Megan Tingley: The Pre-#NY16SCBWI Faculty Interview

I'm delighted to share with you this exclusive interview with Megan Tingley, Executive Vice President and Publisher at Little, Brown and Company Books For Young Readers. Megan will be on faculty at the upcoming 17th Annual SCBWI Winter Conference in New York, participating in Saturday morning's main-stage panel: The Big Picture-Children’s Publishing Now and in the Near Future.

Publisher Megan Tingley

Here's our interview...

Lee: You edited “Luna,” the first YA novel about a transgender teen! (And thank you for that.) What’s your take on the increasing visibility of trans and other LGBTQ stories in children’s literature?

Megan: It’s about time! It’s amazing to me just how long it takes to break these barriers down. You know, it took Julie herself many years to feel ready to explore sexual orientation and gender identity in her work. Her first book was a chapter book called The Stinky Sneakers Contest and she wrote several middle grade novels and a YA (Define “Normal”) after that, none of which addressed sexual orientation or gender identity. When I broached the idea of her writing a lesbian love story, she was adamantly opposed. She was afraid such a novel might be a career ender and also expose her personal life in a way she wasn’t comfortable with. Keep in mind this was the 1990’s and she was living in Colorado during the time of Amendment 2. But eventually she did write Keeping You a Secret (2003) and it was really well received. I think that experience liberated her to write Luna, her 8th novel, which was published in 2004. 

There were just a handful of LGBTQ YA novels then and it still took another decade for the there to be a critical mass. Historically, I think the children’s book community (writers, editors, teachers, librarians, educators) has been ahead of its time and editors have always been open to diverse points of view. But in order for that kind of publishing to thrive, there also needs to be a ready market for it. In the last couple of years with all the media coverage of gender identity on college campuses and the emergence of Caitlyn Jenner as well as shows like Glee, Transparent, and Modern Family, LGBTQ characters and stories have become more part of the mainstream. So what I see now is that society is finally ready for these stories, even eager for them, and that is what creates a healthy publishing ecosystem in which these voices can flourish. I’m very grateful to Julie for reminding me how fragile a writer’s life can be and what a vital role editors and publishers play in providing a safe environment in which authors can be free to express their minds. And I’m proud of publishing Luna and helping to pave the way for all the great new voices we’re hearing now.

Lee: Yes, hurray for LGBTQ characters and stories in kid and teen lit! Can you define what it is about a manuscript that makes you say not only, "YES, this is a Little Brown Book," but "I want this for MY list!”

Megan: These days in my dual role as Publisher of LBYR and editor of my own list, I have to be extremely selective. I am approaching submissions as an editor and publisher simultaneously. I have to not just love the writing and story, but I have to be able to “see” it as a book. This is a mysterious process to describe. If, as I am reading, the characters and setting are so vivid that it’s almost as if I am watching the story unfold on a screen in my head, that is a good sign. Then, usually pretty quickly, I will start to imagine covers, illustrators, even fonts and page designs. Marketing copy will pop into my head. Basically, the finished book is actually taking shape right before my eyes. If that doesn’t happen, then the book isn’t for me. It doesn’t mean it isn’t good, it just means I am not the right person to edit it. Another light bulb moment is when a writer gets me interested in a subject or storyline that isn’t an obvious fit for me. For example, years ago, Donna Jackson pitched me a nonfiction book about a forensic anthropologist. Was I interested in forensic anthropology at the time? Nope! But her way of telling the story drew me in and we published The Bone Detectives together. 

If someone had asked me if I ever envisioned publishing a vampire love story, I would have said “not likely,” but then I read Twilight and the rest is history. 

So, if a writer is able to turn me on against my will, then I know I’m onto something special.

Lee: I love that description! What’s your favorite piece of advice for authors?

Megan: Read your work aloud. And have someone else read it to you. Whether you are writing a picture book, a novel or nonfiction, there is no better way to figure out what is working and what’s not. Passages that should be trimmed, phrases that are convoluted, jokes that aren’t funny, dialogue that isn’t natural — all will be revealed. It might be painful, but it’s worth it.

Great advice! Thank you, Megan.

There are still a few spaces available to join us for all the inspiration, opportunity, business, craft and community of #NY16SCBWI. Find out all the details here.

Picture Book Author and We Need Diverse Books Executive Vice President of Outreach Miranda Paul: The Pre-#LA15SCBWI Interview

Picture Book author Miranda Paul has blogged about the importance of Writing “Multicultural” literature and how “it’s extremely important for authors who are not of color to remain encouraging and supportive of the organizations who are consciously making an effort to address the call for diversity in children’s books” – both in terms of stories and the creators of those stories.

She’s walked the walk, involved in the 1 Million Books For Gambia project, in her role as Executive Vice President of Outreach for the newly formed nonprofit We Need Diverse Books, and in her own writing, whether it’s as co-author of digital app short stories like “Kumba Am and Kumba Amul: A Gambian Folk Tale” (co-adapted with Gambian folk-tale historian Cornelius Gomez) or her picture book “One Plastic Bag: Isatou Ceesay and the Recycling Women of the Gambia” (Illustrated by Elizabeth Zunon.)

Miranda Paul, Picture Book Author and #LA15SCBWI Faculty Member

Miranda will be on faculty at the 2015 SCBWI Summer Conference, coming up on July 31-Aug 3, 2015 in Los Angeles. Here’s our interview:

Lee: You have two picture books out and four more that are forthcoming from publishers. What is it about picture books that you love?

Miranda: I love that picture books can be read on many levels. A picture book is an experience. Reading a picture book is seldom an individual endeavor—they are meant to be read visually, read out loud, and read in the company of friends or loved ones. I also consider picture books the gateway to a lifelong love of literature. It’s exciting to think that one of my books might inspire a child to love reading for the rest of her life.

Lee: You’ve got a ninja toddler bedtime book (the upcoming "10 Little Ninjas"), a science-inspired lifecycle of water book (The newly released "Water Is Water"),

a creative nonfiction biography (One Plastic Bag) – do you have an over-arching vision in your mind of how each story fits into the 30 years down the road bookshelf of Miranda Paul picture books, or does each story come in its own way?

Miranda: I strive to inspire, entertain, and broaden horizons. My overarching vision is that each story I write is more than a book. One Plastic Bag is a chronicle of an environmental movement and an action-sparker; Water is Water is a poem and celebration of water that serves as both a bedtime book and a solid classroom text; Whose Hands Are These? (forthcoming in January 2016) is a book and a game in one; and 10 Little Ninjas is both song and book. They’re all illustrated, mostly for the very young, and I strive to use language in fun and rich ways that will appeal to and engage kids—so there’s definitely common ground—but I don’t feel trapped into a single type of writing or topic.

Lee: What was it that initially drew you to Gambia, and kept you returning?

Miranda: I had a professor ask me if I wanted to start a program in the Gambia, and I accepted the challenge. I kept returning because after I got that program off the ground, there were other projects I wanted to be involved with. (But maybe those projects were just excuses so that I could go back and spend time with the wonderful friends I’d made year after year).

Lee: One Plastic Bag is the story of a women-led recycling initiative and the change for good it created, and it also reads as a sort of love letter to the country and people of the Gambia. Can you share with us the process of writing (and re-writing) you went through with the manuscript?

Miranda: At school visits, I share with students how the timeline of this book spans a 12-year period of my life. I received one of Isatou’s recycled purses in 2003 (while in the Gambia), but it took me nearly four years after that to get the chance to meet her. In 2007 and 2008 I did a lot of primary research, interviews, and took photographs in the village of Njau, Gambia. In 2010 I decided to write the story as a children’s picture book. Isatou came to the United States twice and I visited Gambia one additional time during the writing of the book, which took place from 2010-2012. I think I rewrote the manuscript about 30 times in all. I’ll never forget the night Isatou translated the final draft into Wolof and read it to the women of Njau. I’m so honored for their support in being the author to tell this story.

Lee: Your school visits sound like a major part of your career focus - what’s the best part of doing those?

Miranda: Ice cream, hugs, and the things they say. Kids are smart and inspiring and hopeful and creative. Seeing them excited about reading and writing is wonderful. I tend to get them all riled up with dancing and drumming and then send them back to their teachers—mwahahahaha! Other than working in pajamas, meeting kids is the best part of the job. (Fingers crossed for an author visit on pajama day!)

Lee: How long have you been part of SCBWI, and how do you feel it’s helped you on your career journey?

Miranda: I’m kind of an SCBWI poster child. Since I joined six years ago (credit goes to Harold Underdown’s Idiot’s Guide to Publishing Children’s Books), SCBWI has had a hand in almost every step along my career. I found my critique group at a local SCBWI meeting. I received a year-long picture book mentorship with Lisa Moser through SCBWI. One Plastic Bag received its first editor attention through an SCBWI event submission, and I met my agent and second editor at my first SCBWI annual conference in Los Angeles. People of the world: Take advantage of what the SCBWI has to offer, people!

Lee: Your Friday morning breakout workshop is on “Creative Nonfiction Picture Books” – can you give us a sense of what you have in store for attendees?

Miranda: I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the intersectionality (is that a word?) of educational and trade markets, and how nonfiction for young ones can be presented in fresh and engaging ways. I’m going to introduce attendees to some of what I consider the best creative nonfiction picture book titles out there, as well as encourage them to examine their own ideas and manuscripts in terms of originality and versatility.

Lee: On Saturday afternoon you’ll be moderating the main room’s panel on “Diversity in Children’s Books: Challenges and Solutions” in front of over 1,000 writers and illustrators of works for children and teens. The panelists are: illustrator and President of the Society of Illustrators of Los Angeles, Joe Cepeda; author Brandy Colbert; author Varian Johnson; practicing surgeon and novelist I.W. Gregorio; and debut novelist Nicola Yoon. What are you hoping comes out of that discussion?

Miranda: I’m planning to focus on the theme of “representing responsibly.” Jacqueline Woodson recently commented at one of our WNDB BookCon panels (and I’m paraphrasing here, sorry) that she’d rather see no representation rather than inaccurate or stereotyped representation in literature. I think that’s a discussion we need to have—not necessarily who is allowed to write about whom, but how we accomplish the tasks of writing, illustrating, and editing authentic, human characters. We must make it a priority to explore and acknowledge our own biases, ignorance, and lenses. I’m also hoping to facilitate a discussion that includes a broad range of diversity, renews a sense of unity, and inspires continued action within all levels of publishing—because that’s what We Need Diverse Books is all about.

Lee: On Sunday you’ll be co-facilitating an afternoon breakout session with I.W. Gregorio and Nicola Yoon, “Research Tools: Writing Outside Your Diversity.” Can you give us an example of a one great tool we might not have considered?

Miranda: Writing can be a deeply personal act, so sometimes we need the tweaking—not just our manuscripts. I recommend that we honestly examine our own circles (or bubbles), habits and routines, and comfort zones. Reading and researching are important parts of the writing process, but who you are (or aren’t) will come through your writing. Living more diversely can incorporate travel, new foods, languages, events, activities, and friendships. Through these experiences we can discover some of what we “didn’t know we didn’t know” and ultimately be reminded to listen.

Lee: What’s your favorite writing advice that you’d like to share?

Miranda: Read. Shut off the Internet.

Thanks so much, Miranda!

To find out more about Miranda, visit her website.

And to learn more about We Need Diverse Books, check them out here.

To attend one of Miranda's breakout sessions and/or be there for the 2015 SCBWI Summer Conference main room Diversity panel, you'll have to join us in Los Angeles! Details and registration information here.

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee

Best-Selling Author and Editor Jane O'Connor: The Pre-#LA15SCBWI Conference Interview

Best-Selling Author, Editor, and #LA15SCBWI Faculty Member Jane O'Connor

Jane O'Connor has worked at Scholastic, Random House and Penguin where she was president and publisher of mass market children’s books. She still works part time at Penguin Random House as vice president and editor at large. Jane has written more than eighty books for children including the best-selling Fancy Nancy books (HarperCollins), seven of which have hit Number 1 on the New York Times bestseller list. Disney Junior TV is slated to produce a half-hour animated series beginning in 2017. Jane has also written two books for grownups, Dangerous Admissions (Harper, 2007) and Almost True Confessions (Morrow, 2013).

Jane will be on faculty at the upcoming 2015 SCBWI Summer Conference in Los Angeles, July 31-Aug 3, and I caught up with her to find out more...


Lee: What I find so fascinating about your journey so far is that you’ve worked with great success on both sides of the publishing equation – as an editor/publisher and as a best-selling author. What do you feel authors should know about publishing today?

Jane: Although it’s a tough, highly competitive marketplace where publishers are often slimming down their lists in order to give greater attention to every title, editors are hungrier than ever to find something new and wonderful. At Penguin, there have been books from new authors – I’m thinking of DORY FANTASMAGORY from Dutton right now – that are fresh and funny and finding a wide audience. It’s not just recognized name authors and illustrators who are breaking out.

Lee: You’ve written more than 80 books for children, including the hugely successful Fancy Nancy series (seven of the Fancy Nancy books have hit Number 1 on the New York Times bestseller list!) What do feel was the ‘special sauce’ that made Fancy Nancy take off in the way it has?

Jane: Oh mon Dieu (which in French loosely translates to ‘Yipes!’). I really don’t know what the special sauce was that made Fancy Nancy become a hit. I’ve certainly thought about it a lot and the best I can come up with is this: just as practically all little boys like to dress up in towel capes and pretend to have superpowers, I think a lot of little girls are born with a glitter gene. They dress up and follow their own over-the-top fashion instinct in order to be noticed and feel significant. Little girls recognize in Fancy Nancy a kindred spirit. On a less psychological, more practical level, I think my editor Margaret Anastas at HarperCollins was brilliant in choosing Robin Preiss Glasser as the artist. I feel as if it was a match made in heaven. Robin’s pictures are pretty AND funny, a rare combination, although I must admit that when I wrote the first Fancy Nancy story, long before I saw Robin’s initial character sketch, I was imagining a much quirkier style of art. Margaret understood that the books needed to look broadly mainstream and appeal to the child who shops at Target and calls it Tar-zhay. Oh, and one other thing has really resonated with parents and teachers – the fancy vocabulary. I saw it as a fun part of Nancy’s personality, that being fancy would encompass more than just dressing up. But it didn’t hit me that her love of five dollar words would be seen as instructive.

Lee: Fancy Nancy started as a picture book, then had picture book sequels, and has expanded to Chapter Books (and soon to be an animated series!) How did approaching Chapter Books differ for you than writing the picture books?

Jane: Fancy Nancy was actually the first picture book I ever wrote. My natural inclination is to write for an older audience – beginning readers and chapter books. In fact, the first book I ever wrote, way back in 1979, was a middle grade novel called Yours Til Niagara Falls, Abby. With Nancy, I hadn’t imagined writing chapter books until I started getting letters from girls – oh, probably about four or five years ago -- asking if I ever thought about making Nancy older. The reason they asked was that they had enjoyed the FN picture books but were already onto chapter books and wanted to keep reading about Nancy. Margaret and I – and the rest of Harper – thought a series of chapter books was a really fun idea so we tried it and I am about to start writing the seventh one: Nancy Clancy Seeks a Fortune. My approach in writing the longer books differs in two important ways. Nancy is in third grade so she is not as outlandish in her style and in her moods. She is older and a little more tempered. I can dig into what she’s feeling and thinking in a deeper way – I’ve got 128 pages as opposed to the 32 pages in the picture books. Also, the chapter books have black and white illustrations – about forty per book – and so while there is still quite a bit of art, I can’t depend as much on Robin’s pictures to carry the humor of the story.

Lee: Counterpoint between words and images is such a powerful element in picture books, but can be challenging to pull off when you’re not an author who is also illustrating your own words. A moment I loved so much - and remember from reading with my daughter years ago! - was in Fancy Nancy Bonjour Butterfly, when Nancy can’t attend her friend Bree’s butterfly-themed birthday party and Nancy narrates that “When I tell Bree I can’t come, she is heartbroken.” and you see in the illustration that Bree’s fine, it’s Nancy who’s hand is over her heart, it’s Nancy who is so upset!

What’s your best advice for authors for including ‘art notes?"

Jane: It’s so amazing that you bring up that moment from Bonjour Butterfly. (Robin gave me the original artwork of that page and I have it hanging in my living room.) Fancy Nancy is often not a reliable narrator – that’s part of the humor in the books. Another example is in the first book, Fancy Nancy, when Nancy’s family make their stage entrance at the pizza place all gussied up. Nancy comments how everybody probably thinks they are movie stars but from the expressions on the other customers’ faces, readers see a very different reaction, more like “Who ARE these loony people?????”
In the beginning, I would write notes on the manuscripts to indicate to Robin when she should show the opposite of what the text implied. Now I don’t need to do that. She just knows. In general, I think authors should refrain from art notes and only offer them when there is a great discrepancy between what the words say and what the intended artwork is supposed to show.

Lee: As an author, can you share about your writing process – Do you carry around a notebook? Do you outline?

Jane: I should carry around a notebook but don’t and thus, I am forever scribbling down fancy words I overhear on the back of deposit slips and so on. I don’t outline; instead, I will get a broad idea and then jot down notes or thoughts. I email myself a lot.

Lee: As an editor/publisher, you work part time at Penguin Random House as vice president and editor at large. What kind of projects are you looking for?

Jane: At Penguin Random House I would say ninety percent of my time is spent working on a series of biographies that I started about twelve years ago. It’s called Who Was…? and has branched out into What Was…? about important events and Where Was…? about famous landmarks. I also work on Natasha Wing’s Night Before…. paperback picture book series.

Lee: On Friday morning, you’ll be leading a morning breakout workshop on “Pacing In Picture Books.” Is this a hands-on workshop where attendees should bring a draft of their current Work In Progress to play with?

Jane: The workshop on pacing a picture book manuscript is not one where attendees need to bring a manuscript. I want to explain how I approach the structure of a story and try to make it translate in an interesting way on the pages. I want to talk about the process of revising the latest Fancy Nancy picture book and how I’ve needed to rework it because of the way-too-long lead up to the real meat of the story.

Lee: You’ll be giving a Saturday afternoon keynote, “The Genesis of Fancy Fancy: That’s Fancy for ‘How I Thought Her Up.” Can you give us a sneak peek?

Jane: How did I think up Fancy Nancy….I’ll let the picture of four year old Jane speak for me!

Lee: Perfect! You’ll also be leading a Saturday afternoon breakout workshop on “Writing Biographies” – is that focused on writing for your “Who Was…?” chapter book series, or does it apply to picture book, middle grade and YA biographies as well?

Jane: I'll be focusing on chapter book biographies, mainly the Who Was/What Was/ Where Is series but also will speak a little about older biographies (for fifth and sixth graders).

Lee: Can you share your favorite piece of writing advice?

Jane: My favorite piece of writing advice is to eavesdrop. Listen to other people's conversations and you'll pick up the natural rhythm, the fits and start in dialogue. Dialogue is so key in fiction; how a character talks tells so much about who the character is and therefor listening to real people having real discussions or fights has been very helpful. (Plus I am naturally inquisitive -- that's fancy for nosy.)

Thanks, Jane!

To have the chance to learn from Jane directly, join us at the 2015 SCBWI Summer Conference. You can find details and registration information here.

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee

In Which I Interview The Amazing Adam Rex In The Run-Up To The 2015 SCBWI Summer Conference

Author/Illustrator and #LA15SCBWI Faculty Member Adam Rex

Note: Parenthetical Stage Directions are believed at your own risk.

Lee: Hey, Adam. I better start out with the question everyone wants to know… What will you be wearing to the Conference’s Saturday night “Sparkle & Shine Party?”

Adam: Oh. Huh. That’s definitely the theme, is it? (Lee nods.) Well, my kid’s preschool is doing a unit on glitter right now, so I’ll see if he can make a little lapel pin for me. Otherwise, maybe I’ll wear the suit I bought for the premiere of HOME? I have to find some other occasion for it or it’ll be the second most expensive single-use purchase I’ve ever made, after airline tickets.

The suit is Aubergine. That’s the name of the color if you pay enough. The same suit at Marshalls is called Eggplant.

Lee:  Just give me a moment to shake off the image of you dressed as a giant eggplant.

Okay, I can go on now. Your MG novel, The True Meaning Of Smekday, was made into a big Hollywood movie - a successful Hollywood movie. Anything you wish you’d known going into it that you can share with us?

Adam: Hmm. Well, nothing was kept from me. I was not mistreated by DreamWorks in any way. Quite the opposite, in fact—I was kept very much in the loop and consulted all along the way. (Lee looks on, pensively.)

I’m what you could call a reluctant optimist. I can’t help hoping for the best, even if I know it’s unrealistic. So I wouldn’t mind being able to get my 2011 self on the phone to say, “You know how you’re telling everyone that DreamWorks is probably going to change your story a lot, but even as you say it you don’t really believe it? Like, deep in your heart you think they’re going to just film your book like it’s a script, even though you signed a contract saying that they can essentially do whatever they want? They are going to substantially change the story. You’re still going to like their movie, but it IS going to feel like something almost totally different when they’re done with it.”

I’d make that call—because I’m a reluctant optimist—knowing full well that the 2011 me would hang up and think, “That guy seemed nice but he probably doesn’t know what he’s talking about.”

(Lee laughs for three minutes.)

Lee: For those who haven’t read it yet, there are comic-style panels and drawings throughout your latest Middle Grade novel, “Smek For President.” As someone who writes and illustrates, you have more tools in your toolbox. But how do you decide which tools to use when? Which parts of your story to describe in words and which to illustrate?

Adam: In the case of The True Meaning of Smekday, I actually backed myself into a corner with the illustrations. That book was ostensibly an overlong school essay written by my middle school-aged protagonist, so I decided that the illustrations therein could only be artwork that looked like it was feasibly done by an average twelve year-old, and photos she’d taken during the invasion. Those photos were really drawings made to look like they were old polaroids, of course. Does that make sense? (Lee nods, takes Adam’s hand.)

So those restrictions led me to establish that my alien J.Lo was a comics artist who helped out with some of the storytelling in places, and that opened up a whole new field in which I could talk about Boovish history and so forth. I was super excited about this, because back in the early 2000s this sort of prose/comics hybrid still seemed like a new idea. I thought the mixture in Smekday was really going to turn a lot of heads, because I didn’t realize that The Invention of Hugo Cabret was also going to come out that year. (Lee bites his lip in Clintonian sympathy.)

Anyway, the comics sections were some of my favorite parts to write, and they wouldn’t have worked as well in prose because half the time there was a real counterpoint between what the captions were saying and what the images were showing. It was an easy way to get through thirty thousand years of alien history in a handful of breezy pages.

By the time I was working on Smek for President, it was just de rigueur that I was going to do this again. I had a “Previously, in The True Meaning of Smekday” sort of recap to write, and that might have been really tedious in straight prose. I also realized, early on, that since this second book takes place on the new Boovish homeworld, I could use Boovish media to provide nice little bumpers that summed up the conflict and provided new information quickly. And why describe what’s happening on TV when I can show it?

I think there are a lot of things comics do better than prose and prose does better than comics. Prose is great for really slowing down and living inside a moment. And comics have always been fantastic when you want to present a ton of information instantly. I’m still figuring it all out.

Lee: Very cool. And I guess this is an expansion of that last question: as a storyteller you craft poems, picture books and novels… when you’re working out an idea, do you know right away what form it will take? Was there ever a Frankenstein Makes a Sandwich novel-in-verse draft? A True Meaning Of Smekday picture book dummy?

Adam: Yes! Actually, there was a version of Smekday that was a picture book manuscript. I was coming off of reading John Marsden and Shaun Tan’s picture book The Rabbits, and I wanted to do my own book about colonialism. Mine didn’t work at all as a picture book. So no, I don’t always know right away.

Lee: When you’re not the author, and you’re illustrating someone else’s words (like Mac Barnett's), I imagine it’s a fascinating process to add your voice, your vision to their story-so-far. How do you go about making it your story, too?

Adam: Well, I’m glad that you mentioned Mac, because he’s one of the greats for realizing that a picture book has to be borne equally on the shoulders of both the author and the illustrator. He does not over-write his manuscripts. I think he’s also in the enviable position to know that he’s going to get an illustrator he trusts, and indeed he even sometimes writes manuscripts with illustrators in mind. Most of us can’t do that, of course. But in a Barnett manuscript there’s plenty of room for the illustrator to stretch his or her legs.

Adam: How exactly do I go about making it my story too, then? I’m not sure how to answer that, except to say that illustrators have to remember that they're not illustrating the words of a story—they're illustrating the world in which the story takes place.

Lee: Wow. That sounded really wise. So wise, I'm gonna call it out in it's own special quote box:

"...illustrators have to remember that they're not illustrating the words of a story—they're illustrating the world in which the story takes place."
-Adam Rex

Lee: Okay, let's talk #LA15SCBWI. You’ll be giving a Friday July 31 Keynote, “How I Make Picture Books.” Can you give us a hint of what to expect?

Adam: Probably a lot of lies of omission. Like: it seems to be important to my process that I watch a lot of movie trailers on the internet, but I doubt I’ll get into that.

(Lee excuses himself, leaves the room, comes back forty-five minutes later wearing a different shirt like it’s no big deal.)

Lee: You’ll also be offering an illustrator workshop on Saturday August 1st, “Characters With Character.” Is that a hands-on session, where illustrators will try out techniques?

Adam: Yes, I’m going to bring along a lot of reference and talk about anatomy and some of my half-baked theories. We’ll draw and design a character together, the ownership of which will then probably have to be settled in arbitration.

Lee: Fun! And your second workshop is on Sunday afternoon, for writers and illustrators, “The 32 Things I’ve Learned Since I Got My First Book Published.” 32? Is that a lucky number? Or were you playing darts when Lin needed the title?

Adam: Darts. It’s still an open question whether I know 32 things. I’ll keep a tally as I work on the presentation—I may have to break up some compound sentences if I’m running short.

Lee: Speed Round!

Is coming up with the titles for your books hard or easy?

Adam: Easy.

Lee: A time machine appears in your backyard and, for one day you get to travel through time to a specific past or future. When is your destination?

Adam: Well, okay—first of all: we’re definitely saying that past-travel is possible in this hypothetical? Because, of course, the current thinking is that it would not be (with only outliers claiming otherwise, and even THEY’LL tell you that you could probably never travel back farther than the point in time at which the machine was originally turned on). No less than Stephen Hawking himself has embraced the notion of travel to the future but dismissed travel to the past as impossible, with the most simple but powerful evidence resting in the fact that we’ve never met anyone from the future.

So then my corollary to this would be to ask if we’re talking about a round-trip or just one way? Even if, by some miracle, I could travel to the past, then the “present” to which I’d return could not possibly the same one I left. We’re into quantum “many worlds” territory here and that’s not really my area but regardless, it’s terrifying. And yet any jump to the future would (again, according to current thinking) be a one way trip, and so the only way in which I could even conceive of taking such a trip is if I no longer had any Earthly concerns anchoring me to this time and place—and that’s more terrifying. No wife, no son; nothing to prevent me from taking a joyless joyride into the careless amnesia of the future.

I’m sorry. Did you just want me to say dinosaurs? (Lee nods.) Okay. Dinosaurs.

Lee: Dinosaurs is a great answer. Favorite Ice Cream Flavor?

Adam: When people ask my three year-old this he says brown, so I’m going to say brown.

(Lee smiles, transforms into a magnificent crimson bird and soars, just soars away until he’s only a red dash; a copyedit; a blemish on the face of God—and then he’s gone.)

And there you have it... Adam Rex. Interviewed. I'm gonna go eat some baba ghanoush now. That's uh... what they call expensive eggplant salad.

Wanna see Adam do his keynote thing and get a chance to take one (or both) of his amazing workshops? Join us at the 2015 SCBWI Summer Conference in Los Angeles, July 31-Aug 3. Details and registration here.

Senior Editor Ben Rosenthal: The Pre-#NY15SCBWI Conference Interview

Ben Rosenthal is a senior editor at Katherine Tegen Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Children’s Books. He acquires middle grade and YA fiction but also loves fresh and surprising nonfiction. At Harper, he has worked with such authors as Patrick Carman, Mindy McGinnis, and Jordana Frankel. Before arriving at KT Books in 2014, Ben spent seven years at Enslow Publishers, where he edited more than 150 nonfiction and middle grade fiction titles and created a teen fiction imprint, Scarlet Voyage. Raised in St. Paul, Minnesota, he now lives in New Jersey with his wife.

Senior Editor Ben Rosenthal

I connected with Ben to find out more about his sessions at the upcoming 2015 SCBWI Winter Conference in New York City, February 6-8...

Lee: Can you tell us more about your "Creating Nonfiction" breakout workshop on the conference Saturday morning? Is there any prep you'd suggest for attendees to get the most out of the session?

Ben: The institutional need for great nonfiction has always been there, but it will only rise as the Common Core develops in schools around the country. I hope writers and publishers capitalize on this opportunity but consider new ideas in creating fresh and engaging narratives. In my session, I hope to explore different ways we can make nonfiction breakout in a market dominated by fiction, looking at format, narrative, platform, and more. Most important, I want to generate a thought-provoking discussion. Be prepared to ask questions. I have edited more than 100 nonfiction titles, and I am still searching for answers.

Lee: How about your Saturday afternoon breakout workshop, "Thrillers and Mysteries?" But of course, don't give away the ending!

Ben: Pacing. Plot twists. Cliffhangers. I could tell you more, but then I'd have to kill you.

Lee: Ha! Well played, sir! When you come to a conference like #NY14SCBWI, are you looking to find new talent?

Ben: As an editor, I am always looking for talent. New writers and illustrators are the lifeblood of the publishing community. We need new authors as much as we need the veterans. But I don’t go to the conference specifically for that reason. I am looking to meet people, listen to interesting ideas, engage in meaningful conversations, and hopefully learn a great deal.

Lee: As an editor who does both fiction and nonfiction, what do you see as the cross-pollination possibilities... Are there things we can learn from fiction to apply to nonfiction, and do you look for them?

Ben: Absolutely! Good narrative nonfiction should read like a novel. Strong and active prose, deep and three-dimensional characters, vivid setting and world building—all the important things in fiction must be true of winning nonfiction. Any good story must come alive. I find it even more satisfying when that living story actually happened.

Lee: How about the reverse? Are there lessons from nonfiction that we writers and illustrators can apply to fiction?

Ben: Yes, indeed! One of the biggest lessons fiction writers can learn from nonfiction is research. Whether you’re creating a contemporary realistic novel or a sci-fi thriller on a futuristic alien planet, the setting, characters, and action need to be authentic. This almost always requires at least some research.

Lee: It seems that for fiction, a book with a 15 year old main character might be targeted to readers 12-15, and be called "young adult." But for nonfiction, a book targeted to those same readers ages 12-15 might be called "middle grade" - what's going on? Of course, if I have that wrong, chime in!

Ben: Hmm . . . I find that nonfiction can be more targeted by age because books with certain concepts or topics will be perfect for particular grades or curricula. One thing that happens with nonfiction is that when kids hit high school, they have a tendency to jump right into adult nonfiction because, frankly, there is much more to choose from. Other than the so-called "young readers" versions of adult biographies, which I don't like, there are not a ton of quality choices. (There are some amazing books, don't get me wrong, just not enough.) And I believe the readers of "young adult" nonfiction end up being middle schoolers because those books filter down. I am a firm believer that we really need more sophisticated and dynamic teen nonfiction. I would love to see teen nonfiction narratives with the substance and storytelling of Behind the Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Boo.

Lee: Do you see the divide between middle grade and young adult works blurring out or becoming more distinct?

Ben: I think certain titles will always blur the line but the two as a whole will become more distinct. Given the number of adults reading YA and the number of crossover hits, the line between adult and YA may become the one that is blurred.

Lee: What would be your best advice to share with conference attendees, either about their conference experience or about the journey of being a writer and/or illustrator?

Ben: Well, I can’t give away my best advice here, or I’d ruin my sessions. But for your conference experience, I would suggest stepping outside your comfort zone. Be bold. Ask questions. Listen to the faculty but with a very critical ear, always analyzing and thinking about ideas and how they apply to your individual journey as a writer or illustrator. The big ideas won’t likely come from the faculty but from the spark a comment or question inspires in you.

Lee: That's pretty sage advice anyway. Thanks, Ben. Okay, here's our Speed Round!

Karaoke song?

Ben: Wonderwall by Oasis but with a mute button

Lee: Ice Cream flavor?

Ben: Mint chip

Lee: Childhood book you loved and still have a copy of?

Ben: Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson (I think I still have every collection)

Thanks, Ben!

If you'd like to attend Ben's sessions and be part of all the craft, opportunity, inspiration, business and community of SCBWI's Winter Conference, we hope you'll join us in New York City, February 6-8, 2015.

You can find out all the details and register here.

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee

Editor Jessica Dandino Garrison: The Exclusive Pre-#NY15SCBWI Interview

Jessica Dandino Garrison, senior editor at Dial Books for Young Readers and voted “Most likely to eat the frosting off one too many cupcakes and regret it for the rest of the morning.” She has edited I’ll Give You the Sun, My Life Next Door, The Books of Elsewhere, Here Comes the Easter Cat, and others. She looks for middle grade and YA across all genres with robust plots, writing that has literary quality but commercial appeal, a strong, fresh voice, emotional heart and heft, and often a dose of moral ambiguity. Her picture book tastes tend toward the character-driven and humorous, with a subtle takeaway and a bit of bite.

Senior Editor at Dial Books for Young Readers Jessica Dandino Garrison

Here's our interview:

Lee: You edit (and acquire) Picture Books, middle grade and young adult novels - quite a span of age ranges and focii (wait, that is the plural of focus, right? Oh, if only there was an editor around... wait!)

Jessica: “Focii” or “foci”—your guess is as good as mine, man! I need a shirt that says “I ♥ copyeditors” because this is so their expertise and so not mine. I’ve just checked with Dial’s copyeditor, and it’s “foci” with one “i,” though “focuses” would be okay too, which is good, because otherwise I’ve been saying the wrong word my entire life.

Lee: Editor (and copyeditor!) to the rescue...Thanks! What's your take on (and perhaps, advice for) authors who also want to write for all three (PB, MG and YA)?

Jessica: My advice is always to know your category. In other words, read, read, read, read, read. Whether you’re writing picture books, middle grade, YA, or all three, know what else is out there, know what you personally like and why, and know where your story fits in the mix, what its “compatriots” are—those stories of a similar ilk for a similar audience that are already available and being read. And certainly don’t feel you have to write in all three categories. Write what you love and what feels most natural to you. Most of the authors I work with focus their energy on one category to start. Once they’re a little more established, they might decide to stretch and try something new. But new writers should certainly explore all three if they’re keen—it’s hard to know what you’re good at before you’ve tried it.

Lee: You'll be giving a breakout workshop on the conference Saturday that's sure to be packed - so much so it's running both in the morning and afternoon: "Rules for Picture Book-making and Why We Sometimes Break Them." Can you give us a sneak peek at one of those rules and how someone broke them?

Jessica: One of the most common tenets of picture book writing these days is to keep your story short and bear in mind the 32-page(ish) format. I like that one a lot myself. But then I went ahead and signed up Deborah Underwood and Claudia Rueda’s HERE COMES THE EASTER CAT and HERE COMES SANTA CAT plus two more CAT books—and each of them is upward of eighty pages. What? Craziness! In fairness, they’re still very, very spare—just a few words per page—but given the rhythm of these stories, we realized they just needed more pages to make the jokes and surprises and momentum work. They’re essentially comic strips divided by page-flips instead of panels. So it’s true—sometimes rules are meant to be broken.

Lee: I believe it was Linda Sue Park who challenged writers who work on picture books to read 1,000 picture books, with the theory that by the time you get into the five and six hundreds, you're learning, you're seeing patterns, you're attaining a different perspective. Ostensibly, by the time you get to 1,000, you've figured some important stuff out. I do have a friend, Sara Wilson Etienne, who took the challenge and read 1,000 picture books in one giant push over 100 days. An amusing aside is that what broke out for Sara ended up being her YA novel, Harbinger.

What's your take on Linda Sue's advice?

Jessica: Put it this way: In my first answer, where I wrote “read, read, read, read, read” I could have written it a thousand times instead of five. I think it was picture book author Carolyn Crimi who told me she not only read a ton when she was learning her craft, but she took her favorite picture books and typed them out in a Word document so she could see how they looked on a single blank page, alone, without art. In the process, she learned a lot and created a sort of muscle memory for the rhythm of the picture book format.

Lee: That's a great tip! What about for novelists - what advice would you offer those of us who write middle grade and young adult novels?

Jessica: Part of the reason to read widely within middle grade or YA is to be able to identify, and eventually internalize, what makes a story middle grade vs. YA vs. adult. Then you can apply that to your own writing to better engage your intended audience, to better understand where your novel fits, and to better pitch your novel to agents and publishers. My other bit of advice, which is nothing new, is to not chase trends—by the time your novel is ready to be submitted, that trend might be long over. Write what you love. Be original in your ideas. Trust your own voice. Understand what you’ve created.

Lee: When you attend a conference like #NY15SCBWI, are you open to finding new writers and illustrators?

Jessica: Absolutely. That’s why I’m here.

Lee: Newbies are often surprised to discover that if they write picture book texts, it's the editor who makes the selection of illustrator. Can you share a bit about how that matching process works, in terms of how you find illustrators and how the art department interfaces with the process?

Jessica: Usually I’ll see the art in my head when I read a picture book text I’m really enjoying. It’s often a general style of art, and sometimes I can extrapolate that to a specific artist or artists whose work I know. Sometimes not. In the latter case, I find myself trying to explain to my friend and Dial’s art director, Lily Malcom, what I see in my head. This is not always easy. Lily is very patient. And then we sit down together to look at artists who match that vision. Lily and her designers will often toss out ideas that are, stylistically, totally different from what I have in mind too, which is smart. Sometimes what you want isn’t what you need.

Lee: Short, shorter, shortest. It seems like the 'ideal' word count for a picture book text keeps dropping and dropping... It used to be "under 1,000" but in recent years I'm hearing "Under 500." How much does word count matter, and is there a number you hope for when you get a submission?

Jessica: Er, see “rule breaking,” above. :) The CAT books are an exception, though. By and large, yes, I personally do prefer shorter texts. It’s just what I like to read. My tastes tend toward stories that are humorous and where the art and text are sort of seamless, and that often comes with a certain rat-a-tat-ness. Most of the picture books I edit end up being under 1000 words, and more often under 500.

Lee: Do you see a place for longer, story-book picture books in the future?

Jessica: Despite the answer above, yes. Another picture book I recently edited, Dashka Slater’s DANGEROUSLY EVER AFTER, which is an uncommon princess story, is lengthier than what’s common these days, and I heard from a lot of people that they enjoyed reading it aloud to their kids for this reason, like you would a classic storybook. Parents told me it bridged the gap between, say, their eight-year-old and five-year-old at bedtime, offering something in between. And like I’ve said, rules are, occasionally, meant to be broken.

Lee: Speed round! Karaoke song?

Jessica: Never. It will never happen.

Lee: (laughing) Ice cream flavor?

Jessica: Salted Caramel and/or vanilla. Who’m I kidding? And/or? And.

Lee: Childhood book you loved and still have a copy of?

Jessica: MISS NELSON IS MISSING, IN THE NIGHT KITCHEN, and HAROLD AND THE PURPLE CRAYON for picture books. BEHIND THE ATTIC WALL for middle grade. TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD for MG/YA/adult (it’s kind of all of them, isn’t it?).

Thanks so much, Jessica!

If you'd like to attend Jessica's session and be part of all the craft, opportunity, inspiration, business and community of SCBWI's Winter Conference, we hope you'll join us in New York City, February 6-8, 2015.

You can find out all the details and register here.

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee

Associate Publisher and Editor Stephanie Lurie: The Exclusive Pre-#NY15SCBWI Interview

Stephanie Lurie is the associate publisher of Disney-Hyperion, an imprint that publishes approximately eighty titles a year, for preschoolers through young adults. Stephanie manages a team of eighteen people and also edits picture books and novels. Recently she has had the privilege of collaborating with such authors as Bob Shea, Jonathan Stroud, Eoin Colfer, and Rick Riordan. She is the mother of two young men, both of whom are writers, and has been married to her beau from college for thirty-three years.

Associate Publisher Stephanie Lurie

Here's our interview:

Lee: You'll be part of the Saturday morning Keynote Editors' panel, "Children's Books 2015: Report from the Front Lines" along with Justin Chanda (Simon & Schuster), Laura Godwin (Henry Holt) and Beverly Horowitz (Delacorte). What are you most curious to hear from your peers?

Stephanie: I'm curious to know whether my peers are seeing the same subject matter trends in submissions, to hear about their lead titles, and to learn how they are dealing with marketplace challenges.

Lee:  I think that's one of the most remarkable things about these conferences - whether you are on faculty or attending, and for us writers and illustrators, whether you have hundreds of books out or are' pre-published,' there's always more to learn and inspiration to find. Last year I noticed Jane Yolen doing the writing exercises along with the rest of us during another faculty member's teaching of the intensive on plot, and I asked her about it. Jane explained, "the minute we as artists stop growing, we're dead."

When you come to a conference, what do you find yourself looking for...are you looking to find new talent?

Stephanie: It's always fantastic to discover a new author and/or illustrator talent, of course. I also appreciate the chance to network with colleagues. Just being with people devoted to children's books is inspiring and energizing.

Lee: It is! As a publisher, you oversee about 80 titles a year, that range from preschooler stories to YA novels. Do you have a vision that readers start as Disney-Hyperion picture book audiences and then grow to be Disney-Hyperion middle grade readers and then progress to reading your YA titles?

Stephanie: I don't think imprints play much of a role in customers' book selections. It's all about the author and illustrator talent. We aim to find and nurture the best writers and artists and to offer a varied array of books, to attract all kinds of readers.

Lee: I'm curious on how that PB through YA scale plays out when it comes to the authors' and illustrators' perspective. What's your view on (and maybe advice for) authors and illustrators who want to create in more than one age-category?

Stephanie: There are a few authors who can write both picture books and novels with equal aplomb--from our list, Sara Pennypacker comes to mind. But that kind of versatility is rare. More often, authors stretch in a more limited way, e.g. from picture books to early readers, or from middle grade to young adult. My advice for beginning writers would be to hone one voice at first rather than dabble in many different categories/genres.

Lee: I remember being so excited when John Rocco's BLACKOUT came out and it included a two-guy couple walking down the street. What's your view of the role illustrators and writers (and editors and publishers) can play in portraying diversity in picture books?

Stephanie: We were recently asked to list all of our diverse books, and the vast majority of them fit the bill, simply because they include some non-white characters. They weren't written or published to make a point; they just reflect modern life.

Lee: What would be your best advice to share with conference attendees?

Stephanie: This is going to sound flip, but it is sincere: I encourage writers of middle grade and young adult fiction to check out the most popular channels on YouTube. Kids are now spending a lot of their media consumption time there, and we need to know what we're competing against.

Lee: (laughing) Hurray - I can move watching youtube videos from the 'procrastination' column to 'research' now! I'm feeling more productive already!

Okay, speed round!

Karaoke song?

Stephanie: Halo

Lee: Ice Cream Flavor?

Stephanie: Almond Joy

Lee: Childhood book you loved and still have a copy of?

Stephanie: Harriet the Spy


Thanks so much, Stephanie!

And if you want to hear and learn from Stephanie, too, we hope you join us at the upcoming SCBWI Winter Conference in New York City, February 6-8, 2015.

You can find out all the details and register here.

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee

Editor Sara Sargent: The Exclusive Pre-#LA14SCBWI Conference Interview

Editor at Simon Pulse and #LA14SCBWI Conference Faculty Sara Sargent

Sara Sargent is an editor at Simon Pulse, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, where she edits Jennifer Echols and Deb Caletti as well as many exciting debut authors. Most recently she was at the Balzer & Bray imprint of HarperCollins Children’s Books, where she launched authors Rosamund Hodge, Sangu Mandanna, Marcy Paul, and Kiki Sullivan. Prior to her time at HarperCollins, Sara worked at Waxman Leavell Literary Agency, and interned with Miramax Books and Hyperion Books for Children. Sara has a Masters in Journalism. She can be found on Twitter @Sara_Sargent and on her website at www.sarasargent.wordpress.com.

I connected with Sara to find out more about her workshops and intensive at the upcoming 2014 SCBWI Summer conference in Los Angeles, August 1-4.

* * *

Lee: Hi Sara! Thanks so much for agreeing to this interview. Let's jump right in: As an editor, can you share what you see as the value for authors and illustrators in attending conferences like SCBWI's 2014 Summer Conference?

Sara: Those of us fortunate enough to be in publishing learn so much just by participating in the business day-to-day and talking to one another about our work. For aspiring writers, a weekend of workshops, panels, and networking is the best way to mirror that experience. The more you understand about books and the market, the better equipped you are to be a part of the industry too. It’s an intense few days, but an unparalleled education!

Lee: Simon Pulse has some huge authors (Like Scott Westerfeld and Jodi Picoult-- and I've got to add Team Blog's own Suzanne Young to that list!) and as an editor you speak of working with "many exciting debut authors." Do you look to find talent that's new to you when you attend a conference like #LA14SCBWI?

Sara: I know the next New York Times bestseller is out there. Lurking. Revising. Toiling away. I don’t know where, but somewhere. I try to expose myself to as many writers as possible in the hopes of discovering him or her, and SCBWI is absolutely a place to find that new talent. Also, the organizers are very targeted in pairing authors with editors and agents, so I am only reviewing projects in the genres I’m most likely to acquire. Which makes me all the more hopeful about finding folks for my list!

Lee: A lot of times authors come to realize that they have a theme that travels across their work. I'm wondering if there's a similar thing with editors, and the manuscripts you're drawn to work on. Is there a theme that travels across the books you've edited?

Sara: Romance. Kissing. Cute boys. On the basest level, that’s my common thread. I have always been a sucker for romantic comedies and books with strong romantic plotlines. I edit what I like to read, so my acquisitions mirror my personal reading selections. Romance makes books more fun and exciting, and romantic tension makes me want to turn the pages.

Lee:  Speaking of tension, you're leading a Saturday workshop "Building Tension," and giving an Monday morning intensive that goes deeper into the same subject, "The Tension Headache: Raising the Stakes in Your Manuscript." The intensive description explains that giving readers a reason to care and keeping turning the pages is the key to writing that "unputdownable" book. Is that true for every kind of novel - romance, contemporary, steampunk, dystopia... everything?

Sara: I like to tell authors that even if they’re not writing mysteries, they are writing mysteries. No matter what the genre, every book should have a component of mystery and suspense that makes readers want to keep going. Without that, I can easily put the book down: never acquire it for S&S, never finish it. We’ve all read those novels where we’re skimming paragraphs because we must learn what happens next. That’s a great novel.

Lee: There's lots of discussion in craft books and workshops about there being two plot lines - external (the story's action) and internal (the character's arc) - is this raising up of tension something you suggest authors do for both plot lines?

Sara: With tension, too much is almost never enough. But it’s a weapon to wield deftly. It’s important to build tension within your plot and between your characters, and characters themselves must encounter situations that test them. Getting too caught up in external and internal plots, though, will have you going cross-eyed. We try to make these workshops about getting back to basics and making you less confused about the way forward. In all my sessions it’s about you realizing something new about your book and zeroing in on it with a clear vision and a strong sense of purpose.

Lee: You'll also be leading a breakout workshop on Sunday called "Developing YA Characters." Tell us more...

Sara: Improving character development is one of the most common revision notes I give to authors. And underdeveloped characters is a common reason I reject projects. Whether it’s making characters more likeable, more relatable, or just more interesting, it’s an area that often needs deepening. Because characters are people, they have many sides to them—and sometimes authors neglect certain sides because they think they don’t matter. My workshop will help you look at your characters in a new light and identify potential deficiencies. It’s a way of communing with your own characters like you never have before.

Lee: What's your current favorite piece of advice you'd like to share for those of us writing and illustrating for kids and teens?

Sara: Writing and illustrating is like dating. You’re great. Your work is great. It’s worthy of a future. You just have to be patient and find the perfect person to be your champion.

* * *

Thanks, Sara!

If you want to meet and learn from Sara in person, join us at the SCBWI Summer Conference. Registration and information here.

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee

Associate Publisher & Editor Bonnie Bader: The Exclusive Pre-#LA14SCBWI Conference Interview

Associate Publisher of Frederick Warne, Editor-in-Chief of Penguin Young Readers/Early Readers and #LA14SCBWI Conference Faculty Member Bonnie Bader 

Bonnie Bader is the Associate Publisher of Frederick Warne, where she oversees the Peter Rabbit and Spot publishing programs, as well as the Editor-in-Chief of Penguin Young Readers/Early Readers, where she heads up the leveled reader and 8×8 programs. The leveled reader program, Penguin Young Readers, houses fiction and nonfiction readers from every imprint in the Young Readers division, including books from David Adler, Betsy Byars, Eric Carle, Ginjer Clarke, Paula Danziger, Jean Fritz, Joan Holub, Kate McMullan, Ethan Long, and Loren Long. The 8×8 picture book program, Penguin Core Concepts, includes both fiction and nonfiction titles. She continues to edit several bestselling series including George Brown, Class Clown and Magic Bone by Nancy Krulik, and Here’s Hank by Lin Oliver and Henry Winkler. A member of the SCBWI Board of Advisors, Bonnie will be on faculty at the 2014 SCBWI Summer Conference in Los Angeles, August 1-4.

I connected with Bonnie to find out more...

* * *

Lee: Hi Bonnie, thanks so much for taking the time!  Can you share what you see as the value for authors and illustrators in attending conferences like SCBWI's 2014 Summer Conference?

Bonnie: Attending a SCBWI conference is the best way to connect with experts in the field from editors, to art directors, to agents, to published authors and illustrators. You can hear their stories, learn from their mistakes, and get inspiration to buckle down and finish (or start) that project that is sitting on your desk at home. I particularly like the annual summer conference, because it is a terrific opportunity to network. All the aforementioned professionals (and this year there is an amazing lineup!) are under one roof for 3-4 days!

Bonnie's right - click here to see the full list of conference faculty

Lee: As Associate Publisher of Frederick Warne and Editor-in-Chief at Penguin Young Readers/Early Readers/Grosset & Dunlap, you get to make the call when it comes to acquisitions. With the work on the page, P&Ls (projected profit and loss reports), passion of the editor, and platform of the author all in play, is there a single element that tips the scales for you to say "yes?"

Bonnie: The manuscript really has to speak to me – does it have an original hook? Are the characters engaging? Is there a voice that won’t let me put it down? If these elements are there, then I will jump over any hurdle to make the financials work so I can publish the book!

Lee: Is it like the lesson from Derek Siver's "Anything You Want:" Never say yes. Only say "Hell, Yes!" Or say no. That way you have the time, passion and other resources available to really make your "Hell, Yes!-es" succeed?

Bonnie: Absolutely. I have to be 100% sold; otherwise it’s a definite no for me. I don’t have the time to be wishy-washy.

Lee: On Friday you'll be leading a breakout workshop about "Creative Nonfiction: Dazzling Your Readers." With the growing nation-wide adoption of the Common Core curriculum standards, do you see us entering a new 'golden age' for nonfiction?

Bonnie: Nonfiction is hot! For years, authors have asked me, “Why can’t I get my nonfiction manuscript published?” Well, now the doors have opened up. Yes, it has a lot to do with common core, but I think teachers have always seen the value in nonfiction books. Nonfiction introduces students to a myriad of things, from historical periods, to biographies, to science, and more! Kids have to learn how to read, understand, and enjoy nonfiction. Nonfiction has always been published, but now I think we’ll see a lot more of it and a spotlight will be on these books, making them more visible to consumers.

Lee: Tell us more about what you'll cover in the workshop...

Bonnie: I am particularly interested in narrative nonfiction – nonfiction that tells a story, albeit a true one! I will talk about how good nonfiction has a voice, and how to make your “characters” come alive. There will even be some hands-on writing activities! And I will talk about the nonfiction programs I am developing at Penguin and the opportunities available to write for them.

Lee: You're also leading a Sunday breakout workshop on "Levelled Readers and Transitional Chapter Books." What do you aim for attendees to come away from that session with?

Bonnie: During this session, I will talk about two programs I am heading up at Penguin – Penguin Young Readers, which is a levelled reader line, and a new, unnamed (at the time of this interview) transitional reader program. I want attendees to come away with the understanding of how important these two areas are for young readers. Although levelled readers sometimes have the stigma of being formulaic because they use controlled vocabulary, I will show how our program has fun, smart, and engaging stories. The transitional chapter book program is a bridge for those who are done with levelled readers, but not yet ready for traditional chapter books. I will talk about storylines, characters, and the interaction of text and art. For both programs, I am actively acquiring manuscripts, and I will talk about author guidelines and how to submit.

Lee: You're the ambitious outlier whose Monday intensive runs all day - both in the AM and PM time slots. It's called "START: How to hook readers from the beginning of your book so they'll never let go." One of the questions you aim to have attendees address is "Are you really starting your book in the right place?"

It puts me in mind of all those movies that start with action near the climax for the opening scene, and then flashback to the beginning for a huge chunk of the movie until they catch up to the opening moment of action. I pretty much always think that's lazy storytelling. What's your take?

Bonnie: Exactly! So many times, an author feels that he/she has to set up the story by giving pages and pages of backstory in the very first chapter. Not only is this lazy, but it’s boring! Let your details come out organically through the story; don’t let your first chapter get bogged down with backstory and flashbacks.

Lee: The other questions your Monday intensive attendees will "dig in" to answer is "Does your first line grab your reader? After reading the first page, will the reader want to read on?" I see you've asked for attendees to submit the first chapter of their novels (chapter book through YA) by June 30th. Will you be letting participants know if you'd read on and why?

Bonnie: I gave the same workshop last year, and I have to admit that I was daunted by the fact that it was a full day, but it ended up being fantastic! I will be reading all of the first chapters before the conference, and the attendees will be split into groups (of 5-6 people) and they will read their fellow group members’ works as well. Throughout the day, we will delve into everyone’s first chapter looking at things like: opening lines, how you introduce your main character, do you want to read on, what are…oops! I don’t want to give too much away! Through group exercises, discussions, and small group work we will see if the start to your book provides key information, but doesn’t give away too much too quickly, and more! I have to say that last summer, the 7 hours just flew by, and I wish I had more time!

Lee: It sounds like an amazing opportunity! What's your current favorite piece of advice you'd like to share for those of us writing and illustrating for kids and teens?

Bonnie: That’s a hard one; I have so much advice! I think that anyone who wants to write and/or illustrate for kids and teens has to know them. You have to know what they like, and don’t like, how they speak, etc. You really have to get inside their heads and make sure you are not talking down to them. The best way to do this? Become a spy! Spy on your children, your nieces and nephews, your neighbors (but not in a creepy way, of course!)

Lee: Thanks, Bonnie! I really look forward to seeing you at the conference.

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And if YOU want to see (and learn from) Bonnie, join us at the SCBWI Summer Conference, August 1-4 in Los Angeles. Information and registration here.

Editor Deborah Halverson: The Exclusive Pre-#LA14SCBWI Conference Interview

Author, Editor and 2014 SCBWI Summer Conference Faculty Deborah Halverson

Deborah Halverson spent a decade editing books for Harcourt Children's Books before becoming the award-winning author of Writing Young Adult Fiction For Dummies, the upcoming Writing New Adult Fiction, the two teen novels Honk If You Hate Me and Big Mouth, the picture book Letters to Santa, and three books in the “Remix” series for struggling readers. Deborah has been working with authors—bestsellers, veterans, debut, and aspiring—for over fifteen years. The books she’s edited have garnered awards and rave reviews, and many of the aspiring writers she’s coached have landed agent representation and lucrative book deals. Deborah is now a freelance editor, author, writing instructor, and the founder of the popular writers’ advice site DearEditor.com. She also serves on the advisory board for UC San Diego Extension “Children’s Book Writing and Illustrating” certificate program.

She'll be on faculty doing quite a bit of cool stuff at #LA14SCBWI, and I connected with her to find out more...

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Lee: Hi Deborah - so excited about the upcoming 2014 SCBWI Summer Conference in Los Angeles, and thanks for taking the time to chat.

Deborah: Thanks, Lee. I love this annual conference. The first one I attended was in 1996, and here I am, eighteen years later, just as excited to get there.

Lee: From your perspective as an editor, the writer of Writing Young Adult Fiction For Dummies and an author of your own books for young readers, what do you think authors and illustrators can gain from attending the conference?

Deborah: A few years ago I “ordered” a writer, who was penning an MG story but who had no contact with other MG writers or knowledge of the industry, to attend this conference. He aye-ayed and then called me from the conference floor: “I have found my people.” We expand professionally and personally when we talk shop with people who share our passion. This conference brings in professionals to explain how this complex industry works. It brings in seasoned writers and editors to help you fill your writing toolbox. And it gathers around you a community rightly hailed for its supportiveness and enthusiasm. Attendees are educated, invigorated, and inspired. At any given moment during the conference, you’ll see a person whip out a laptop or notebook and set to work feverishly as ideas strike. I bring the same notebook every year and add to it, recording insightful quotes in green, tasks to follow-up on in black, new ideas in red, and general notes about the industry or writing strategies in blue. I’m in multicolored pen heaven.

Lee: I love that multi-colored strategy! (Scribbling a note to myself to try color-coding my notes, too.)

I've heard different perspectives on the "New Adult" category of fiction. Some say it's really stories for older high-schoolers, about people who are out of high school, in college and/or just starting to figure out the "real world." Others say it's mainly an excuse to take YA closer to erotica. Are they both right?

Deborah: I believe that saying New Adult fiction is just YA with sex is akin to saying Young Adult fiction is just stories of high school romance. Hook-ups of the heart play a part in most YA fiction, yes, but YA doesn’t exist to serve up young love. The YA category is well known for its breadth, with thrillers, fantasy, paranormal, historical, adventure, and issue-driven stories. What many people don’t realize is that the category scrabbled long and hard to get away from the “it’s just high school love and angst” dismissiveness that existed at the beginning of my children’s books career. 

New Adult fiction is going through a similar evolution, in a more compressed time frame. Romantic attraction becomes a significant part of life after puberty, and we enter a new phase of it when we leave the constraints of high school and parental oversight—as we should. NA fiction tells the stories of these young people who are finally free to explore their sexuality unfettered, so it includes more sexual activity. And because NA writers don’t have the gatekeepers of YA fiction looking over their shoulders, they can include that activity in juicy detail. The first big NA titles had their share of the sexy stuff, and that dominated the early NA offerings. But readers are making it clear that they want more in their stories about this time of life, and writers are vocal and active about offering more. You hear it all over social media and NA blogs (NAAlley.com is a fabulous one), and you see it in the comments sections at online book retailers. Mysteries, paranormal, thrillers, issue-driven NAs… writers know that if NA is to continue its evolution and thrive, it must do what YA did and push beyond the love stories—even as love storylines remain. 

New Adult fiction explores the hearts and the minds of 18- to 25-year-olds as they learn to live self-responsible lives, reaching up as high as first career forays. That’s a wide spectrum whose common foundation is the full, unrestricted exploration of self before settling into career and family. I’ve written an article for an upcoming SCBWI Bulletin that expands on this overlap of “mature YA” and NA and what it means for those people writing stories about older teens. Keep your eye out for that if you want to know more.

Lee: For our audience, I'll share that Deborah also has a new NA (New Adult) craft book coming out in July 2014 from Writer's Digest Books, Writing New Adult Fiction, which goes deep into techniques and the NA marketplace for indie publishers as well as those seeking traditional publication.

Having said that, please tell us more about what you'll be covering in your Friday breakout workshop on "New Adult Fiction."

Deborah: Many YA writers are interested in exploring what it means to be a teen after high school. I’ll cover New Adult Fiction as the next step in our young readers’ development to adulthood. These young people have distinct concerns and sensibilities that you can tap into just like you would for YA fiction. They are establishing new social circles, dealing with constant change and the stress that goes with that, learning financial responsibility, developing their own world views—all with brains not yet fully developed, so their risk-taking and decision-making skills are still lacking. Great fiction opportunities there! I’ll be sharing examples and, because I like tangible take-away, covering strategies for writing NA characters who feel authentic, situations that ring true to that age group, and storylines that intrigue fans of new adult fiction. 

Lee: Sounds indispensable for those wanting to write New Adult!

One of the incredible resources SCBWI offers members and conference attendees is the "Market Report" that you put together. Can you tell us more about what that is?

Deborah: Happy to! I sure love putting it together. Each summer I interview about 20 publishing insiders—editors, agents, sales VPs, institutional market reps, etc. We get into what’s selling and what’s being acquired, what’s being wished for, what’s not so popular, and what’s showing signs of potential upswing. I’m extremely grateful for their enthusiastic willingness, across the board, to give us this glimpse at the market from their seats. I combine their insights with my own research to create a market snapshot for attendees, which I’ll be presenting in a keynote at the Sunday morning gathering. I’ll also highlight big changes to the printed Market Survey, which is SCBWI’s list of publishers, their editors, and each house’s lists and submission policies. If a new imprint has been launched or there are new calls for submissions, I give all the details. Every attendee holds the most current version of that document as I talk about it.

Lee: After the three full conference days (Friday August 1, Saturday August 2 and Sunday August 3) there's a day of craft intensives on Monday August 4. There's one for illustrators, and the writers have a variety of expert classes to choose from. You're offering a morning intensive on "Crafting a Youthful Narrative Voice and Sensibility in MG/YA Fiction." I've heard many discussions about "voice" but this is the first time I've heard it separated out from "sensibility." How do you define the difference between those concepts?

Deborah: A writer can learn to use the words and phrases a teen would use, and to construct sentences in ways that jive with how teens would stitch together their thoughts. These skills are essential to creating a youthful narrative voice. But that doesn’t mean the writer understands what teens talk about, what they focus on and think is important about the situations at hand. To me, writing a youthful narrative “sensibility” is about understanding how a young person processes the world and her place in it. I encourage those who write for young people to take into account both voice and sensibility so that their fiction can sound authentic in every way.

Lee: Please share more about the intensive as you're planning it...

Deborah: I’m a nuts-and-bolts nut. I want people to walk away from me armed with strategies they can put to use in their WIPs immediately. The intensive will include strategies, examples, individual exercises designed to try out those techniques, and group evaluation of portions of attendees’ WIPs to help them see opportunities for revision. I hope that what attendees learn will also strengthen everything they write in the future.

Lee: Another aside for our audience: make sure to check out Deborah's "cheat sheet" for quick tips into creating a youthful narrative voice, creating convincing teen dialogue, and evaluating character and plot here. It includes great tips like this one:

Make the conversation about the speaker. Teens are a self-absorbed lot, and that can come out in their words. Frame teen dialogue from a perspective that focuses on how the circumstances affect the speaker. Thus, instead of "Tom seemed sad today. I wonder why?" use "Tom blew me off today. What's up with that? What did I do to him?"

Back to our interview...

Deborah, I really liked the quote you had up on your DearEditor site from Revision Week 2013: Laura Griffin, NYTimes bestselling romance writer, with 11 acclaimed novels: "I always try to remember that no matter how compelling a plot is, the reader is really in it for the characters. So I try to make sure I focus plenty of attention on character arc so that the story will have an emotional punch."

It's good advice for plotters like myself. Do you find your own stories grow from plot or character?

Deborah: I’m a character-driven person at heart, but that doesn’t mean my projects start with the character every time. My MG and YA stories start with characters and the issues I want them to grapple with. However, I’m currently developing two chapter book series, and each one of those very definitely started with concept and plot; the characters seemed to spring forth of their own accord as I wrote the action. Did that happen because I’m writing a series, and in a category known for hijinks and whacky action? Perhaps. Whatever the reason, I found when I was done with the first stories that the characters are so distinct and essential that the plots now depend on these characters for existence. I can move the characters around from adventure to adventure, but the adventures would change completely if I altered even one character.

Lee: What's your current favorite piece of writing advice to share?

Deborah: Don’t neglect your setting. Setting influences and illuminates characterization, figures directly into plot, influences characters’ word choice, affects pacing and tension, and provides subtext and ambiance. Yet setting is often missing from the MG and YA manuscripts I see as an editor. I think writers fear stalling their story with description dumps, and there’s certainly a push for strong characters, action, and dialogue these days so maybe that’s what’s highest on writer’s radars. Don’t fear description dumps: Go beyond description and have your characters react to and interact with setting elements to bring your world to life. Trigger your readers’ sense of hearing, smell, touch, and taste. Slip these triggers into the narrative beats between lines of dialogue. You don’t need another character pushing his bangs out of his eyes or smiling or looking at another character—that’s generic action that fills the spot without revealing anything. Use that opportunity to show us your character is ticked off even though she says she’s fine. Perhaps she scrubs furiously at the sweat on her brow when she’s standing at the stupid lemonade stand with her little brother, thinking about that sun hat she failed to bring. Maybe she sits on the plastic lawn chair then leaps up with a yell at the burn on the back of her thighs. One hot day, one unhappy gal, demonstrated through interaction with props and reaction to the elements. Dialogue and action are great, but don’t burden them with your whole story. Let setting do its share—and reap the rewards that follow.

Lee: That IS great advice. Thanks so much, Deborah. See you in August!

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If you want to see Deborah and learn from her in person, you'll have to join us at the 2014 SCBWI Summer Conference in Los Angeles, August 1-4. Click here for Information and to register.

You can find out more about Deborah at her website, www.DeborahHalverson.com, and at  www.DearEditor.com