Welcome back, dear readers! I'm pretty sure by now that you enjoy visiting the Oasis ― it's always great to have you here! Remember, this is the place to refresh your spirits, recharge your creativity, and get a literary mood boost! Now, jump for joy because you're in for a triple-treat! Our guest today is one of the nicest, most generous and supportive people in the kidlit community, author and human being extraordinaire, Vivian Kirkfield, stopped by to chat with me. Vivian never ceases to amaze me with her kindness! And besides giving us huge inspiration, wisdom, and insight, Vivian is also giving away a signed copy of her latest picture book, Making Their Voices Heard: The Inspiring Friendship of Ella Fitzgerald and Marilyn Monroe illustrated by Alleanna Harris AND a picture book critique! I told you you're in for a triple-treat! But wait, that's not all... Today also happens to be Vivian's birthday!! (And she's the one giving out gifts -- you see what I mean about her generous heart?!) So this makes our chat even more special and I'm honored to host my lovely critique partner on my blog. So without further ado, let's welcome Vivian and wish her a Happy Birthday! Thank you for joining us, dear friend. Please briefly describe your journey to publication. A: Thank you so much for having me on your blog, Rosie. I love to share my defining moment – the event that plunged me into the kidlit world – because it definitely caused me to turn the page to a new chapter in my life and I always hope it will inspire others to follow their dream. On my 64th birthday, my son took me skydiving and my view of the world changed. 😉 When my feet touched the ground, I knew that if I could jump out of a perfectly good airplane, I could do anything. And what I wanted to do at that point in my life was to be a writer for children. So, I jumped into the kidlit world the same way I had jumped out of the airplane…with my whole heart. That was 2012…I joined 12x12, did Storystorm, participated in every writing challenge and contest I could find. I wrote, revised, joined critique groups…but the feedback from agents told me I was missing something. One agent said my OTTERS story (it had a different title at that time) was pure poetry…but not for him. Another agent liked the idea of my DYLAN MCGEE story, but he wondered if maybe I should write it in prose, not in rhyme. And still others didn’t like my voice. VOICE? What was that? And that was when I decided it was time to take some picture book writing classes. I signed up for Susanna Hill’s Making Picture Book Magic, Renee LaTulippe’s Lyrical Language Lab, Mira Reisberg’s Illustrating Children’s Picture Books (no, I didn’t want to become an illustrator, but I thought it might help me with pacing and page turns and with understanding the role of the author and the illustrator 😊) as well as two other classes. Yup, five writing classes in one year…I was definitely a student in 2014…and you know what they say…when the student is ready, the teacher appears. But honestly, that paid off because my writing improved. My voice became stronger. And I developed more confidence and submitted more. Submitting more was a key ingredient in my search for agent. But there is also an element of luck on this path to publication…Essie White created a submission list for Sweet Dreams, Sarah and within two months, by December 2015, we had a signed book deal. However, even though she continued to submit more of my manuscripts, we didn’t get another book deal until the end of 2017…and then we got three. That’s how this business is…you need patience and perseverance. Perseverance because you just have to keep trying. And patience because sometimes the path to publication takes a very long time…that first book didn’t launch until April 2019. Happily, it recently received a Eureka Honor Award and also has been selected for the 2020 Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People. Plus, it was made into an animated DVD and is being translated into French. Q: Could you share any craft tools or techniques that you find most helpful to you when working on a project? What does your revision process look like? A: Because I write a lot of nonfiction, I love YouTube for interviews, especially if the person I am researching had some celebrity status. Watching an actual interview of your subject can give you such a great picture of their personality. For my rhyming stories, I love Rhymzone.com. And of course, Thesaurus.com is a constant companion. My favorite technique is to write my pitch and/or one sentence AFTER I research my topic, but BEFORE I do much writing of the manuscript – it’s important for me to know what focus/direction my story will take. And I spend a lot of time crafting the opening lines – they are the doorway into the story – often providing a peek at the flavor/voice of the rest of the story. And my closing lines often circle back around and echo the beginning. Revision? I embrace it…although sometimes it is painful. It’s difficult to make major changes once you get comfortable with your text…so I rely on critique buddies to point out places where change might make the story stronger. I revise LOTS of times…with the Ella Fitzgerald/Marilyn Monroe story, I did three major revisions, each for a different editor who had fallen in love with the manuscript, but wanted changes before they acquired it. And because of how this business works, even though you may revise successfully, the editor still might not be able to acquire the story. This happened to that story twice. Just the other day, one of my long-time critique buddies emailed me a copy of my first iteration of that story. Some things remained the same, but many were different. Here's the first page of the original manuscript written in late 2014/early 2015 (Title: Standing Up for Friendship) and the first page of the revised one that became the book (Title: Making Their Voices Heard: The Inspiring Friendship of Ella Fitzgerald and Marilyn Monroe). And here’s another tip – something I do without fail – read the manuscript aloud…and record myself. Then I listen back and can hear where I trip up or become disengaged from the story. If I lose attention, so will my young readers…and I can make revisions to ramp up the drama and improve the page turns. Q: What's coming up for you next? Please tell us about any new releases, exciting news, upcoming events or anything else you'd like to share with our readers? A: When I returned from last year’s round-the-world trip, I thought for sure that this year would be quieter. After all, last year I had three picture books debut almost at the same time…and this year I only had Making Their Voices Heard: The Inspiring Friendship of Ella Fitzgerald and Marilyn Monroe (Little Bee Books, illustrated by Alleanna Harris) that launched on January 28. But things are still crazy busy…in all the best of ways. VOICES launched at a local Barnes and Noble in Nashua, NH and then the next day, I flew out to Chicago for an Author Night at the Lycee Francais Chicago where my granddaughter goes to school. Then I had an author chat and Q&A event at Andersons Bookstore in Naperville, IL and several school visits. Later this week, I leave with my son and his family for ten days in Barcelona and Madrid – and what luck…I have a manuscript about a Spanish sculptor who sold his clay figures on the steps of the Cathedral of Barcelona when he was eleven. It will be so much fun to do research in the field…I don’t often get to do that! There are also several other book events coming up…March 21 at the Silver Unicorn in Acton, MA and April 4 at Toadstool Bookshop in Nashua, NH…plus one coming up sometime in March at the Books of Wonder in NYC. Oh, and the Children’s Festival of Stories in Denver, CO on April 25. An event I would LOVE to share with your readers, Rosie, is my #50PreciousWords Contest which I will hosting on my blog February 29-March 5…the prize list is PHENOMENAL…three editor critique opportunities, seats in writing classes, and lots of author critiques and picture books…there are over 20 prizes already! Last year we had 300 amazing entries…and I’m looking forward to reading everyone’s precious words. You never know what doors this contest will open…several entries from previous years are already on bookshelves all over the world. So please, everyone, follow your dream…because nothing is impossible if you can imagine it! Encouraging as always, thank you so much, dear Vivian! What a great way to inspire everyone as we end our chat on a high note! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Please support our featured authors/illustrators by following them on Twitter, requesting their book through your local library, posting reviews on Amazon and Goodreads, and of course, purchasing their books. Comment on this post and share it on social media for a chance to win one PB critique ans one copy of our guest's book. Two lucky winners will be announced next week! And the winner of our previous giveaway is... Shauntrell Leaks! Shauntrell gets a copy of Nancy Churnin's Beautiful Shades of Brown, illustrated by Felicia Marshall. Congratulations! Connect with Vivian: Website: www.viviankirkfield.com Twitter: @viviankirkfield Writer for children—reader forever…that’s Vivian Kirkfield in five words. Her bucket list contains many more than five words – but she’s already checked off skydiving, parasailing, banana-boat riding, and visiting kidlit friend around the world. When she isn’t looking for ways to fall from the sky or sink under the water, she can be found writing picture books in the quaint village of Amherst, NH where the old stone library is her favorite hangout and her young grandson is her favorite board game partner. A retired kindergarten teacher with a masters in Early Childhood Education, Vivian inspires budding writers during classroom visits and shares insights with aspiring authors at conferences and on her blog, where she hosts the #50PreciousWords and #50PreciousWordsforKids Writing Challenges. She is the author of Pippa’s Passover Plate (Holiday House); Four Otters Toboggan: An Animal Counting Book (Pomegranate); Sweet Dreams, Sarah (Creston Books); Making Their Voices Heard: The Inspiring Friendship of Ella Fitzgerald and Marilyn Monroe (Little Bee Books); and From Here to There: Inventions That Changed the Way the World Moves (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt). You can connect with her on her website, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, Linkedin, or just about any place people with picture books are found
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- If you'd like to support my work, please order one of my books and/or invite me to your elementary school for an author visit.
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Hello, radiant readers! Hooray, you found your way to the Oasis ― it's great to have you visit! This is the place to refresh your spirits, recharge your creativity, and get a literary mood boost! I know you're already smiling, but stretch your smiles even wider and get comfy and cozy for a delightful chat because today we have another awesome creative on the KidLit Oasis series... Children's author Nancy Churnin is here to share some wisdom, insight, and inspiration with us! Plus, in celebration of her book's birthday, Nancy is giving away a signed copy of Beautiful Shades of Brown! Welcome, Nancy, and Happy Book Birthday! Thank you for joining us on the blog. Please briefly describe your journey to publication. NC: I was a longtime journalist when I promised my friend, Steve Sandy, who is deaf, that I would write a picture book about the great Deaf baseball player, William Hoy. I thought I would write it quickly as I do my newspaper stories. But I didn’t know what I didn’t know. I made the promise in 2003 and kept revising and getting rejected until I realized I needed, classes, critique groups and support groups. I got my agent, Karen Grencik, through Julie Hedlund’s 12X12. She sold The William Hoy Story and it came out in 2016, 13 years after I made that promise! I have now sold eight picture book biographies, two of which are coming out this year. Q: What do you find most challenging in this business, either on the creative or publishing side of things? What do you find most rewarding? What helps you stay motivated? NC: Every story presents its own unique challenges as you try to bring a life or story alive in a way that will resonate and find a special place in the heart of young readers. It can be difficult when you know you’re on the road to something good, but you haven’t quite figured out how to bring it across. The most rewarding part is when it all comes together and the story lives and breathes on its own and you have confidence sending it out into the world knowing that it will be a friend and support to a child. I love doing author visits where I share the book and can see a child’s eyes light up and feel a heart brighten. At a recent school visit, a child asked me if I could please write five new books this year. I said I would do my best. That is motivation! Q: Could you share any craft tools or techniques that you find most helpful to you when working on a project? What does your revision process look like? NC: I spend a lot of time thinking about what my character’s dream is – what he or she wants more than anything – what the challenges are and the actions my character takes to achieve that dream. I find it helpful to make a book dummy to make sure that my scenes are changing and moving and that there’s enough tension and forward movement in the story to make a child want to turn the page. In revision, I try to trim to the essence, to stick to the essentials. That’s a lot harder than it sounds because when you fall in love with your character, you have to fight the urge to go on and on and tell your reader all the wonderful anecdotes you have! Q: What's coming up for you next? Please tell us about any new releases, exciting news, upcoming events or anything else you'd like to share with our readers? NC: I’m thrilled to share that I have two picture book biographies coming out this year: Beautiful Shades of Brown, the Art of Laura Wheeler Waring, illustrated by Felicia Marshall, on Feb. 4 from Creston Books/Lerner Books and For Spacious Skies, Katharine Lee Bates and the Inspiration for ‘America the Beautiful,’ illustrated by Olga Baumert, releasing April 1 from Albert Whitman & Company. Thanks again, Nancy! All the best with your wonderful kidlit work and we can't wait to see more beautiful and inspiring books from you! Please support our featured authors/illustrators by following them on Twitter, requesting their book through your local library, posting reviews on Amazon and Goodreads, and of course, purchasing their books. Thank you! Comment on this post and share it on social media for a chance to win a signed copy of Beautiful Shades of Brown. Winner will be announced on 2/11/20. Connect with Nancy website: www.nancychurnin.com Twitter: @nchurnin Nancy Churnin, a longtime journalist and former theater critic for The Dallas Morning News and The Los Angeles Times, is the award-winning author of eight picture book biographies, including Irving Berlin, the Immigrant Boy Who Made America Sing, a Sydney Taylor and National Council for the Social Studies Notable; Manjhi Moves a Mountain, winner of the South Asia Book Award, a Junior Library Guild and Anne Izard Storytellers Choice Award selection, The William Hoy Story, on the Texas 2X2 and the state reading lists and Martin & Anne, on the Jewish Book Council’s recommended Civil Rights and Race reading list. She graduated with honors from Harvard University and has a masters from Columbia University in journalism. She lives in North Texas with her husband, a dog named Dog and two cantankerous cats.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I hope you enjoyed this post and will be back for our next chat. If you'd like to support my work, please order one of my books and/or invite me to your elementary school for an author visit. Hello, wonderful readers! Hooray, you found your way to the Oasis―it's great to have you visit! This is the place to refresh your spirits, recharge your creativity, and get a literary mood boost! Now, stretch your smiles wide and get comfy and cozy for a lovely chitchat because today we have an awesome creative on the KidLit Oasis series... Children's author Beth Anderson is here to share some wisdom, insight, and inspiration with us! Welcome, Beth! Thank you for joining us on the blog. Please briefly describe your journey to publication. BA: Thank you so much for your invitation! After retiring from teaching, I set out to learn about the industry and go after writing for children. The local and online kid lit community has guided, taught, supported, encouraged, and offered up so many opportunities. Taking advantage of that has brought me to where I am. After 2+ years, I signed with an agent and am forever grateful I decided on that route. With the benefit of a knowledgeable advisor, I’ve been better able to take advantages of opportunities. After meeting an editor at a retreat and revising per her feedback, we submitted and soon had my first contract—An Inconvenient Alphabet. Though that all sounds so simple, there’s been tremendous time invested, much learning, and the usual bumps. Q: What do you find most challenging in this business, either on the creative or publishing side of things? What do you find most rewarding? What helps you stay motivated? BA: I think the most challenging part is crafting an irresistible premise and story that will grab an editor. And I don’t think that gets any easier – at least not so far. The most rewarding aspect is getting the books into the hands of kids, engaging their brains and hearts, and witnessing their joy in reading. Young readers are certainly motivators, but curiosity also drives me forward. Q: Could you share any craft tools or techniques that you find most helpful to you when working on a project? What does your revision process look like? BA: Finding a way to organize research (nonfiction can be an organizational challenge) and all the ideas that pop in my head as I write was extremely helpful. I did a blog post about it, and if you’re interested, you can learn more about that HERE. My revision process is long and varied! :) Lizzie Demands a Seat took more than 90 revisions, but this was largely due to my inexperience when I started it (2015) and also that many of the changes I made were minor revisions. Now I do a lot more “pre-writing” work as I plan and gather information and ideas in a spiral before I draft. I work through timelines, delve into characters and setting, plot the arc, and brainstorm special ways to tell the story. I’m also more willing to take a wrecking ball to the writing to experiment with structure and big changes. One of my favorite ways to revise is to print out the draft (one sided), lay it across the desk, and use highlighters to analyze arc, characterization, conflict, scenes, proportions, transitions, beginning and end, and more. I make notes all over it as thoughts pop on how to revise, and then start pulling in bits and pieces, moving text, reshaping, and reworking. Q: What's coming up for you next? Please tell us about any new releases, exciting news, upcoming events or anything else you'd like to share with our readers? BA: I’m very excited about upcoming events with the New York Transit Museum. I had sought help from their historian when I researched my Oct. 13 release, “Smelly” Kelly and His Super Senses, which takes place in the NYC subway in the 1930-40s, and then had a few questions in the final stages of Lizzie’s story. (It’s pure coincidence that I ended up with two 2020 books that deal with NYC transportation!) She shared the stories with their education coordinator, and they decided to create a family program around both books. So I’ll be in NY for the Elizabeth Jennings program on Feb. 20, and do an extra reading on the 21st. Then serendipity struck with a couple more opportunities while I’m there…stay tuned! Thank you, Beth, it was a pleasure having you! And huge congratulations on the recent starred review from School Library Journal for Lizzie Demands a Seat! Check it out here. Please support our featured authors/illustrators by following them on Twitter, requesting their books through your local library, posting reviews on Amazon and Goodreads, and of course, purchasing their books. I hope you enjoyed this post -- comments and shares are appreciated. Thank you! Connect with Beth Anderson website: www.bethandersonwriter.com Twitter: @BAndersonWriter Beth Anderson loves digging into history and culture for undiscovered gems, exploring points of view, and playing with words. A former educator who has always marveled at the power of books, she is drawn to stories that open minds, touch hearts, and inspire questions. Born and raised in Illinois, she now lives in Loveland, Colorado. Author of AN INCONVENIENT ALPHABET (S&S 2018) and LIZZIE DEMANDS A SEAT (Boyds Mills & Kane, 2020), Beth has more historical gems on the way.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- If you'd like to support my work, please order one of my books and/or invite me to your elementary school for an author visit. ![]() April is poetry month and for a while, I've had something very special in the works that, as I envision it, will revive poetry celebration among children. It will also, I hope, encourage poetic expression, especially at times of overwhelming emotions with which kids might be struggling. This nationwide event I've been preparing is meant to support budding poets and attract new ones, who may not have thought of themselves as very creative or poetic up to this point. I'd like to challenge all children to try and discover the joy of writing, in this case, by creating their very own haiku. I've given my readers a little preview of my upcoming Haiku Hype Kids Poetry Contest, but there are more goodies and surprises to be revealed. The anticipation is growing and so. . . Today, I'm unveiling one important part of the event. I'd like to introduce the first of our mystery judges! Please welcome children's poet, author and artist, Raven Howell! I wanted to ask Raven a few questions so our readers and future contestants get to know her better. Here's what Raven shared with us: I am excitedly looking forward to reading the contest haiku submissions - every one will be appreciated, and it's such a joy to be on the judging team. Children and students most often pull out the most fabulous ideas and create little poetic masterpieces if they give it a try. I've found the child that feels hopeless as a writer or "not good at that type of thing" usually ends up writing a unique and appealing poem, using a quirky word or interesting phrase or theme! To inspire kids to write, they should know they don't necessarily have to consider themselves great writers. There are so many forms of poetry to have fun with, bending words and scribbling ideas one has pondered over. My advice to students, teachers and librarians participating in the contest is to read and absorb at least one really good published haiku poem and let the spark from it take you to your own 3-liner! I'd also add that when possible, perhaps some of the submissions could be published or posted―whether that's in the school paper, a flyer in the library announcing the "haiku hype" writers, a FaceBook page, or on the bulletin board in the classroom. That motivates! Here's a classic famous haiku known for its simplistic beauty and the way it stirs the senses: An old silent pond... A frog jumps into the pond, splash! Silence again. -Basho Matsuo I have several haiku poems published in my book, Shimmer, Songs of Night. Presently, one of my writing projects involves tanka which is another interesting and challenging poetry form to check out and try writing! With my agent's suggestion and guidance, I'm also working on a concept board book series written in prose. I have several upcoming rhyming picture book releases on the horizon, and I just became newly signed with a publisher for a children's book about the seasons that is written in a long poem format―and this is my first announcement on it! Meanwhile, I can't wait to read haiku from this fabulous upcoming contest! What a terrific opportunity for young aspiring writers and to those who just want to have some fun. I have no doubt we will be receiving some poetry gems! Thank you so much, Raven! It's great to have you on board. Congratulations on all of your success―I am honored to get your first announcement for your newest book contract happen on my blog. I can't wait to see the seasons book and for the world to have it! Well, I've got more mystery judges to reveal soon so stay tuned. Raven is the author and poet of several children’s books, and most recently authored Shimmer, Songs of Night (Spork), and A Star Full of Sky (Daffydowndilly Press) which won the Royal Dragonfly and Pinnacle award for Best Children’s Poetry book. She writes poetry for a variety of magazines such as Highlights for Children, Ladybug, Bumples, Stinkwaves, Fun for Kidz, Cricket, Spider, Buds, Babybug, Hello Highlights, and High Five. Her work is included in anthologies, DVD’s and CD’s. Raven has received awards for poetry from the SCBWI and Poetry Soup, and enjoys presenting children’s writing workshops in libraries and to classrooms. She lives in the Northeast with her husband, Elsie, their terrier, and a mischievous Ragamuffin cat named Lilac. Ravendelights in keeping track of her college bound kids, spending sunny days seaside, and munching on warm butterscotch chip cookies out of the oven. Visit her website: www.ravenhowell.com
Last week, I suddenly felt in such a giving mood that I started something I call #MissionJoyGiveaway. I'll explain in a moment, but let me first say this. This idea has been circling in my mind for quite a while now – every time I think about my calling, my purpose, my mark in the world and the ripple effect I want to create through what I love doing most, which is writing and creating books for children. But I haven't been able to fully grasp the "how" in executing it. How can I speak the right words at the right time to the kids who desperately need them? How will I find my audience? How will I deliver my message? When I was little, I was very sensitive to words spoken to me. I often longed to hear words of encouragement, understanding, validation . . . from the people closest to me. But I never did. So when I became an author, I knew that I wanted to make an impact. I knew that words were free while they were priceless, and that the right words could be powerful enough to affect a life. At the same time, I felt stuck and bummed by not reaching enough people or not reaching the right people, because I was somehow restricted by outside circumstances (or so I believed) or personal limitations: lack of marketing skills, not enough time, not enough resources etc. How can I have my message heard if it's not reaching people? And then came divine intervention. It all clicked. Words are free. They're priceless. Asking gives you the answers you need. I got it! I can spread joy through my words without worrying about resources or marketing skills or overwhelming tasks. Sooo . . . #MissionJoyGiveaway was born! Forget about the fancy-schmancy gadgets as gifts. Let's go back to "the sticks and the stones" (they're still around, even after all this technology that surrounds us). So are the words and the handwritten letters. I can send those gifts out – personal, meaningful, inspiring. And I know who to ask in helping me find the recipients. I reached out to a group of elementary school librarians and asked them to message me if they could think of any needy student or one who wishes for a book, but might not get one, or a child going through a tough time who could use a personalized card/letter of encouragement from a children's author. Or perhaps a whole class that might need to get excited about reading, books or writing. Anything that I can do to make a difference with a note, a kind word, or a book. Soon after I posted, I got my first message. It was about a first grader who had just lost her mom to cancer, lives in poverty and will be moving in with her grandma. Heartbreaking. I have just the right book for her, Sarah's Song, to accompany my letter and I hope those give her some small joy or a bit of peace as she's going through this painful time. When I shared my idea for #MissionJoyGiveaway with a writer friend, she told me about another family in need – a single mom of four who recently lost their house and all their belongings in a fire and are now living in a hotel. My friend said, "The kids can sure use a book to read as they are getting bored in that hotel room." They will be getting some books from me, as well. Books are also going to Inova Life with Cancer in Virginia and I will keep writing notes and letters throughout this month. 'Tis the season and it makes me jolly to be able to help in some small way. I'd like to extend an invitation to anyone who'd love to be a part of this, especially my fellow authors: Please join me in #MissionJoyGiveaway and reach out to your communities and beyond to seek kids in need and send them notes, letters or books. Brighten a child's holiday this season! Let's spread the word and the joy with #MissionJoyGiveaway |
About Rosie J. PovaRosie J. Pova is a multi-published, award-winning children's author and kid lit Writing Coach. She's the creator of Picture Book Mastery System™ that is proven to help emerging children's writers advance their career and get closer to their publishing goals.
Rosie's latest picture book, Sunday Rain, was featured in The New York Times and recommended by Parents magazine. Her upcoming picture book, The School of Failure: A Story About Success will be released in the spring of 2022 in both China and the USA. Rosie also loves to visit schools and her interactive workshops empower students to unleash their creativity and grow in confidence through reading, writing, and creating. Teachers and librarians love Rosie for her bubbly, upbeat personality which captures students' attention, encourages them to think creatively, and motivates them to pursue big dreams. She has been featured on TV, radio, podcasts, and print media, and also speaks on women's and moms’ topics, sharing her journey from a Bulgarian immigrant to a published author. Find out more about Rosie's online courses, mentorships, and her work by visiting her website: RosieJPova.com Check out her Critique Services here, her Workshops here, and her school visits page here. Rosie is represented by Jackie Kruzie of Focused Artists. Twitter: @RosiePOV Archives
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