Black history narrative is: here are three people from the slavery era, here’s Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks, and here’s the Obamas. The end! And while all of those leaders and world-changers are incredibly important, there are even more figures from science, from culinary arts, from sports and from literature whose names we don’t say enough. I intend to say them, and with resounding joy and triumph while I do it. When not writing about the culture, I am a HUGE animal science nerd, so you will absolutely see lots of facts in my fiction.

AD: Love me some informational fiction!!

Trenise at the Colosseum in Rome. Trenise’s curiosity about the world around her and history specifically inform a lot of her narrative non-fiction or informational fiction work. Photo Credit: © Trenise Ferreira

AD: Breaking into the publishing industry is not easy! What’s been the biggest challenge you’ve faced thus far? What have you done to persevere?

TF: The biggest challenge so far has been getting a book deal, haha! Kidlit Twitter is always talking about the waiting when you’re querying, but the waiting while on submission is so much worse! It can be months of just…silence. Just waiting and waiting and waiting, ultimately to get a no. I’ve gone to acquisitions twice now, but no dice so far. The most recent rejection really hurt, and it took me the better part
of a weekend to get over it. But, as a former journalist, rejection is something I’m used to. I don’t know if it gets easier to stomach rejection, as much as you get stronger and more confident in your writing to brush them off. On my hardest days, I remember that all my faves in publishing have faced rejection, and yet here they are, with multiple published books and in some cases, TV and movie adaptations.

My dad always used to say, “Whatever is for you is for you,” and it’s 100 percent true. When it’s for you, nothing can stop it from happening, and you look back and all the rejections were worth it to get to that perfect (for you) yes.

AD: Yes! I love your positive outlook and the mantra from your father. Sometimes it’s hard to stay positive in this industry and as creators (and humans), we tend to focus on the flaws of our creations or areas for improvement. This helps us grow and develop, but we need not forget the many things we are doing well. With this in mind, what has been your biggest accomplishment or something you are most proud of thus far on your writing journey?

TF: Getting my agent and being chosen as a PB Rising Stars mentee. I think I’m a very strong writer, and getting this far just validates what I believe about myself!

AD: Yay! Congrats to both! In a similar vein, what do you feel are your strengths as an author? What makes your writing unique to you?

TF: I think I’m a great ideator and because I write for a living in my day job, I write pretty good “crappy” first drafts. I have goals of being a prolific writer, and my knack for turning anything into a story helps me make progress towards that goal.

AD: What inspires your work?

TF: Sports and my heritage (my dad immigrated from Jamaica and my mom is Black American) inform my writing style. I try to write the way I/Black Americans talk, which adds a rich texture to my storytelling. Beyond that, literally, everything inspires me – whether it’s scrolling Twitter, seeing something interesting on a walk or hearing a conversation in passing – I use everything around me as fodder for new story ideas.

Trenise at Ernest Hemingway’s House in Havana, Cuba, and as you’ll see, she’s reading A Farewell to Arms. You will always find her with a book in her hand — or on her phone as an audiobook for when she’s driving or traveling — and that includes taking books on vacation! Photo Credit © Trenise Ferreira

AD: Tell us about your creative process and what you do to keep ideas flowing or what you do when feeling stuck?

TF: Since January, I’ve committed to writing 12 minutes a day. It’s a super casual number, way less intimidating than 15 or 30 minutes, or even hour. But you know what? more often than not, I write for more than 12 minutes anyway. Sometimes, those 12 minutes are used on sketching out a plot, actually writing a draft, or revising. But other times it’s brainstorming character names for a new project, or even writing about how I have nothing to write about! By any means necessary, I get those 12 minutes done. Making it a habit has helped me become a stronger writer.

As far as keeping ideas flowing, I go on a lot of walks. Also, scrolling Twitter, haha! I am not kidding when I say that three projects I am working on write now were inspired by funny tweets. I also commit to writing down five ideas a week in my Hot Ideas File, so I always have a folder of little story seeds that, when the time is right, I will pull out and water and watch them grow.

Also, I read a TON. I read 10 picture books a week (or try to anyway lol) and I have a 55-book (MG-adult) reading goal for the year. I am currently on my 48th read, and with each book I read, I glean new insights into how to write interesting characters, how to use voice, how to add tension, the importance of good pacing, etc. If you’re not reading while writing, start!

AD: This is so helpful! I love choosing a random number of minutes to write (12 has always been a favorite number of mine) and I need to retitle my boring ‘Idea’ folder to ‘Hot Ideas’, ha!! That sounds much more appealing. I’m a big walker-thinker, too!

Trenise at Rose Hall, one of the most famous Great Houses in all of Jamaica. Trenise’s Jamaican heritage is very important to her and also informs a lot of her writing. Photo Credit: © Trenise Ferreira

AD: What sorts of things have been most integral in your growth as an author?

TF: Courses. I cannot recommend enough that new writers invest in themselves by taking classes to really learn the tangible and intangible skills necessary to succeed as a writer. I’ve taken courses through the writing program at UCLA Extension and Children’s Book Academy and absolutely recommend both. But there are so many out there that are worth the cost. Not only because you’ll learn from published writers and editors about how to improve your craft, but these classes are always great places to meet critique partners! I met some of mine through the CBA, and working with them is the best.

AD: What advice do you have for fellow kidlit creatives?

TF: I have three pieces of advice:

Don’t measure your life by agent likes, requests and rejections. Doing so takes the joy out of writing, and really it doesn’t matter how many rejections you get; all you need is one “yes” to change your life.Know when to log off/take a break. If you’re like me, you spend A LOT of time on kidlit Twitter. While the community can be amazing and supportive, it can be hard to watch people succeed and announce book deals when you’re still just trying to get agented. When you feel your eyes creeping off your own paper and onto someone else’s, log off. Take a break and refocus on what YOU do best and tell the stories only YOU can tell.Find the joy. Life can feel really heavy and honestly, awful these days. But you know who doesn’t should these burdens of adults? Children. They find joy and wonder in everything. Channel that when writing and you’ll be amazed at what you can create.

AD: Such wise nuggets of wisdom , Trenise. Thank you! And lastly, where can readers find out more about you and your work?

TF: If you couldn’t tell, I love Twitter! I’m most active there, @TreniseFerreira.

Thank you so much for sharing your insights, more about the PB Rising Stars mentorship, and your creative journey, Trenise! Congrats again on finding an agen
t and wishing you all the best on this next chapter of your journey. We can’t wait to see your books in the hands of young readers! Feel free to drop a comment below to support Trenise and her work. Be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss out on the next Rising Stars in Kidlit feature and follow along on Twitter at #RisingStarsinKidlit!

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Published on October 24, 2022 17:00

October 17, 2022

#RisingStarsinKidLit: Kathryn Rammell

Kathryn Rammell never wanted to grow up. She loved letting her imagination run wild and playing make-believe. Luckily, she found that with writing and illustrating picture books she can still let her imagination run wild, just like she did when she was little. Plus, now she can eat cookies before dinner. When she’s not writing or illustrating, Kathryn can be found at the beach or on a road trip to a national monument. She enjoys all things KidLit, baking cookies, and being outdoors with her family.

Kathryn is currently seeking agent representation.

AD: Hi Kathryn and welcome to the blog! Thank you so much for being here! I can’t wait to learn more about your art and writing. Can you start us off by telling us a bit more about your experience in the PB Rising Stars Mentorship Program.

KR: Hello, Amanda, and thank you so much for having me! My name is Kathryn Rammell, and I’m the writer/illustrator of the PB Rising Stars Mentorship. I was paired with not just one, but TWO amazing mentors: Kim-Hoa Ung and Marietta Apollonio. Kim-Hoa is the author-illustrator behind A Gift for Nai Nai and Marietta is the author-illustrator behind Jack the Library Cat. Both of their books will be coming out Spring 2023 and I cannot wait for their amazing books to hit the shelves!

I first learned about the mentorship program after seeing a tweet and thought WOW wouldn’t that be cool! But during the application period I was having some serious self-doubt and kept debating whether or not to apply. I finally asked myself, when the time comes for them to announce mentees, would you rather be disappointed that they didn’t pick you or disappointed that you didn’t even apply? I took a deep breath and dove in, submitting my application just one day before it closed.

I’m still in shock and filled with so much gratitude that I was chosen. The last three months with Marietta and Kim-Hoa have been packed with so much creativity, growth, and learning. Their encouragement and guidance has helped me SO much.

Wow! Those certainly are two amazing mentors. Sounds like you soaked in all you could during those three months and walked away with many helpful insights and a clear direction forward. I love the outlook you had on submitting to the mentorship. I think many of us relate to the regret or disappointment of not trying versus not getting chosen. I’m glad self-doubt didn’t stop you. I’m sure Marietta and Kim-Hoa are, too!

Alright let’s do a speed round…

Top three favorite children’s books of all time? Flora and the Flamingo by Molly Idle, Stuck by Oliver Jeffers, and In a Jar by Deborah MarceroCoffee, tea (or neither)? Just water for me, please!Where is your safe place? I feel most myself at the beach. Exploring tide pools, jumping into waves, building sand castles… It doesn’t get much better.Dogs, cats, (or neither)? Both are super cute but I would rather have a pet chicken, which is fitting since the picture book project I worked on during the mentorship is about a chicken Early bird or night owl? Totally an early bird, but not the productive kind haha. I like to wake up before any alarms and enjoy a snuggly bed before the kids come running in and start climbing all over me.Three words to describe what it takes to make it in the kidlit world…Creativity. Joy. Perseverance.

AD: Okay, now down to the serious stuff….Please dish us the dirt on who you are and your journey into the fabulous world of children’s books.

KR: My kidlit journey started before I even realized it. There were small moments like making books with my sister when we were growing up, passing notes in high school that were full of funny made-up stories, working at my university library, and taking a college class “just for fun” on children’s books. It was after I had my daughter that I realized I wanted to not just be a reader of children’s books, but a creator. The last seven years I have been working on my art skills and
writing, it’s amazing to look back on my early illustrations and stories to see how much I’ve grown. I still have a lot to learn, but am loving every minute of it.

AD: You mentioned those small moments that hinted at your love for storytelling when you were young but did you always know you wanted to be an author-illustrator? Have you explored other paths or had/have other jobs? KR: I always thought it would be fun to be an author/illustrator, but it seemed out of reach. It wasn’t until my husband said, “Other people are doing it, why not you?” that I felt ready to jump in. My degree is in Art History and Curatorial Studies, which was more about studying art than creating it, but still in the same mindset of examining how art evokes emotions or tells a story. It took some awkward growing pains to pick up a paintbrush and learn about dummy making and story pacing, but it’s been a lot of fun, too.AD: What topics or themes do you tend to focus on in your writing/art? Favorite genres you like to write in or favorite art materials/techniques?

KR: I love all things silly and sweet. My goal with my work is to bring out positive emotions, whether that means making someone cry happy tears or laugh out loud. I especially love fantasy and nature themes in my work.

AD: Breaking into the publishing industry is not easy! What’s been the biggest challenge you’ve faced thus far? What have you done to persevere?

KR: Art is subjective and it’s impossible to please everyone. It’s such a rollercoaster when one illustration will touch one person but then get torn apart by another. Or to receive high praises from your critique group only to be rejected by agents. But at the end of the day I love writing and illustrating, so I let the hurtful comments and rejections slide past me and I keep on creating.

AD: This is so important to remember, thank you. We can’t take those passes personally. Similarly, as creators (and humans), we tend to focus on the flaws of our creations or areas for improvement. This helps us grow and develop, but we need not forget the many things we are doing well. With this in mind, what has been your biggest accomplishment or something you are most proud of thus far on your writing/illustration journey?

KR: Being chosen for the PB Rising Stars Mentorship was definitely a big moment for me. I also won an honorable mention in this year’s KidLit411 Banner Design Contest and will be featured on their website in December. That was a meaningful win for me because KidLit411 has been such a huge help in my creative journey.

Teddy Bear Snuggles-inspired by Kathryn's kids, who never go to bed without a stuffed animal or special blanket. © 2022 Kathryn Rammell Art

AD: In a similar vein, what do you feel are your strengths as an author/illustrator? What makes your art/writing unique to you?

KR: I feel more confident in my illustrating than I do in my writing, so I think my strength lies in my ability to evoke emotion, movement, and whimsy with my art.

AD: I can definitely feel a sense of calm, wonder, and joy in your art and characters. The emotion and mood shine through to the viewer, for sure! This makes me curious, what inspires your work?

KR: I was a very imaginative child so a lot of my work is inspired by my childhood as well as the current adventures I go on with my kids.

AD: Tell us about your creative process and what you do to keep ideas flowing or what you do when feeling stuck?

KR: It all starts with an idea. But I never know when an idea will hit me, so I keep an ever-growing list in my Notes app where I can quickly jot an idea down whenever it arrives.
When an idea really sticks out it becomes a mad dash of writing, sketching, plotting, dummy drafting and so on. I love this part of the process where new ideas come crashing in, and I find that I have to work fast and focused, otherwise I lose the spark and will end up with a serious case of creative block.
Revising is the hardest part for me because I hate slowing down, but it’s so necessary to really hone in the words and pictures. This is also where critique partners are vital.

The last part of my process is adding the final art. I love this part because everything is coming together, and seeing those vibrant spreads make me think, wow, this really looks like it could be a book.

AD: Yes! Looking at what you’ve accomplished with the final art can be so satisfying. Sometimes I remind myself that there was literally nothing but a blank page there before but now it’s filled with my creations-whether art or writing. The true definition of making something from nothing and learning in the process!

AD: What sorts of things have been most integral in your growth as an author/illustrator?

KR: The PB Rising Stars Mentorship has hands down been the biggest growth period in my creative path. To have so much encouragement and feedback has helped me see what areas I need to work on, both with specific projects and future ones.
I also really appreciate writing groups like KidLit411, Sub It Club, and SCBWI.

AD: What advice do you have for fellow kidlit creatives?

KR: Let your passion lead your path.

AD: I love that. Simple but so true! We must never lose our passion!
Where can readers find out more about you and your work?

KR: You can find me on Twitter, Instagram, or my website/portfolio. I love connecting with other creatives so please drop by and say hello!
Twitter: @KathrynRammell
Instagram: @kathrynsdoodles
Website/Portfolio: https://kathrynrammell.wordpress.com

Thank you so much for sharing your art, writing, and creative insights, Kathryn! Can’t wait to see your books in the hands of young readers! Feel free to drop a comment below to support Kathryn and her work. Be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss out on the next Rising Stars in Kidlit feature and follow along on Twitter at #RisingStarsinKidlit!

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Published on October 17, 2022 17:00

#RisingStarsinKidLit: Kathryn Rammell

Photo Credit © 2022 Kathryn Rammell Kathryn Rammell never wanted to grow up. She loved letting her imagination run wild and playing make-believe. Luckily, she found that with writing and illustrating picture books she can still let her imagination run wild, just like she did when she was little. Plus, now she can eat cookies before dinner. When she’s not writing or illustrating, Kathryn can be found at the beach or on a road trip to a national monument. She enjoys all things KidLit, baking cookies, and being outdoors with her family.

Kathryn is currently seeking agent representation.

Winter Solstice © 2022 Kathryn Rammell Art AD: Hi Kathryn and welcome to the blog! Thank you so much for being here! I can't wait to learn more about your art and writing. Can you start us off by telling us a bit more about your experience in the PB Rising Stars Mentorship Program.
KR: Hello, Amanda, and thank you so much for having me! My name is Kathryn Rammell, and I’m the writer/illustrator of the PB Rising Stars Mentorship. I was paired with not just one, but TWO amazing mentors: Kim-Hoa Ung and Marietta Apollonio. Kim-Hoa is the author-illustrator behind A Gift for Nai Nai and Marietta is the author-illustrator behind Jack the Library Cat. Both of their books will be coming out Spring 2023 and I cannot wait for their amazing books to hit the shelves!

I first learned about the mentorship program after seeing a tweet and thought WOW wouldn’t that be cool! But during the application period I was having some serious self-doubt and kept debating whether or not to apply. I finally asked myself, when the time comes for them to announce mentees, would you rather be disappointed that they didn’t pick you or disappointed that you didn’t even apply? I took a deep breath and dove in, submitting my application just one day before it closed.

I’m still in shock and filled with so much gratitude that I was chosen. The last three months with Marietta and Kim-Hoa have been packed with so much creativity, growth, and learning. Their encouragement and guidance has helped me SO much.
Wow! Those certainly are two amazing mentors. Sounds like you soaked in all you could during those three months and walked away with many helpful insights and a clear direction forward. I love the outlook you had on submitting to the mentorship. I think many of us relate to the regret or disappointment of not trying versus not getting chosen. I'm glad self-doubt didn't stop you. I'm sure Marietta and Kim-Hoa are, too! :)

Alright let’s do a speed round…Top three favorite children’s books of all time? Flora and the Flamingo by Molly Idle, Stuck by Oliver Jeffers, and In a Jar by Deborah MarceroCoffee, tea (or neither)? Just water for me, please!Where is your safe place? I feel most myself at the beach. Exploring tide pools, jumping into waves, building sand castles… It doesn’t get much better.Dogs, cats, (or neither)? Both are super cute but I would rather have a pet chicken, which is fitting since the picture book project I worked on during the mentorship is about a chicken :)Early bird or night owl? Totally an early bird, but not the productive kind haha. I like to wake up before any alarms and enjoy a snuggly bed before the kids come running in and start climbing all over me.Three words to describe what it takes to make it in the kidlit world…Creativity. Joy. Perseverance.
AD: Okay, now down to the serious stuff….Please dish us the dirt on who you are and your journey into the fabulous world of children’s books.

KR: My kidlit journey started before I even realized it. There were small moments like making books with my sister when we were growing up, passing notes in high school that were full of funny made-up stories, working at my university library, and taking a college class “just for fun” on children’s books. It was after I had my daughter that I realized I wanted to not just be a reader of children’s books, but a creator. The last seven years I have been working on my art skills and writing, it’s amazing to look back on my early illustrations and stories to see how much I’ve grown. I still have a lot to learn, but am loving every minute of it.

Blue © 2022 Kathryn Rammell Art AD: You mentioned those small moments that hinted at your love for storytelling when you were young but did you always know you wanted to be an author-illustrator? Have you explored other paths or had/have other jobs? KR: I always thought it would be fun to be an author/illustrator, but it seemed out of reach. It wasn’t until my husband said, “Other people are doing it, why not you?” that I felt ready to jump in. My degree is in Art History and Curatorial Studies, which was more about studying art than creating it, but still in the same mindset of examining how art evokes emotions or tells a story. It took some awkward growing pains to pick up a paintbrush and learn about dummy making and story pacing, but it’s been a lot of fun, too.
AD: What topics or themes do you tend to focus on in your writing/art? Favorite genres you like to write in or favorite art materials/techniques?

KR: I love all things silly and sweet. My goal with my work is to bring out positive emotions, whether that means making someone cry happy tears or laugh out loud. I especially love fantasy and nature themes in my work.

Ocean Friends © 2022 Kathryn Rammell Art AD: Breaking into the publishing industry is not easy! What’s been the biggest challenge you’ve faced thus far? What have you done to persevere?

KR: Art is subjective and it’s impossible to please everyone. It’s such a rollercoaster when one illustration will touch one person but then get torn apart by another. Or to receive high praises from your critique group only to be rejected by agents. But at the end of the day I love writing and illustrating, so I let the hurtful comments and rejections slide past me and I keep on creating.

AD: This is so important to remember, thank you. We can't take those passes personally. Similarly, as creators (and humans), we tend to focus on the flaws of our creations or areas for improvement. This helps us grow and develop, but we need not forget the many things we are doing well. With this in mind, what has been your biggest accomplishment or something you are most proud of thus far on your writing/illustration journey?

KR: Being chosen for the PB Rising Stars Mentorship was definitely a big moment for me. I also won an honorable mention in this year’s KidLit411 Banner Design Contest and will be featured on their website in December. That was a meaningful win for me because KidLit411 has been such a huge help in my creative journey.

Teddy Bear Snuggles-inspired by Kathryn's kids, who never go to bed without a stuffed animal or special blanket. © 2022 Kathryn Rammell Art
AD: In a similar vein, what do you feel are your strengths as an author/illustrator? What makes your art/writing unique to you?

KR: I feel more confident in my illustrating than I do in my writing, so I think my strength lies in my ability to evoke emotion, movement, and whimsy with my art.

AD: I can definitely feel a sense of calm, wonder, and joy in your art and characters. The emotion and mood shine through to the viewer, for sure! This makes me curious, what inspires your work?

KR: I was a very imaginative child so a lot of my work is inspired by my childhood as well as the current adventures I go on with my kids.

AD: Tell us about your creative process and what you do to keep ideas flowing or what you do when feeling stuck?

KR: It all starts with an idea. But I never know when an idea will hit me, so I keep an ever-growing list in my Notes app where I can quickly jot an idea down whenever it arrives.
When an idea really sticks out it becomes a mad dash of writing, sketching, plotting, dummy drafting and so on. I love this part of the process where new ideas come crashing in, and I find that I have to work fast and focused, otherwise I lose the spark and will end up with a serious case of creative block.
Revising is the hardest part for me because I hate slowing down, but it’s so necessary to really hone in the words and pictures. This is also where critique partners are vital.

The last part of my process is adding the final art. I love this part because everything is coming together, and seeing those vibrant spreads make me think, wow, this really looks like it could be a book.

AD: Yes! Looking at what you've accomplished with the final art can be so satisfying. Sometimes I remind myself that there was literally nothing but a blank page there before but now it's filled with my creations-whether art or writing. The true definition of making something from nothing and learning in the process!

Remarkable Dragon © 2022 Kathryn Rammell Art AD: What sorts of things have been most integral in your growth as an author/illustrator?

KR: The PB Rising Stars Mentorship has hands down been the biggest growth period in my creative path. To have so much encouragement and feedback has helped me see what areas I need to work on, both with specific projects and future ones.
I also really appreciate writing groups like KidLit411, Sub It Club, and SCBWI.

AD: What advice do you have for fellow kidlit creatives?

KR: Let your passion lead your path.

AD: I love that. Simple but so true! We must never lose our passion!
Where can readers find out more about you and your work?

KR: You can find me on Twitter, Instagram, or my website/portfolio. I love connecting with other creatives so please drop by and say hello!
Twitter: @KathrynRammell
Instagram: @kathrynsdoodles
Website/Portfolio: https://kathrynrammell.wordpress.com

Thank you so much for sharing your art, writing, and creative insights, Kathryn! Can't wait to see your books in the hands of young readers! Feel free to drop a comment below to support Kathryn and her work. Be sure to subscribe so you don't miss out on the next Rising Stars in Kidlit feature and follow along on Twitter at #RisingStarsinKidlit!

© Angela Wood Photography Hi! I'm Amanda!

Amanda Davis is a teacher, artist, writer, and innovator who uses her words and pictures to light up the world with kindness. When she’s not busy creating, you can find her sipping tea, petting dogs, and exploring the natural wonders of The Bay State with her family and her rescue pup, Cora.

Amanda is represented by Jennifer Unter of The Unter Agency.

Amanda's award-winning picture book, 30,000 STITCHES is out now with WorthyKids/Hachette Book Group! Click here to learn more.

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