4 Ways to Get Back on Track When Your WORK-LIFE Balance is Off-Kilter by Eileen Meyer

 

Most of my writing and illustrating colleagues in the children’s book publishing world have been in this same spot . . . when your work-life balance is temporarily out of whack and weighted far too heavily to one side. Too many deadlines or marketing activities for an upcoming publication, and your work hours take over your free time. (Your family and friends wonder when you will come up for air!) On the flip side, there are times that writing, or illustrating must take a back seat to other commitments. Important activities such as helping family members, unexpected travel, group project commitments (you can’t let others down)—all these things and more can eliminate dedicated time for individual projects. It can be frustrating . . .but I have found ways to keep moving forward by focusing on a few things I can manage to squeeze in when I don’t have either time or the head space to write.

 

 

 

1. READ! 

This is a time that I like to go to the library and check out oodles of books in my genre. Even though I may not have the opportunity to write, I can always use a bit of my evenings for browsing and reading to fill my brain with wonderful words and phrases, admire beautiful illustrations, study interesting narratives, and meander through fabulous stories. Plan to stop by your favorite indie bookstore, or locate your library card and head over to the stacks for an afternoon of searching for useful selections!

 

 

Taago, 2006 - by El Anatsui

 

2. EXPLORE! 

During this lull in my writing efforts, I found time to squeeze in a trip to a museum to see exhibits. The beautiful aluminum and copper wire art installation pictured above captured my attention at Atlanta’s High Museum. Ghanaian artist El Anatsui formed this beautiful textile from discarded bits of aluminum taken from the necks and tops of liquor bottles. His art celebrates the tradition of West-African strip woven cloth. Wow—what an incredible metal-cloth sculpture! It was a joy to behold. So, get out—fill yourself up with an afternoon at a museum, take a morning walk at a local park, or taste something from a new food truck in your neighborhood. Inspiration may be lurking where you least expect it.

 

 

 

3. THINK! 

Even though I don’t have time to sit down at my writing desk . . . I do have time to consider new project ideas and turn them over in my mind. How might I approach this new story idea? What will make my characters or plot unique? What else can I possibly do to learn more about a new nonfiction topic? So, think about it . . . can you jot down some new story ideas or list items that require more research?

 

 

4. CONNECT! 

I recently signed up for my first “in-person” conference in over two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In a few months, I can’t wait to put on my name badge, meet old pals, make new friends, listen to engaging speakers, and revel in all things kidlit! There’s nothing quite like a conference or workshop to keep you on track to submit existing projects for critique and feedback and push you forward. Why not take a look at the events in your region . . . and send in your registration today!

 

 

So even though I’m not actively working on a project this month, I’m still making progress. I’m reading, exploring, thinking, and soon I will be connecting, too! And yes, that list of commitments which have overtaken my writing time is being whittled down, one by one. Soon, I’ll be back at my desk diving into a few projects that I can’t wait to work on.

 

What do YOU do to further your writing / illustrating work when you’re not able to squeeze in dedicated project time? I’d love to hear your thoughts . . . and add your valuable tips to my toolkit! Please post your ideas in the comments section. Thanks for stopping in.

 

Find me . . .

on Twitter: @Writer_Meyer

on Instagram: EileenMeyerBooks

my website: EileenMeyerBooks.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

Creativity Stuck? Get Unstuck! ~ Patricia Toht

I've struggled with creativity during the pandemic, and I know I'm not alone. Many friends have admitted the same. 

One author that I turn to when I'm stuck is Austin Kleon. 

All of his books focus on creativity. STEAL LIKE AN ARTIST is about getting started.  SHOW YOUR WORK is about sharing and being discovered. And now his latest book, KEEP GOING, provides strategies to stay creative in good times and bad.

His writing is interspersed with lists, illustrations, and quotes. This quote from Anne Lamott speaks to me:

"Almost everything will

work again if you unplug

it for a few minutes --

including you."

Unplugging by spending time in nature is always good for my creativity. Won't you join me? Step outside and perhaps you'll shake some writing loose!

July in Northern Michigan
Photo by author Alice McGinty

My Top 10 Ways to Research Kidlit Editors and Agents ~ by Patricia Toht

Come, gather at my knee, youngster...

I started writing for children way back in the 20th century. (GASP!) While many aspects of writing children have changed over the years, one goal that has remained constant is to find the editor (or agent) who will love my manuscript. 

Here are the Top 10 ways that I've used to research editors and agents:

1. CWIM

In 1995, the year I committed to writing for children, my "bible" for researching editors and agents was the Children's Writer's and Illustrator's Market. This book contains listings that are updated annually - names, addresses, and pertinent information about each entity - as well as helpful articles. It is currently in its 32nd printing, so it must be doing something right!

2. Agency Websites

Agency websites are a great way to find a list of their agents and a description of what types of books they represent. You may find a list of clients, too, where you might spot artists that you feel an affinity to. Sometimes individual agents post their wish lists. Above all, this is a definitive place to find specific submissions information for the agency.

3. Edelweiss+

You can get a feel for publishing houses and imprints by looking over their current and upcoming titles, but long gone are the days of requesting printed catalogs. These days, with publishing houses merging and morphing, I find the easiest way to peek at a catalog is through Edelweiss+. I search for an imprint and find their latest list.

4. Other websites/blogs

There are so many great kidlit websites! My top picks for submissions information are:

The Purple Crayon. Harold Underdown's website has so much to offer! In particular, the "Who's Moving Where?" section provides me with the latest information on editor changes at publishing houses.

Kathy Temean's Writing and Illustrating blog has terrific, in-depth interviews with agents each month, as well as editor and art director interviews. 

KidLit411, by Sylvia Liu and Elaine Kiely Kearns, describes itself as "a one stop info shop for children's writers and illustrators," and that's the truth. Scroll down their Topics list to check out Agent Spotlight, Editor Spotlight, and Submissions.

5. Social Media

On Twitter, I find handy hashtags to harvest information on editors and agents. Do a search for these hashtags: #askanagent, #askaneditor, and #MSWL (manuscript wish list), to name a few. Follow your favorite publishers and professionals to keep up-to-date with them. 

6. Conferences and workshops

Attending conferences and workshops may involve a cost, but they come with the possibility of great rewards. Often you can get an editorial critique of your work, which lets you to get tips from the top. And faculty members usually open their submissions window for a few months for attendees - so important for unagented manuscripts!

7. SCBWI

SCBWI is the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators. If you are serious about writing for kids, membership in this organization is one of the most important steps you can take.

Among its resources, SCBWI has compiled The Book: Essential Guide to Publishing for Children. It details how to prepare and submit your work. The Market Survey section gives a current snapshot of the market (although change is continual). I like the section "Edited by..." with information that can help pair your book with a receptive editor. 

8. Querytracker

Querytracker is a database of agents and editors, and a channel used by many of them to recieve submissions. The standard membership is free; a premium membership has more to offer, but comes with a cost. (I've browsed the database for information, but I haven't used it for submissions.)

9. Author Acknowledgments

For novelists, you may discover agent and editor names for your favorite authors by checking out the acknowledgments in the back of their books. 

10. The PW Children's Bookshelf newsletter

This is my favorite way of tracking agent and editor preferences! Near the bottom of this twice-weekly newsletter is a list of current book deals. Each announcement includes the name of the author (and illustrator, if it's a picture book deal), the editor who bought the book, the book title, a brief description of the book, and the name of the agent(s) securing the deal. It takes some work, but I maintain a spreadsheet of this information that I can search when I have a new manuscript ready. Using Control + F brings up a search box where I can enter key words to find deals that have similarities to my work. (E.g. I search "rhyme" to discover editors that may be open to rhyming picture books.) Sign up for the Children's Bookshelf newsletter here.

These sources are my Top 10, but you'll undoubtedly find many more. If you have a favorite, please share it in the Comments below.

Happy writing, everyone! Good luck with those submissions!

Just in time for fall: Pick a Pumpkin--Patricia Toht, Author, interviewed by Julie Phend

Pick a Pumpkin

With autumn here and Halloween just around the corner, what could be more delightful than Patricia Toht’s invitation to Pick a Pumpkin in her latest picture book? The book, written in rhymed verse for readers aged 3-7 and charmingly illustrated by Jarvis, evokes the magic of choosing just the right pumpkin and transforming it into a jack-o-lantern for Halloween night.

I love the rich, sensory details in Toht’s text: from “vivid orange, ghostly white” and “lumpy chunks, sticky strings, clumpy seeds, guts and things” to “small slits sleeping, cross-eyed crazy” and “red-hot eyes and fiery grin.” Jarvis’s beautiful illustrations in autumn tones of orange and blues give the book an old-fashioned feel that perfectly suits this timeless tradition.

  

 

Patricia Toht Interview

GROG: Pick a Pumpkin is a companion book to Pick a Pine Tree. Whose idea was it to write a companion book? How closely did you follow the same structure? Did this make the writing easier or harder?

PATRICIA: Pick a Pumpkin started out as a poem about carving pumpkins into jack-o’-lanterns. The poem eventually grew to book length. I thought that transforming a pine tree into a Christmas tree had promise, too, so I wrote Pick a Pine Tree. They follow the same structure, which definitely made it easier to write, since the basic arc was established. They were submitted to the publisher as companion books, with Pick a Pine Tree released first (2107), followed by Pick a Pumpkin this year.

GROG: Tell us about the illustrator, Jarvis, who illustrated both of these books.

PATRICIA: I’m so fond of Jarvis’s illustrations! For me, they evoke comfort and nostalgia. The color palette of Pick a Pumpkin is so rich – not only oranges, but purples, pinks, and blues – and conveys the feeling of autumn. Jarvis also has whimsical books that he’s both written and illustrated. My favorite is Mrs. Mole, I’m Home!, about a near-sighted mole.

Patricia's son Will picks a pumpkin of his own

 

He lives in England, so we haven’t met yet, but I’m hoping we will some day!
You can explore Jarvis's website here - http://www.byjarvis.com/work.

Daughter Ruth with Decorated Pumpkin

GROG: You’ve chosen to use rhymed verse in an era where writers are often told not to attempt it. What do you like about rhymed verse? Why did you choose it?

PATRICIA: I’m a poet at heart. I love lyrical language and how images can be conjured from few words. But I don’t always write in verse. It’s sounds odd, but I write in rhyme if a piece comes to me that way – it begins rhyming itself as I’m working on it! One danger of writing in verse is that sometimes the rhyme tries to drive the story – it’s tempting to add extra lines or to word things unnaturally, in order to make an end rhyme work. I once heard an editor say it’s not that editors don't like rhyme, they don’t like bad rhyme. If you want to be a rhymer, you have to really work at it by studying rhythm and meter, forms of poetry, poetic devices, etc.

GROG: How much do you edit and tinker with the wording and the rhyme?

PATRICIA: I obsessively edit and tinker! In poetry, every single word counts. I use a thesaurus and a rhyming dictionary to help me make just the right choices. And I’m so lucky to have critique partners who are amazing poets, too, and they help me whip my manuscripts into shape.

GROG: What training do you have—as a writer and a poet?

Critique group: Eileen Meyer, Heidi Roemer, Michelle Schaub

PATRICIA: I didn’t study creative writing at school, so I’ve learned along the way. Early on, I took a writing-for-children class with Esther Hershenhorn and a poetry class with Heidi Roemer, which were both very helpful. I’ve also attended SCBWI workshops, and I have a shelf of craft books I refer to often.

GROG: You’ve written a number of holiday books for children. What do you see as the advantages/disadvantages of holiday books?

PATRICIA: A definite advantage is that holiday books have a ready market. But that also comes with a disadvantage – sales are usually limited to the holiday season. I also think it can be challenging to come up with a unique concept to compete with existing holiday books.

Glass Pumpkin Festival

GROG: Do you have marketing ideas for Pick a Pumpkin that you’re willing to share? 
PATRICIA: Last year, I worked with a classroom of second graders and I gave them an early reading of Pick a Pumpkin. Their teacher is from a farming family, and she picked tiny pumpkins for each student. I would love to do something like this at book signings and school visits! I’ve also reached out to our local arboretum, which hosts a glass pumpkin festival, hoping I can share the book at their festival.

Patricia with Second-Graders

GROG: While we’re talking about holidays, what’s your favorite holiday? Why?

PATRICIA: My favorite holiday is Christmas – I love everything about it! I start playing Christmas music and baking cookies the day after Thanksgiving. Our family has its own traditions, which include the trek for a tree, annual ornaments for the kids, and stuffed stockings that may not be opened until after Christmas dinner.

GROG: Finally, GROG readers already know a lot about Patricia Toht. Tell us something we don’t already know.

PATRICIA: Many people will find this weird, but I love graveyards! When I was a young mom, I lived across the street from one, and I often took my son for walks there. It was peaceful and filled with beautiful statuary. Reading the gravestones made me wonder about people buried there. Now, when I travel, I often find a graveyard to explore in each location.

Sounds like another Halloween book might be in your future, Patricia!

Thanks for sharing with GROG readers.

.