The Prairie Wind Newsletter of the Illinois Chapter of the SCBWI

Home , A Treasure, Jiminy Cricket, Prairie Wind, Virgil Finlay

Spring 2015 • From the Editor

Do you think fictional characters need to be likable? In this issue, by coincidence, two of our contributors explore this topic. Molly Backes in her Writer’s Tip says: “Personally, I’m in favor of unlikable characters. We are writing about teenagers, after all! They’re not the most likable creatures in the universe. Lovable, sure. But not always likable.” Juliet Bond, in her review of Blake Snyder’s book Save the Cat: The Last Book on Screenwriting You’ll Ever Need for the Writer’s Bookshelf, says, “I’m personally drawn to characters that are a bit prickly, rebellious, and less than charming. But they have to be likable.” See what you think.

In our previous issue Lisa Bierman said goodbye. In this issue our new co-regional advisor Deborah Topolski introduces herself: “I’m a prepublished member, still learning how to make inroads in my career . . . I’m on this journey to publication with you.”

Another change in this issue is in the format of our Illustrator in the Spotlight column. A panel of Illinois illustrators has compiled a set of questions that each issue’s featured illustrator will answer. This time it’s Theresa Brandon, answering such questions as “Do you ever tuck little personal homages or details in your illustrations?” and “What gets in the way of your creativity?”

Our Tale from the Front, the story of a first-time author, comes from Stefanie Lyons, author of Dating Down. Stefanie has a curious tale to tell: “My first book that my agent liked but thought should be my second book while I was working on my second-supposed-to-be-first book with her turned out to be my first book anyway.”

Check out Season’s Crop, compiled by Tina Stoval and Natalie Ziarnik, for a list of ten books coming out this spring by Illinois authors. Interestingly, the largest category is middle grade, including two by Kate Hannigan!

Then Dana Wilson Easley’s News Roundup lists recent winners of awards, provides information about applying for grants, and tells what’s happening at Anderson’s Bookshop.

Michelle Kogan provides this issue’s Illustrator Tip: “I’m offering up a cornucopia of inspirational, educational, and available blogs for multitalented illustrators and writers . . . I’ll review six sites, and four of these you can actively participate in.”

Jodell Sadler’s Book Look features This Book Just Ate My Dog, by Richard Byrne: “Byrne remains playful with his words as well as the form that is the picture book. Bella, a small girl, walks her rather large dog, who disappears into the gutter of the book! And it’s surprisingly fresh.”

In her column The Flourishing Writer, Carol Coven Grannick talks eloquently about ambitions and dreams: “The easy-sounding phrases like ‘If you can imagine it, you can do it’ or ‘If you persist, the success will come’ (‘success’ meaning publication) and, above all, ‘If you believe in yourself, success will happen eventually’ annoy me . . . how insulting are those phrases for hardworking, skilled, and even talented writers who are not getting published? They’re not imagining enough? They’re not persistent? They don’t believe in themselves?”

This issue’s Fly on the Wall is Lisa Katzenberger, who gives us her very personal take on Spring Thaw: “We were seated together by genre, and I was at a picture book table. I thought it was effective to have our lunch first, followed by the roundtable critiques. By then we had all introduced ourselves and gotten to know one another. It as easier, for me at least, to provide a critique to someone who was no longer a complete stranger.”

Finally, Emily Ecton offers her perspective on series writing: “All of my books are essentially self-contained. They have the same main characters and settings, but I wanted to make sure that if a reader picked up book 2 or 3 they'd still be able to understand what was going on and enjoy the book, even if they'd forgotten details or hadn't even read the earlier books.”

Enjoy!

Susan Tarcov, Editor Dana Wilson Easley, Managing Editor Sara Shacter, Editorial Advisor

2 Table of Contents Spring 2015 • Greeting from Deborah Topolski ...... 4 Spring 2015 • Illustrator in the Spotlight • Theresa Brandon ...... 8 Spring 2015 • Tales from the Front ...... 13 Why You Gotta Stop and Smell the Stinky Plots ...... 13 By Stefanie Lyons ...... 13 Spring 2015 • Season’s Crop ...... 16 ANNOUNCING: The Illinois Chapter of SCBWI 2015 Winter and Spring Crop of NEW Books: “Home Grown in Illinois.” ...... 16 Compiled by Tina Stoval and Natalie Ziarnik ...... 16 Spring 2015 • News Roundup ...... 17 News Roundup Spring 2015 ...... 17 Compiled by Dana Wilson Easley ...... 17 Spring 2015 • Food For Thought ...... 21 Developing Educational Materials to Support Your Books ...... 21 Spring 2015 • Don’t Miss ...... 22 SCBWI International Conference in LA ...... 22 Spring 2015 • Writing Tips ...... 23 I Don’t Like You, But I Get You: Five Ways to Make Unlikable Characters More Sympathetic ...... 23 By M. Molly Backes ...... 23 Spring 2015 • Illustrator Tips ...... 26 Inspirational Blog Review for Illustrators and Writers ...... 26 By Michelle Kogan ...... 26 Spring 2015 • Writer’s Bookshelf ...... 33 Saving the Cat: Creating a Strict Plot and Making Characters Likable ...... 33 By Juliet Bond, LCSW ...... 33 Spring 2015 • Book Look ...... 37 Movement, Action, Reaction, Interaction: This Dog Just Ate My Book ...... 37 By Jodell Sadler ...... 37 Spring 2015 • The Flourishing Writer ...... 40 The Pleasure of Dreams That Don’t Come True ...... 40 By Carol Coven Grannick ...... 40 Spring 2015 • A Fly on the Wall ...... 45 Spring Thaw 2015 ...... 45 By Lisa Katzenberger ...... 45 Spring 2015 • Perspectives ...... 49 Thoughts of an Accidental Series Writer ...... 49 By Emily Ecton ...... 49

3 Spring 2015 • Greeting from Deborah Topolski

There is nothing I love more than a new hat. My grandma prescribed hat buying as both a cure and an act of celebration. I think this is a more preferable alternate than, say…pound cake. For me, the hat thing was born out of the necessity of a Chicago winter. I spent many a late night on the elevated platform waiting for a train home, bitterly regretting my lack of attire. Since then, it’s become kind of my thing, honestly, an obsession like some folks have for shoes or new school supplies. You know who you are. Admit it—I’m not alone here—you harbor one of these too. Here in Illinois I can pass it off as Midwestern preparedness as opposed to the passion it has truly become. It’s even more than that, though. It’s a kind of metaphor for my life and I’m thrilled to be wearing a new hat—wait for it—as Co-Regional Advisor for Illinois!

At the drop of a hat

I got something akin to this phone call in October of 2013 from Lisa Bierman:

LB: I’m going to ask you a question. I don’t want you to answer right away. I want you to THINK about it. HAT (for the purposes of this article, that’s me): OKAY!

Oh, how this woman knows me…To be honest, that okay was more of a “Yes, whatever you want” than an “I’m listening.” Lisa had called to ask me if I would consider taking on her role on the Illinois Regional team. I couldn’t believe it. It took actual physical strength not to answer her (as directed) at the drop of a hat. This was something I had wanted and hoped for since Lisa suggested that my uncanny ability to recall the name of the Regional Advisor Coordinator might make me an unwitting candidate. Little did she know, my head is always full of useless information. Who knew that this time it was wholly useful and apparently made an impression? So had Lisa—and Esther and all the other regional team leaders—who had inspired me with their actions in service to our chapter. This was my chance. I gave it a couple of days, but I couldn’t let this opportunity pass me by, and my answer was still a resounding YES!

Something to hang my hat on

My neighbors shared this exchange with me:

4 NEIGHBOR 1: Well, it’s officially fall. NEIGHBOR 2: Why—Deb’s wearing a hat?

By the time I started last fall, Lisa had prepared me for almost a year, trying to explain the role and my tasks thoroughly. She gave me as many tools as she possibly could. She also cautioned that there would be things for which she couldn’t prepare me—stuff I’d have to handle that isn’t outlined in any handbook. I’m not a seasoned leader, but I do have something to hang my hat on. I believe in this community. I believe in our role as children’s content creators and as an international professional organization for practitioners of our craft. I believe we each have a story to tell and only we can best tell that story. I also believe that help appears when we need it. There are longtime members who have eagerly given their counsel—this too at the drop of a hat—volunteers who have been a part of SCBWI-IL way longer than I have. Thanks to everyone who has helped me to become a leader thus far.

All hat and no cattle

I’m a prepublished member, still learning how to make inroads in my career. I am committed to doing the work—and by this I mean the work of writing and illustrating for children. My new role requires commitment, but what kind of co-RA will I be if I’m not actively working on and participating in the art that brought me to this tribe? Answer: All hat and no cattle. I’m always interested in what my colleagues are working on. I’m counting on you to keep me honest and accountable by asking me about what I’m working on too! I consider attending Network sacred time and doing workshop preassignments and sharing in critique with my colleagues more important now than ever! I’m on this journey to publication with you.

Hat in hand

I asked for some help at my local grocery.

CLERK: We’ve not seen you for a while, what have you been up to? HAT: How is it you know me? CLERK: Let’s just say you shouldn’t commit any crimes in that hat.

My name is Debbie T. and I’m a pleaser. I try to make everyone happy. Fact is, not everyone is going to be happy with me all the time as co-RA. Plus, I am going to make

5 mistakes. I’m going to piss people off. I’m not proud of this, but by the time this article is published, I bet I already have.

I do hope you’ll give me a chance to explain though, or at the very least to give you a reason why. If I’m totally oblivious to your anger or concern, let me know. I do not have all the answers. Let’s find the answers—together.

Hat trick

HAT: What’s a hat trick? HUSBAND: [sigh]

As far as your goals are concerned, you’ve got a hat trick in Alice McGinty, Sara Shacter, and me. I’m new to the regional team with my own brand of resources and advice. I hope I’ll bring a new component as an author-illustrator and as a prepublished SCBWI member. Please contact me to suggest regional programming and to volunteer. Together, I’m confident we’ll make a pretty good team for Illinois.

Hats off!

FRIEND: Please take it off. You know I can’t have a serious conversation when you’re wearing that hat. HAT: [blank stare and sound of crickets]

I’d been looking for a way into children’s illustration and found that SCBWI hosted a local network in nearby Oak Park. I came home and told my husband that I had found my tribe, not knowing that “the tribe” is exactly how co-founder Lin Oliver refers to SCBWI. At Network in 2008, I met Sallie Wolf and Lisa Bierman, then co-representatives and the two people who have everything to do with my becoming co-Regional Advisor today. Hats off to them and all our network representatives: you are our first contact with the wider community, the folks who educate newcomers about who we are and what we do. Hats off to the Illinois Booth Committee. Our booths provide outreach to librarians and teachers, putting world-class artists in classrooms. Finally hats off to you, for practicing this noble craft. I am proud to serve you and be counted as one of your number. Your participation in our chapter is what make our Illinois region great. Finally, hold onto your hats: It’s gonna be a really fun ride!

I dedicate this article to Sister Angele Sphen, English teacher at Trinity High School (River Forest, IL), who passed the day this article was due. Sister, thank you for making me read the NEW YORKER and Camus, Vonnegut, and Whitman. Thank you for leading that trip to England to see where my heroes lived and to France to find where my passions lived. I will pay it forward wearing this new hat. NOTE: This article was handed in late. This is not how I was taught and Sister would NOT have approved.

7 Spring 2015 • Illustrator in the Spotlight • Theresa Brandon

Are you an illustrator or an author/illustrator?

I am an illustrator (and a photographer, educator, and theatrical designer).

What is your preferred medium to work in?

While I do most of my illustration work digitally these days, I also love all of the traditional media. Watercolor for its spontaneity, pastel for the tactile quality and blending, acrylic for speed, pencil or pen and ink for simplicity.

Tell us a little of your beginnings and journey as an illustrator.

I discovered illustration as a career possibility late in college and crammed in as many illustration classes as I could my last year as I was finishing up art education classes and doing my student teaching. I returned to college to take more classes when our daughters were babies, and began illustrating professionally about that same time.

All of my jobs have revolved around art, children and the written word. I’ve been an art educator in the public schools and in the community with students ranging from preschool to senior citizens. I was a children’s librarian and staff artist for many years. I have been a theatrical designer for the last twelve years and have designed/painted/built about seventy shows including community theater, elementary through high school, dance troupes, and church sets.

What does your workspace look like?

8 My workspace is a sunroom with three walls of windows overlooking the cornfields of northwestern Illinois. From there I can see deer, turkey, coyotes, hawks, and many birds.

Please share an illustration and give us a brief “step-by-step” of your process.

I create my illustrations in a very theatrical (or cinematic) manner, looking for unique angles and lighting situations to create mood and atmosphere. In this illustration I wanted to make the Elizabethan mouse character feel very small and alone. I start out with a pencil sketch, which is scanned and then painted digitally although I try to keep a traditional media appearance. For this particular illustration I created a virtual third environment so I could play around with the angles and

9 lighting, similar to the way I used to make models and maquettes for the same reason.

Even in digital illustration I work in a very traditional manner, building up glazes of color. I rarely have more than one layer open at a time as I flatten my artwork as I go.

What three words best sum you up?

Resourceful, reliable, quirky.

Which illustrators were your favorites when you were little?

Wesley Dennis, John Tenniel, Louis Darling, Robert Lawson, Beatrix Potter, and Trina Schart Hyman.

Which illustrators are your favorites now?

Franklin Booth, Mary Blair, Virgil Finlay, Howard Pyle, Maxfield Parrish, Jessie Wilcox Smith, Tasha Tudor, Eyvind Earle, John R. Neill, the Brothers Hildebrandt, Jill Thompson, Michael Whelan, Wendy Pini, David Hall,

Do you ever tuck little personal homages or details in your illustrations? Please give us a peek at one of your favorites.

10 I like to work Scottie dogs (our favorite breed) into illustrations when I can.

What’s one thing that may surprise people about you?

I am very much a behind-the-scenes person, which ties in with my interest in designing/building/painting theater sets and props.

What inspires you creatively, spiritually, or emotionally?

Friends, nature, books, color, theater, family, pets, daydreams, history.

What gets in the way of your creativity?

11 Not much gets in the way. I think that just sitting down and working is the best way to get work done. I don’t need to wait for inspiration or a muse.

Where can we find you? www.theresabrandon.com

12 Spring 2015 • Tales from the Front

Why You Gotta Stop and Smell the Stinky Plots

By Stefanie Lyons

I started writing my first novel when I was ten. Fourth grade. All thanks to a journal I found in a sale bin at Waldenbooks. It was the hardback kind, not the floppy-cover kind you had to use in school. Those notebooks were lame. This one had a bright red cover with curved edges and a Chinese pattern stitched on it.

This notebook was cool. Novel-worthy cool.

Inspired, I started writing a story about a ten-year-old girl who was cool and independent. She had an annoying little brother who was clingy and dorky. The story might’ve been quasi-autobiographical.

I even had a title for my book: MOM, WHY DID YOU HAVE TO?

That was my title. Sure, it was a little whiney, but I didn’t care. I had a journal that already looked like a novel and the first twenty-five pages of a story. Even back cover copy. I was practically a published author.

Then things got a little hairy with the plot and I lost interest. For a decade or so.

My next attempt came after college. I moved to Chicago and got a big idea for a story while working as a copywriter at Leo Burnett. I burned through the manuscript night after night. This time it was about a ten-year-old boy solving some mystery with an undead ghost. It was dumb, but I was inspired once again.

I called it something or other. Honestly, my ten-year-old self had better titles.

The book stunk. But I finished it. Someone at the ad agency told me about Esther Hershenhorn. Don’t know how they knew her, but it’s no surprise. Esther knows everybody. In her kindest way, she weeded through that mess of a plot and gave me feedback. Then I took her class at the Graham School and got another, better, crazier idea for a story. I sacked the undead ghost book to focus on the next shiny thing. It was lousy too. And the next one. And the next. Stinky. Rotten. Poopy plots.

I won’t bore you with those titles. Or storylines. Unless you want a good laugh. Then email me later.

13 Finally, I went to Vermont College of Fine Arts and got my MFA in writing for kids. After graduation, I sailed off into the sunset as a published author. And the rest is history.

[Insert maniacal laughter.]

Well, maybe the rest is Real Life.

For a year, I revised the novel I wrote at Vermont. I went to regional SCBWI events in western Washington, New England, Indiana, Illinois, Arizona, and New Jersey. I met with agents and editors. I took craft classes with Molly Backes at StoryStudio. I applied to artist residencies. I formed a post-VCFA writer’s group. I kept writing.

And that was the key—I kept writing.

Because the next novel was the one that landed me my agent, Erin Harris at Folio. We met on a speed-dating event at an SCBWI weekend conference. I told her about DATING DOWN, my finished novel. And she said, “What else are you working on?”

“What else are you working on?”

That phrase could’ve crushed me. Luckily, I had an answer. I told her about my WIP, and she perked up. I mailed her DATING DOWN. She read it and told me that while it was ready to go, it didn’t seem as big as my second novel, the one I’d pitched to her. We agreed to work together on it.

Now, here’s where it gets weird.

A month before I met my agent, I’d sent DATING DOWN to one editor—Brian Farrey- Latz at Flux. Another Vermont College friend was kind enough to mention me to him, so he was supposedly expecting my email. Here’s how that transaction went down.

Brian at Flux: Thanks, but this will have to go to the bottom of my pile. Me (interpreting): Thanks, but I’m never going to read this so move along.

However, nine months later, not unlike a pregnancy, he delivered my offer.

That’s how my first book that my agent liked but thought should be my second book while I was working on my second-supposed-to-be-first book with her, turned out to be my first book anyway.

Simple. Okay, not really. Nonetheless, it was totally exciting. And has remained so every day since then.

So, to recap, here’s my path:

14 1. Bought an awesome journal—on sale 2. Wrote a smelly, awful plot 3. Stopped writing 4. Wrote more smelly, rotten plots 5. Got some education 6. Kept writing 7. SCBWI’d all over the place 8. Met an agent 9. Kept writing with agent 10. Signed with Flux 11. Still writing

Stinky plots and all, I love this life.

Stefanie Lyons holds an MFA from Vermont College of Fine Arts. When she’s not writing, she’s organizing her locker, crushing on boys, practicing her clarinet, or getting ready for prom. In her head, that is. Because her teen years were great. Stefanie resides in Chicago. Dating Down is her first novel.

15 Spring 2015 • Season’s Crop

ANNOUNCING: The Illinois Chapter of SCBWI 2015 Winter and Spring Crop of NEW Books: “Home Grown in Illinois.”

Compiled by Tina Stoval and Natalie Ziarnik

Picture Books Jacob Grant, LITTLE BIRD’S BAD WORD, Feiwel and Friends at Macmillan, July 2015. Eileen R. Meyer, SWEET DREAMS, WILD ANIMALS! A STORY OF SLEEP, Mountain Press Publishing, April 2015.

Early Reader Patricia J. Murphy, HOPE FOR THE ELEPHANTS, Penguin/DK, December 2014.

Middle Grade Kate Hannigan, CUPCAKE COUSINS BOOK 2: SUMMER SHOWERS, Disney-Hyperion, June 2015. Kate Hannigan, THE DETECTIVE’S ASSISTANT, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, April 2015. Katie Sparks, REALITY NATALIE, Firedrake Books, LLC, October 2014 (new PAL status). J. D. Vaughn, THE SECOND GUARD, Disney-Hyperion, April 2015.

Young Adult Julia Durango, THE LEVELLER, HarperTeen, June 2015. Stefani Lyons, DATING DOWN, Flux, April 2015. Elizabeth Wheeler, ASHER’S OUT, Bold Stroke Books, July 2015.

This list is compiled by Tina Stoval and Natalie Ziarnik, author of Madeleine’s Light. If you would like to receive this list regularly, in expanded format in our online newsletter, “Book Bounty,” please send your email address to [email protected].

16 Spring 2015 • News Roundup

News Roundup Spring 2015

Compiled by Dana Wilson Easley

***EVENTS (roughly by date)***

ANDERSON’S BOOKSHOP Information is subject to change; some events require tickets. For more information on these and other upcoming events, visit www.andersonsbookshop.com or call 630-355-2665 for AB Naperville (123 W. Jefferson Ave., Naperville) and ATDE (Anderson’s Two Doors East, 111 W. Jefferson Ave., Naperville) or 630-963-2665 for AB Downers Grove (5112 Main St., Downers Grove). • May 16 - Mother Daughter Book Group, discussion of Princesses of Iowa by Molly Backes 2:00 p.m. at Borrowed Earth Café, 970 Warren, Downers Grove. Please RSVP to AB Downers Grove. • May 16 – Sophia Rossi, author of A Tale of Two Besties, 2:00 p.m. at AB-Naperville. • May 17 – Not for Kids Only Book Club discussion of Rain Reign by Ann M. Martin at 2:00 p.m. ATDE. • May 19 – Meg Cabot, author of From the Notebooks of a Middle School Princess, 7:00 p.m. at AB-Naperville. • May 21 – Jodi Picoult and Samantha van Leer, authors of Off the Page, 7:00 p.m. at the La Grange Theater, 800 S. La Grange Rd., La Grange. Tickets available at AB-Naperville. • June 9 – Mary Pearson, author of The Kiss of Deception, 7:00 p.m. at AB- Naperville. • June 11 – Boldly Bookish YA event with authors Emery Lord (The Start of Me and You), Tiffany Schmidt (Hold Me Like a Breath), Trish Doller (The Devil You Know), and A.C. Gaughen (Lion Heart), 7:00 p.m. at AB- Naperville. • June 13 – Victoria Kann, author of Aqualicious, 11:00 a.m. at AB- Naperville. • July 9 – Tracy Holczer (The Secret Hum of a Daisy), Edith Cohn Livingston (Spirit’s Key), and Tricia Springstubb (Moonpenny Island), 7:00 p.m. at AB-Naperville. • July 11 – Christine Hayes, author of Mothman’s Curse and friends (YA and children’s writers to be named later), 2:00 p.m. at AB-Naperville.

17 • July 21 – Ernest Cline, author of Armada, 7:00 p.m. at Wentz Concert Hall, 171 E. Chicago Ave., Naperville. Tickets will be available at AB- Naperville. • August 4 – Gayle Rosengren, author of Cold War on Maplewood Street, 7:00 p.m. at AB-Naperville.

BOOK EXPO AMERICA When: May 27-May 29, 2015 Where: Javits Center, New York, NY Details: Book Expo features an author conference, marketplace, and breakfast, international forums, and meetings with booksellers. Children’s literature headliners this year include Nathan Lane, Oliver Jeffers, Rainbow Rowell, James Patterson, & Judy Blume. For more information, visit http://bookexpoamerica.com

ANNUAL SCBWI CONFERENCE When: July 31-August 3, 2015 Where: Hyatt Regency Century Plaza, Los Angeles, CA Details: Registration is available now. For more information, visit https://www.scbwi.org/events/44th-annual-scbwi-summer-conference- in-los-angeles/

***AWARDS***

JOHN NEWBERY MEDAL (ALA) Winner • The Crossover by Kwame Alexander (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt) Honor Books • El Deafo by Cece Bell (Amulet Books) • Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson (Nancy Paulsen Books)

MICHAEL PRINTZ AWARD (ALA) Winner • I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson (Dial Books) Honor Books • And We Stay by Jenny Hubbard (Delacorte) • The Carnival at Bray by Jessie Ann Foley (Elephant Rock Books) • Grasshopper Jungle by Andrew Smith (Dutton Books) • This One Summer by Mariko Tamaki, illustrated by Jillian Tamaki (First Second)

RANDOLPH CALDECOTT MEDAL (ALA) Winner • The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend, illustrated and written by Dan Santat (Little, Brown and Company)

18 Honor Books • Nana in the City, written and illustrated by Lauren Castillo (Clarion Books) • The Noisy Paint Box: The Colors and Sounds of Kandinsky's Abstract Art, illustrated by Mary GrandPré, written by Barb Rosenstock (Alfred A. Knopf) • Sam & Dave Dig a Hole, illustrated by Jon Klassen, written by Mac Barnett (Candlewick Press) • Viva Frida, illustrated and written by Yuyi Morales (Roaring Brook Press) • The Right Word: Roget and His Thesaurus, illustrated by Melissa Sweet, written by Jen Bryant (Eerdmans Books for Young Readers) • This One Summer, illustrated by Jillian Tamaki, written by Mariko Tamaki (FirstSecond)

REBECCA CAUDILL YOUNG READER’S BOOK AWARD For readers 4th-8th grade: • First Place: Legend by Marie Lu (Penguin Young Readers Group) More information at www.rcyrba.org

MONARCH AWARDS For readers K-3rd grade: • First Place: The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt, illustrated by Oliver Jeffers (Philomel Books) • Second Place: If I Built a House by Chris Van Dusen (Dial Books) • Third Place: Creepy Carrots! by Aaron Reynolds, illustrated by Peter Brown (Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers) More information at www.islma.org

BLUESTEM AWARDS For readers 3rd-5th grade: • First Place: The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate, illustrated by Patricia Castelao (HarperCollins) • Second Place: The Stonekeeper by Kazu Kibuishi (GRAPHIX) • Third Place: Frindle by Andrew Clements, illustrated by Brian Selznick (Atheneum Books for Young Readers) More information at www.islma.org

ABRAHAM LINCOLN AWARDS For readers 9th-12th grade: • First Place: Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell (St. Martin’s Griffin) • Second Place: Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas (Bloomsbury USA Children’s) • Third Place: The Selection by Kiera Cass (HarperTeen) More information at www.islma.org

***GRANTS***

BOOK LAUNCH AWARD What: Provides authors or illustrators with $2,000 in funds to help the promotion of their newly published work and take the marketing strategy into their own creative hands. Deadline: Applications must be received between June 1 and July 1, 2015. More information and requirements: http://www.scbwi.org/awards/book-launch-grant/

KATHERINE PATERSON PRIZE FOR YOUNG ADULT & CHILDREN’S WRITING What: An annual prize for Young Adult and Children’s Literature. Three category winners receive $100 each and publication. The categories are Young Adult (YA), Middle Grade (MG), and Picture Book or Writing for Young Children. One overall first place winner receives $1,000 and publication. Requirements: Submit by email or postal service an original, unpublished piece under 10,000 words. Your entry may be a short story or a novel excerpt, but if it is a novel excerpt, it should stand alone. $20.00 entry fee. Further instructions can be found at: http://www.hungermtn.org/katherine-paterson-prize-for-young-adult- and-childrens-writing/ Deadline: June 30, 2015

Dana Wilson Easley writes MG and YA novels. She is co-rep of the LaGrange-Naperville network and Managing Editor of The Prairie Wind.

20 Spring 2015 • Food For Thought

Developing Educational Materials to Support Your Books

Where: Uno Pizzeria & Grill, 1160 N. Plaza Dr., Schaumburg, IL 60173 When: May 16, 11 a.m.–2 p.m. Cost: $18 gets you a seat at the table, salad and three kinds of pizza Topic: Developing Educational Materials to Support Your Books

The room is booked, and the menu is selected. What we need now are folks to participate: share your experiences creating educational materials and teaching guides; bring your questions; join the conversation!

Here are just some of the questions we will address at the next Food For Thought: Did you write a teacher’s guide to aid with classroom use of your book? Did your publisher provide one? Did you have help in creating these materials? What about self-published authors—what do you do?

Again, please email Sallie Wolf ([email protected]) if you would like to be a part of this program.

21 Spring 2015 • Don’t Miss

SCBWI International Conference in LA

Registration is open for SCBWI’s fabulous international conference in Los Angeles, which runs from Friday, July 31, through Sunday, August 2 (with optional intensives on Monday, August 3). This year’s schedule features top agents, editors, art directors, and publishers from the children’s book industry, providing insider information about the market. The SCBWI conference is a rare opportunity to meet and network with an influential group of the key decision makers in children’s publishing. In addition, a brilliant array of children’s book authors and illustrators will help you bring your craft to a new level. Don’t wait too long to register—this conference historically sells out! For more details, visit this link: https://www.scbwi.org/events/44th-annual-scbwi-summer-conference-in-los- angeles/

SCBWI-Illinois’ Annual Conference: Prairie Writer’s and Illustrator’s Day

Looking for a day packed with inspiration, sure to take both your craft and your career to the next level? Want to meet industry movers and shakers, flown from across the country into your own backyard? Then mark your calendar for Saturday, November 14, 2015!

The 2015 Prairie Writer’s and Illustrator’s Day Core Faculty:

Chad Beckerman, Creative Director, Abrams Linda Epstein, Associate Agent, Jennifer De Chiara Literary Agency Sonali Fry, Editorial Director, little bee books Andrew Karre, Executive Editor, Dutton Children’s Books Wendy McClure, Senior Editor, Albert Whitman & Company Stephanie Pitts, Assistant Editor, Schwartz & Wade Books

Conference details will be posted on SCBWI-IL’s website on August 1, and registration will begin on September 1—but mark your calendars now! As with SCBWI’s international conference, Prairie Writer’s and Illustrator’s Day historically sells out.

22 Spring 2015 • Writing Tips

I Don’t Like You, But I Get You: Five Ways to Make Unlikable Characters More Sympathetic

By M. Molly Backes

“I just don’t find her likable.”

It’s one of the most common critiques from agents and editors: your main character isn’t likable enough.

Personally, I’m in favor of unlikable characters. We are writing about teenagers, after all! They’re not the most likable creatures in the universe. Lovable, sure. But not always likable. Plus, I can’t help but notice that the characters we describe as “unlikable” are often female, whereas equally unlikable male characters are described as “rebellious,” “troubled,” “driven,” “quirky,” or “complex.”

But I digress. The feedback that your protagonist isn’t likable enough can be perplexing, because no matter how badly behaved she is or how ill-advised her choices, you’ve spent hundreds of hours thinking and writing about her, and after spending so much time with someone, it can be hard to see how someone would find her unlikable. (Rebellious, troubled, driven, and complex, maybe, but not unlikable. Not exactly.)

So what do you do? Do you capitulate to these critical voices and make your character more likable?

No. Let her be unlikable. Your job now is to make her more sympathetic.

Understandable Motivation

As readers, we will excuse nearly any choice or behavior if we fully understand the emotional and psychological reasons behind it. One of my favorite fiction teachers once said, “The reason Anna Karenina is 800-plus pages long is that we need all of those 800 pages to help the reader fully understand Anna’s final gesture.” Because we have spent 800 pages deeply inhabiting Anna’s world and getting to know her character, we can understand the thoughts and feelings she has as she makes that final choice, and though we might not make the same choice in her place, we understand why she feels she must.

23 If you are getting feedback that your protagonist isn’t likable enough, perhaps the real issue is that she’s not understandable enough. Look for opportunities in your story to dig deeper and allow the reader to more fully understand what’s happening in her head and heart.

Unlikable Actions, Likable Motive

It’s easier to forgive unlikable behavior if we approve of the reasons behind it. On the TV show House, for instance, Dr. House is a callous, cynical, narcissistic drug user who is often rude to his patients and cruel to his interns and co-workers—in other words, the very model of an unlikable character. However, the apparent motivation behind his bad behavior is a noble one: to solve challenging medical mysteries and ultimately to save lives. Though his likable motive does not excuse his behaviors (and while he’s still not someone you’d want to get a beer with), it does help to make him a more sympathetic character. He may be a rotten jerk, but at least he’s on the side of the angels.

Think about your own character. What is she trying to achieve? Her actions may be unsavory, but if her reasoning or desired outcome is sympathetic, your readers will likely be more generous in their judgment.

Consistent Morality

Even if your character is going against society’s standards, breaking the rules, breaking the law, and being kind of a jerk while she does it, she will find fans if she has a strong personal moral compass. Look at Robin Hood. He was an outlaw, a trickster, a thief, and by some accounts a murderer, but because he had a strict moral code—steal from the rich, give to the poor—we forgive him his unlawfulness and even root for him to commit more crimes.

Does your character have a similar code? Is there a particular line she won’t cross, no matter what, in her quest to get what she wants? Encountering a situation where she is forced to face this line, whether by someone else (nothing makes an unlikable character seem more likable than standing next to someone who’s even worse!) or by external events, will push your character up against her own moral code, and she will certainly win readers over if she demonstrates the strength of character required not to break it.

One Redeeming Quality

Often referred to as “Save the Cat” or “Pet the Dog,” this is a common character development trope: we see the unlikable character’s moment of vulnerability or tenderness as she reaches down to pat a dog. (The trope is named for the movie Alien, where Ripley’s choice to save her cat helps to soften the edges of some of her harsher decisions.) In the Harry Potter series, Narcissa Malfoy becomes much more sympathetic when we see that she’s willing to do anything to protect her child.

This one’s fairly easy to incorporate. Find an opportunity for your protagonist to go against character, even for a brief moment. If she’s selfish, give her a tiny moment of selflessness. If she’s aloof, give her a small gesture of kindness. Show that there’s something in the world she loves more than herself. She may be the snotty queen bee at her high school or an unsmiling dystopian warrior, but if she always has a treat for the neighbor’s dog, she can’t be all bad.

Trying to Improve

E for effort goes a long way. The tiniest glimmer of self-awareness—the mere suggestion that the character wants to be better than she is—will open up a more forgiving space in the reader. Yes, she can be calculating and cruel, but she’s TRYING to be a good person! Take Scrooge at the end of A Christmas Carol: he’s basically been The Worst throughout, but in the end he realizes that he needs to improve, so he just starts flinging money out the windows, which is arguably, you know, not the MOST effective way to atone for his previous sins. But because it’s a start, the audience accepts it.

Similarly, a character who is trying desperately to do the right thing is nearly always sympathetic, even if the tactics she uses on the way there are misguided or the outcomes of her attempts are mangled. Think of Elphaba in Wicked: she’s not actually wicked, but every time she tries to do what she thinks is right she’s thwarted. (Eventually she gives up and decides that if everyone is going to think she’s wicked anyway, she may as well prove them right—turning the “trying to improve” trope on its head.)

Your character may be completely unlikable, but see if you can give her a moment of self-reflection where she acknowledges her own failings or weaknesses. Maybe there’s another character who embodies the characteristics yours lacks, and she thinks about how she wishes she could be more like them: good with children, thoughtful, friendly, whatever. Maybe there’s an ideal her parent or mentor set forth for her, and she has a moment of wishing she were doing a better job of living up to that ideal. Even if she doesn’t attain these more likable qualities by the end of the story, the mere fact that she wanted to will help us to sympathize with her.

And if all else fails—go for broke! Let your character be as unlikable as she needs to be. Heck, make her more unlikable! After all, if a character is unlikable, she’s probably making strong choices, saying the wrong things, stepping on other characters’ feelings, and generally stirring up conflict. In other words, she’s out there being human. I’ll take that over likable any day.

M. Molly Backes is the author of The Princesses of Iowa. Follow her on Twitter at @mollybackes.

25 Spring 2015 • Illustrator Tips

Inspirational Blog Review for Illustrators and Writers

By Michelle Kogan

What fresh and new tips can I offer, besides the standby carry a sketchbook and draw? Of course all of us, even illustrators bound to their keyboard, Wacom, or electronic device, could benefit from this tried-and-true tip. It gets all those creative juices flowing, which is what we’re trying to do.

Let’s dig deeper. How about outside sources that are ready and at your fingertips 24/7? Yes, the Internet! I’m offering up a cornucopia of inspirational, educational, and available blogs for multitalented illustrators and writers. Yes, I’m stepping out of the box this month to include writers too, because the BOOK, whatever platform it’s presented in—pages, ebook, and online—seems to capture the attention of both illustrators and writers. I’ll review six sites, and four of these you can actively participate in.

First Stop, Kathy Temean’s “Writing and Illustrating: Sharing Information about Writing and Illustrating for Children,” https://kathytemean.wordpress.com

I’ve been actively engaged with Kathy Temean’s blog for a number of years, and I am continually amazed by what she offers for both children’s writers and illustrators on a daily basis.

Above left: Jago Silver, right: Marjorie Crosby-Airall

Illustrator Saturday features one illustrator, gives you an in-depth look at his or her artwork and career, and offers a few of tips on techniques and materials. Kathy recently interviewed Jago Silver from Cornwall, UK, who works digitally (March 14, 2015), and Marjorie Crosby-Airall, originally from the Chicago area and now living in Australia (February 7, 2015), who works traditionally. Here’s a couple of tips for working digitally from Jago: • Name your photoshop layers! It will make your life so much easier when a publisher requests alterations. • Spend time experimenting with Photoshop custom brushes and get to know which ones work for you–then create Tool Presets for the ones you like (and back them up).

Improving your work is included in Illustrator Saturday and also appears during the week. You’ll find articles on how to improve your writing from different writers. Katia Raina shared What I Learned: An MFA in a Nutshell, Part 1, compiled from two years of working on her MFA at Vermont College of Fine Arts (January 26, 2015). Katia reviewed the importance of inhabiting your characters, the benefit other arts have, and how they can inspire, inform your writing, and keep it fresh. She closed with a bevy of books related to grammar, assisting us with our choice of words.

New Agent Building List appears regularly and covers all platforms from picture books to adult. A few of the agents that have been presented this year include Kerry D’Agostino with Curtis Brown, Ltd.; Cara Mannion with Harold Ober Associates; and Victoria A. Selvaggio with the Jennifer De Chiara Literary Agency. Stop by these posts to find out what genre the agents are interested in and how to submit to them.

27 Free Fall Friday. Kathy introduces a publisher or agent at the beginning of the month, such as Steve Meltzer, Associate Publisher/Executive Managing Editor at Dutton Children’s Books, Dial Books for Young Readers, and Celebra Children’s Books. Then she puts out a call for her readers to submit first pages to be reviewed at the end of the month. Four fortunate writers are then selected and their first page appears on the blog along with a review. Make sure to follow the submission guidelines for first-page critiques.

Reviews of Conferences/Contests and Calls for Illustrations/Poems. These two categories are featured many times throughout the year. They cover local and national contests and conferences, along with Kathy’s call for seasonal illustration submissions and poems.

Second Stop, “Illustration Age,” http://illustrationage.com

“Illustration Age” features inspiring and sometimes groundbreaking artwork from eight professional illustrators all over the world: Thomas James, Marjolein Caljouw, Mark Kaufman Kelly Weed Stanley, Mac Scheff, Michael Byers, Kyle T. Webster, and Steve Simpson.

28 Illustration Friday. Every Friday a word challenge is offered to illustrate. You submit your art for that week and join the gallery of images for that particular challenge. You can also suggest a topic.

Escape from Illustration Island Podcast is a collection of 81 conversations with illustrators, art directors, art reps, and other creative professionals about the illustration industry, compiled and hosted by Thomas James.

Marketplace. If you have an online shop promoting your art and illustration, you can be reviewed for inclusion in the Marketplace. For a nominal lifetime fee, the site will promote your work and link to your site. It will also introduce your shop on Facebook, Twitter, and its Marketplace Pinterest Board.

Third Stop, Susanna Leonard Hill’s “Something for Everyone in the World of Children’s Books,” http://susannahill.blogspot.com

Susanna’s blog invites you via her charming anecdotes and weekly dose of scrumptious chocolates to comment and vote on children’s book pitches, hear critiques of the pitches by editors, and chime in on her weekly picture book reviews, and also offers many opportunities to participate for both writers and illustrators.

Would You Read It Wednesday Plus Pitch Pick. On Wednesdays Susanna introduces an author and his or her proposed book and pitch. The readers are then asked, “Would you read it?” and if so why or why not in the spirit of helping the writer with the pitch. A pitch is then selected for review by an editor, which then appears on the blog. Here you have the opportunity to submit a pitch and gain knowledge from all the feedback contributed!

Soon by Timothy Knapman and Illustrated by Patrick Benson, Candlewick Press, February 2015.

Perfect Picture Book Friday. On Fridays Susana shares a picture book review with you, some new books and some older. She reviews the book’s themes and how it opens and includes a synopsis, links to resources, and finally reasons why she likes the book. Also available on her site is an extensive listing of all the books she’s been reviewing. In addition she reaches out into the book community and asks other bloggers to leave their post-specific link to picture books that the bloggers are also reviewing on their sites.

Annual Halloweensie Writing Contest. Watch out, goblins, this is a real treat! Last year’s contest put out a call for a 100-word Halloween story, child appropriate, in poetry or prose, and using the words pumpkin, broomstick, and creak. There’s a judging, prizes...and your story is posted on your site or hers.

Illustrators Contest. Last year Susanna held the First Ever Pretty Much World Famous Illustration Contest for Children's Illustrators!!! And I heard through the grapevine that there’s probably going to be another contest this summer 2015...

Fourth Stop, Michelle Heidenrich Barnes’s “Today’s Little Ditty,” http://michellehbarnes.blogspot.com

This past winter I began following “Today’s Little Ditty” and have quickly become a regular follower of this bountiful blog. Michelle begins the month interviewing a particular poet. The poet then presents a ditty challenge for all to participate in throughout the month. The ditty challenges are all different poetry forms. In April for National Poetry Writing Month Michelle featured Kwame Alexander, whose ditty challenge was to pick a celebrity and write a clerihew. During the month individual participants and their ditties are featured. At the end of the month Michelle prepares a roundup of the ditties sent in. Additional poets and their ditty challenges this year have included, Margarita Engle, who challenged us with a tanka; David Elliott, who challenged us to write a letter poem, and Joyce Sidman, who challenged us to write a deeper wisdom poem.

http://readingwithrhythm.wordpress.com

31 http://thepicturebookreview.com

Last Stop, Reading with Rhythm, http://readingwithrhythm.wordpress.com, and the Picture Book Review, http://thepicturebookreview.com

These two blogs stand out for their choice of books and distinct perspective. Reading with Rhythm is penned by a delightful dog named Rhythm, who visits the library, interacts with kids, and reviews the books. The Picture Book Review is written by a former college physics teacher. She is now a stay–at–home mom who has read thousands of books to her two young sons and is now blogging about them. Reading with Rhythm and the Picture Book Review both offer incredibly thorough reviews, including themes, opening, synopsis, links, why the books, where to get them, author and illustrator websites, additional reviews of the books, and many illustrations.

I hope you find some valuable gems within these blog sites! They are a cornucopia of sources for children illustrators and writers!

Michelle Kogan is an artist/illustrator/writer/instructor. She is inspired by nature and our environment and is featured in a solo exhibit: Color and Nature at Studio b. Gallery, Three Oaks, MI, April 24–Summer 2015. website: www.michellekogan.com blog: http://www.moreart4all.wordpress.com, Etsy shop: http://www.MichelleKoganFineArt.etsy.com

32 Spring 2015 • Writer’s Bookshelf

Saving the Cat: Creating a Strict Plot and Making Characters Likable

By Juliet Bond, LCSW

I have a lot to learn about plot. While some struggle with voice and others lose their way in the vast and thorny forest of telling rather than showing, my Achilles heel has always been plot. That’s why I was pretty excited about Blake Snyder’s book Save the Cat: The Last Book on Screenwriting You’ll Ever Need. It’s an older book but the inherent clarity in Snyder’s use of the Hero’s Journey makes it a great primer for those of us who are plot-impaired. To be sure, this is a book about screenwriting rather than writing for children. But, as a teacher of writing, I’ve been intrigued by storytelling in its various forms. For example, Pixar writer Emma Coats’s 22 Rules of Storytelling is an incredible outline of the essential elements in every great story. Each rule is an Oh, right! moment, which led me to the realization that screenwriters use some basic plot techniques that we writers for children could really learn from.

The basic premise of Blake Snyder’s Save the Cat is that there are specific rules, archetypes, and a precise story structure that writers must follow in order to build a flawless story with a perfect, likable character. This works because the Hero’s Journey is a proven vehicle for audience escape, and the relatable main character is someone we can root for while we gallop through the journey.

Rules

Blake Snyder’s first rule is that you must start your story with a “logline.” A logline contains one sentence to describe your tale. Writers often call this the “elevator pitch,” but it’s essentially the same idea. For example: A rich businessman falls in love with a heart-of-gold prostitute when he hires her to be his date for the weekend. You’ll recognize this logline as belonging to the film Pretty Woman.

Snyder insists that the logline must contain four essential components. 1. Irony: He describes irony as “the hook.” It’s the unexpected twist that turns the main character on his or her head. In the example above, the irony is that the rich businessman (who could presumably marry any woman because of money) falls in love with an unlikely partner—a prostitute (a woman generally seen as valueless). Snyder claims that if you don’t have irony in your logline, you may be missing something essential in the story itself. 2. The Promise of More: The second essential element in the logline is that you must be able to see a somewhat fleshed-out story from this one sentence. He says that the perfect logline draws you in and promises more. “He was the perfect date—

33 until he had a drink.” Here is a logline that implies danger or comedy—a total change of character and expectation based on that one drink. But because he’s perfect, we want to see what our main character will do. Will she try to change him because his antics are silly but ultimately harmless? Will he become psychotic and threaten her life? The logline can also set the tone, imply or overtly state a setting or time frame. In Pretty Woman, we know that the whole story will take place over one weekend. 3. The Audience: Keeping one’s intended audience in mind is a fundamental element in writing a story that people will ultimately care about. For kidlit writers, we must keep in mind the genre, the age group, and the syntax appropriate for our audience of choice. 4. A Killer Title: Here, Snyder and I part ways a bit. While I agree that a great title is vital, what he considers great baffles me. He can’t stop fawning over the brilliance of Legally Blonde, Die Hard, and Four Christmases. I find them all pretty boring. While those titles do give some sense of the story (and he says that title and logline are the one-two punch—the setup and the explanation), to me they are too simplistic. Maybe movie titles have to be straightforward and made up of one or two words. I hope that, for books, we might get a bit more leeway. Some of my favorites are The Fault in Our Stars, Their Eyes Were Watching God, and Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes. I guess I like a wordy title.

Mr. Snyder also maintains that the right logline will “bring your story into focus” and ultimately make the writing of the story easier. He suggests you run the logline by your friends, family, and strangers to see if it piques their interest in your story.

Archetypes

Like writing a story for the screen, writing a novel follows some basic story archetypes. Snyder boils it down to ten. There are other books that will tell you there are more than twenty, but let’s look at Snyder’s ten archetypes.

1. Monster in the house: A big, bad serial killer, alien, or giant fish is trying to kill the main character, and she or he has to triumph or escape. 2. Golden Fleece: A quest for the main character. This is often a literal journey that the heroine must take to find something (Dorothy must find her way home, etc.), and most often in the end she finds herself. The theme is always internal growth. 3. Out of the Bottle: This archetype is the wish-fulfillment story where a character gets what they want but not what they need—until the resolution. 4. Dude with A Problem (I dislike the name of this classification as it implies that a good story has to be about a male with a problem—yuck—women have problems too—in fact, I have a problem with the name of this category): Often this is a comeuppance tale where our hero might need to learn a lesson and the satisfying ending is that he does (heh em, Mr. Snyder…)

34 5. Rites of Passage: An ordinary person finds herself in an extraordinary circumstance and chaos ensues. Snyder compares this evolution to Elisabeth Kubler-Ross’s stages of death and dying. 6. Buddy Love: The meaning of this is obvious from its title, but Snyder points out that the creation of a counterpart to the main character, someone for her to debate with or react to, is what makes this genre special. His examples include Thelma and Louise and 48 Hours. 7. Whydunit: Here the main theme of the story won’t be as much about the evolution of the main character as about the audience discovering something about himself/herself, nature, or the human heart. His examples for this genre are Citizen Cane, Chinatown, and JFK. I would say that the novel Gone Girl fits into this category and asks the question “are we really this evil?” really brilliantly. 8. The Fool Triumphant: Many of my favorite stories would slide easily into this category. This is the story where everyone underestimates the main character because he seems like a dummy when really he’s the wisest person in the room. This is Forest Gump or Elf. Often in these stories, a really bad guy (who bullied the fool) is the person who changes and grows, while the fool stays true to himself the whole time. 9. Institutionalized: I have no idea why Snyder chose this word to describe this genre. While he does include One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest as an example, he is mostly referring to stories where a group of people band together for a common cause. He claims that the group dynamic is often self-destructive and the group goal is often revealed as a fraud. 10. Superhero: Snyder writes that this genre is the mirror opposite of the sexist- entitled “Dude with A Problem.” Instead, the superhero is an extraordinary being who finds herself in an ordinary world and must navigate its differences or rejection.

Structure

This part of the book fascinated me! If Snyder’s edifice is really used in most Hollywood films, as a writer I have to understand this formula because it brings people in droves to the theaters, to Netflix, to web series, and to sit in front of their cable boxes guzzling hours of Game of Thrones. So here’s the formula; Snyder claims that every good story should have forty scenes broken up evenly into four acts. He insists that certain plotlines must happen on or by specific pages and that the whole screenplay should be 110 pages—exactly.

You will have to read the book for the detailed 110 page outline, and to be sure, formulaic writing can seem off-putting. Snyder is telling his readers that there is a correct recipe for preparing every story. But his theory is worth examining if we are to know our craft well enough to evolve beyond the norm and create something that is uniquely ours but is also something that piques readers’ interests.

Which brings me to the reason I read this book in the first place. While I was teaching “Kidlit in a Year” at Storystudio Chicago, the students began to debate the

35 importance of a likable main character. I’m personally drawn to characters that are a bit prickly, rebellious, and less than charming. But they have to be likable. I absolutely cannot read a book or watch a movie with a complete scoundrel in the lead role. Olive Kitteridge confused me. The cast of Seinfeld were all a bunch of jerks I couldn’t spend more than sixty seconds with. And Jane Austen’s Emma leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

But angry Victoria in Language of Flowers makes me breathe differently because she is so broken but relatable. I love Markus Zusac’s Ed Kennedy in I Am the Messenger, a boy entirely lazy, who becomes a hero in the end. (If I remember correctly, he actually saves a cat at one point…) So how is it that my favorites are deeply flawed but still likable? They do what Snyder calls “save the cat.” A main character can be a complicated person who makes bad choices, but she has to show her sensitive side by saving a cat. In a scene, or a few scenes, she will be selfless, protective of others, or morally brave in some way. This is how a troublesome teenager in a YA novel (see Katniss in Hunger Games) can still be a really appealing main character. When Katniss steps forward to take her sister’s place in the Hunger Games, we realize that Katniss is more than an angry girl who likes to hunt. She is flawed but ultimately brave and selfless, and the crowd goes wild!

This isn’t a perfect formula. There are exceptions. Seinfeld was an incredibly popular show. Every main character in House of Cards is despicable. Plenty of people love a good story that isn’t linear or whose main characters are narcissistic. But that kind of story isn’t the one I want to watch, read, or write. Of course, the irony of this book review is that, while I’m not entirely comfortable with Blake Snyder’s theories, his misogyny, or the arrogant voice he projects on the page, I do have something to learn from him about storyline. In fact, I just might be the cat that needs saving.

Juliet C. Bond, LCSW writes for children and is the Development Coordinator at Literature for All of Us. She has been an adjunct professor at Columbia College in Chicago for ten years, teaches at Storystudio Chicago, and constructs a yearly summer lecture series for Northwestern University’s Center for Talent Development. Her first book, Sam’s Sister, was published in 2005 and has sold over 50,000 copies. She went on to collaborate with Newberry winner Joyce Sidman to publish the stage adaptation of This is Just to Say and has stories and poetry in the Chicken Soup for the Soul series. Juliet’s shorter works can be found online in the SCBWI Prairie Wind, at Chicago Now and in the Copperfield Review. Juliet serves as the Welcome Coordinator for the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators in Illinois. She is thrilled to announce the summer 2015 publication of Jazzy’s Quest: Adopted and Amazing! co- authored by Carrie Goldman and published by Marcinson Press.

36 Spring 2015 • Book Look

Movement, Action, Reaction, Interaction: This Dog Just Ate My Book

By Jodell Sadler

So, as I open this BOOK LOOK, I was thinking back to 2009/10 when I felt that pacing and action, reaction, and interaction would become huge considerations in publishing. Now, when I walk into Barnes and Noble, I find titles that are all about movement and manipulating the form, and really pacing a story strong, and I cannot help but smile. I felt PACING would be a powerful thing.

My selection this BOOK LOOK is all about pacing the form that is the picture book, about interaction and engaging readers. This Book Just Ate My Dog, by Richard Byrne (Henry Holt and Company, 2014), is simply amazing and engaging.

It’s in the now and moment of the story: I often talk about the importance of “being on the page” with your writing. Byrne’s really is here.

It’s playful and original. Both are value-adds in book publishing. Byrne remains playful with his words as well as the form that is the picture book. Bella, a small girl, walks her rather large dog, who disappears into the gutter of the book! And it’s surprisingly fresh.

It engages the reader and invites interactive play. Bella’s dog disappears, followed by Ben, and when the reader believes a dog rescue truck has arrived to assist these disasters, it disappears too.

37 The text provokes the question: What is Bella to do then? Bella becomes determined, which is just the very thing we want a main character to be in picture books. She empowers herself: “I’ll just have to sort this out myself, thought Bella.” Then a page turn flips. And it’s followed by a “But . . . BURP!” And Bella gets swallowed up by the book too.

So even more fun unfolds and invites reader participation. A letter arrives asking for the reader’s help. What child reader growing up in the days of Dora the Explorer interactive would not love that?

The reader is asked to “SHAKE (with instructions) . . . and SHAKE and SHAKE and SHAKE!” But it doesn’t solve everything. “. . . and one last little Wiggle. Thank you. Bella.” And this final shake brings Bella and her dog back.

But what picture book would be complete without that twist writers aim for at the end? This author tells readers: “. . . and things got back to normal.” But then adds, “Well, almost!” For the dog’s back—and the whole page—is upside down.

Movement, action, reader reaction, interaction, and exceptional pacing are important to picture books, especially today with apps, ebooks, and games a growing part of publishing.

One of the lucky things we are asked to do in writing for children is to entertain and engage and really excite them. Each one of us has a gift to bring, a story to tell, and something to offer. And it is hand in hand, one story at a time, that we will see our journey through. Honor fellow writers. Hone craft. Invite fun into your writing and be sure to PACE it strong.

38 Jodell Sadler, founding agent at Sadler Children’s Literary, writes about Pacing Picture Books (& Beyond) to WOW. Be sure to check out her website and short videos online at http://www.sadlercreativeliterary.com/pacing-2-wow-class.html, and http://www.sadlercreativeliterary.com/pacing-mgya-class.html. She is scheduling Pacing Picture Book (&Beyond) Writer Intensives nationwide and would love to host one in your area. Contact her at [email protected] for more information. If you are looking to submit, please follow our guidelines and send stories to [email protected].

39 Spring 2015 • The Flourishing Writer

The Pleasure of Dreams That Don’t Come True

By Carol Coven Grannick

Songs are one of the things that mark and move the times of my life. They may comfort and calm, reach back to memories, bridge transitions from one place in my life to another, capture the joy of the moment, and more. Like the Broadway musicals I love, I might be found bursting into song for no apparent reason. But there always is one.

In a way, for me at least, songs seem similar to the “endowed objects” of literature, so well described by Illinois colleague Kim Winters as “those ordinary objects…that rise up to do extraordinary things on the stage of a story.” Powerful, meaningful objects. They pop into my brain (and often out of my mouth) at moments of particular thought or feeling. And my brain redirects itself to certain thoughts and feelings when I hear particular melodies and words.

Long Ago and Far Away

One such song for me is “When You Wish Upon a Star”—the original and old- fashioned, nasal and crooning version sung by Cliff Edwards in Walt Disney’s Pinocchio and subsequently on all the Sunday night Walt Disney hours I watched as a child. These were family nights, with takeout food for the one night Mom didn’t cook. (If you don’t know the song, brace yourself for the nineteen fifties and find it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aafpos35u-s

Many of the children’s stories I love (and write) tell about dreams that come true quite differently than originally imagined. The dreams evolve in the process of the work and struggle toward goals that resemble the initial longing, but with learning, awareness, difference, and more embodied in a new appearance. And often the new reality is more deeply pleasurable than the once-dreamed-of goal or hope because of the character’s growth and change.

For me, it’s such a satisfying narrative arc, not only in literature, but in life.

All I Have to Do Is Dre-e-e-eam, Dream, Dream, Dream

But it wasn’t always that way. I was a dreamer who knew nothing but dreaming.

Jiminy Cricket’s song captured my soul. Or better said, the song scooped up the soul that had been searching for a home. I was a dreamer who felt powerless to bridge the gap between what I wanted and the as yet unknown work to make that happen. Wishing for something that felt completely out of reach was a panacea. What did it mean, after all, to become a writer?

Multiple family members and teachers told me “You should become a writer,” but no specifics came with that. Maybe it was my introverted nature—maybe I didn’t ask the right questions. It was easier to sing.

The gap in knowledge between the act of writing and a mild revision or two, and what needed to come afterward lasted a very long time for me. Although I majored in creative writing in one of the country’s early undergraduate writing programs, I learned nothing about the business of being a writer—and for me, that means everything that comes after the first draft!

And my college critiques were insignificant compared to those I’ve benefited from in the last fifteen years.

And surprise? I wasn’t so good with surprise, with changes in what I expected and wanted from life (or from people). Boy, was I in for some rough times!

Learned Optimism (Thank You, Martin Seligman!)

Thankfully, quite a while ago now, I discovered the skills for changing how I thought about the vicissitudes of life and began to create not only a more resilient self, but a serious and persistent writer’s life. (Check my older columns for details.) These learned and practiced skills changed my life as a writer, as a therapist, as a human being.

I discovered along the way that I’m okay with uncertainty. Indeed, I’ve come to enjoy the lovely surprises and watch myself respond with assertiveness and strength to the challenges, disappointments, and hardships. I’m proud of myself.

The easy-sounding phrases like “If you can imagine it, you can do it” or “If you persist, the success will come” (“success” meaning publication) and, above all, “If you believe in yourself, success will happen eventually” annoy me. Too magical. And besides, how insulting are those phrases for hardworking, skilled, and even talented writers who are not getting published? They’re not imagining enough? They’re not persistent? They don’t believe in themselves?

The best thing I’ve done for myself as a writer is let go of the longing for publication. Let go of the dreams, I suppose. And yet I submit a lot. More than I ever did. But it feels quite separate from my work-in-progress, whatever that happens to be. A friend said to me yesterday, “It’s too bad you didn’t discover how freeing that was fifteen years ago.”

How true, in a way—but like so many characters, I had a journey to embark on first. I’m guessing I’m not alone in that.

Good Work Is the Dream Come True

I delight in the current state of my writing life and the psychological depths it requires, as well as the pure hard work. Hard times and joyful, it defines me. It’s who I am, not only but irrevocably. If I imagine anything, maybe it’s a school visit with a small group of little ones or middle-graders with whom I can read and discuss. That feels just right.

The shocks of the past have evolved into the surprises of life. The young woman who couldn’t tolerate disappointments has evolved into an adult who is proud of the ability to live with uncertainty. Not perfectly, but at last.

I still love to listen to, and to sing, “When You Wish Upon a Star.” It triggers a powerful longing. But now the longing is not for a dream of the future, but for the real moments of time I will sit and write what I need to say. It could be a poem, a picture book, a revision on my middle-grade novel in verse. It’s luscious. Real. It pumps my heart up, sends excitement pulsing through muscles.

After all, even in the Disney version, the song belies the real story that the Blue Fairy makes magic only after Pinocchio does the work.

And however the future evolves, you’ll probably find me singing.

Carol Coven Grannick’s middle-grade novel in verse, Reeni’s Turn, was awarded Finalist for the Katherine Paterson Prize at HUNGER MOUNTAIN, excerpts of which appear in the Spring/Summer issue in print and online. As a clinical social worker and educator Carol consults and presents workshops on developing and maintaining skills for a resilient life. She also works at an amazing early childhood center where high energy and great picture book ideas abound. She can be contacted at [email protected].

44 Spring 2015 • A Fly on the Wall

Spring Thaw 2015

By Lisa Katzenberger

It was a chilly day for a Spring Thaw, but a sold-out crowd attended the SCBWI- Illinois 2015 Spring Thaw conference.

The event started with an introduction of the panel of editors and agents attending the conference. They provided information about their background, what they represent, and how to contact them. But they also shared intangible, off the cuff details you normally don't find out from a website: which agent loves picture books, who skips the query and just reads the manuscript.

All of the members on the guest panel were local to Chicago. It was great to see a slice of the Chicago literary scene gathered together.

Our morning speaker was agent Paul Rodeen, of Rodeen Literary Management, who was a lot of fun in his presentation "Putting Your Best Foot Forward, Rather Than in Your Mouth: Strategies to Connect with a Literary Agent."

The portion of Paul's speech that hit home with me was his discussion of the craft of writing. At conferences, we can focus so much on pinning down the right agent, building the most brilliant query letter, or zeroing in on the best publishing house for your work. But Paul spoke about practicing the craft of your writing and told us to "write obsessively."

He talked about doing writing exercises and working to hone and perfect your writing skills just as athletes do drills to sharpen their skills. We also did a fun improv exercise—naming a setting, a character, and a problem. Boom, we had the makings of a story.

Paul's insight on finding the right agent focused on doing research. There is a personality match factor, yes, but he also advised us to look at an agent's sales history, the size of their client list, their professional history. The more we know about an agent and their likes and dislikes, the better we can focus on submitting to those agents who will have a natural attraction to our work and our business approach.

After that we moved into lunch at our tables, so we could continue chatting. I stayed at my table the whole time, but many people moved around to visit with friends.

45 Walking into the conference not knowing anybody, I wished there was a chance to mingle with more people than just those at our table.

Once the lunch break was over, we started with round one of our manuscript critiques. We were seated together by genre, and I was at a picture book table. I thought it was effective to have our lunch first, followed by the roundtable critiques. By then we had all introduced ourselves and gotten to know one another. It as easier, for me at least, to provide a critique to someone who was no longer a complete stranger.

We each shared up to 500 words. For picture book writers this was great, as for many of us that was our entire manuscript.

We had someone other than the author read each story, so authors could hear their work from another perspective. We had ten minutes to discuss and provide suggestions. And for a short ten minutes, there was a lot of chatter! It was fun that our group got along so well, but we did manage to get off track a few times. Perhaps asking one person at each table to act as moderator might have helped to keep the critiques more focused.

Personally, I am not great at giving on-the-fly feedback. I found it difficult to quickly assess the heart of the story, have reactions on the characterization, or pinpoint plot problems after one read-through. However, many people were great at this. I was lucky to receive helpful feedback—my older sister could be softened, the setting jumped around too quickly in places, and the ending needed more oomph. I worked hard to return the favor and share suggestions for improvements. In the end, I found it was easiest for me to write some quick notes on each author's manuscript.

I think the writers who gained the most were those who listened to feedback, as opposed to explaining why they wrote something a specific way. In critiques, whether with strangers or best friends, a closed mouth and an open mind will often make it easier for you to accept the constructive advice coming your way.

Half of the writers at my table received their critique in the first round, so then, after a short break, it was off to the next item on the agenda. Editor Kelly Barrales-Saylor, from Albert Whitman & Company, gave her presentation, "How to Catch a Contract: An Insider's Guide to Getting Your Best Manuscript into the Hands of the Best Publisher."

Kelly spoke about “what not to do” when submitting. No glitter in an envelope. (Really? People actually do that?) Don't gloat. Be humble. She also shared a story of a new author she signed at a previous SCBWI conference, Ana Crespo, author of the picture book The Sock Thief. It was that magical story we all dream of: have an editor or agent critique, receive and incorporate awesome feedback, submit again (in Ana's case, the next day!), and then there's a book deal.

46 The moral of that story wasn't the quick turnaround, but that Ana took to heart the feedback she received and worked it into her manuscript. It can be gut-wrenching to change what we've worked so hard on, to accept that our story might fall flat, our characters read too thin, or our language sound too basic. But the message of that story was: respect and consider the gift of feedback you're given.

Throughout the day agents and editors performed 15-minute critiques of material writers sent ahead of time. This was a wonderful opportunity to get feedback on a work in progress.

I had a critique with an editor, and her first question to me was impactful: "Where did this story come from?" My story was about a little girl watching her big sister's ballet class, so I told the editor how I was inspired by all the younger siblings I see watching their older brother or sister dance—how some of them watched with a sense of longing. When would they be big enough to do that too?

But what I didn't realize until we talked through it, and even more as I mulled this question over for days after, was that the story was about sisterhood and how you can either share a dream or snatch it away all for yourself. I realized there were so many more layers to my story, and therefore my characters, than I even knew. It gave me a multitude of directions to explore in the story. It wasn't a small story about wanting to be like your big sister, but had a larger theme: how will sibling rivalry affect these two young sisters?

I walked out of the critique with more questions to investigate, a sense of relief about the small things I was doing right, and an appreciation for how a story can be interpreted in many different ways. But I still had to answer the question for myself, what story was I going to tell and why?

As the afternoon marched on, we continued with our second round of peer critiques. The critiques came easier for me at this point, as we fell into a groove with our group. We wrapped up a little early, and told stories and laughed.

Earlier in the day, at registration, each attendee had the chance to sign up for a writing buddy. You could write your name on a piece of paper and place it in a bowl along with other writers of your genre. So during the closing remarks, moderators went around the room and let people who had put in their name pick out another name. This matched me up with two writing buddies: the person I selected, and the person who selected me. It was a great idea to maintain connections beyond the conference.

We wrapped up then with a mix 'n mingle, where the agents and editors politely and patiently stood outside of the conference room as a long line of people who wanted to say hello formed near them. I didn't try to use this time as a pitch, or leave a business card. I only thanked one of the speakers for sharing impactful insights. I'm sure others had more creative conversations.

It was a full day, an effective day, a fun day. I can't believe I gained so much information in a mere six hours. The conference team put together a rich, well- paced, organized event. It was a pleasure to attend, and I look forward to the next one.

Lisa Katzenberger is a picture book writer, a mother of preschool-age twins, and an editorial assistant for Literary Mama. She lives in La Grange.

48 Spring 2015 • Perspectives

Thoughts of an Accidental Series Writer

By Emily Ecton

I never intended to write a series—my first book wasn't exactly an extended epic fantasy that required multiple volumes to tell. Boots and Pieces was the story of two kids and a fashionably dressed dog who had to keep a swamp monster from eating kids at the site of the local prom. And once the prom was over, so was the fight with the monster, and so was the book.

Or so I thought.

The problem was that after I finished writing that book, I couldn't stop thinking about my characters. I liked those guys, and no matter what I did, I kept thinking of new situations to put them in. What if Mr. Boots the dog, a nudist at the end of the first book, started flaunting his bits with wild abandon? What if an undead hamster started stalking Arlie and bringing her presents? What if Ty accidentally brought Mr. Boots's ratty squeaky toys to life? So even though I hadn't found a publisher for the first book yet, I started work on a sequel, knowing full well that I might be writing something that no one would ever see. Luckily it worked out— when I connected with an editor, he liked both books, and a series was born.

And as an accidental series writer, I learned a few lessons about writing series and sequels along the way.

Be prepared.

The first thing I learned is that even though your book might be the most stand alone of stand alones, it's a good idea to at least think about what might happen to your characters afterward. In the case of my first series, I already had the second book ready when I found a publisher, and had ideas for a third, so continuing the series wasn't that stressful or difficult.

But in the case of my second series, I wasn't prepared.

The stand-alone book I'd written was The Lost Treasure of Tuckernuck, and it was about two kids following clues to find a treasure that had been hidden in their school years earlier. And, as in most treasure-hunting books, the treasure situation was resolved at the end of the story. Nothing more to say. There wasn't a cliffhanger ending with a villain stealing the treasure, or a new treasure map

49 waiting to take the kids on another adventure. It was just finished, end of story. I didn't have ideas of where to take the story next, because in my mind it had all been pretty neatly wrapped up.

But my publisher had different ideas. They wanted a sequel. So naturally I said yes and then proceeded to tear my hair out trying to figure out how to follow up a treasure-hunting story when there was no more treasure to be found.

Luckily, I'd written myself an out—at the end of the first book, the kids are given the opportunity to create their own treasure hunt the next year, so I was able to use that as a starting point. But trying to figure out where to go next, while under a strict deadline, was much tougher than I expected. And trying to force an idea to develop when there are no good ideas to be had is pretty much a recipe for frustration and despair. In my case, trying to force the issue led me to some plot ideas that were hugely inappropriate and involved multiple murders of the original cast of characters. (Hugely inappropriate but awfully fun to contemplate, even if I knew I could never use any of them in a million years.)

Ultimately I did make a murder the centerpiece of the second book, The Magician's Bird, but I made sure to make it a really old murder, and I was careful not to knock off any of the living characters from the first book. (Although at that point I really felt like some of them had it coming.)

It definitely taught me a valuable lesson though—having ideas in reserve allows you to mull over those ideas in your subconscious before you have to commit to a definite plot. And even if you don't use those ideas in a series, having too many potential storylines is never a bad thing. I came up with storylines for Arlie, Ty, and Mr. Boots that I didn't ultimately need for that series, but they aren't wasted—they can be reworked for other characters in future books. And having too many ideas to choose from was definitely more comfortable than having to scramble at the last minute. I have a notebook filled with ideas that are in various stages of development, many of which started as ideas for one of the series books.

Who ordered the donuts?

That's another thing that's important in writing a series or sequel—keeping track of all the little details. In both cases when I started on the second book in the series it was the little things that started to drive me crazy. Did I give Coach Butler a first name? Which kid was the class monitor again? Who was it who wore the jelly shoes? Where did I say the gym was in relation to the library?

With each new book, I made sure to write out lists with all the details that might not be that important to the story but would definitely be jarring for readers and embarrassing for me to get wrong in future books. And while it seemed silly and pointless to be filling a sheet with items like "Flora Downey brought the donuts"

50 and "Marshall Deal—6th grade science teacher," believe me, it came in handy when I was trying to remember what I'd done before. Every little note helped— even things as inconsequential seeming as whether I'd called a teacher a Miss or a Mrs.

You mean that's it?

One thing that I didn't have to worry about was leaving the reader without a resolution to the story. I'm always disappointed when a book in a series doesn't have an actual ending but instead just stops, with the action picked up in the next book. When it's a year or more before the next book comes out, I've usually forgotten the specific details about what happened, and it's frustrating to have to go back and reread earlier books to prepare for the new one.

Because of the haphazard way that I came to writing a series of books, that was something I was able to avoid. All of my books are essentially self-contained. They have the same main characters and settings, but I wanted to make sure that if a reader picked up book 2 or 3 they'd still be able to understand what was going on and enjoy the book, even if they'd forgotten details or hadn't even read the earlier books. I wanted my books to be like an episodic TV series—you want people who can't tune in every week still to be able to enjoy the episode if they sit down to watch.

That's the trickiest part of writing sequels and series books. It's a delicate balancing act, giving enough information to remind regular readers what happened before without giving away too much or alienating new readers. I always try to include just what's necessary to understand the characters and situation, but not much more. And definitely not so much that it'll ruin the plot of the other books or bore readers with unnecessary explanation. In my book The Curse of Cuddles McGee, for instance, readers need to know that Mr. Boots used to wear clothes and that a bad experience made him a nudist, but they don't need to know exactly what that bad experience was. (You thought I was kidding about that naked dog stuff, didn't you?)

Another reason to keep each book relatively self-contained is that with my series at least, the future was always in doubt. There's nothing more frustrating than reading the cliffhanger ending of book 3 and then finding out the series wasn't continued and there won't ever be a book 4. And there's nothing more frustrating as a writer than not being able to finish telling the story you started. Even though I wasn't able to tell all the stories I'd thought of about Mr. Boots, Arlie, and Ty, I'm not sorry about the way that series ended because each book had its own resolution and there were no huge threads that hadn't been tied up.

Take the risk.

51 Every time I start a sequel, though, there's always that moment of fear—what if I get the voice wrong? Does this even sound like something this character would do? But spending time with the characters I already know and love is the best part of writing a series or sequel—and there's nothing more fun than thinking of new and terrible situations to inflict on them. (What if Misti's mom got a BeDazzler? What if the Happy Hog statue went on a rampage downtown?)

Writing a sequel or series can be tough, but it's also extremely rewarding to become reacquainted with old characters and to watch them develop and grow in new and exciting situations. Even with the risks.

Emily Ecton is the author of six books under the names Emily Ecton and Emily Fairlie. You can find her online at http://www.emilyecton.com and http://www.emilyfairlie.com.