Happy Book Birthday to SWEET DREAMS, SARAH & Vivian Kirkfield! by Tina Cho

I'm delighted to welcome my awesome critique partner, Vivian Kirkfield, to the Grog blog. Vivian is well-known in kidlit social media for her positivity, kindness, and encouragement. I interrupt her travels in Switzerland for a brief interview for her upcoming book birthday!

In February, her debut picture book, Pippa's Passover Plate was published. And now within a day of each other her books #2 and #3 have book birthdays! Four Otters Toboggan debuts on April 1st and Sweet Dreams, Sarah from Creston Books comes out April 2nd! I wanted to chat with Vivian about Sweet Dreams, Sarah. I got to see this one from start to finish.

 1. How did you come across Sarah Goode?

I had been scrolling through lists of ‘the first woman to…’ and when I read the brief description of the first African American woman to own a U.S. patent, I tried to find out more…but there wasn’t any…and that’s when I decided Sarah E. Goode deserved to have a book.

 2. Was there anything different you had to do for researching Sarah?

Because there was so little information, I had to reach out to librarians…my local librarian reached out to several other librarians. One sent me an advertisement from an 1886 newspaper for Sarah’s furniture store.  Another shared an 1885 photo of the street where Sarah’s store was probably located. And I also contacted the cemetery where Sarah is buried…they were very helpful and sent me the list of people buried in the family plot with a description of the cause of death. I’ve found that if you keep digging, you may find something of value.

 3. How has her life influenced yours?

Sarah E. Goode was persistent…and patient…and totally goal oriented. I really felt a connection with her…because that is how I approach life and challenges. And I was even more inspired and determined to write this story after delving into the research and learning more about the obstacles she had to overcome.

4. How many revisions did you do for this story?

I originally wrote the story the month after I took a nonfiction picture book writing class in June 2014. I sent it to Rate Your Story in August…and got an 8 (1 is the best and 10 is the worst). I revised with the help of my critique buddies and submitted it to RYS again…this time I got a 3. Then I revised a bunch more and gave it to more critique buddies…and submitted it to the RYS contest and won 2^nd place for nonfiction picture book…and then I knew it was ready to go. And it is the story that landed me my agent! But I tweaked it again for her…and then when the editor bought it, she requested a few minor changes. And when the first color layouts needed to be changed, I had the opportunity to make a few more revisions…and I did.

 5. What are your marketing plans for Sarah? 

Because I knew I’d be away for the launch date of the book, I reached out to many bloggers and arranged for them to do blog posts…either reviews of Sweet Dreams, Sarah or interviews with me. I’m also hoping to hold a book launch just for SARAH in Chicago, which is where her store was located. And I’ll be signing Sweet Dreams, Sarah at the NESCBWI conference in May and reading it to kids at school and library events. I’m also hoping to do a joint book event with Nancy Churnin in Washington DC with her Martin and Anne and my Sweet Dreams, Sarah. Additionally, I shared the book at the conferences in Sydney and in Auckland and have been handing out bookmarks and doing giveaways.

   

6. What hurdles have you gone through for the creation of this book?

Every manuscript is unique…as are every editor and illustrator…and so, every publication process is unique. I think it is important to be politely proactive…and to be confident enough to speak up if you feel something isn’t working. The editor has a right to add her vision to the book…and the illustrator needs to add his…but the end product must stay true to the heart of the story as envisioned by the author. And every person on the team – author, editor, illustrator, art director, book designer – is responsible for research to make sure that their contribution to the process is accurate and authentic. This is why I am such a fan of collaboration – with each member of the team sharing information, ideas, and resources. And sometimes it is necessary to reach out to experts, especially when writing nonfiction. I sent the color layouts to sensitivity readers – and discovered the head-rag on Sarah could not be used in the illustrations that showed her after the Civil War. The head-rag was a symbol of slavery – female slaves were often required to wear it – and therefore, you would NEVER want to wrap it around a free black woman’s head unless, perhaps, it was a stylish one like Alysha Keyes wears. 😊

7. What hopes do you have for Sweet Dreams, Sarah? 

I hope that readers will be inspired to DREAM…and to believe that they can build their dream into reality…as Sarah did. The editor and I have created a curriculum guide for teachers which will be available for free download on my website. In addition, I plan to invite kids to share their dreams and the steps they are taking in a Build Your Dream Initiative on my website. And my #50PreciousWordsforKids International Writing Challenge that takes place April 29-May 6 is one of the ways I try to encourage young people to express their creativity…who knows, maybe participating in that challenge will result in some of them pursuing a career in writing! :))

Vivian, pursuing her dream of travel, here with Julie Abery in Switzerland

8. What are you working on now? What books are coming out soon?

I’ve sent a new manuscript to my agent who will be passing it along to an editor who asked for that particular topic. Fingers crossed that the editor loves it! And in the pipeline, I have two books…Making Their Voices Heard: The Inspiring Friendship of Ella Fitzgerald and Marilyn Monroe. (Little Bee Books, Spring 2020) illustrated by Alleanna Harris; and From Here to There: Inventions that Changed the Way the World Moves (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Fall 2020) illustrated by Gilbert Ford.

For fun

Favorite color?

It used to be yellow…in fact, when my sister got married and I finally had a room of my own, I painted it yellow the very next day. But I also love teal blue.

Favorite food?

Indian! I love curries! The first time I had Indian food was on the first date I had with my hubby. We lived in NYC and a cousin of mine had recommended this particular restaurant. Stuart and I had never eaten Indian food before…but it was love at first taste! And the Karachi restaurant at 144 W. 46^th Street became our favorite eatery. Sadly, the restaurant is no longer there…but the memories will never go out of business.

Favorite kid’s book?

I have so many favorites…it is impossible to choose. Little Women ranks pretty high…I must have read it 100 times. Pollyanna was another favorite…in fact, my sister called me Pollyanna because I always saw the bright side of things…some things never change, I guess. 😊  

Favorite author?

Favorite children’s author would have to be Louisa May Alcott. Favorite adult author would have to be Diana Gabaldon…I am a total Outlander fan and have read all the books in the series.

Favorite hobby?

Reading 😊 Writing 😊 Revising 😊 Traveling 😊 Cooking 😊 Hiking 😊

Bonus: You can watch Vivian read Sweet Dreams, Sarah, at Diane Tulloch's blog, our critique partner in New Zealand who recorded her during Vivian's travels around the world.

To communicate with Vivian~

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 and banana-boat riding. 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, Picture Books Help Kids Soar. 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.

RAZZLE-DAZZLE by Janie Reinart 50 Precious Words Contest

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Thank you to Vivian for her 50 Precious Words contest. Here is an interview from last year on how she got the idea. Here is a link to join in the fun right now. 

Thank you for stopping by to see my 46 word story. Did you know: In some places at some times, fireflies synchronize their flashing?

RAZZLE-DAZZLE by Janie Reinart

Dragonfly drums.

Weaver riffs.

Firefly sighs, “CAN’T do that.”

Jitterbug jives.

Beetle boogies.

Firefly sighs, “CAN’T do that.”

Katydid croons.

Cicada serenades.

Firefly sighs, “CAN’T do that.”

Moonlight’s gone.

Spotlight’s dark.

Silence.

Firefly…

 BLINKS  !!

Friends…

 BLINK back!

RAZZLE-DAZZLE lights this wingding.

Firefly CAN…   SHINE!

ROCK ON!

A Peek Behind the Curtain

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By Janie Reinart

Have you ever wanted to know what goes on behind the scenes of a kid lit contest?

Here's your chance. A recent post shared how the lovely Vivian Kirkfield came up with the idea for the 50 Precious Words contest. 

Now, you can peek behind the curtain and see how the winning entries were chosen.

What was your process for selecting winners? 

Janie, I had no idea there would be such a tremendous response for the #50PreciousWords Contest. I thought that I’d get maybe a dozen or so entries. As the days went on, and the stories continued to stream in, I was thrilled. 

I had listed several guidelines when I first posted the contest. So as each story came in, I made sure each entry followed those. Amazingly, everyone’s story was 50 words or less.  I read each story – then I read it again out loud. If it made me smile, if it was unique, if it touched my heart…any of those things…I put a star next to it on the list I had made of all the entries. 

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If it was well-written with all the important elements of beginning, middle, and end, I put another star next to it. I thought that when all was said and done, I’d have a few stories that had stars. Nope! I had over 100 stories that had stars. 

So then I read each story out loud four times…if I loved it more each time I read it, I put a big check next to the name. I thought I’d have just a few like that. Nope! I had fifty. 

So then I asked my husband if he would listen to the stories…he is a published author, former elementary school teacher, and lover of books and reading. That helped me cut the list down to thirty. 

And for the next four hours, I read and reread those thirty stories…looking for the ones that I would buy if they were at the bookstore. Looking for the ones I would grab from the library to read to my grandchildren. Looking for the ones I thought would appeal to kids the most because they were clever or sweet or unique or funny or inspiring. 

Those were four of the most difficult hours of my life. Now I understand better how difficult it is for editors who fall in love with manuscripts, but can’t take them for one reason or another. Or how hard it is to be an agent and have to turn away a writer who writes really well, but whose work you don’t connect with as much as you feel you need to in order to represent them successfully. 

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I had always heard this was a subjective business. YES, IT IS! And being on the other side of the table was heartbreaking. 

 Did you use a rubric?  

If by rubric you mean a weighted system of scoring…then no, I did not. I went with my gut, the overall feeling the story gave me. The problem is that each story was unique…some rhyme, some prose, some free verse. About totally different topics. 

Stories, after all, are about how they engage the reader…a story that my sister raves about might be one that I hate. Just because a book sells a million copies, doesn’t mean it will appeal to me. 

Over a hundred stories in the contest deserved a prize…but I had to whittle it down by what I felt constituted a great story. Which is probably different from how someone else feels. 

Did you have helper elves to help make selections?  

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Ah…helper elves…now that would have been a GREAT idea! However, having expected maybe a dozen entries, I didn’t think I would need any help. 

As I mentioned, my husband graciously stepped in to assist. When I do the contest again next year (YES< I will absolutely positively make this an annual event), I plan to enlist the help of a couple of critique buddies…one has already volunteered. 

I think that will give me a sense of peace of mind that the responsibility is not all on me…it wasn’t the time that it took that I objected to. Anyone who knows me well, knows that for me, time spent reading stories is golden, and I could do it 24/7. 

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Because I thought I’d only have a dozen entries, I arranged for the winners to be announced the day after the deadline. Oops! I read and reread stories all night long till at least 3am. And of course, I had been reading them all along as they came in. 

Next year, I will definitely give myself a couple of days between deadline and announcing the winners. 

Do you have any tips for writers for next year’s contest? 

I don’t know if the writers needed any tips. The stories were of such a high quality and I was blown away. WHOOSH! Seriously, the entries were wonderful. Many of the writers placed their entry on their own blog and shared the contest on social media channels. 

And I’d love it if people would comment here on the GROG post, email me, or message me on Facebook and let me know how I could improve the 50 Precious Words Contest for next year. 

I really appreciate this opportunity, Janie, to share. It was my first challenge to other writers…and I was honored by the enthusiastic response! No doubt about it…this is the BEST kidlit community ever! 

It was my pleasure.  Everyone give a round of applause for Vivian! Thank you for inviting us to have some fun. 

 

Precious Words

Get ready for some fun. Meet the lovely Vivian Kirkfield, the creator of the 50 Precious Words Contest.

Vivian Kirkfield

I had the pleasure of meeting Vivian in person. You can't help being drawn to her warm smile, great discussions, and upbeat personality. Her motto is: Writer for Children - Reader Forever.

Vivian is represented by Essie White at Storm Literary and has a book coming in spring 2017 from Creston Books.  

 

Sweet Dreams, Sarah is the story of Sarah E. Goode, the first African-American woman to own a U.S. patent. After the Civil War, former slave Sarah moves north, with freedom in her pocket, hope in her heart, and dreams swirling in her head. The story showcases not only the invention but the spirit and determination of the inventor herself. Congratulations, Vivian!

 

Janie: What are you working on now?

Vivian: At the end of 2015, I participated in Kristen Fulton’s 12 Days of Nonfiction (I’m a sucker for challenges as many of you know). Starting 2016 with more than a dozen subjects I’m excited to write about has been incredible. 

In January, I delved into the fascinating life of Joseph Montgolfier, the inventor of the first hot air balloon. I wrote the story…gave it to some of my critique partners…revised…gave it to more critique partners…polished it and sent it to my agent who LOVED it. The Boy Who Dreamed of Flying is now winging its way to eight or nine editors. Fingers crossed that one of them will love it also. 

In February, I wrote another nonfiction picture book that is still going through revisions. And now that it is March, I’m trying to decide which my next project will be. I love to be researching one story, writing another, revising a third, and polishing a fourth. This is actually the process Kristen follows…and it seems to work well for me.

Janie: What is your writing routine?

Vivian: At this point in my life, I am retired from teaching and all the other careers I had. I’m able to devote quite a bit of time to writing. This probably makes me less disciplined, since I know I can stay up till 3am…which those of you who see me on Facebook in the wee hours of the morning will attest to. 

I work several hours in the morning, several hours in the afternoon, several hours in the evening…sometimes I’m writing something new. Other times, I’ll pull out an old manuscript and see if I can create something new and exciting with it. 

I do get waylaid with blogging and social media…and as I mentioned before, I am a sucker for challenges. Although the experts say we should do our concentrated writing in the morning and not even check emails or Facebook, I must admit…I don’t follow that advice even though I know I should.

But this is supposed to be fun, right? And for me, it is! Total bliss! Even the rejections are just a necessary part of the process and I try to see them as steps on the ladder. And some ladders have lots and lots of steps.

Janie: What is your favorite craft book? 

Vivian: There are so many great ones out there. My favorite is Writing Picture Books by Ann Whitford Paul. Well-laid out and easy to navigate, I also love the action plan at the end of chapter which encourages you to be working on your own manuscript using what you have learned. 

I’ll mention another craft book as well…Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott. I found that book quite enlightening...other writers also feel doubt…wow, so I am not the only one. And I think this is why it is so important to be part of a writing community. We all need support and encouragement.

Janie: What inspires you to keep writing? 

Vivian: Life inspires me to keep writing. History inspires me to keep writing. (for me there is nothing better than to latch onto a golden moment of history that has been forgotten and is calling to me to bring it alive for young readers) 

Things I hear, things I read inspire me to keep writing. Even my husband is constantly coming up with clever titles and ideas. “Hey honey,” he’ll say, “this would make a great kid’s book!” 

And my grandson inspires me to keep writing. He slept over last night and I commented that his blankets were all over the place and it looked like he had been exercising while he was sleeping. “Sure, Grandma,” he said. “That’s because I was sleepercizing.” 

Then when he left the breakfast table, my husband said, “See you later, Alligator.” And without a moment’s hesitation, Jeremy replied, “After while, Grandpadile.” So now I have two possible story ideas to add to the others. I just need to find a better way to keep track of them all.

Janie: How did you get the idea for 50 Precious Words?

Vivian: Many years ago, Bennett Cerf (one of the founders of Random House) bet Theodore Geisel (Dr. Seuss) that he couldn't write a kid's book using only 50 different words...of course, Dr. Seuss proved him wrong with Green Eggs and Ham..there is a website that talks a bit about it: Some friends were talking about Dr. Seuss...it was his birthday on the 2nd...and I thought, hey, what fun...let's try to write a kid's story with only 50 words total.

Here are the rules:

 50 PRECIOUS WORDS WRITING CONTEST 

Vivian:

1. Write a story appropriate for kids ages 12 or under, using only 50 words…they can all be different words, or you can use some of them over and over…just as long as the total word count for the story is 50 or less.
2. It can be prose, rhyme, free verse, silly or serious…whatever works for you.
3. Title is not included in the word count.
4. No illustration notes please.
5. Post the story on your blog if you have one and put the link in the comments OR post the story in the comments.
6. Deadline for posting the story or the link in the comments is Friday, March 18^th…that gives you two weeks.
7. Winners will be announced on Saturday, March 19^th.
8. Prizes? Of course! In honor of Women’s History Month, a copy of Miss Moore Thought Otherwise by Jan Pinborough. Kristen Fulton is going to donate a place in her April Nonfiction Archaeology class and I am offering a mini-critique.

So are you up for the challenge? Check out my entry on Vivian's site. I look forward to reading yours. Show me your 50 precious words.