Meet Award-Winning Author Jenn Bishop

 by Gloria G. Adams

Jenn Bishop is the author of five novels for young readers, including the Parents’ Choice Gold Award winner, Things You Can’t Say. Her books have been named Junior Library Guild selections and Bank Street College of Education best books and have been finalists for state book awards. 

A former youth services and teen librarian, Jenn is a graduate of the University of Chicago and Vermont College of Fine Arts. Her MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults has served her well in her writing career.

She grew up loving to draw and write stories, as well as playing softball. Her love of sports shines through in her books and you'll find her rooting for her favorite teams in Cincinnati, where she lives with her husband and their cat, Lilly.

 Jenn,
 Tell us about your journey into children’s publishing.


I came into children’s publishing after first becoming a children’s librarian after college. Admittedly, I figured out I wanted to write for children partway through college, but I knew it could take a long time to get published (if I broke in at all) and becoming a librarian first felt natural. My librarian experience taught me so much about the publishing world and reader habits, in addition to, of course, introducing me to so many wonderful books and authors. I went to Vermont College of Fine Arts to get my MFA in Writing for Young Adults, where I worked closely with 4 incredible author mentors: Elizabeth Partridge, Rita Williams-Garcia, Sarah Ellis, and A.S. King. It was the best boot camp for craft you can imagine, and it’s where I wrote the first drafts of what became my debut novel, The Distance to Home.


Which children’s book authors do you admire?

 Looking back on the books I loved as a child, Lois Lowry, Judy Blume, and Phyllis Reynolds Naylor were major inspirations. I still can’t get over how many books Phyllis Reynolds Naylor has published—over 120! These days, some of my favorites include Erin Entrada Kelly, Rebecca Stead, Kevin Henkes, Rita Williams-Garcia, Barbara Dee, and Mariama Lockington.

 What goals do you have as a writer? Where do you see your career 10 years from now?

My goals are always shifting, I think. Something about having a fifth book come out last year (and turning forty) has made me more future-oriented lately. I’d love to diversify the ages that I write for. I’ve been drafting some early chapter books and having a lot of fun with them. And though I never thought I’d say this, I think I actually do now want to someday writer for grownups!


What do you like to do when you aren’t writing?

 I love being in nature, whether that means going on a long hike at my local nature preserve, attending a baseball game (go, Reds!), or simply sitting in my backyard reading once it’s warm enough. (Sadly, in February, there is not a lot of the latter.) What can I say? I am an outdoor plant. Thankfully my other favorite activity, watching college basketball, has eased the winter doldrums. Now if only my team could win more than one game in a row . . .


What inspires you? What about writing makes you happy?


I’ve discovered that I can find inspiration anywhere—truly! When I was stumped on what my third book could be about, I sat out on my front porch with an open mind and a motorcycle drove up the street. It turned out, that was all I needed: the first seed of Things You Can’t Say was planted. My favorite part of writing is when I begin to lose myself in the story—when I lose track of time during my drafting sessions and I start hearing conversations between my characters while I’m on a run or washing the dishes.

 

 



Best experience/story from school visits?

During a school visit once, a student asked, “When did you first learn that words have power?” Honestly, that’s such a smart question, I’m still figuring out my answer.


You write about some tough subjects. What are some things that you hope kids will take away from your books?

I hope my books help kids in tough situations feel seen and heard. For the kids who haven’t yet had any first-hand experience with my tough subjects, I hope my books help them understand those situations better from the inside. Stories have an incredible power to promote empathy.


Can you share with us when your next book is coming out?

Unfortunately, I cannot! At the moment, I don’t have anything under contract, though I have several projects in the works so hopefully that status changes later this year.


 Okay, I have to ask, why is the buffalo your favorite animal?

It all goes back to a wonderful summer after my freshman year of college that I spent in the northeastern corner of Wyoming with my roommate’s family. I’d never seen a bison outside of a zoo before (if I’d even seen one at a zoo—I honestly can’t remember), but we were on the long drive from Denver to her house and lo and behold, there was a bison grazing by the side of the road. Nothing against all the cows I’ve ever seen by the side of the road and managed to have a normal human reaction to, but I was spellbound by the bison. Spellbound! There was something so majestic and magnificent about this creature. To make up for never having a favorite animal as a kid, I fully embraced bison (or “buffies” as I called them) as my favorite animal in adulthood and I’ve never looked back.


What advice would you give to aspiring writers?


 
The library is your best friend as a writer. Embrace it! Use that library card! Check out all of the books! (If you are wondering, I really take my own advice to heart. I currently have 75 books checked out from my local library, and that’s pretty average for me.) Books are wonderful teachers. In every revision, I find that the problems I am trying to solve are usually unlocked by reading someone else’s published book.

 



Short and Sweet:

Pantser or Plotter? Plotser these days 

Guilty Food Pleasure? I don’t feel guilty about food but . . . chocolate!
Favorite Hobby? Watching college basketball
Dog or Cat person? Cat person
Who would you like to have dinner with (living or dead)? Miep Gies, my personal hero since my childhood
Do you do your best work in the morning, afternoon, or evening? Late morning


 Learn more about Jenn and her books on her website, www.jennbishop.com

A New Year: Time to Review Your Vision Board

 

By

Gloria Reichert

 

A new year calls us to assess what is going well in our lives and what might need to be revised or changed. This emphasis on reassessing provides an opportunity to reexamine our goals and the dreams we have for our futures. If you have created a vision board to help you achieve your goals, now is the time to take a look at it.

What successes did you have? Did you get that book deal? Make plans for a writing retreat? Become more organized? Take a course? Clean the basement? Earn more money?

What goals still remain? What new goals do you have? These can be part of a new vision board for this year. Details for making a vision board and the philosophy behind them can be found in this blog’s archives in the article Nothing Happens Lest First You Dream: Vision Boards posted in March of 2022. Here are the highlights about making vision boards.     

First, set a timer for 10-15 minutes. In this time, list all of the goals you wish to achieve in the coming year. Include all areas of your life – not just writing.    


Next, read through you goals. Analyze them and think about how you might categorize them. Categories might be things like Long Term Goals, Short Term Goals, Financial Goals, Self- Care Goals, or Writing Goals. Then, set a timer for 20 minutes and categorize the goals. Decide what it is that you most want to achieve.

         Now comes the fun part of actually creating your new vision board. Create a collage of pictures, text, artifacts, stickers, and drawings. Examples of vision boards are available on Pinterest and Etsy if you need some guidance. On-line templates are available for those who wish to complete a vision board digitally.

          Decide on a key word to guide you through the coming year. Examples are focus, bravery, dedication, success. Choose a word that is important to you and make sure to include it prominently on your vision board.

Place your completed vision board in an area where you will see it every day. Some folks put them on their phones or laptops or in their journals.


As the year rolls on, look at your vision board often. By viewing these goals frequently, your subconscious mind will work on them. Believe that you can achieve your goals and be willing to put in the necessary effort, so that at this year’s end, you will be able to look at your vision board and marvel at what you have achieved!

Good luck with all of your endeavors! 

   

Launch 2024 with an Explosion of Ideas!

 

by author/illustrator Wendy Fedan, our guest blogger

 

     It seems appropriate for the New Year to share some resources with you that have helped me over the past several years to come up with more book ideas and marinate myself to create goals toward my book business. I join many different online communities, programs and workshops to help motivate me as a writer. Writing is such a solitary practice and I often need that extra PUSH from the outside world to motivate me to get my rear end in gear and get another book done! I have found each and every one valuable to help me through the year. I encourage you to check these resources out for yourself and see if any of them seem worthwhile to try out.

 

JANUARY:

STORYSTORM (formerly called Picture Book Idea Month)

 
     This is a blog that runs ONLY through the month of January, so hop on this quickly if you want to try out this free 31-day challenge.

     Run by author, Tara Lazar, this challenge has encouraged me to keep a journal of ideas through the month of January. The object of the challenge is to come up with a story idea every day. I’ve gone through the challenge for many years now, and no - I have not always won the challenge, but I don’t let that get me down. Regardless of whether I successfully finished the challenge, I still ended the month of January with more story ideas than I had when I started. It’s interesting what happens when you force yourself to come up with ideas. Most ideas won’t go anywhere, but you are guaranteed at least a handful of ideas with promise.

     This challenge is one of my personal favorites. Some pitiful ideas I simply jotted down in order to check that day off, but I would go back to those bad ideas later and find a smidgen of worthiness that would stem off into another book idea. You just never know what a bad idea can possibly morph into.

 

JANUARY through DECEMBER

12X12 CHALLENGE (12 picture books in 12 months)

      This is a paid membership challenge so it could be less appealing for you, but if you are gung ho about really making progress this year (or some year), it’s a good challenge to try. It’s very intensive, but if you are truly dedicated I highly recommend doing it. You receive critiques on your work from your peers and you also receive some perks to have your work looked at by actual publishers. I have tried it myself and never actually finished the challenge, but it was worthwhile to learn what this community is all about and I received some valuable feedback on a book I eventually self published.

 

APRIL, JULY & NOVEMBER

NANOWRIMO & CAMP NANOWRIMO (National Novel Writing Month)

      NaNoWriMo is a month-long free writing challenge which is simply to reach a word count goal within the span of a month. Although this challenge is meant for novel writers, you can set any goal you really want for yourself. The standard NaNoWriMo goal is to write 50K words in a month. Personally I have never gotten better than 40K words, but the way I see it, if it wasn’t for the challenge, that is 40K more words than I would have written if I had NOT tried the challenge. There is an online community forum to find peers to help encourage you along the way, and my personal favorite part of it is the opportunity you’ll find in the forum to swap postcards with as many fellow writers as you want to send encouraging words to by snail mail - and even care packages. There are some months that the postcard swaps are all I really do - and it’s inspirational enough just sending encouraging notes to my fellow writers.

      Remember, you can join in on these challenges, but try not to judge yourself too harshly if you poop out halfway through them. Have fun with the challenges and simply let your imagination run free. Even the worst idea can be modeled into something, whether it’s a new character, a different story angle, a location you’ve never thought of before - simply because you pushed yourself to think of another idea in order to meet that challenge.

I wish you a productive new year filled with exciting new story ideas!

 


Wendy Carrick Fedan is a freelance illustrator working in Amherst, Ohio. She has self published ten books of her own and has designed and illustrated eight books for other self published authors. Her books have won several awards in recent years Including The BookFest Awards, Mom’s Choice Awards, Reader’s Favorite, and Northern Lights Book Award. She has her own publishing label called Create-a-Way Design & Publishing and acts as a Book Shepherd to many other writers looking to self publish. You can find Wendy on her Facebook page, LinkedIn, Instagram, and her website.

'Tis the Season! Check out these holiday children's books!

                                        

                                           




Dasher Can't Wait for Christmas

by Matt Taveres

A heartwarming Christmas story about helping others.

Ages 4-8.




                            Finding a Dove for Gramps                                            
          A story featuring the Audubon Christmas

            Bird Count by author and literary agent,

      Lisa Amstutz. Ages 4-8.








I Heard Christmas Whisper

by Janice Garden MacDonald

A scruffy dog and a Christmas tree

make friends, but what will happen

when Christmas is over?

Ages 2-6.





The Very Hungry Caterpillar's
8 Nights of Chanukah

by Eric Carle

Follow the Very Hungry Caterpillar

through 8 nights of Chanukah in this

board book for ages 1-3.









The KIDS Book of Challah

by Rochie Pinson

Bring the whole family together for some

warm holiday baking.

Ages 8-14.






                   Awe-some Days: Poems About the Jewish Holidays

by Marilyn Singer

    An introduction to all the Jewish holidays and

traditions through poetry.

Ages 5-8. 









Celebrate Kwanzaa

by Caroline Otto

Celebrate family, friends, and community

with this book from National Geographic.

Ages 6-8.







The Night Before Kwanzaa

by Natasha Wing & Kirsti Jewel

A Kwanzaa story written in the style of

'Twas the Night Before Christmas.

Ages 4-6.








The People Remember: 
A Kwanzaa Holiday Book for Kids

by Ibi Zoboi

This lyrical picture book teaches history

through the seven principles of Kwanzaa.

Ages 4-8.

The Writing Life: Putting Yourself Out There

 by Jean Daigneau


When I sold my first two picture books over 20 years ago, I couldn’t know

 that not only would those books never be published, it would take almost 20

  more years to see my first book in print.

Happily, just over 2 years later, my second nonfiction book was published by

Chicago Review Press as well.

Early on my writing journey, I attended a writers’ event where picture book author Eric Kimmel put a scenario to the attendees. Kimmel had us imagine having a crystal ball and seeing a future where we would never get published. Only if we continued to write anyway, he said, would we have what it takes to pursue publication.

            If anyone had told me then what a roller-coaster

 ride pursuing publication would be, I might not have

 believed it. Actually, I’m not sure I would have stuck it

 out. Over those years, through rejection after rejection,

 my late husband always asked, “But are you having

 fun?” whenever I complained about the challenging,

 changing world of children’s publishing. My answer

 always sounded like, “Oh yeah! I’m learning amazing stuff. I’m having fun. I’ve met interesting

 authors, editors, and agents. I’ve made wonderful friends.”

            Writing then and even more today is a lot about taking risks. It means putting yourself out there and taking advantage of opportunities you might not otherwise have considered. It means getting involved in writers’ organizations, attending events whenever possible, finding critique partners, and giving your writing as much priority as you possibly can. It means taking rejections with a thick skin and getting back to the keyboard the next day and the next and the next.

While it took me two decades to get a book

 published, I’ve sold greeting card text, educational

 testing material, nonfiction children’s poetry and

 crafts, and adult freelance articles. I’ve appeared on

 local television and radio and presented at writers’

 events, and I write a quarterly column for

  Children’s Book Insider. I’m blessed to be

 represented by Vicki Selvaggio of Storm Literary

 Agency. None of these opportunities were on my radar when I first considered publishing.

         Today, writing is more challenging than ever. The industry has faced challenges, not the least of which was an epidemic. My critique partners and I often question why we write. But then one of us usually answers, “Because we can’t not do it.” As hard as it is to admit, Eric Kimmel was right. These days, I’m sticking my neck out further with an adult project. This story came to me because of a family connection, and I never saw it coming. While I regularly remind my co-writer, “I write for kids,” I know I’d be foolish not to at least try.

            Because, in the end, it’s about putting myself out there. Day after day after day. The worst that can happen is that I never see this project published. But then again, maybe someday I will.

Jean also co-owns a freelance critique editing service, Two-4-One Kid Critiques, LLC. Learn more about Jean on her website: https://jeandaigneau.com/


TIPS TO TICKLE THEIR FUNNY BONES

 

                           By

                  Gloria Reichert


At a recent conference, a presenter reminded us that one way to make our picture books stand out in a crowded market is to use humor. But how do I do that? If you, like me, are not naturally funny, writing humor is HARD! Wanting to improve my humor writing skills led to some research. So whether you wish to write a totally hilarious book or just insert a small amount of humor into your story, here are some helpful hints.

1. Immerse yourself in all things “funny.” Read the most current funny picture books. Watch comedy and funny movies on TV. Read kids’ joke books.

2. Research humor theory by reading books and watching webinars on the topic of what makes people laugh.

3. Most picture books are concept driven, so develop a funny concept that appeals to kids. Remember that current funny picture books tend to be edgier and sometimes irreverent, so thinking outside the box can lead to much humor.

4. The characters do NOT need to be kids. Some of the latest funny books have dragons, crayons, and even a mutant potato as main characters. So let your imagination go crazy!

5. Be willing to take some risks with your story structure. Many humorous books do not follow the traditional “Rule of Three.” The Day the Crayons Quit is told via letters. The Book with No Pictures makes the reader the main character. Some books are even interactive.

6. Use situational humor by putting your characters in funny, unusual settings and create some funny scenes as they interact with their environment and other characters.

7. You must include the element of surprise. This is vital. The reader must be surprised. Humor happens when one’s expectations are violated, so set up a normal expectation for the reader and then misdirect things so the expectation is not met.

8. Page turns can lead to surprises, so use then thoughtfully.

9.  Ramp up the humor with puns and jokes that relate to your topic. Include recurring jokes and word play. Dialogue can sometimes enhance the humor, as in Tammi Sauer’s Me Want Pet!  Cave Boy tries to convince his parents he needs a pet and uses short, snappy “cave language” throughout.

10. Incorporate figurative language – alliteration, onomatopoeia, hyperbole, exaggeration, and rhyme. Keep a thesaurus close by and check out Rhyme Zone online.

11. Use inherently funny words. Bungalow, pantaloons, bamboozle, kerfuffle, and catawampus are sure to elicit some chuckles. Just hearing the word “underwear” makes kids laugh. A great resource is the book Absurd Words by Tara Lazar.

12. Lastly, craft a funny ending – hopefully with a twist – and tie it back to the beginning of the story somehow.

All of this seems easier said than done, but if we start small, try a few tips, and see how our sense of humor can fit in, we will be progressing and growing in our ability to write humorous picture books which will help kids in many ways.  

 



September Happenings

  


For children's writers living in Northeast Ohio, September means it's time for the annual conference hosted by the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, SCBWI.

This year's conference, Make Your Story Pop!, will be held on September 29th and 30th (National Chewing Gum Day.) The conference offers great opportunities to meet agents, editors, and authors, to network and meet old friends, and to get inspired to keep learning and writing and illustrating for the people we care most about and write for: children!

Serving on the faculty this year is the Six Pen's own Lisa Amstutz, agent with Storm Literary Agency and author of over 150 books!

Lisa will be teaching an intensive workshop Friday afternoon on writing engaging nonfiction for kids. She'll also be leading one of the Saturday sessions about writing query letters and talking about what agents look for.

A former outdoor educator, Lisa specializes in topics related to nature, sustainability, and agriculture and is passionate about sharing the wonders of nature with young readers. Her background includes a B.A. in Biology and an M.S. in Environmental Science/Ecology.

Lisa brings a great deal of experience to the faculty. She has been writing professionally since 2005 and spent eight years as a freelance editor, working with individual authors as well as publishing companies. 

She also served as Assistant Regional Advisor and in several other board positions for SCBWI: Ohio North and as a volunteer judge for Rate Your Story.

If you are coming to the conference this year, make sure to meet Lisa. Learn more about Lisa on her website: https://www.lisaamstutz.com/



Just in time for fall, Lisa's book, Applesauce Day just launched in paperback! Check it out here.

 Applesauce Day is here! Maria and her family visit an apple orchard and pick apples. Then it's time to turn the apples into applesauce. Every year they use a special pot that has been in the family for generations. Follow along as everyone helps to make delicious applesauce.

For a clever, fun book about ordinal numbers, you'll love Laurie Lazzaro Knowlton's book, Who Knew? Under the Apple Tree. Available on Amazon.


Nature gives us many signs of the changing seasons, if we pay attention and use our senses like animals do. Author Laurie Lazzaro Knowlton's poetic language seamlessly weaves together the arrival of fall, animal communication, and counting with ordinal numbers. Steph Marshall's bright, bold illustrations capture the animals' actions as they enjoy a fall feast.


On August 14th, Six Pens author Gloria G. Adams launched her new book, Munch! Crunch! Bugs for Lunch! A nonfiction picture book for ages 8-12, this book is all about entomophagy, the practice of eating bugs. Find out what kinds of bugs kids around the world eat and what they taste like.

Gloria will be selling and signing copies of her new book at the following locations:

Author Alley, Loganberry Books, Shaker Heights, Ohio, September 9, 2023.

NorthCoast Indie Author Expo, Avon, Ohio, September 24, 2023.

The SCBWI annual conference, Warrensville Heights, Ohio, September 29th and 30th, 2023

Buckeye Book Fair, Wooster, Ohio, November 4, 2023.

Check out other books by Gloria on her websites: www.gloriagadams.com and www.slantedink.com


All of us at A Song of Six Pens are busy working on our writing projects this fall. 

What will you be working on?






Welcome our Guest Author, Michelle Henrie

 

                                                


My Writing Journey

Michelle Henrie

 

             Third time is the charm, right? At least that became the plan after quitting twice.

            When I first decided to write, I had two small children and wrote picture books. They’re over a thousand words! I never submitted them to agents because I was frightened of rejection. At that time, I was battling depression, and writing was my outlet. I was on the fence about publishing because others would have to read my work.

            Ten years later.

            With four kids and a teen boy who hated reading, I started writing a young adult fantasy about powers from a meteor that hit the earth. He loved it and always begged for more. But I knew my villain was as sturdy as wet paper. Discouraged, I started a blog to review books and see what made them work. Wow! I learned a lot about what I liked and what worked for me. But was I ready to write again?

            Four years later.

            I’d had surgery and was lying in bed. For two years, I’d had an idea forming for a novel. With a notebook, I wrote everything I’d imagined in two weeks. Then I upgraded to my computer. But I kept this a secret from my husband and everyone for six months. Within nine months, I had 105,000 words. The first person I shared it with was my mom—she encouraged me to keep working on it and thought it was good. (Go ahead and roll your eyes.) I gave it to my husband, and he said he was confused and that it didn’t make any sense. The only fantasy he'd ever read was Harry Potter—surely, he was wrong. I donated money for a published author to read my novel. She hated it. Couldn’t say a kind word to a newbie. Her caustic review sent me into a spiral.

            That’s when conferences started. And I put that on your basic wash and repeat cycle. I grew a thicker hide. Learned about sentence structure. How to use sentence fragments for impact. And I reviewed so many chapters with other “budding” authors. We worked so hard, but that doesn’t guarantee success.

            But no one can define my success except myself.

            That’s when I became an author without the “newbie” or “budding” or “wannabe” attachment. I’d written six novels, bunches of picture books, entries for Writers of the Future (and received some awards), and one graphic novel.

            Seven years later.

            I changed my approach on Twitter. My goal was to become noticed, and to do this, I hunted for writing tips. By posting and reposting, agents started following me. I branded myself: I’m always kind to others and supportive, I love art, and review tons of ARCs.

            Then I got an email! An agent wanted to talk.

            As per industry standards, I contacted all the other agents with my manuscript, letting them know I had an offer on the table and if they were interested in representing me, they needed to get in touch.

            I got another email wanting to set up a conference call. This agent told me upfront she wasn’t necessarily offering representation…

            Okay.

            Please, cue Jaws’ theme song.

            Da-da, da-da.

            After we discussed the manuscript and goals for my career, she gave me an offer.

            I couldn’t believe I had such a difficult decision. And after much consideration, chose the second agent but deeply respect the first. It came down to the vision the second agent had for my manuscript.

            Now, I’m in the querying trenches with publishers driven by my agent.

            One year, five months later.

           We haven’t had a hit yet. And I’m revising the novels and picture books and writing new manuscripts. I adore working with my agent, but how to choose your agent is another story.

Write because you love it!

Check out Michelle's website: https://www.michelle-henrie.com/