She Wears Many Hats...Interview with Alayne Kay Christian

By Janie Reinart

Alayne Kay Christian

It is my great pleasure to welcome Alayne to the Grog for an interview.This charming and creative lady sees a picture book in almost everything. Not only is Alayne Kay Christian an editor, but she is also an award-winning author, and creator and teacher of her own picture book writing course. Alayne is always generous with her time and a cheerleader for writers learning the craft. Let's dive into the questions.

1. How did you get the idea for your stories?

Both of my latest picture books are based on true stories. I got the idea for An Old Man and His Penguin: How Dindim Made João Pereira de Souza an Honorary Penguin in 2016 when a flood of videos and news articles arose about this very unusual love story between, can you guess? An old man and a penguin. Even though João first met Dindim in 2011, for some reason—at least to my knowledge—the story didn’t break until October of 2015 when the Wall Street Journal featured the odd pair. 

For The Weed that Woke Christmas: The Mostly True Tale of the Toledo Christmas Weed, I first saw the story on the news. The story was such a testament to goodness, love, and the human spirit that I was compelled to share this lovely message with children. 

The beautiful true story is about a weed, a family that put the first Christmas decoration on the weed, and a city and nation who was reminded of the true Christmas spirit. I call it the “mostly true tale” because in the book, I tell the story from the weed’s perspective. 

2. What is your favorite part of the story?

Wow! That’s a tough question. I think for both stories, the endings are my favorite parts because they are so touching and leave a message of hope. Next to the ending, in The Weed That Woke Christmas my favorite part is the turning point. And with An Old Man and His Penguin, I just love the ups and downs throughout.

I must also share that I love the art in both books—thanks to Milanka Reardon (Old Man) and Polina Gortman (Christmas Weed).

3. How long did it take to write? Get to a publisher?

I started writing An Old Man and His Penguin in 2016 and have done countless revisions over the years. I started writing The Weed That Woke Christmas in early 2019, so that one took a lot less time to get to publication.

Alayne's workspace

4.What is your writing routine?

Because I’m so busy now with Blue Whale Press, I feel like I can’t afford a routine. So, it’s a difficult balancing act to fit it “all” in. I write new stories when I’m moved to get them out in my first draft. Usually, once this happens, the story keeps calling me, so I do my best to dedicate some focus time. 

However, revisions on more established stories keep calling me too. So, decisions, decisions. I have a fabulous critique group and some fantastic critique buddies. 

When I get encouraging and inspiring critiques with suggestions that I have no doubt will help me take my story to the next level, I have to choose between working on a new story and revising the established story. Any story that has gained interest from an agent or editor always takes priority when revising.

5. What is your favorite writing craft book?

The first one I always recommend to emerging writers is Ann Whitford Paul’s Writing Picture Books. I have so many craft books that I feel it would be impossible to choose just one. 

For novels, Janice Hardy has some excellent books and workbooks. And her Fiction University blog has non-stop tips on writing. I can’t let myself get started on all the craft books that I love and would recommend because this interview would never end ;-)

6. What inspires you to write?

My creative spirit won’t be still, so I have no choice but to respond. But I am most moved by true stories or ideas that touch my heart or funny bone. Motivation to write comes from being in critique groups and any sense of success—even if it’s a positive one-sentence manuscript rejection. 

Publication doesn’t help my addiction, with every one of my books that have been brought to life via amazing illustrations and brought into the world through publication, I have another story that I love that I must see come to life.

And then, there is my original and everlasting desire to touch the readers of my books through language and meaningful stories.

7. What are you working on now?

I’m working on a request for a rewrite and resubmit from an editor. All my fabulous critique partners have given me their thoughts, and I’m putting the puzzle pieces together for the rewrite. 

I’m also trying to find the funny and light-hearted side of my creative spirit. So, I’ve got already critiqued light-hearted stories awaiting revisions that are allowing me a chance to experiment with a different side of me as a children’s writer.

You can pre-order An Old Man and His Penguin here.

8. Words of advice for writers. 

One thing I’ve been thinking about a lot lately is the importance of the training ground that peer manuscript critiques provide. I think it is important to experience critiques through this training ground and work to learn your craft via working with peers before spending money on professional critiques. 

Among other things, this training ground helps you learn how to deal with constructive criticism on an emotional level and on a decision-making level. It also opens your mind to trying different things, and helps you learn your craft. 

You can experience giving and receiving peer critiques by joining a critique group or taking advantage of manuscript swap groups, such as the ones KidLit411, SubItClub, and sometimes SCBWI offer. And if you are a 12 X 12 member, take advantage of their full manuscript critique benefit.

Along the lines of being in a critique group for a while before paying for a professional critique, and maybe even before submitting to agents and publishers, my next tip is to be patient. For most authors, publication does not happen overnight and for many it took years before their debut book.

Do everything in your power to learn. There is so much information available online, in writing groups and the online writing community, in craft books, in courses and webinars, and on and on. 

And as you learn, read as many books in your genre as possible. But don’t just read them. Analyze them. What do they have in common? What makes their beginnings grab you? What makes the beginnings special? What makes the middle keep you engaged and turning pages? 

If you are writing chapter books or novels, how does each chapter move the story forward? How does each chapter compel you to keep reading? What makes the ending of picture books or novels touch you and leave you feeling satisfied? And on and on I could go. Then, use what you have learned to create or analyze your own work.

I’d like to give a big thank you to you Janie and the GROG team for having me as a guest on your fabulous and informative blog.

Thank you, Alayne for joining us. May the success of your books go swimmingly. 

Alayne Kay Christian is the acquisitions editor for Blue Whale Press and an award-winning children’s book author. She is the creator and teacher of a picture book writing course Art of Arc. Her published works include Sienna, the Cowgirl Fairy chapter book series and the picture book Butterfly Kisses for Grandma and Grandpa. The second Sienna, the Cowgirl Fairy book, Cowboy Trouble, will be released in the summer of 2020. The Weed That Woke Christmas: The Mostly True Story of the Toledo Christmas Weed will be available late summer 2020. Her next picture book Faith Beneath the Bridge will come into the world in 2021. Born in the Rockies, raised in Chicago, and now a true-blue Texan, Alayne’s writing shares her creative spirit and the kinship to nature and humanity that reside within her heart. 

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*WINNER ALERT*

From the desk of Suzy aka Prairie Garden Girl

The winners from the July 15th giveaway are:

Annette Whipple 

and

Jarm Del Boccio

Please contact me at sleopold@gmail.com

Guest Post: I Have a Chapter Book Idea--Now What? By Alayne Kay Christian

I want to welcome a kidlit friend, author, and critique partner to the Grog Blog today--Alayne Kay Christian! Her new chapter book Sienna, The Cowgirl Fairy, debuted this summer, and so I invited her to share her expertise in writing chapter books. And Alayne has an awesome prize at the end! Take it away, Alayne!

So you have a chapter book idea. Now what?

A great place to start is by getting to know your protagonist better.

Some writers do a character inventory or character profile. You can find an excellent starting point with the following links that offer a variety of checklists. However, I agree with the note on the epiguide.com character chart that states, “Note that all fields are optional and should be used simply as a guide; character charts should inspire you to think about your character in new ways, rather than constrain your writing.”

http://niemanstoryboard.org/stories/building-character-a-checklist/

http://www.writersdigest.com/writing-articles/by-writing-goal/improve-my-writing/developing-your-hero-and-heroine

http://www.writerswrite.com/journal/jun98/how-to-create-a-character-profile-6986

http://www.epiguide.com/ep101/writing/charchart.html

Janice Hardy is the founder of Fiction University, which is a site dedicated to helping writers improve their craft. She also has many good books and workbooks on writing. I’ve decided to let some of Janice’s Fiction University posts along with a couple SCBWI posts help me provide you with good information on developing chapter book characters and stories.

If you find character profiles and charts to be a bit too much, check out the links below where Janice Hardy offers some interesting ways to develop your characters.

http://blog.janicehardy.com/2009/12/under-development.html

http://blog.janicehardy.com/2010/08/shes-such-character.html

http://blog.janicehardy.com/2017/07/birth-of-book-development-stage_17.html

Of course, there are other characters to consider besides the protagonist. The links below lead to some more good guidelines from Hardy.

http://blog.janicehardy.com/2017/07/birth-of-book-development-stage.html

http://blog.janicehardy.com/2011/01/who-is-that-guy-discovering-your.html

The following writers.net link offers some pros and cons of getting too carried away with a character inventory http://www.writers.net/forum/showthread.php?116160-character-inventory

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I’m a pantster at heart, so the idea of a character inventory doesn’t appeal to me. But I’ve found that playing around with methods of exploring characters can make one think beyond the surface. It is also a good way to get unstuck if you are struggling to get going on your chapter book. But, don’t let digging into your characters give you an excuse to procrastinate. In my experience, characters often reveal themselves as the story builds. Only you know what works best for you.

The approach you take with your chapter book may be different depending on where your idea starts. Does it start with a character or does it start with a plot? The answer to those questions may influence your approach to character and plot development. Check out this SCBWI post for help with forming connections between character and plot. https://easternpennpoints.wordpress.com/2017/07/10/character-primer-which-hatched-first-the-character-or-the-plot-by-kristen-c-strocchia/

I’ve created a list of questions (below) that may help you brainstorm and develop your idea deeper and begin finding the plot that will fill your chapters. There is much more to writing chapter books than these questions, but it is a start. My goal for this post is to help writers who have a chapter book idea to dig deeper and get to know their protagonist’s journey a little better. Once you get rolling, you might find that your character will help lead you from chapter to chapter.

• ·    Who is the protagonist that will drive this story idea?
• ·    What is the question you want to set in your reader’s mind at the beginning of the story? There may be more than one question, but they will likely start with words like “Will s/he?” “Can s/he?” “How will s/he?” “How can s/he?” From here on, for the sake of simplicity, I will refer to the protagonist as she and her.
• ·   What is the inciting incident? This is the event that pushes your protagonist out of her ordinary world and into the world of the story that you want to write. The world where the protagonist’s journey takes place.
• ·   What is the protagonist’s goal or problem that will fuel her actions and decisions throughout the story?
• ·   How does the big story problem escalate throughout the story?
• ·   How does the protagonist resolve the big story problem in the end?
• ·   How do the protagonist’s actions and realizations inform the reader? How do her actions and realizations inform her?
• ·   What does she learn by the end of the story? Has she changed in some way?
• ·   What is the point of the story?
• ·   What will make the reader care about the protagonist’s journey?
• ·   What stands in the way of the protagonist achieving her goal or solving her problem?
• ·    What are the stakes? What does the protagonist stand to lose if she doesn’t solve her problem or achieve her goal?
• ·    What do you want the reader to think about long after the story is over?
• ·    What kind of challenges does the protagonist meet as the chapters develop?
• ·    How can the big story goal or problem lead to smaller chapter problems? Perhaps there are obstacles to achieving the big story goal. How might these obstacles create tension and escalate as the chapters develop?
• ·    What is the first problem that stems from the big story problem? How does it escalate with action and tension? How is that first problem resolved?
• ·   What are three obstacles or challenges to achieving the goal that your protagonist might have to overcome that make her journey all the harder?
• ·   What kind of decisions might your protagonist be forced to make as she meets twists, turns, surprises, and more setbacks? What might those twists, turns, surprises, and setbacks be?
• ·    What is the worst thing that could happen to your protagonist? What is the moment that makes her, and the reader, feel that all is lost or there is no hope – as though she will never achieve her goal or solve her problem?
• ·   What is the event or aha moment that causes the protagonist to climb out of that all is lost place? What kind of realization might she have? What kind of thinking outside the box choice might she make to do something different? What is that one thing that drives her into the action that leads to resolution?
• ·   What is the resolution? Having a clear vision of the ending or resolution when you start your book will make it much easier to develop your story because you will know where your protagonist needs to end up. All you have to do is figure out how to get her there in a compelling way. Simple right ;-)
• ·   Is there a surprise twist that will grab your reader one final time?

As I said earlier, there is much more to writing a chapter book. Here is a link to a SCBWI post to help start you thinking about individual chapters, emotional core and tension, and additional characters. https://easternpennpoints.wordpress.com/2017/07/17/chapter-prewriting-guide-essential-character-inventory-by-kristen-c-strocchia/

The following link leads to an excellent post on inner struggle or inner conflict.

http://blog.janicehardy.com/2012/08/the-inner-struggle-guides-for-using.html

The following link leads to another Hardy post. This one is about turning your idea into a story.

http://blog.janicehardy.com/2017/06/birth-of-book-idea-stage-turning.html

Janice Hardy does a great job of laying out a way to start forming your idea into a story. Clarifying an idea.

http://blog.janicehardy.com/2017/06/birth-of-book-idea-stage-clarifying-idea.html

This next link leads to a post about testing an idea. This is similar to my list of questions above. But Janice has a different approach that may spark something new for you.

http://blog.janicehardy.com/2017/07/birth-of-book-idea-stage-testing-idea.html

Also closely related to my list of questions, Hardy walks her readers through character arc development.

http://blog.janicehardy.com/2011/01/find-your-plot-friday-grow-up-already.html

A BIG thank you to Tina Cho and the GROG team for inviting me to be a guest on their wonderful, informative blog.

Alayne’s Bio

Alayne Kay Christian is an award-winning children’s book author and a certified life coach. Her picture book Butterfly Kisses for Grandma and Grandpa (Blue Whale Press, LLC) received the Mom’s Choice Awards gold medal and an IPPY Awards silver medal. Alayne’s Sienna, the Cowgirl Fairy chapter book series first book, Sienna, the Cowgirl Fairy: Trying to Make it Rain is now available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and bookstores near you. The next book in the series, Aunt Rose’s Flower Girl, and Alayne’s next two picture books Mischievous Maverick and Magic Mabel are all scheduled for 2018 release. Alayne is the creator and teacher of a picture book writing course, Art of Arc: How to Write and Analyze Picture Book Manuscripts.

Website: http://www.alaynekaychristianauthor.com/

Blog: https://alaynekaychristian.wordpress.com/

⇘
Alayne is giving away a chapter book critique (first 3 chapters) to a Grog Blog reader. If you'd like to be entered in the drawing, please let us know in the comments. The drawing will be held on October 6th. 

Links to books: https://www.amazon.com/Sienna-Cowgirl-Fairy-Trying-Make/dp/1946101052/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1505228454&sr=8-1&keywords=sienna+the+cowgirl+fairy

https://www.amazon.com/Butterfly-Grandma-Independent-Publisher-Recipient/dp/0981493807/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1505228492&sr=8-1&keywords=butterfly+kisses+for+grandma+and+grandpa

Platform for Us Pre-Pub Folks by Kathy Halsey

Recently there was a brilliant guest post by Tara Lazar on Alayne Kay Christian's blog  entitled "You Are Your Platform." So many of us worry about issues such as: 
Where we are online?
How many followers do we have?
Are we "linked in" to as many possible places as agents/editors want us to be?
Tara Lazar is correct. We can not be everywhere and part of our platform is us. And, if we were everywhere, when would we write? So let's all take a deep, cleansing yoga breath and look inward.
 I decided not to wait until I was published to be my own platform. I am making parts of the published writer's dream possible for myself through volunteering. I see it as an internship until a contract is signed. I inventoried my passions and skills. That is where my energy and time goes.
My Inventory:
1. Book lover/indie bookstore lover - I contacted Changing Hands' owner Gayle Shanks and volunteered to do book talks. Her sister, Vicki, had the same idea and voila- the Grandma's Club was born! Benefits for  my platform? Public speaking, connections with bookstore, 20% off books, contact w/my soon-to-be readers- parents. grandparents, kids. Oh, and Vicki and I have been on the local news for a feature spot on our club. Our own kid lit tv time!

2. Former English teacher/librarian - Malcolm Gladwell indicated in THE OUTLIERS we need 10,000 hours to become experts. My career helped me log lots of hours reading mentor texts. I love kids of all ages, so I volunteer at my local elementary with the reading interventionist. Benefits? Picking up kid lingo, seeing current trends in the school library, and connecting with staff so when my book comes out, I may have an author visit lined up.
3. Educator with a new subject- I know a ton more about writing and the process after two years. A middle school English teacher invited me to present to her Young Authors' Club. We discussed craft, business and I had them write an elevator speech for a current WIP. Benefits? My first author visit with feedback and roses! I am reworking my presentation for the next visit now.

I am lucky to get all this experience BEFORE I hit the "big time." Create who you want to be NOW and it will happen. I challenge all of you to do a skills inventory and weave it into your writing career! Share it here in the comments and let's cheer each other on towards a publishing.