Take a Look Around - What Inspires You?

Most writers and illustrators spend an incredible amount of solitary time in one key  location—whether it's their office, studio space, or a favorite out-of-the-way nook. While lost in thought when we're digging deep—and inevitably searching for a bit of inspiration—what do we look at? What does our gaze settle on?

A piece of beautiful art or a memorable photo? 

A knickknack with an important back-story? 

A meaningful quote?  

What fills us up and nudges us on? Friends in my creative community shared their thoughts with me.

Carmela Martino glances at an opaque blue-gray egg that was a gift during the time she worked on her M.F.A. at Vermont College. At the end of a semester and a period of working closely together, her mentor presented her with the glass egg. She noted it was a symbol of Carmela's yet unborn stories still waiting to be shared. Simply holding or rubbing the smooth, cool glass egg in her hands helps Carmela seek out inspiration.

Looking at a beautiful piece of art and remembering the story associated with the piece plays a central role for many of us. Julie Phend's husband bought her a piece of woodcut art from Costa Rica entitled "El Escribidor," which means The Writer. She noted "it reminds me that I am indeed a writer, and I have a responsibility to develop my skills."  And what a lovely show of support from her husband.

Michelle Schaub studies a postcard she picked up when she signed up for her first Highlights poetry workshop.

At the program, she worked on polishing a manuscript that would later become her first book sale. She didn't know at the time how attending the workshop would boost that project. "I went for the experience, and I met so many amazing people who have become mentors and supporters," she noted. "It reminds me to say 'yes' to opportunities because you don't know where they will lead. And to enjoy the journey as much as the destination."

Dana Easley hangs watercolors in her office so she is surrounded by creativity while she works on her writing projects. (Cool fact—she actually created this art, too, which I think is pretty amazing!) Who wouldn't be energized and inspired looking at beautiful florals as you ponder a first draft or tackle a challenging revision. It's a reminder that our own creativity knows no bounds.

Dana also has a large quote displayed on one of her office walls that says "Books turn Muggles into Wizards." It reminds her of the joy and value of books. (Created from a vinyl adhesive decal  ordered online—you simply rub it on the wall surface.) I love Dana's example of a big quote on the wall of your office. How cool is that?  I'm going  to have to think about how I can use this awesome idea.

Patty Toht has a few favorite quotes that help her move forward. There are two that she keeps taped to her computer . . . "Almost all good writing begins with terrible first efforts. You need to start somewhere."—Anne Lamont, Bird by Bird. (I need to remember that as I start my awful first drafts . . .) And then there's this one, "Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up."—Thomas Edison. I love both of these!

When Christy Mihaly was out for a nature walk, she spotted this hand-painted stone. Who painted it? And who took the time to leave it as a sweet surprise for someone to find and brighten their day? An unsolved mystery. It reminds Christy to take notice, be present—and yes, to take joy! (Plus it makes her smile—and a happy writer is usually a productive writer.)

Suzy Leopold finds inspiration from a beautiful hand-quilted creation made by her mom. Displayed right next to her writing desk, gazing at the lovely quilt reminds Suzy of her mother's love as well as her supportive and encouraging words: read, write and create every day. (Bonus—on a cold winter's day Suzy can also use the quilt for an extra layer of warmth to chase away the chill!)

Sherri Rivers surveys the Word Bird art perched on her bookcase and reflects on the amazing experience she had at a Highlights Nonfiction Workshop. During the conference, attendees bid on items as a small fundraiser and this cute piece caught her eye. After winning the bid, her workshop leader would not let her pay for it and bought it for her! Whenever she looks at this little treasure, she remembers the joy of attending the conference, the kindness and generosity of her workshop leader—and the kidlit community in general. Sherri knows that words count and can change lives!

I have one favorite object that speaks to me.  I keep a heavy, round paperweight in a prominent spot on my desk. It's right next to my computer monitor, so I see it whenever I sit down to work. It reads: "The difference between ordinary and extraordinary is that little extra." When I'm done with my umpteenth draft of a picture book project and think it just might be across the finish line . . . this paperweight serves as a nice braking mechanism. It encourages me to have patience and set high standards for this work-in-progress. It reminds me to use my critique groups for input. It sends a message to gather and listen to the feedback from industry professionals at conferences. And most importantly,  it signals to give my project more effort before sharing it with a key decision-maker. (Besides, it looks a lot nicer than a big red STOP sign!)

Take a look around. What inspires YOU in your favorite workspace? 

DRESS LIKE A GIRL - A Fashionable Interview with PATRICIA TOHT about her latest PB, including a BOOK GIVEAWAY

Patricia Toht talks girl power, two new books releasing in 2019, and some wise writing advice she received  . . .

By  Eileen R. Meyer

Welcome to another TAKE FIVE interview. I hope that you’ll take five minutes to get to know more about our fellow GROG BLOGGER, Patty Toht and her latest picture book, DRESS LIKE A GIRL.

Patty's new picture book released just yesterday, January 22nd! Her book birthday also happened to coincide with Patty's actual birthday, too--what a great birthday gift! Cake and ice cream for everyone. :) Now on to our Five Questions for Patty:

   1. What was the inspiration behind your new picture book, DRESS LIKE A GIRL? Did your 3-year old granddaughter have anything to do with it?

The book is dedicated to my smart and feisty granddaughter, but the inspiration actually came from Twitter! Early in 2017, a story circulated about a new White House dress code, reportedly stating that female employees should “dress like a woman.” As a result, women began to post photos on Twitter, wearing professional garb that was anything but traditionally “lady-like.” There were astronauts, firefighters, soldiers, construction workers, scientists, etc. After I re-tweeted several images, my agent dropped me an email with a little nudge: “What about Dress Like a Girl”? BRILLIANT! The text came together and was submitted and sold very quickly. (So unlike me - I can be The Pokey Little Writer sometimes!)

2.  This is your third picture book. You’ve previously released: All Aboard the London Bus, 2017 and Pick a Pine Tree, 2017. Tell us more about your writing process. As an author who also works a full-time job and manages a busy family life, how do you work to squeeze in writing and revision time?

I’m anything BUT consistent with my writing, especially with new projects! Although I’m obsessed with recording new ideas in tiny notebooks or on a phone app, I often carry these ideas around in my head for months until I finally get started on them. It’s like a pitcher being filled, and until it reaches overflow level, I’m willing to let it keep filling. But the positive twist is that my first drafts tend to be very well-developed.

As for revisions, I can be grumpy about revising, (my critique partners are angels for dealing with my grousing!), but I love working to an established deadline. I dig in and get the work done. The text for Dress Like a Girl was almost completely rewritten twice, so there was a lot to do!

3. What is the best writing advice that you ever received?  Did it encourage you during a time that you felt stuck?

The best advice I received came from fellow Illinois author Carol Grannick. We both had begun writing for children during the days of snail mail subscriptions, when editors actually sent correspondence in return – either acceptance or rejection letters. But this practice sadly disappeared, to be replaced by a bit of a black hole, with no word unless editors or agents wanted to acquire your work.

Carol had grown discouraged by this and had written a post about putting aside thoughts of publication to focus on craft and writing that brought joy. I decided to do the same. After a few years of doing just that, I discovered that I was enjoying the journey again and my writing had taken a leap forward. I was then ready to start submitting again.

4.  Share something surprising that people don’t know about you.

Most people outside of the Chicago area don’t know that I’ve been writing for over 20 years! It wasn’t until recently that I’ve been published, so many folks see me as a “new” author.

5. Tell me a little bit more about the artist for your book, Lorian Tu, and about how her style was the perfect fit?

My co-creator for Dress Like a Girl is illustrator Lorian Tu. Lorian has illustrated two books for a small press; this is her debut picture book with a large publisher. I’m excited that HarperCollins teamed up my words with Lorian’s illustrations! Her girl characters are adorable, and I love how the overall theme of a sleepover holds everything together. Some pages were a wonderful surprise, like the penguin outfits in the Arctic scene. My original thoughts about the outfits were to keep them quite literal, so I was happy to see the girls in the book being more creative and whimsical. You can check out Lorian’s work on her website, www.loriantubooks.com.

In closing – Patty, you have another book releasing later this year – Pick a Pumpkin! 2019 will be a very exciting year for you. Where can readers and fans find you on social media?

I do have another book coming out in 2019! Pick a Pumpkin (July 2019) is a companion book to Pick a Pine Tree, which came out in the autumn of 2017. Jarvis has illustrated them both in a rich, nostalgic style. I am completely crazy over his illustrations! Lucky me, he will also be illustrating a future book of mine, Together With You (date TBD).

Readers can find me in several places:

My website = www.patriciatoht.com

Facebook = Patricia Toht

Twitter handle = @patriciatoht

Instagram = patricia.toht

Thank you Patty! For readers - leave a comment below and you'll have a chance to win a copy of Patty's new book, DRESS LIKE A GIRL! We’ll announce one lucky winner from those who comment by Saturday, February 2nd.

Thank you for having me, Eileen! I’m so happy to be part of the kidlit world!

Patty is involved with the #KidsNeedMentors program. 
Here is Patty visiting with students and sharing a sneak preview 
of  PICK A PUMPKIN, due out later in 2019.