Linda Ashman's Blog

My office window looks out on a moss lawn bordered by azaleas, dogwoods, red maples, tall, skinny pines, a crooked magnolia and assorted other trees. It’s a nice view if one is inclined to stare off into space: a busy playground for squirrels, rabbits, chipmunks, deer, hawks, bluebirds, cardinals and other visitors, plus the human neighbors, often accompanied by dogs, who pass by on the street beside it.

It’s also a great place to watch thunderstorms. We get a fair number of these in North Carolina. During one torrential downpour, as I watched trees bend alarmingly and rivulets turn to fast-flowing streams in the moss, I wondered what the wildlife was up to. Where’d everybody go?

This question led me down an interesting rabbit hole. Or, more accurately, it led me TO a rabbit hole—and to lots of other protective spaces and storm-evading strategies used by wildlife. Which, happily, led to When the Storm Comes  (Nancy Paulsen Books, May 2020), a picture book written as a series of questions answered by a variety of creatures, human and otherwise, as they prepare for, wait out and recover from a storm. Here are the first two spreads:

I sometimes get the impression that people think picture book authors write a draft or two and they’re done. Of course it isn’t nearly that simple. I did a lot of research on animal behavior in storms, and wrote many, many drafts with nonsensical or just plain bad lines. So I thought I’d share a few snippets.

I usually jot down my first ideas on a yellow pad. Here’s what my first page looked like:

Not very promising, is it? After a few pages of this, I go to my laptop and type something up. Here’s a very early page from the manuscript:

Not a whole lot better. At this point, I’m just playing with ideas and language and free-associating. Usually, if I keep at it, some decent lines start to emerge that give me a better sense of where I want to go. Then, eventually, the manuscript starts to look like this:

I still have a long way—probably dozens more drafts—to go before I get to my final version. But at this point, I’m having fun: I’ve figured out the rhyme scheme, the general shape of the manuscript, and have a good sense of where I want to go.

So what does the final version look like? You can download it here: Linda Ashman.When the Storm Comes.final text

The book’s illustrator, Taeeun Yoo, went through a similar process, although her drafts were a lot better looking than mine. She shares some of them during our interview over at PictureBookBuilders. Go check it out—and leave a comment by June 15th for a chance to win a copy of the book.

Twenty years ago, when my son was a toddler, I wrote a tender tribute to the love between a father and child, based on a couple of guys I knew.

I sold the manuscript, then called Papa’s Day, to an editor I’d worked with at a big publishing house. She left soon after, and the manuscript sat . . . And sat . . . And sat . . .

Five years passed with no visible signs of progress, so I requested and received the rights back. I submitted the manuscript to two houses, got two rejections, then tucked it into the dark recesses of my file cabinet.

Two years ago, I went hunting through my files to see if there was anything worth sharing with my agent, Jennifer Mattson of Andrea Brown Literary. I pulled out three possibilities, including—with my husband’s encouragement—the fatherly love story. Jennifer was really enthusiastic about Papa’s Day (not so much about the other two), and sent it out to a small group of editors.

Much to my surprise, the manuscript wound up getting three offers and going to auction. Two of the offers were for traditional picture books. The third, from Liza Baker at Cartwheel/Scholastic, was for a two-book deal in a padded board book format, which I accepted. I liked the idea of two books (My Mommy and Me comes out next year), and felt the format might be a way to diversify my publication list a bit.

I also appreciated Liza’s enthusiasm, her vision of showing a diverse array of fathers and children, and her commitment to finding just the right illustrator—which she did. I love Jane Massey’s work, and am so pleased with how the book came out.

You can read my interview with Jane, and enter to win a copy of the book, over at PictureBookBuilders.

The father who inspired the story is now gray haired, and the little toddler by his side is 22 years old and taller than his dad. But they still know how to have fun together.

SO . . . at the risk of repeating myself:

Save old manuscripts!

And revisit them from time to time. You never know what treasures might be buried in your file cabinet.

McIntyre’s Books in Fearrington Village, NC is one of my favorite local bookstores. It’s charming, in a beautiful setting, and Sarah Carr—the Children’s Book Buyer—is exuberant, warm and welcoming. So when Sarah asked if I’d be interested in teaching a writing workshop, I didn’t hesitate to say yes.

And it’s coming up! The Nuts & Bolts of Writing Picture Books—and Getting Them Published  is happening Friday, March 6th, from 9:30 to 12 noon. Registration info is here.

If you’ve wanted to write a picture book—or have a few in the works—come join us. We’ll focus on craft—things like structure, voice, point of view, language and character—as well as the business side of publishing. You’ll leave feeling informed and inspired, with plenty of ideas, tools and resources to continue on your way. And we’ll have prizes: In addition to giving away some of my books, I’ll be offering manuscript critiques to two randomly-selected attendees (to be done at a later date).

The workshop is happening in conjunction with the Whirlikids Book Festival on Saturday, March 7th. This lively annual event features readings, book signings, panel discussions, crafts and more for young readers. I’ll be reading in the Garden Terrace from 10:15am to 11am with other picture book authors. Here’s the full schedule. Hope to see you there!

Many years ago, I had what I thought was a great idea for a picture book. The title said it all: Take Your Pet to School Day. It would have chaos, humor, and lots and lots of animals—perfect!

But my early drafts were duds. I dragged out the beginning, introducing a variety of kids and pets, then stalled. I had no idea where to go with them.

I did all my usual stuff. I brainstormed lists of animals, animal sounds and bad behavior. I played around with problems and solutions. I experimented with format, adding a counting element at one point. Nothing worked.

So, after weeks of frustration—and many, many drafts—I gave up. I stuck the folder in my file cabinet to languish among the sad collection of undeveloped, unloved and unsold manuscripts.

Then, several years ago, I was trying to figure out what to work on next—always the hardest part for me. I pulled out my idea files along with some of those unfinished manuscripts—including Take Your Pet to School Day.

This time something clicked. I had three ideas for how to make it work:

1. Instead of my overly long introduction, I’d use a flyer on the first page to announce the school’s “Take Your Pet to School Day” and start the action right away.

2. To help move the story along—and make it more fun to read aloud—I’d have several teachers and the principal repeat the refrain “Pets do NOT belong in school!”

3. I introduced a mystery: Who actually wrote that flyer that went home with the kids? (Here’s a hint…)

From here, the story came together quickly—in maybe a month or two. I sent it to my agent, Jennifer Mattson, in May 2016 and we had an offer from Maria Modugno at Random House in June. Maria quickly signed up Suzanne Kaufman to illustrate, and Take Your Pet to School Day was published in July 2019.

So, in case you missed it in the heading, the moral of the story is: Save your old drafts—yes, even the sketchy, no-good, terrible ones.  And if you’re feeling stuck and frustrated with a manuscript, put it aside for a few weeks or months or—in this case—a few years, and see what happens.

For a peek into Suzanne’s illustration process—and a chance to win a copy of the book—leave a comment on my post over at PictureBookBuilders by September 10th.

Thanks for reading!

The post On Saving Old Drafts — and TAKE YOUR PET TO SCHOOL DAY appeared first on Linda Ashman.

Hey, it’s December!

You’ve probably noticed that already.

If you’re like me, you’re probably thinking back to those long-ago days of January when everything seemed possible. Remember all those projects you planned to finish? Those writing goals you were going to accomplish? Those time-management skills you were going to master?

Well, if you’re also like me, things didn’t turn out quite as you planned. And when December arrives, and the same “to do” items are still on your list (plus countless more), you might start wondering what you’re doing wrong—which leads to the usual rounds of self-recrimination and vows to do better.

This year, I’m trying to go easier on myself. And I have an ally in the effort—Louise DeSalvo’s book, The Art of Slow Writing: Reflections on Time, Craft, and Creativity. It’s loaded with encouraging stories, practical tips, and reflections on how to balance writing with the demands of daily life.

I’m sorry to note that Louise recently passed away. As a small token of appreciation, I’m giving away a copy of the book over at PictureBookBuilders. Stop by and leave a comment there by January 1st for a chance to win.

Thanks for reading. See you in 2019!

The post Here’s to Slow Writing—and Louise DeSalvo appeared first on Linda Ashman.

Years ago when I lived in Los Angeles, I had an old watch that occasionally needed repair. The only place around that could fix it was a small, family-owned business. As soon as you walked in, it was clear these people should not be working together. They were unpleasant, sarcastic and just plain nasty, screaming at each other from across the room. And this was with a customer in the shop. I can only imagine what it was like when they were alone.

Collaboration is challenging, whether it’s watch repair or—in our case—picture books.  And maybe even more so when the collaborators are friends, relatives or spouses. What if you don’t see eye to eye on the story line, word choice or art? What if one is an early bird and the other a night owl? What if one needs the pressure of a deadline to focus on the work, and the other likes to have everything completed well before then? What if you work in the same space, and one of you is neat and the other messy? Or one likes listening to Mozart and the other Metallica? Or NPR and Rush Limbaugh? (Okay, you’ve probably got more serious problems if that’s the case.)

There’s a lot to consider before diving into a collaborative relationship. But when it works well, it’s a beautiful thing. Take, for example, Jessixa and Aaron Bagley, partners and collaborators in life and art. I had the pleasure of chatting with them recently over at PictureBookBuilders. Stop by for some inspiration and a glimpse of their workspace. And be sure to leave a comment over there by October 16th for a chance to win their beautiful new book, Vincent Comes Home.

The post On Collaboration, Harmonious & Otherwise appeared first on Linda Ashman.

Hey there! Got plans for the weekend of September 28th-30th?

No? Then come on down to Charlotte for the 25th Annual SCBWI Carolinas Conference! As usual, there’s an impressive roster of agents, editors, authors and illustrators on the faculty, with intensives, breakout sessions, manuscript critiques, portfolio reviews, plus an autograph party and plenty of socializing.

I’ll be leading a two-hour workshop on Writing the Rollicking Read-Aloud, a roll-up-your-sleeves session on strategies to engage young listeners. We’ll spend a good portion of our time together on rhyme—including some samples from workshop attendees. Want to contribute your own? Visit the faculty bio page for more info.

Early bird registration rates end August 3rd, which is also the last day to request a manuscript critique. Early bird hotel rates end July 31st.

So go register. Hope to see you there!

The post SCBWI-Carolinas Conference 2018 appeared first on Linda Ashman.

Kids are natural scientists, yet somewhere along the way the subject of “science” becomes a snoozer for many of them. Maybe because there’s less opportunity for discovery and wonder as they get older, and more focus on facts and data. Doing science is fun, but reading about it can get a little dull.

But science-y books don’t have to be dull. One way to liven things up is to add humor, as author Stacy McAnulty does in her new book Earth: My First 4.54 Billion Years (Henry Holt, illustrated by David Litchfield). You can read my interview with Stacy—and win a copy of the book—over at PictureBookBuilders. Stop by and leave a comment there by April 25th for a chance to win.

Thanks for reading, and Happy Earth Day!

The post Stacy McAnulty & Planetary Humor (Plus Giveaway!) appeared first on Linda Ashman.

My friend Caroline Stutson—a gifted poet and talented storyteller—passed away in 2015. Some years ago, Caroline shared with me a manuscript called Blue Corn Soup, and two weeks ago, it arrived in my mailbox as a beautiful book, illustrated by Teri Weidner and published by Sleeping Bear Press.

As I write in this post, holding the book in my hands and reading Caroline’s words feels a bit like visiting with an old friend. I hope you’ll stop by PictureBookBuilders for a sample of Caroline’s perfectly-cadenced verse, a peek at the art, and the opportunity to win your own copy.

The post Caroline Stutson and Blue Corn Soup appeared first on Linda Ashman.

I sold my first manuscript 20 years ago this month. That sale grew out an SCBWI manuscript critique with editor Allyn Johnston, then at Harcourt. Although Allyn was distinctly lukewarm about that particular story, she offered to look at others, which eventually led to the sale of BABIES ON THE GO.

The second manuscript I sold, THE ESSENTIAL WORLDWIDE MONSTER GUIDE, was a straight-out-of-the-slush-pile story. An editorial assistant at Simon & Schuster plucked it from that infamous mound of manuscripts and shared it with her boss, Stephanie Lurie, who acquired it in early 1998.

Since then, I’ve worked with Steph on many books—with multiple publishers—including my newest, WILLIAM’S WINTER NAP, illustrated by Chuck Groenink. Steph recently paid a visit to  PictureBookBuilders to chat about the book, about other recent favorites, and about Disney-Hyperion’s publishing program. She also shares some excellent advice for picture book writers. Stop by the blog—and be sure to leave a comment there for a chance to win a copy of WILLIAM’S WINTER NAP.

The post Chatting with Disney-Hyperion Editor Steph Lurie about William’s Winter Nap, Writing Advice & More (Plus Giveaway!) appeared first on Linda Ashman.