Advice for newbies

I visited a local radio newstalk station early this morning to talk about children's books. Obviously, it's a subject near and dear to my heart, and the hosts were a delight to talk to. I actually enjoy radio, although it's always a surprise to remember that you don't know who might be eavesdropping on the conversation :).


Perhaps naturally, the question came up: "What advice would you offer to someone that wants to write for children?" The way I answer this question has probably changed over the years, but today, this is a short glimpse into what I think writers need to keep in mind when writing for children.

1. Hang out with children.

Children are fun. Children are funny. And children say some the most thought-provoking, imagination-firing, laugh-out-loud, heart-squeezing things sometimes. So go find your audience! Find out what they are reading, what they like about it, don't like about it, things they care about, things they hate - and then take it home and stir it into the pot of your own experiences, passions and irks and see what starts bubbling to the top. It may be something amazing! It may be something that totally stinks! But either way you'll have something very unique.

2. Hone your craft.

Writing for children is one of the most exacting and challenging genres you could ever want to jump into. Partly because of brevity (every word has to count); partly because it can get kind of crowded (a lot of people take the approach "Write a children's story? How hard can that be?"); and partly because publishers are having to be more selective about the number of books they publish, the type of story they can accommodate and the size of the piles they have resources to dig through when facing a landslide of submissions.

But it's also one of the most exciting areas of writing to participate in. So practice, practice, practice. Learn the details of manuscript formatting, picture book construction, page layouts, blurbs and jacket copy (even if you aren't the artist). And learn about the tips and tricks of language, not so you can shoehorn them in at every turn but so that you have all the tools you need at your disposal when it's time to tell your story.

3. Know the business.

Writing for children, just like any other genre, is a business. So be a professional. You really have no excuses not to be - the list of resources available is endless! Get in and get grubby among the details of submission and contract terms and rights and finances and tax exemptions and small business claims. You don't have to be an expert in any of these areas but you have to at least become familiar with the terms. Think about school visits, or social media platforms, or e-books. Know your own strengths and then use them. And always, always put your best work forward.

Even if you don't write for children, I think this advice holds true (substitute "Trekkies", "sports fans", etc for children depending on your area of interest). You need to have a grasp of who your audience actually is, you need to present the best possible writing you can offer, and you need to know the business. And tip #4?

Even on the radio, you might want to think about a little lipstick.

So there it is. Now let's get to work!

Dance & Powerpoint (A TED Talk)

Do you know how every once in a while you run into a concept or a presentation or a thought or a person and you actually feel the connections start to light up in your brain? It's such an exciting moment and for me this TED talk was one of those most recent moments. It's a completely fascinating meld of idea, presentation and challenge. Maybe you won't see it the same way but for me, it once again stirred the pot of potential and it's always amazing to see what comes out of that.

A 2012 owl calendar

I'm still working on the mural project that is creeping nearer to completion. Unfortunately for my schedule, it's colliding with the production of my first stage play called "By Way of Wonderwood" that opens on December 8th. But it's certainly improving my skills as a multitasker. What a blast it has been to see costumes, props, stage sets, etc coming together! And every completed character on the mural is a triumph, too.

In the meantime, I found a wonderful downloadable calendar for 2012 through My Owl Barn that lets you choose from a wide variety of artists to customize your own calendar. It's hard to choose just 12! The founder of the project also invites you to use them as gifts for friends and families so put together a few!

I'm excited about the coming year - what are you looking forward to?

Imagining big.

It boggles my mind to think of the mental gymnastics necessary to produce this art. But wow.

Starting to finish

I've mentioned several times now that I've been involved in a mural project that has been keeping me busy. As an update, I've been working as design lead on a mural project in a children's area (birth to pre-k) that involves 6 classrooms, a prep area, entry area and large common space (+3 restrooms with some small details in them). Each room has a theme and involves wall murals plus some installation and/or 3D items to bring fun and fascination to these spaces for the little ones that will be using them.

I am finally able to say that we're "beginning to finish". Step by step, elements are being checked off the list and while there's still plenty to go, there's some to share now too.

It's been so exciting to see these characters come to life!

Today's selection are from an ocean room:




And this dolphin is not done yet, but I'm so excited about him I had to share him anyways:

Counting sheep?

Between the mural, a trip to France and a computer that keeps trying to eat my camera cards, it's been a little hectic around here. (Oh and don't forget conference prep!) So once again my best blog ideas are waiting until

1. the mural is done
2. I'm over my jet lag
3. I can access the photos I want to share
4. I have something constructive to show about my hopes for the conference.

But here's another one of those creative gems that just makes me giggle:

Mixing it up

I've been slow with blogging lately. Mostly because I've been knee deep in a very fun project that involves decorating a children's space. It's 7 rooms that have murals, installations, furnishings and a variety of things to make the kids feel welcome. I've had the privilege of being design lead for the project and - boy! - are we having fun!

So here's a snippet of something I was working on the other day. Doesn't it look yummy?



Btw - do you have any idea of how many paint colors are named after FOOD? It's possible to get a serious case of the munchies standing in the hardware store...