Posts Tagged Author Interview

Storystorm: It’s Not (Just) for Picture Book Writers

By on March 3, 2021   /   Articles  

Tired of sitting on the sidelines while her novelist friends participated in NaNoWriMo each November, kidlit author Tara Lazar created PiBoIdMo (Picture Book Idea Month), a monthlong brainstorming event for picture book writers: 30 ideas in 30 days.

That was back in 2009. The event has since been renamed Storystorm, in order to be reflect a “broader range” of writers, moved to January, and now boasts nearly 2,000 participants from across the country and around the world—professionals, amateurs, teachers, and students alike.

Ready, Set… GO!

 

 

 

With this in mind, and eager to get my fun on during the dark days of Covid, I decided to give Storystorm a try. How hard could it be?

Harder than I thought. The first week went by relatively smoothly, with ideas spewing from my brain like Vesuvius lava. But by Day #11, I found myself scraping the bottom of the idea barrel. Such gems from my notebook include: “Tween kidnapping ring”; “Reality show for middle-school tuba players”; and, simply, “oranges.”

In frustration, I decided to kick Storystorm to the curb. The event was for picture book writers, I rationalized—not for middle-grade authors who wrote entire novels. The challenge was that much harder for us.

That was just an excuse, of course. The real reason I didn’t want to continue the challenge is that it was far outside comfort zone. Like, Timbuktu far. I also felt pressure to come up with the “perfect” idea for my next novel. The idea that would catapult me to MG superstardom and make readers go, “Jeff Kinney, who…?”

Under Pressure

Unfortunately, and as any writer knows, pressure can stop creativity dead in its tracks. It can also make you feel “less than” as a writer. So, instead of seeking perfection (which doesn’t exist, anyway), I decided to have fun with the challenge. I added “What if…?” and “maybe” sentences to my brainstorming sessions:

“What if the main character is forced to live with her crotchety grandmother for the summer?”

“What if she’s left-handed, with fiery red hair, and a dime-size gap between her two front teeth?” “Maybe she’s a gifted tap dancer who loves Cheetos.”

“Maybe she’s five feet tall…”

This helped ease the pressure that declarative statements can often bring. Once I started to enjoy the Storystorm journey, rather than the destination, I felt myself relax. And even better? I crossed the finish line, with a slew of sparkling new ideas.

And now, without further ado…

Five questions for the creator of Storystorm, Tara Lazar

MR: Hi, Tara! I know this isn’t your first Mixed-Up Files rodeo. You appeared on the blog in 2019, with this interview by Mindy Alyse Weiss. Welcome back!

TL: Merci beaucoup!

MR: As above, you created StoryStorm in 2009, as a response to NaNoWriMo. Which aspects of the event have changed most since then? What remains the same?

TL: The name and the month changed—because if I had thought about it for two seconds, I would’ve realized that PiBoIdMo is a terrible name and November is an awful month to get anything done. Plus, the first year, I wrote HALF of all the blog posts. Fifteen! Talk about scraping the bottom of the barrel for ideas! The following year I invited more authors and illustrators to guest blog and I took on a more administrative role.

Advice for MG writers (including yours truly)?

MR: As I mentioned in the intro, as an MG author I had a hard time generating 30 ideas in 31 days. It felt like a lot! In your opinion, is brainstorming different for writers of MG fiction and nonfiction? What advice do you have for MG writers specifically, in terms of idea generation?

TL: I think picture books sell based more upon concept than MG novels. MG novels have much more “meat” to them—yes, they can have a brilliant premise, but voice, plot, subplot and language play a bigger role than in picture books. Picture books are generally a tougher sell, so the more manuscripts you have, the better a position you’re in. As an MG author you probably don’t need as many ideas as PB authors do, but I believe the more ideas from which to choose, the better.

Storystorm in the classroom

MR: Educators, such as teachers and librarians, are encouraged to participate in Storystorm. From what you’ve seen and heard, what are the most effective ways educators have used Storystorm in the classroom?

TL: Teachers put the daily blog posts on their smartboards in the classroom and encourage their students to brainstorm at the start of the school day. It’s an easy way to get students into a creative mode, plus they will have a portfolio of ideas ready to go for their next writing assignment. It eliminates that “blank page” fear! Writing is less daunting if students already know what to write about!

MR: You can say that again. Now, I’m curious, Tara… Do you participate in Storystorm yourself? If so, have any of your published or soon-to-be-published books been Storystorm ideas? Enquiring minds want to know!

TL: I do, and I don’t. I generate ideas all year long so I don’t necessarily need to do Storystorm, plus I’m busy behind the scenes. If I get ideas during the event, I write them down, like always. The whole point of Storystorm is to create a habit for writers, and I’ve already cultivated it!

Free to Be You and Me

MR: You sure have. What advice do you have for MG writers who are reluctant to participate in Storystorm because they feel intimidated? Let’s hear your best sales pitch. 🙂 

TL:  It’s free. There’s a great community of writers to keep you on track, and there’s no punishment if you don’t get 30 ideas. And your ideas are for your eyes only—no one has to see them if you don’t want to share. You’re going to end the month with more story ideas than you had before it began, so what have you got to lose? Nuthin’. Did I mention it’s free?

MR: Thank you so much for joining us again on Mixed-Up Files, Tara. And thanks for everything you do for the kidlit community!

About Tara

TARA LAZAR is the author of several picture books, including the award-winning 7 ATE 9: THE UNTOLD STORY from Little, Brown. Her next book BLOOP is illustrated by Mike Boldt and releases from HarperCollins in July ’21.

Tara is the co-chair of the Rutgers University Council on Children’s Literature One-on-One Plus Conference and an SCBWI member. She writes flash fiction for adults and serves as an inspirational speaker, based on her battle with Primary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis.

Tara lives in New Jersey with her husband, two teenage daughters, and a recently rescued stray cat, Phoebe. Learn more about Tara on her website, Twitter and Instagram.

The Skinny on Storystorm: What other MG writers are saying…

Wendy McLeod MacKnight, MG author of It’s Not a Mystery, Pig Face; The Frame-Up; and The CopyCat: “As an author who both struggles to come up with ideas AND flesh them out, Storystorm has been a creative godsend! I’ve got new tools for my idea-generation toolkit and a bunch of shiny new ideas to work on in 2021! I can’t wait for the next iteration!”

Christiana Doucette, MG writer: “Brainstorming alongside so many other writers—the energy and encouragement—has helped me to create an idea-seeds spreadsheet. I’m excited to sift through my list and start drafting my next story.”

Andrea Mack, writer of PBs and MG fiction: “I love how generating ideas through Storystorm inspires me by opening the door to my creativity. Sometimes I get ideas for developing my characters, plot events, or interesting details. If none of the ideas works for my story, starting my day by adding an idea or two to my list sets me up for a good writing day. And I love how I have that whole list of ideas to fall back on when my writing isn’t going anywhere.”

Mindy Alyse Weiss, Mixed-Up Files contributor and PB/MG writer: “Not only is Storystorm great for coming up with potential series ideas, I’ve found that a few ideas can mesh together into one amazing one. Also, I’ve discovered a few tricks to spark ideas, thanks to some of Tara’s archived posts. The ones I use most are: 500+ Things That Kids Like and 100+ Things Kids Don’t Like. I also scroll back to posts from previous years, for both Storystorm and the original PiBoIdMo. Tammi Sauer’s posts are always a huge help!”

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STEM Tuesday– Celebrating Diversity in STEM– Interview with author Tonya Bolden

By on February 23, 2021   /   Diversity in STEM, STEM Tuesday  

Welcome to STEM Tuesday: Author Interview & Book Giveaway, a repeating feature for the last Tuesday of every month. Go Science-Tech-Engineering-Math!

Today we’re interviewing Tonya Bolden , author of Changing the Equation: 50+ Black Women in STEM. This game changing compilation profiles more than fifty women whose significant contributions to science often go unsung. School and Library Journal writes, “Bolden, a master of the collective biography, presents an impeccably-researched call to action, imploring black girls to fight the racial and gender imbalance that plagues the STEM field.”

One of the things that impressed me about our guest author is her passion for children and willingness to light the way for future generations. Her work breathes life into nonfiction subjects, providing young people (and the adults in their lives) with vivid examples to follow. In 2016, Tonya received the Nonfiction Award for Body of Work from the Children’s Book Guild of Washington, DC. for significantly contributing to the quality of nonfiction for children. I am frequently quoted for advocating we provide positive, uplifting books for young people of color. Tonya Bolden is an outstanding example of that in practice. Many of today’s diverse writers, including myself, walk along the path she blazed.

* * *

Christine Taylor-Butler: Tonya, with more than 40 publishing credits to your name you’ve had an amazing career in children’s literature. You once said you were surrounded by books as a child.

Tonya: I did. My parents didn’t complete their education but they had ambitions for me and my sister. They raised us to reach high. To dream big. We didn’t have a lot of money but they knew the value education would play in our lives and made sure we were surrounded by books.

CTB: Was there a particular book that stood out to you as a child?

Tonya Bolden: Yes. The Borrowers, by Mary Norton is one that comes to mind. It’s about little people who secretly live in a house and borrowed things they needed from the owners. There was just something magical about the story and it resonated.

CTB: You were originally uninterested in writing history or nonfiction, or even writing books for children. And yet you are known for writing insightful works in this genre. What changed your mind?

Tonya: While reviewing books for Black Enterprise, I realized that history could be told with passion and heart. If you added soul, nuance, texture and complexity those books could be as fascinating as fiction. I realized there was nothing wrong with history. What had been wrong was how it had been taught when I was a kid.

“I find that historical figures are more fascinating than things people conjure up.” – Tonya Bolden, Indian Express

CTB: In various interviews you  talk about writing for children who don’t otherwise see themselves in literature. Who aren’t shown as belonging in the world. 

Tonya: Yes. I wondered, where are the books for children who are aspirational? The kids who want to travel? I wanted to say – especially to girls – so much is possible! A lot of children don’t dream big. After I wrote And Not Afraid to Dare: The Stories of Ten African American Women, that’s when I found my passion for writing for children.

CTB: You hold a Bachelors degree from Princeton and a Master’s degree from Columbia. It might surprise people to know that both degrees are not in history or literature, but in Slavic Languages and Literatures with an emphasis on Russian.  I’ve been advocating for children to learn more than one language. My daughters, for instance, studied Latin, Italian and Japanese. But there is often push back, especially in urban communities. Where did your interest come from?

Tonya: I was 17 when I made that decision. In high school, I fell in love with works by Anton Chekov. It might have had something to do with the fact that I grew up during the Cold War. I’ve always loved languages. I was the first in my family to go to college. Back then, there wasn’t as much pressure on young people because of college costs. You could dabble and follow your bliss. My parents didn’t pressure me to follow a certain career. Their philosophy was “Do whatever you want, but find a way to make a living at it.”

It’s so much harder today for young people to explore their interests in the same way. The stakes are higher because of the high cost of education. But it’s still important for young people to learn languages outside of their own culture and learn about the broader world around them.

Changing The EquationCTB: Your book, Changing the Equation: 50+ US Black Women in STEM is such an important addition to children’s literature. You cover an enormous amount of information. What did the research process look like? Were you able to speak with any of the women you included?

Tonya: It started when I wrote Pathfinders: The Journeys of 16 Extraordinary Black Souls. My research included a profile of Katherine Johnson. Most people know her as one of the original “Hidden Figures.”  After I wrote that profile I was curious to know more about black women in STEM so my research grew out of that curiosity.

PathfindersThere’s a saying, “When a student is ready the ‘teacher appears’.” I read newspapers, books, oral histories and conducted web research to identify people to profile. I was surprised by how much I was able to find when I searched for specific professions. I discovered so many women, I didn’t have room to profile them all.  There were a lot of outtakes. If I had the opportunity, this book would have featured more than one hundred woman but it would have been too big a volume for the industry.

“We still have this stereotype that STEM is for boys and men and that’s not true,” – Tonya Bolden, Amsterdam News

Rebecca Crumpler

Rebecca Crumpler

One thought behind the book – I wanted girls to see how wide the world is. Even in science. Not everyone is in a lab coat. I liked the idea of presenting a Black woman who is an astrophysicist. Or a robotics engineer. I wanted girls to know that if they were going towards something that is tough, that there were people who have done it before them. For example, the first woman in the book, Rebecca Crumpler, was a physician. If this woman could go to Medical school before slavery was abolished then anything is possible.

I was lucky to be able to communicate with a number of the women. They were all very generous with their time. Those women included Mamie Parker (Biologist), Aprille Joy Ericsson (NASA Aerospace Engineer), Pamela McCauley (Industrial Engineer), Ayanna Howard (Roboticist), Treena Livingston Arinzeh (Biomedical Engineer), Paula T. Hammond (Chemical Engineer), Lisa D. White (Geologist), Emma Garrison-Alexander (Cybersecurity), Aomawa Shields (Astronomer and Astrobiologist), and Donna Auguste (Computer Scientist–and more!).

CTB: What advice do you have for young people who might want to follow in your path one day.

Tonya: Read. Read. Read. Master the language in which you want to write. Knowing other languages also helps a writer. Know your own culture and other cultures. If you want to write professionally, be prepared for lean days. It’s hard to get into publishing. I started writing under “write for hire” contracts. That means I wrote books other people wanted done and I took the work I was offered. It was helpful because it kept me flexible and nimble. In the industry it became clear I was open to other people’s ideas and I was offered additional work. It’s harder to get published now. Back in the day, publishers nurtured “house authors”. You would write several books and be given time to find an audience. Now books have a shorter shelf life. If you don’t hit it out the park with that first or second book it may be Game Over! There was a time when publishers focused on helping to build a long-term careers. Having said that, perseverance is key. Follow your passion and don’t give up. A young woman once wrote me to say, “You may not know me, but you have paved a path for me in this industry, and I wanted to personally thank you.”

CTB: So in a way, you’re passing on the dream through your writing.

Tonya: Yes. Doors started to open for many of us in the 1960’s. We grew up hearing about giving back. The work that I do is my way of saying “Thank you” to those people who opened the doors for us. People like Fannie Lou Hamer, Charlayne Hunter-Gault, Katherine Johnson, for example.

I always wanted to be useful. In elementary school, I thought I wanted to be a classroom teacher. But in a way that’s what I’m doing now. Teaching young people through the books I’m writing.

Dovey Johnson Roundtree

Dovey Johnson Roundtree

CTB: So what’s next for Tonya Bolden. Are there any books we should be looking for in the future?

Tonya: I have a new book coming out in June 2021: Dovey Undaunted. It’s the biography of Dovey Johnson Roundtree, civil rights attorney. She lived a life of service and was one of the first Black women to enter the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC). Dovey was born in Charlotte, North Caroline which is where my father was born. When I was a kid, our family would go down south to visit. I have so many vivid memories of Charlotte. This book seemed like a natural fit for me to write.

How to Build a MuseumAuthor’s note. Tonya Bolden is featured twice on our list this month. Her other book, How to Build A Museum: Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture is a must read, featuring little known details about African American history. For those unable to make a visit to Washington, DC, this book is an important addition to your collection.

Changing The Equation

Win a FREE copy of Changing the Equation: 50+ US Black Women in STEM.

Enter the giveaway by leaving a comment below. The randomly-chosen winner will be contacted via email and asked to provide a mailing address (within the U.S. only) to receive the book.

Good luck!

Tonya Bolden

photo by Hayden Celestin

Tonya Bolden has authored and collaborated on more than forty books. Holding degrees from Princeton and Columbia Universities, she originally intended to complete a PhD and teach Russian literature. But her path lead elsewhere. Her first book for young people, an adaptation of the musical, Mama I want to Sing, lead to more contracts to write books for children. The rest is history. Her book, 33 things Every Girl Should Know was praised by Hillary Rodham Clinton in a speech on the 150th anniversary of the first Women’s Rights Convention. Her awards and recognition are too numerous to list in their entirety but include, the Childrens Book Guild Nonfiction award for her body of work, the James Madison Book Award, ALA’s Coretta Scott King Honor Award, NCTE’s Orbis Pictus Award, ALSC Notable Book and multiple nominations for the NAACP Image Award. To learn more about Tonya, please visit www.tonyaboldenbooks.com

Christine Taylor-Butler headshot

photo by Kecia Stovall

Your host is Christine Taylor-Butler, MIT educated STEAM nerd and author of Bathroom Science, Sacred Mountain: Everest, Genetics, and many other nonfiction books for kids. She is also the author of the middle grade sci-fi series The Lost Tribes. Follow @ChristineTB on Twitter and/or @ChristineTaylorButler on Instagram

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GHOSTED ~ An Interview with Cartoonist and Author Michael Fry

By on February 19, 2021   /   Author Interviews  

Welcome to my interview with cartoonist and author Michael Fry! He’s the successful cartoonist of the internationally syndicated comic strip OVER THE HEDGE. His website is full colorful imagery and loads of humor – two of the wonderful elements you’ll find in GHOSTED, his new heavily illustrated middle grade novel. The book beams with Michael’s amazing artwork. It’s absolutely delightful! In the words of Publishers Weekly, GHOSTED “balances a serious premise with a gleefully manic energy” and how “Fry’s black-and-white linework—vibrant and just a little over-the-top—adds hilarity.”

I’ve seen the book, and couldn’t agree more!

GHOSTED: The Book

From the best-selling author of the How to Be a Supervillain series comes this laugh-out-loud, heavily illustrated story of a shy boy, his best-friend-turned-ghost, and their bucket list of adventures and dares. Perfect for fans of the Timmy Failure and Diary of a Wimpy Kid series.

Larry’s got a few problems. In school, he’s one of those kids who easily gets lost in the crowd. And Grimm, Larry’s best friend in the whole world, has ghosted him. Literally. One minute Grimm was saving a cat in a tree during a lightning storm, and the next, he’s pulling pranks on Larry in his new ghostly form.

When the two best friends realize that there’s something keeping Grimm tethered to their world, they decide that finishing their Totally To-Do bucket list is the perfect way to help Grimm with his unfinished business. Pulling hilarious pranks and shenanigans may be easier with a ghostly best friend, but as Larry and Grimm brave the scares of seventh grade, they realize that saying goodbye might just be the scariest part of middle school.

For more: HMH Books

The Interview

We are very excited for your visit and super excited to hear more about GHOSTED. Please share with our readers what sparked the idea to write this story?

Ghosted is a work-for-hire. HMH came to me with the basic idea: Larry, his dead/ghost friend Grimm and the Totally To-Do List and I filled in the rest.

What about your two main characters, Larry and Grimm? Tell us about them.

Larry and Grimm are opposites. Larry is shy and introverted. Grimm is loud and outgoing. Grimm pushes Larry to be more than he is. Larry pushes Grimm, eventually, to realize WHO he is. Also, Larry is alive and Grimm is dead.  So, there’s that.

Grimm’s realization gives me shivers. I love how these two play against each other, yet for each other. 💖

The subject of death is always in the background throughout the story. Share how you showed the internal growth of this unique friendship and how the character’s faced the inevitable.

I tried to write Ghosted as realistically as possible. I tried to imagine what it would be like, in the real world, to have a best friend come back as a ghost. On the one hand, it’s very cool. On the other, it’s very sad. Grimm exists, but he can’t touch anything. Nothing can touch him. He’s present, but he’s not really there. It’s an exaggerated version of losing any loved one. You feel their presence, yet they’re gone. At points in the story Larry wonders if what he’s experiencing is real. He wants Grimm to be there, but I don’t think he’s ever really sure if he is.

The way you worded this is so touching. I’m sure many young readers, as well as their parents, will ponder the truths of this tale. What was your favorite part of writing GHOSTED and why?

I liked writing the therapy stuff. I’ve had a lot of therapy and it gave me a chance write from experience. The bit where Larry cries when Dr Hank (as an adult) expresses sympathy is very personal. As a kid, you don’t always expect adults to be so sensitive. When they are, it can be overwhelming.

Is there anything about the story that surprised you while working on this book?

I was worried about mixing comedy and pathos. It’s hard to do well. Too much of one and not enough of the other is a danger. But I think it worked out. It’s silly and sad.

For our readers who might be interested in adding illustrations to their writing or those simply just curious, what differences do you find in being a cartoonist from telling a story as an author/illustrator?

Room to write!  I’ve been a syndicated cartoonist for over 35 years and comic strips have gotten smaller and smaller. I’m of the age now where I can barely read my own strip in the papers.  I really love stretching out with a novel. There’s plenty of room to wander around.

What are your processes for both?

I write the story in Word and leave blue boxes with notes for the art. Later I rough out the art as I rewrite. Writing is rewriting. My books go through dozens of drafts.

Insight🔮

Give us one aspect of publishing that most readers aren’t aware an author/a book goes through before release.

Not so much on Ghosted, but there can be a lot of back and forth worrying about taking offense. On a previous book of mine I had a kid super-hero character whose superpower was reading minds. The problem was he’s dyslexic. I thought it was a really clever joke. My editor worried that kids (mostly parents) would think I was making fun of kids with dyslexia. I argued that was certainly not my intention and I think my intention matters. I eventually won out. But, the truth is, whenever I would read that passage to kids on author visits it only got a laugh from the adults in the room (teachers, librarians). Not the kids. It’s really an adult joke. So, maybe my editor was right.

What written middle grade novel (or any novel, really) would you like to see told in illustrations or graphic novel format?

Huckleberry Finn. It’s my favorite work of American literature. I bet it would make a terrific graphic novel.

Fantastic choice! It would be wonderful to read Finn’s tale in the setting of a graphic novel. Hint, hint . . . Thank you for taking the time to stop by and for sharing GHOSTED with us! It’s been a pleasure.

Mixed-Up Readers – have a young reader who loves illustrated books or graphic novels? Check out this STEM illustrated book featured HERE.

🗒️The Cartoonist & Author✏️

Michael Fry is the best selling author of the Jimmy Patterson Presents How to Be a Supervillain series. A cartoonist for over thirty years, Michael is the co creator and writer of the Over the Hedge comic strip which was turned into a DreamWorks film starring Bruce Willis and William Shatner. He lives near Austin, TX.

WEBSITE | TWITTER

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