Who we are? Then and now?
This is Laurie Lazzaro Knowlton and I thought you all
might enjoy a little back story on the members of Six Pens.
When did you first get the itch to be a
writer?
Laurie: I got hooked on
writing in fifth grade. In ninth grade I had a very encouraging teacher, but it
wasn’t until I became a kindergarten teacher that I decided to try my hand at
writing.
What I didn’t do initially was my homework. I assumed
that because I read multiple stories to my
children daily that I would
automatically be able to write. So, my first story had two main characters, two
main points of view, and the plot was meager at best.
What I learned was I needed to go back and educate
myself. I attended classes, workshops, conferences and read every how-to book I
could get my hands on. Probably the best three resources for my education were:
attending a Highlights Writer’s Conference, initiated by Kent Brown, joining The
Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, and reading every How To
Write For Children book available.
As a result of attending events I found the networking,
the encouragement, the critiques, the speakers, the rejections all worked
together for my eventual success. It took me a total of 12 years of stumbling,
educating myself, participating in critiques, classes, and conferences,
submitting, and receiving piles of rejections before I finally accomplished my
first published book, Why Cowboys Sleep With Their Boots On, Pelican
Publishing, 1994. Since then I have had 62 titles published in the trade,
craft, educational, Christian, and work-for-hire markets.
What advice do you have for people wanting
to become writers?
Laurie: 1. My best advice
is to educate yourself. Read, read, read!
2. Attend every conference, workshop, library speaker,
in your genre that you can afford to participate in.
3.Allow your work to be critiqued. Do not defend your
work. Listen. Then incorporate what rings true to you.
4. Be tenacious. Do not give up when you receive a bad
critique, or another rejection. Listen, learn and keep moving forward. The
people who make it in the field do not give up.
Best part of being an author?
Laurie: When I see a
child listening to or reading one of my books.
Worst part of being an author?
Laurie: Having books go
out of print.
http://www.laurieknowlton.com/
Gloria G. Adams
When
did you first get the itch to be a writer?
Gloria: As a kid, I always had my nose in a book. The local
library was practically my second home and authors were my heroes. I dreamed
about becoming a writer when I grew up and even majored in English in college.
But I was steered away from writing as a career and ended up eventually
becoming a children’s librarian.
I
loved my library career! But I never lost my dream of becoming a writer. I made
up a lot of my own stories for story hour and, as I read picture books to my
preschoolers, hoped that someday a librarian would be reading books in story
hour that were written by me.
I
was fortunate to have my dream come true! But getting there was a long journey.
I remember thinking that it would be easy to write picture books since I had
read so many over the years as a librarian. Boy, was I wrong!
I
had a lot of learning to do. I took writing courses, read books on writing,
joined SCBWI and was fortunate to find not one, but two critique groups with
amazing authors. One of them started as a mentoring group led by prolific
author, Laurie Knowlton, from whom I have learned so much. And of course, I
wrote and rewrote and…well, I’m still learning, taking webinars, reading
articles, and writing and rewriting. I’ve found that the writing community is
all about sharing, teaching, and encouraging.
I
have a great agent and have been published traditionally as well as
independently through my self-publishing company, Slanted Ink. I also started a
critique editing company with a partner, author Jean Daigneau, called Two-4-One
Kid Critiques.
What
advice do you have for people wanting to become writers?
Gloria: Learn all you can, not just about writing, but about
the publishing business. Join writing/critique groups and professional
associations. Read the kinds of books you want to write and practice, practice,
practice.
Best
part of being an author?
Gloria: Seeing my books on the shelf at the library where I
used to work, finding out that one of my books helped my great nephew with his
reading, and finally being able to say, “I’m an author.”
Worst
part of being an author?
The
frustration of having editors want your book, but then the book getting turned
down by the acquisition department.
https://two4onekidcritiques.wixsite.com/mysite
https://www.gloriagadams.com/ and https://www.slantedink.com/
Lisa
Amstutz
When did you first get the itch to be a writer?
Lisa: I always loved
to read and kept a journal intermittently as a kid, but never thought about
writing until I was in my 20s. Then I proceeded to read every book in three
local libraries about writing. However, it took me 10 years to work up the
courage to submit something for publication. Once I finally started, I wrote
for magazines and the local newspaper for several years before venturing into
books. In 2009, I discovered the world of children’s writing and haven’t looked
back!
What advice do you have for people wanting to become
writers?
Lisa: Don’t let fears
and insecurities keep you from your dreams. Do your homework – go to the
library, take classes if you can, and look for resources online to help you learn
the craft of writing and understand how the market works. And don’t give up –
the first stories you write may never sell, but each one will teach you
something. Writing is a journey, not a sprint.
Best part of being an author?
Lisa: Connecting with readers
is definitely the best part!
Worst part of being an author?
Lisa: Rejections. But
they are just part of the process for a working writer.
https://www.lisaamstutz.com/
Kate
Carroll
When did you first get the itch to be a writer?
Kate: I can’t say exactly when I wanted to BE a
writer, but it was always my favorite subject, next to reading. I pursued a
career in elementary education and found myself writing supplemental stories
for my struggling second grade readers and penning plays for my class to
perform. I didn’t think of it as writing, but more of way for my students to
succeed at learning.
One fall, I needed cce credits, so, I randomly took an
online class on creative writing. That was the first time I realized
writing was more than a solo activity. The professor encouraged us to share
homework, support each other and join professional organizations like SCBWI.
Which is what I did, and which is where I met my fabulous fellow pens.
That first SCBWI conference caught me swimming in water way over my head. But I
didn’t care, I was hooked. Slowly, I began to understand the challenges of
writing for children. In fact, my first ever critique was a disaster. I think
the editor was as stunned and didn’t have much to say except to tell me that
most of my story was missing! Shaken but undaunted, I kept diving
into the deep to learn the lessons of plot, character development, climax,
theme. I never stopped believing that I could produce some
publishable work.
Five years later, I sold to Cricket Magazine, followed by Highlights and Faces
Magazines, I picked up credits and the courage to keep going, to keep studying
the craft, to keep tapping into the world around me and to lean on my kid lit
crew. Even as an agented writer, my work ethic remains the same. My picture
book hopes loom large… stay tuned for that big news!
What advice do you have for people wanting to become writers?
Kate: Study the craft. Whether you want to write picture
books, middle grade or YA, learn everything you can about the genre. Read
books, dissect them and repeat.
Develop a community – even if it is only one fellow writer. Be brave. Have a
thick skin. It will help your manuscript in ways you can't imagine.
Be patient! Success rarely happens overnight.Best
part of being an author?
Kate: I love that my writing can be an unforgettable part of a
child’s life.
Worst part of being an author?
Kate: Not having the time to write when I get an idea
brewing in my head.
https://ktcarroll.com
Lana Wayne Koehler
When did you first get the itch to be a writer?
Lana: I always remember writing but never thought about
doing it professionally until I wanted to share a particular story that I had
written. I attended a writer’s group at my community library and read my story.
I got what I now know was a kind reception and from there, caught the bug to
improve.
I began to hang out with other writers and listen to their stories of
encouragement and defeat and
realized that I knew nothing about the craft that
I wanted to pursue.
From there, I joined writer’s groups and local organizations like SBWI.
I began to attend classes and conferences and met many others who had a thirst
for learning more about writing. I had finally found my people!
I went to a Highlights retreat in Honesdale, PA, and began to really
work at my craft. There, I met editors, agents, and fellow writers and learned
how to hone the craft I was starting to understand.
What advice do you have for people wanting to become writers?
Lana: Read what you want to write. See what others have
done with your genre. Research your subject matter. Become an expert in every
story you want to write.
Best part of being an author?
Lana: Sharing what I have learned by writing what people
want to read and meeting those readers! I once asked a little boy what his favorite
animal was from my book about allergies and he said, “The rabbit.” My book
didn’t have a rabbit in it. I found, after close inspection, my illustrator had
included a rabbit on the cover. Always trust your readers opinions!
Worst part of being an author?
Lana: Putting time into a project and not finding an
editor who was interested. It can be hard to remain optimistic and persistent
in the face of rejection.
https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B01C21HZRU/about
Gloria Reichert
When
did you first get the itch to be a writer?
Gloria Reichert: I
am not sure I can precisely pinpoint when I realized I wanted to write. It
seemed to evolve. In high school, I had to write a theme every week for four
years, and during college, as an education major, I was always writing
something. My last quarter I had 14 papers to write! Writing was a part of my
life. My desire to write for children became apparent during my teaching
career. Using picture books as part of my teaching made me realize and
appreciate the value of this genre. I came to regard them as little books with
big ideas. I remember stating to my students that one of my goals was to write
picture books. I still have a thank you note written by one of my students at
the end of the year. In the note, she wishes me good luck in writing picture
books.
Once I left teaching, my first step in my quest to
write for children was to contact the local library to see what direction they
could give me. They suggested I contact the wonderful Laurie Knowlton.
(Actually, I remembered her, since she had taught a workshop I attended as a
teacher.) When I spoke to Laurie all those years ago, she advised me to join
The Society for Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators and to educate myself
by reading books on the craft of writing. I took her advice and participated in
workshops of all kinds and did all I could to hone my talents. Educating myself
as a writer continues to this day.
What
advice do you have for people wanting to become writers?
Gloria Reichert: Those
who wish to become writers should educate themselves and find a critique group.
It is also important to keep reading, not only books in the genre in which they
wish to write but also current adult writing. Never give up. Be persistent.
There is not one published author who ever gave up.
I also think it is important not to compare yourself
to other authors. All of our roads to being published are different. Our
uniqueness will eventually make our work stand out.
Best
part of being an author?
Gloria Reichert: I
appreciate having fun when creating, wordsmithing, and challenging myself to
make my manuscripts better. I also appreciate knowing that my words have the
potential to change a child’s life for the better in some way. As I have
participated in workshops, conferences, classes. and critiques, I’ve met many
other authors and illustrators who are among the kindest, nicest, people in the
world.
Worst
part of being an author?
Gloria Reichert: To
me, rejections and all the time it takes to hear from editors are among the
worst parts of being an author.
https://www.gloriareichert.com/
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