CW: How did you get started writing children’s books? CKK: I think it must have started when I was a kid and fell in love with books – I was what they used to call a bookworm, reading books whenever and wherever I could! Those books I loved are still important to me, and when I had my son I wanted to share them with him. I realized I wanted to be one of those authors – what could be better than to write a book that makes a kid excited about books and reading? So I took some classes at our local community college on writing for children and loved every minute of them. I actually wrote the rough outline of what would become Habitat Spy during one of those classes! I subsequently joined the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators and began learning what I could from other authors, agents, and editors, either through books or from attending SCBWI conferences and visiting children’s writing websites. The world of children’s books is inhabited by fabulous people willing to share what they know.
CW: Since this is your first children’s book, what was the road to publication like? CKK: I think many side roads of experience intersected for me to be able to create Habitat Spy. But the actual path between my first rough poem and the final published book was fairly straightforward, though lengthy, involving two submissions of two quite different versions to Sylvan Dell. I think it was important to believe in my idea and persist with the submission process.CW: What is your background? CWW: I have degrees in zoology and biological oceanography; my first career was in environmental science. But all during my formal education and first career I remained an avid reader and creative writer.
CW: What is the inspiration behind this book? CKK: I live in a beautiful rural area in Central New York State, and a number of years ago the area behind my backyard was full of brambles, and far beyond the brambles the land rose into a wooded hill. I would wonder what those woods looked like, but I couldn’t get to them - those brambles were too extensive and painful! I imagined what I would see if I could get from the meadow to those woods. And then I wondered what I would see if I kept walking across the U
0 Comments on Ask a Writer! Interview: Cynthia Kieber King as of 7/11/2011 7:12:00 PM
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By: Christina Wald,
on 4/11/2010
Blog: Christina Wald's Design and Illustration Blog (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: interviews, carole gerber, Little Red Bat, Ask the Writer, Add a tag
Carole was kind enough to do an interview about Little Red Bat and writing. As an illustrator, the experience is quite different as I described on Scotti Cohn's web series several weeks ago. Carole has written many great books so check them out!
CW: Tell me a little bit about your background and how you started writing.
CG: I taught high school English for one year and then middle school English for another. Both were urban schools and I did not have the temperament to deal with all the problems. I applied to grad school at OSU early in my second year of teaching - was accepted to the School of Journalism and was selected for a fully-paid assistantship that required me to write two articles a week about OSU honor students. After earning my master's I held a variety of writing jobs - inhouse magazine editor, copywriter at an ad agency and hospital then went freelance when my daughter was born. Writing for children grew out of a couple of freelance assignments for a local publisher.
CW: How long does it take you to research and write a picture book?
CG: Depends on the book. It can take a couple of weeks to a couple of months. LITTLE RED BAT took more time because it required a lot of research - first on bats in general and then narrowing it down to red bats, which I think are so adorable and unique. I have other PBs for younger children (i.e., BLIZZARD) that required little or no research but - because they are told in verse - take more to put the words together.
CW: Are there usually a lot of changes from the original manuscript?
CG: Usually the basic story stays the same - whether in verse or prose - but the editor always wants changes and/or additions. These are easier to make with prose books - since most of mine are in verse, making changes requires a lot more thought. Also - before an editor sees it, I have revised it many, many, MANY times. Because of my background in journalism, I am quick to take valid suggestions and readily make revisions - and do both quickly. That flexibility is appreciated by editors who do NOT want to deal with people who won't take direction.
CW: With most of my books I have illustrated, I have not had contact with the author. Do you ever get any input into the art or sketches when working on a picture book?
CG: Yes - the illustrator's sketches (even yours!) were sent to me and I did have input thr
3 Comments on Ask a Writer! Interview: Carole Gerber, last added: 4/12/2010
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Great interview! Congratulations to both of you from a fellow Sylvan Dell author.
It's interesting to see how people (including children) react to some of the less "cuddly" animals we write about. I get mixed reactions to my book One Wolf Howls. Some people almost recoil (I see them later buying books about bunnies and bluebirds). Other people are like, "Wow, cool, wolves!" Still others are disappointed that it's not about werewolves. LOL!
Interesting... I never though wolves could be a touchy subject. Bats tend to creep people out but I never though recoiling would be a reaction to wolves.
Saw your new One Wolf Howls facebook page... Really cool!
Thanks for transcribing and sharing. I have ambitions of writing a book but its a far way of still. :)