SCBWI-WI Fall Luncheon Recap

On October 16, a beautiful fall day in Door County, Wisconsin, many of our SCBWI-WI members gathered for the first IN PERSON event in years.

Sara Schonfeld was the featured guest speaker. Sara joined HarperCollins in 2019 after starting her publishing career at Penguin Random House. She works on picture books up through teen, including projects with Alice Walker, Ally Malinenko, Cristina Fernandez, Emi Pinto, Rachel Moore, and Tina Athaide. Her passion is for stories with heart and action, and genre-mashup works that help kids feel seen, hopeful, and loved.

Editor Sara Schonfeld and our RA Deb Buschman

Sara’s topic was “Self-Edit Like an Editor: How to Take a First Draft to a Final Draft.” Sara is an author herself. She knows how hard it can be to create a story that entertains and resonates with readers. She had great insights about how to do that.

She had so much excellent advice about how to analyze your work. One of the things she said that really struck a chord with me was the importance of being patient about the process. You can’t just instantly switch hats from writer to editor. Take some time, read some comp titles, get inspired by other kinds of story telling. If you do, it will be much easier to be objective. Your rewriting will be better if, as she put it, you can see the forest AND the trees.

Having patience and being inspired is much easier when you are part of a great community.

Being in a room full of creators was wonderful. It was great to catch up with old friends and connect with new ones.

Thank you, Sara for an excellent presentation, and to Deb and all the volunteers who made the day possible. I can’t wait for the next one!

Interview with Editor Esther Cajahuaringa

Registration is now open for Fabulous First Pages. This event will take place virtually on Saturday, September 10, 2022 at 9 a.m. CDT. Kayla Cichello, agent at Upstart Crow, Quressa Robinson, agent at Folio Literary, and Esther Cajahuaringa, editor at Union Square Kids, will comment on the first 300 words of 10 manuscripts. These manuscripts will be randomly chosen from those who have already registered for this event. But even if your work isn’t being critiqued, this is an excellent opportunity to hear what publishing professionals are looking for! All registered participants will have the opportunity to submit to the agents and the editor, whether or not your submission was read during the event itself. Register by clicking on this link. Registration closes on August 31, 2022.

Our guest today on the blog is Esther Cajahuaringa.

Esther Cajahuaringa is a senior editor at Union Square Kids and is actively seeking picture books and graphic novels. She loves heartfelt stories, filled with humor, that beg to be read aloud. She is looking for more sibling stories, wordless stories, and inter-generational stories. Amongst all of those categories, she is passionate about cultivating diverse authors and illustrators. Esther has her master’s degree in Curriculum & Teaching with an emphasis in literacy from Teachers College, Columbia University. Originally from Southern California, she’s made the East Coast home for the last eight years.

Esther discussed the importance of books in an interview for the African Library Project. “For me, not having access to books means not having access to knowledge, to dreaming big bold dreams, to imagining a world outside of the one you currently live in, and to asking questions you didn’t even know you could ask. People pick up stories for a multitude of reasons— whether it’s to be entertained, to be inspired, to be moved, or to be awakened— and if there are groups of people not having access to the same books that others have access to, it further creates inequality.“

WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO SEE IN AN AUTHOR’S FIRST PAGES?

“I want to know what the story is about—am I being introduced to a character, a world, a place in time. I want to situate myself inside your story so for that I need context, and it’s up to you how you want to unpack that, but that should be clear in the first few pages. I also look for language. Especially in a picture book, I look for kid-accessible language to know that the author has taken the time to observe, research, and understand the nuances of their audience. And lastly for a picture book first page: I look to see how the text will work in rhythm with the illustrations. For me, that doesn’t mean you need to have art notes on every page, or even art notes at all. I look at the words you’ve chosen for your text to help paint a picture in my head of the visual journey you are asking us to take in your story. If I can’t see a picture in my head from your text, then there’s a disconnect for me and eventually your reader.“

Thank you so much, Esther, for these great insights. We’re really looking forward to learning more from you in September.

An Interview with Author/Illustrator Jessixa Bagley

The SCBWI-WI Fall Retreat, Let’s Get Crafty, is just a few weeks away. Although it’s sold-out, we’re so grateful that each member of the amazing faculty has answered a few questions for our blog.

Jessixa Bagley is a children’s book author/illustrator. Her love of books and storytelling are inspired by classic storybooks and her childhood experiences in the Pacific Northwest. Jessixa has traveled both domestically and internationally for school visits, keynotes, and workshops to speak about her books. Her first picture book, Boats for Papa, has won numerous awards including the 2016 Washington State Scandiuzzi Children’s Book Award. Her picture book, Laundry Day, is the winner of a 2018 Ezra Jack Keats Honor Award for Writing. She lives in Seattle with her husband and son. Follow her on twitter: @jessixabagley

Your presentation is Both Sides of the Picture Book. Can you give us a sneak preview? I know you’ve recently collaborated with your husband, Aaron Bagley. What was that like? Were you always on the same page?

Talking about Both Sides of the Picture Book is really about how to navigate both the writing AND the illustration. Being both an author and an illustrator might seem very daunting if you feel your strengths are leaning to one side. As an illustrator, it’s really important to think about how to tell your own stories in both words and pictures. For writers, it’s important that they understand how an illustrator thinks about bringing their words to life so that they can understand where to leave room for the illustrators’ contributions. You have to look at everything––not just one side of the process.

Working with my husband is so much fun! We have always collaborated together on art and stories since we first started dating, so making a picture book together was very natural and organic. Since we were both involved deeply in the writing and the illustration, we definitely had to be on the same page! I know it seems unheard of for a married couple to get along for something like this––but we really did! We don’t argue in our artistic process. We are both very respectful and eager to hear what the other has to say. When one had really strong feelings about something, the other would trust their instincts. We traded the artwork back and forth constantly, so we were both working on each painting equally in all ways. We really try to embrace each other’s strengths when working on a project. Aaron is a great partner!

Your career started with the big success of BOATS FOR PAPA. In your Brown Book Shelf interview with Don Tate, you mention how many years it took you to find your “voice” as an illustrator and then as a writer. Was that a Eureka moment? Or did it develop with a particular project?

I’d say Boats for Papa was in itself my eureka moment. When I got the idea for the story, it was a like a lightning bolt. That feeling doesn’t happen often, but I learned to listen to inspiration and speak from the heart. That book was so much about my childhood. Creating it taught me that I have to open myself up and be willing to put my personal side and experiences into my work. That’s when my voice started to really come through both visually and writing-wise. My stories come from me, so I have to bring myself to the work. Because I let myself be vulnerable, I am able to be more authentic. I think that is what resonates with people and allows me to be more confident in my storytelling voice.

The theme of the retreat is Let’s Get Crafty. We know we need to work on our skills for construction and creating. Crafty has another meaning too. Do you think creators need to be cunning? Or even sometimes a little bit sly?

I think that creators need to be smart above all. Being cunning or sly to me says you want to find a way around the hard parts to get what you want. Being smart is figuring out how to get what you want the right way for everyone––including yourself. Creators need to learn how to treat this as a business and figure out what sides of themselves and their work to play up to make sure they are getting the most out of their opportunities. First and foremost, you have to love doing this––and I mean really love doing this. Making books is not easy, but if you love it, you can take the challenges in stride. You have to love it so much you’re willing to work at it, despite knowing you might never get published. Second, you can’t forget that this is a business, so you need to treat it that way. Be respectful and thoughtful about how you talk to people and how you work with them. Listen to the people you ask for help. You need to be confident, but also flexible. Because it’s a business, it can be hard, so if you don’t love it, you won’t have the energy to really pursue it. At the end of the day, we all want to make really good books––the artists AND the publishers. It’s not easy to make something the best it can be. But if you work smart, always try to get better, stay open to collaboration, and are professional in your persistence, then that is how you can turn your craft into your career.

Thank you, Jessixa, for your thoughtful answers. We look forward to hearing more from you in November.

Jane Kelley is the blog coordinator for SCBWI-WI. She is the author of many middle-grade novels, including The Desperate Adventures of Zeno and Alya, which was honored by the CCBC in 2014. Her most recent work is the chapter book series, The Escapades of Clint McCool. For more information, see http://janekelleybooks.com

An Interview with Editor Stephanie Pitts

The SCBWI-WI Fall Retreat, Let’s Get Crafty, is currently sold-out. Luckily, each member of the amazing faculty has agreed to answer a few questions for our blog.

Stephanie Pitts is an editor at G. P. Putnam’s Sons, an imprint of Penguin Young Readers Group. She acquires a healthy mix of picture books, novels, and nonfiction for young readers. She has worked with YA authors Stacey Lee, Sherri L. Smith, and Jennifer Dugan; middle grade authors Eliot Sappingfield and Jeff Seymour; picture book authors Liz Garton Scanlon, Pat Zietlow Miller, and Mara Rockliff; and illustrators Brett Helquist and Brian Biggs. Follow her on twitter @stephpittsbooks

Your presentation is entitled Writing Irresistible Picture Book Characters. Can you give us a sneak preview about what makes a character irresistible?

I always love a character with a strong personality. They do not have to be perfectly behaved. They do not have to be role models. Kids want to see characters that act like real kids, and that includes making mistakes, having disagreements, being moody, and, yes, sometimes behaving badly.

Has your work with MG and YA authors affected your approach to PB? Obviously PB doesn’t have the luxury of length that MG and YA do. But do they have other advantages?

To me, editing picture books and editing novels really are two different skills. One thing I love about editing picture books is that you can really look at every sentence, every word. You could never edit a novel that way. As a former first-grade teacher, I think a lot about how the manuscript sounds when read aloud. And when I’m editing a manuscript, I’ll often think about how an illustrator might break up the text, even if the illustrator breaks the text differently when it comes time for the dummy stage. I’m always thinking about what the final illustrated product might look like, even if I have no idea who the illustrator will be yet.

The theme of the retreat is Let’s Get Crafty. We know we need to work on our skills for construction and creating. Crafty has another meaning too. Do you think creators need to be cunning? Or even sometimes a little bit sly?

Well, those words have many meanings, so it sort of depends on the situation. If you mean “displaying cleverness” or “lightly mischievous,” then yes! It is important to have fun in our work, and I love humor in picture books. If you mean “displaying keen insight”—also yes! The best picture books for kids, whether humorous or earnest, are insightful and address a deep emotional need for today’s families. If you mean “wise in practical affairs,” sure! It is important to be savvy and learn as much as you can about writing, illustrating, and publishing. If you mean, “characterized by wiliness and trickery,” I’d have to say no. Making genuine human connections is the way to go—that’s why writers go to SCBWI!

Thank you, Stephanie, for your sharing your insights with us. We look forward to hearing more from you in November.

An Interview with Author Jeff Zentner

The SCBWI-WI Fall Retreat, Let’s Get Crafty, is currently sold-out. Luckily, each member of the amazing faculty has agreed to answer a few questions for our blog.

Jeff Zentner is the author of New York Times Notable Book The Serpent King, Goodbye Days, and Rayne & Delilah’s Midnite Matinee. He has won the William C. Morris Award, the Amelia Elizabeth Walden Award, the International Literacy Association Award, the Westchester Fiction Award, been longlisted for the Carnegie Medal and UKLA, and was a finalist for the Southern Book Prize and Indies Choice Award. He was selected as a Publishers Weekly Flying Start and an Indies Introduce pick. Before becoming a writer, he was a musician who recorded with Iggy Pop, Nick Cave, and Debbie Harry. He lives in Nashville. Follow him on twitter @jeffzentner

Your presentation is titled: Giving Your Characters a Voice: How to Write Great Dialogue. Can you give us a sneak preview of what you will cover?

The art of dialogue is both difficult and easy to master. It’s difficult because it requires years of carefully observing the way people speak and interact and storing that away. But it’s easy because there are a few tricks I can teach, in a short amount of time, that will make you a better dialogue writer than the vast majority of writers out there. There are common pitfalls to avoid, and I’m going to teach those. I’m going to teach you broad philosophical bases with which to approach dialogue to keep it organic, energetic, and realistic.

How does your musical background influence your writing? Does your ear for rhythm and melody help you write such vivid characters?

I imagine it does, although it doesn’t work that way for me on a conscious level. On a conscious level, I think my music has influenced my writing by teaching me that there is a certain type of story that I tell. There is a certain mood that I evoke. And it’s ok to enjoy other types of music/stories that aren’t the sort of stories that Jeff Zentner tells and aren’t in the mood that Jeff Zentner evokes. But when I go to create my art, I need to tell my stories and evoke my moods. Also, on a practical level, making music taught me creative discipline. It taught me that breakthroughs come with a butt planted in a chair, working. It taught me that every time I think all my ideas have dried up, there’s another idea waiting in the wings.

The theme of the retreat is Let’s Get Crafty. We know we need to work on our skills for construction and creating. Crafty has another meaning too. Do you think creators need to be cunning? Or even sometimes a little bit sly?

I do think writers sometimes have to sneak up on ideas. They have to lull them into complacence before pouncing on them. Because if they approach them too quickly, they’ll scare them off. I’ve had to do this with stories before. If I had just made a run at the story, I would have scared it off (or, perhaps more accurately, I would have scared myself off). So I approached it sneakily. I allowed myself the space to write it slowly and allowed the story the space to perhaps never turn out to be anything that anyone would see. And that’s how I was able to lull it into complacency so I could pounce.

Thank you, Jeff, for your intriguing answers. We look forward to hearing more from you in November.

An Interview with Editor Karen Boss

The SCBWI-WI Fall Retreat, Let’s Get Crafty, is currently sold-out. Luckily, each member of the amazing faculty has agreed to answer a few questions for our blog.

Karen Boss is an editor at Charlesbridge where she works on fiction and nonfiction picture books, middle-grade nonfiction, and novels. She holds an MA in Children’s Literature from Simmons College and regularly acts as a mentor for their Writing for Children MFA program. She often teaches workshops and short-term courses about picture books. Karen also has an MA in higher education administration and worked at colleges and in the nonprofit sector for 15 years. Her favorite children’s book is The Trumpet of the Swan by E.B. White, and she thinks that Holes by Louis Sachar is quite possibly the best thing ever written. In her free time, Karen saves her pennies so she can travel to a new country each year (recent trips include Ecuador, Chile, and France/Portugal), and she often plans “Auntie Karen adventures” for her four nieces (Sonia, 11; Sage, 9; Olive, 4; and Morgan, 2). Follow her on twitter: @kbworld33

Your presentation will be about Skeletons, Muscles, and the Stuff of Life: Crafting Your Middle-Grade or YA Novel. Can you give us a sneak preview? Why did you choose skeletons and muscles to illustrate your points?

Besides my work as an editor at Charlesbridge, I act as a mentor for the Simmons University children’s literature MFA program. I also take on freelance projects, helping writers get their work ready for submission. All this is to say that I read a lot of WIPs each year. Almost always, I’m pulled right in by an engaging or compelling plot and a plucky or endearing protagonist. The central part of the story—the skeleton—is in place. But many stories feel like a lot is missing. The details—the muscles, or as I sometimes call it, the meat on the bones—need fleshing out. Sometimes it’s that secondary characters aren’t developed enough. Sometimes it’s that everything moves too quickly. Sometimes it’s that there’s no “stuff of life” in the story: nobody does anything organic (like eating breakfast while having a conversation). I’m a big fan of metaphors, and I’m a big fan of systems: how things work together as part of a whole, like the human body. That’s how I arrived at the title for my talk.

You mention that you take your nieces on Auntie Karen adventures. That sounds amazing! Can you tell us about one of your favorites?

My favorite was the time I called up the one place you can buy lobsters on tiny Long Island, Maine, off the coast of Portland where my family spends time each summer, and asked the lobsterman if he would be willing to pull his boat up to the dock to show my nieces how lobster traps work. Instead he offered to take us out with him on the water to actually pull up traps and bring in lobsters. We met him at six in the morning, and he showed us how they bait the traps, pull them in with the winch, drop them back in (eight traps to a buoy!), and how they have to strictly measure each lobster to be sure it’s regulation size. One niece was enthralled, the other was seasick, but it was a really amazing adventure!

I actually don’t. I think that being creative is a really individual thing, and being true to oneself is the most important. Write your story! Be aware of the market, of course, and pay attention to what today’s readers (and gatekeepers) are looking for. But the idea that writing for children requires cunning or slyness might scare some people off, in my mind. I much prefer a straightforward submission that’s clear and earnest to anything where I have to figure out what the “game” might be. Of course, this is an extremely subjective field, so my opinion might be the polar opposite of another editor’s!

Thank you, Karen, for your thoughtful answers. We look forward to hearing more from you in November.

A Recap of the Fall Conference 2018

This year’s SCBWI-WI Fall Conference brought together a wonderful group of editors, artists, authors, and agents who inspired us with their speeches and critiques. In this blog post, two of the authors who attended, Maria Parrott-Ryan and Karla Manternach, will share specifics about what they learned. I was struck by another important aspect of our gathering at beautiful Green Lake.

For me, this weekend is a gift. I need not say how solitary our pursuits are. We know that writing and illustrating must be done by oneself. Our family and friends, however supportive, just don’t love and live Children’s Literature the way we do. What a joy it was to be able to talk process, commiserate about the long, slow path to publication, and celebrate with those who have new books on the shelf.

In this beautiful setting, at meals and in meeting rooms, we made connections to faculty and friends. We also learned ways to deepen our connections to our own material. As Salina Yoon said, “Art connects us all.”

MARIA PARROTT-RYAN: This was my first SCBWI conference, and I found it exciting, overwhelming, and exhausting. I have attended several regional events, though, and I was glad for that over and over this weekend, because it meant there were some familiar faces in the crowd. It really was a pleasure to meet new people, too. I’ve heard it said many times that this is a friendly group, and of course that’s true. But it’s also a group of storytellers. Meeting people at an SCBWI-WI conference means hearing lots of excellent stories.

The theme of the conference was “Reality Check: Exploring Truth.” I was impressed by how every speaker gave this theme so much thought, and how everyone incorporated that theme into their talks in such different ways. I loved Atheneum editor Emma Ledbetter’s look at truth-telling through three different lenses: truth through fun, nonfiction, and honesty.

It was incredible to hear such a wide variety of voices. I’m not an illustrator, but I was fascinated when Salina Yoon and Katrina Damkoehler walked us through specific picture books and talked about how the art came together for each. Every stroke and shape in a piece of art is a result of thoughtful consideration––and it reminds me that every word and sentence in a novel should be, too.

DoGq4kbU0AIZqWm — “Truth of Creating” Panelists (from left to right): Carmela Martino, E.M. Kokie, Joanna Hinsey, Deanna Singh, Michelle Houts, Stef Wade

One of many memorable moments happened during the “Truth of Creating” writers’ panel, when E.M. (Emily) Kokie said her favorite part of the writing process was “Revision, revision, revision.” A minute later, Deanna Singh said her least favorite part of the process was… “Revision, revision, revision!” It’s nice to be reminded that there is no one “type” of person who can find success in this business. I also loved hearing Emily talk about how it helped her to rename her first drafts as “exploratory” drafts. The importance of naming came up again when Carmela Martino suggested naming your inner critic. (Hers is “Catwoman.” I haven’t decided on mine yet. Maybe “Cruella.”)

KARLA MANTERNACH: I learned a great deal at this conference about what it’s like to be involved in various aspects of the children’s book publishing. Author Meg Medina talked about why she writes and how that informs her choice of material as well as category. Author/illustrator Salina Yoon recounted tales of plain old hard work and persistence across a career. Book designer Katrina Damkoehler, editor Emma Ledbetter, and editor Phoebe Yeh discussed book creation as a collaboration among key players (including authors, illustrators, designers, and marketing) and shared how they help shape the process. As a writer, I appreciated getting a bird’s-eye view of the entire publishing process.

DnzABucXUAAPpKP — Tim McCanna inspired us during his closing remarks.

It was also a weekend of truth. Author Tim McCanna as well as our author panels spoke frankly about the ups and downs of creating books for children. They discussed the importance of being honest in our our work. They also upheld the importance of encouraging people from underrepresented groups to tell the truth of their own experience, rather than telling it for them.

Other workshops focused on various aspects of the creative process. Author Lori Degman spoke about using humor in our work. Author Genevieve Artel encouraged participants to consider how their personalities impact their process. Author Sarah Aronson showed attendees how to use storyboarding to gain insight into their stories. Agent Sean McCarthy also spoke about the need to be flexible and open to feedback in revisions––a skill he encouraged us to hone with critique partners before seeking publication.

On a personal note, I’ve never enjoyed the social aspect of the weekend more. I attended my first fall conference in 2013. Although it was exciting to be around other writers, there was so much I didn’t know about children’s publishing that I was overwhelmed taking it all in. I had little energy left for getting to know the other attendees. Now, after years of learning, practicing my craft, and attending SCBWI programs, I relished spending a whole weekend with people who are passionate about KidLit. It was a thrill to talk with some of the more established authors, but it was just as exciting to meet people attending their first conference––to be excited with them as they set out on this adventure we share!

Thank you, Karla and Maria, for sharing your impressions. And a HUGE thank you to Andrea and Rochelle and all the other volunteers who work so hard to make the 2018 Fall Conference a big success.

Our fabulous Regional Advisors Rochelle Groskreutz and Andrea Skyberg

Maria Parrott-Ryan has an MFA in writing from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and has published several nonfiction articles in Cricket Media’s MUSE magazine. She’s the recipient of the SCBWI-Wisconsin chapter’s 2018 mentorship with middle-grade author Jane Kelley.

Karla Manternach is the author of the middle-grade novel Meena Meets Her Match, which will be released by Simon & Schuster in the spring of 2019. You can contact her at mskarlam@gmail.com.

An Interview with Jane Kelley

Yes, dear readers, this is the last interview before the Fall Conference! Since your blog editor, Jane Kelley, will be part of the panel that’s discussing Twisting Truth into Fiction, Maria Parrot-Ryan agreed to ask me some questions.

Jane Kelley grew up by the woods in Mequon, Wisconsin, a perfect place for her imagination to roam. After graduating from Northwestern University, she performed street theater throughout the Midwest. She moved to Brooklyn, New York, with her husband, and was inspired by their daughter to write for kids. In 2010, she published her first middle grade novel, Nature Girl. She was the 2013 Thurber House Children’s Writer in Residence. She has written many more novels, including The Desperate Adventures of Zeno and Alya, which was honored by the CCBC in 2014. Her most recent work is the chapter book series, The Escapades of Clint McCool. For more information: janekelleybooks.com.

Jane Kelley copy 2.jpg

You’ll be on the “Twisting Truth into Fiction” panel at the fall conference. Could you share an example of a real place, person, or parrot that you used in one of your novels? What inspired you to use the real thing, and what problems did you encounter turning it into fiction? How did you solve those problems?

I did model Zeno, in The Desperate Adventures of Zeno and Alya, after a real African grey parrot. I had become obsessed with Alex, the parrot who was the subject of Dr. Pepperberg’s research into animal intelligence. She was able to prove that Alex was capable of independent thought. She also discovered that Alex had emotions. He could be motivated by his need to be the smartest one in the room. But the most interesting thing I learned about African greys was that, if bored, they would pluck the feathers from their chest. I found this kind of self-destructive behavior to be all too human. How many of us have picked at ourselves because we didn’t have anything better to think about?

I did take certain liberties in crafting my story. Since I wanted Zeno to be with other birds, I imagined that they could communicate with a lot more nuance than would be possible. (I was pleased to learn, however, that different species will warn each other about a predator. Certainly the birds and squirrels in my yard all share the news that my cat Blackberry is on the prowl.) To solve that problem, I laid a certain foundation––that birds can communicate–and then nudged the novel’s reality past that. The end result was that I could have Zeno (and the reader) learn about the meaning of friendship from a pigeon.

In this post for the “Smack Dab in the Middle” blog, you write that you intended your current work-in-progress to be a humorous novel, but instead it’s become “a gritty, poignant examination of what it means to dream.” Can you talk a little about how you came to realize this?

I realized the truth about my WIP after getting comments from two trusted early readers. Of course they didn’t know my plan. They were responding to the novel I was actually writing, rather than the one I thought I was. Neither of them said, wow what a funny book. One said: “the question of what it means to be an artist is handled in a real way – that the humiliation of not succeeding is held up against the reality of giving your life to a higher purpose.” Doesn’t sound very funny, does it?

Writing is a series of choices—not just the ones the characters make, but the elements the writer “chooses” to describe. A novel has a color palette, much like a painting. So even if the choice is to describe something gritty, it could be portrayed in a lighter way.

I needed to make another choice. I could have reconceived the novel to make it that humorous romp. Or I could let some of the darker elements remain without belaboring them. I’m finding that when I trust the reader’s intelligence, I write a better book.

The theme of our conference is Reality Check: Exploring the Truth. Is there a truth about writing that you can share with us?

I spent many years writing exactly what I wanted to write—and had very little success. When I shifted my focus to writing for my daughter, who conveniently was the age of a MG reader, I was able to get an agent who sold my book. Even now—as I rewrite the WIP I’ve been grappling with–I’m painfully aware that I always forget that lesson. I’ve spent weeks clearing out the arcane bits that only intrigue me and expanding the elements that kids will connect to.

I don’t mean that we should create solely to please the reader. But if we want to communicate a difficult truth, we should support that truth with accurate details and lighten it with hope and humor. We also have a responsibility to take all different kinds of readers into consideration. Words really do matter.

Thank you, Maria, for these great questions! I look forward to sharing more information with you all at the Fall Conference!

Maria Parrott-Ryan has an MFA in writing from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and has published several nonfiction articles in Cricket Media’s MUSE magazine. She is the recipient of SCBWI-WI’s 2018 middle-grade mentorship.

An Interview with JoAnn Early Macken

The Fall Conference is just a few days away! JoAnn Early Macken has kindly agreed to answer a few questions for the blog. She will be on the panel Twisting Truth Into Fiction.

JoAnn Early Macken is the author of five picture books, including Baby Says “Moo!”, Waiting Out the Storm, and Flip, Float, Fly: Seeds on the Move, and is eagerly awaiting her sixth. She also wrote the poetry instruction guide Write a Poem Step by Step and more than 135 educational books for young readers. Her poems appear in numerous children’s magazines and anthologies. JoAnn earned her M.F.A. in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts. She speaks about poetry and writing at schools, libraries, and conferences. Visit her web site at joannmacken.com.

You’re on the panel, Twisting Truth Into Fiction. What experiences will you share about your books?

All of my picture books contain moments from my life. We have to write from something, right? So I include an endearing phrase of my sister’s, the way my son always sings, childhood memories, a joyful occupation, an unforgettable event, and encounters with wildlife. Part of the work of writing a picture book is shaping those nuggets into stories that other people can recognize and relate to. Another challenge is writing so that the underlying truth comes across like a whisper rather than a ton of bricks.

Many of your books are inspired by Nature. Are you ever tempted to change the facts to fit your idea?

If you include the work I’ve done for educational publishers, most of my writing is nonfiction. I used to be a managing editor for an educational publisher, and that experience made me a stickler for careful fact checking and using reliable sources. I’ve taught classes on writing creative nonfiction, and I always stress to my students that the creative part of creative nonfiction means using techniques of poetry and storytelling while the nonfiction part means maintaining the absolute verifiable truth.

But oh, it’s fun to play with fiction! I’m free to compress timelines, combine people’s quirks into brand-new characters, make up entire worlds, and create happy endings for scary events. Nature plays a big role in much of my writing because it plays a big role in my life.

The theme of our conference is Reality Check: Exploring the Truth. Is there a truth about being a writer that you can share with us?

One exciting thing about being a writer is that the work keeps changing, and so do the requirements. I have to evolve to keep up, but I’ve always enjoyed solving puzzles and figuring things out on paper. I’m lucky to have had opportunities to learn from some amazing children’s book authors and editors and to explore a variety of genres and markets. We’re all lucky to have the SCBWI community because we can share resources, celebrate and commiserate together, and learn from each other.

Thank you for sharing your insights, JoAnn! We look forward to hearing more from you at the Fall Conference.

Jane Kelley is the new blog editor for SCBWI-WI. She is the author of many middle-grade novels, including The Desperate Adventures of Zeno and Alya, which was honored by the CCBC in 2014. Her most recent work is the chapter book series, The Escapades of Clint McCool. For more information, see http://janekelleybooks.com

An Interview with Deanna Singh

Deanna Singh will be part of the panel discussing The Truth of Creating: Rejections, Waiting, Perseverance and Inner Critics at the Fall Conference on Saturday. She graciously agreed to answer a few questions for the blog.

Deanna is the daughter of a Sikh American man and African American woman. Her husband is African American and German American. Their two children reflect all of those beautiful heritages. Instilling pride in their color, in a country that is filled with negative images and messages about their brown skin, is the primary motivation for writing children’s books, I Am a Boy of Color and I Am a Girl of Color, featuring children of color. Singh earned her BA in Urban Studies from Fordham University, a JD from Georgetown University, and a MBA from the UW-Madison. She is committed in her personal and professional life to the pursuit of social justice; these books are an extension of that commitment. Learn more at storytotellbooks.com.

The theme of our conference is Reality Check: Exploring the Truth. Is there a truth about being a writer that you can share with us?

One reality-I think that the stories that never get on paper are just as important as the ones that do. The stories that float around in our heads color our thoughts and perceptions so that when we are ready to pick up a pen, our stories are fuller. So sometimes it is important to put your pen down and let the stories soak in your mind.

You say that one of the reasons you wrote I Am a Boy of Color and I Am a Girl of Color, was because you wanted to instill pride in your children of color and combat the negative images they face. What is it about books that can rise to that challenge?

Books are key tools in eliminating negative perceptions of children of color that persist in our world. Through literature we can change the narrative about how children of color perceive themselves and about how they are portrayed. When we make our scientists, our adventurers, and our heroes children of color we scream out that ALL children deserve to see themselves in those roles. Books are very powerful tools in lifting children up. As authors and illustrators, it is important that we are closely monitoring the way we represent ALL children and how often they show up in our work. Our children deserve that.

Thank you so much for sharing your insights, Deanna. We look forward to hearing more from you at the Fall Conference!