Guest blog by Carrie Finison

I write fiction picture books that often feature animal characters. Reading (and writing) these books requires a certain suspension of disbelief. Bears that make doughnuts? Sure! A tortoise that walks to school and carries a lunchbox? Why not? Pig construction workers? Nothing wrong with it!
 
Suspension of disbelief comes with the territory AND YET even in fiction there are times when sticking to the facts and being accurate is important. As I worked through the first few drafts of my book Pigs Dig a Road (Penguin Random House, 2024), I quickly realized that I knew next to nothing about how a road is actually constructed. If I didn’t want to be constantly corrected by a bunch of 4-year-old armchair experts, I would need to do a lot of research to make sure the book depicted the stages of building a road accurately. I knew that kids wouldn’t mind seeing a pig driving a bulldozer, but they WOULD mind if the bulldozer was doing the wrong job.

​At the library, I was also able to find a couple of VHS tapes (that I couldn’t play) and a DVD (that I could play) that showed the process of building a road from start to finish, with lots of footage of big trucks in action. This leads me to my second tip: YouTube is your friend! After watching the DVD from the library, I thought perhaps similar footage might be available on YouTube. I typed the search phrase “road construction for kids” and sure enough, I found a TON of videos showing bulldozers, excavators, graders, dump trucks, compactors, and rollers all doing their jobs, and all clearly explained.

​All of this research helped me to develop the text for the story and add details that would be both fun and accurate. It also helped me to create illustration notes that I hoped would guide the illustrator a little in terms of the road-building steps. This leads me to a third tip: If you HAVE done research and there’s something that you feel is important to depict accurately, it’s a great idea to include illustration notes and even visual sources.

​And, here’s a final tip: when you need more information, consult the experts. The key word there is WHEN you need more information. Whether you’re writing fiction or nonfiction, or some blend of the two, going to an expert should never be your first move. You will be able to ask better, more informed questions if you are already knowledgeable about the subject matter. As it stood, I didn’t need to find an expert for Pigs Dig a Road because there was more than enough information in the books and videos I found,  but I wouldn’t hesitate to find someone and ask questions if needed.
 
As fiction writers, I think it’s important to reflect upon our stories and think about where the suspension of disbelief that we’re asking of the reader feels OK, and where it won’t work. Always, we must establish the “rules” of our fictional worlds up front. A talking potato can work if it is introduced on page 1 of the story. A talking potato showing up on page 16 in an otherwise normal world will feel out of place and wrong, and will take readers out of the story.
 
Similarly, when kids know a lot about a subject – whether that’s trucks, or trains, or schools – and are approaching your book as a fan of that subject, they want to see you get the details right. Otherwise, they may call you out in the middle of story time. That’s motivation enough to hit the books!

Guest Blog by Pam Vaughan

The image commonly associated with synergy is an aspen grove. Aspens are found in the mountains growing side by side. To the casual observer, these slender trees might look flimsy, especially when they bend and sway in the wind. But they have an extensive root system that unites the grove, making it a strong, single organism.
 
As an athlete and coach, I’ve always embraced the concepts of synergy and team: the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
 
When I started my expedition as a children’s book author, I was a fish out of water. Everything felt new, unfamiliar, and solitary. But somewhere along the way, I leaned into my athletic self. I surrounded myself with people who knew more than me (which was everyone). I listened when they said I should join SCBWI and attend meet-ups and conferences. I volunteered. I joined The Writers’ Loft. I went to the Whispering Pines Writers’ Retreats. I found critique groups and attended workshops and classes. I connected, collaborated, and elevated my craft. And soon, I found myself part of something greater than myself.
I found a team: Teammates who pushed me beyond my comfort zone; who inspired me and instilled confidence when I was discouraged; who saw in me things I couldn’t see in myself.
The team included:

• Feedback Friends
• Accountability Allies
• Brainstorm Buddies
• Confidence Companions (They’re louder than the voice in my head!)
• Motivational Mates
• Tough-Love Teammates

These people held me accountable and showed me how to persevere in this unpredictable industry.
They still do.

Fast forward many years…

Seeing my name on the cover of my debut picture book, Missy Wants a Mammoth (Pixel+Ink/Holiday House, 2024) feels like an incredible – mammoth – achievement.
I DID IT!
In that same breath, however, I can’t look at the cover and NOT think about the other people who were part of my journey - who became my teammates:

• Masterful Mentor: Anika Aldamuy Denise
• Amazing Agent: Brent Taylor Hunt
• Exceptional Editor: Alison Weiss
• Incredible Illustrator: Ariel Landy

Ariel brought my words to life! She created a sister and brother who are expressive, vivacious, and relatable, and a mammoth that every child would want. I could not have imagined more perfect illustrations!
It’s true that creatives spend a great deal of time alone. It took me a while to realize, though, that as I created my craft and stories, I was far from alone. I was surrounded by a team, with synergy, helping me accomplish much more than I ever could on my own.

​It’s a funny thing about aspens. They are a surprisingly supportive and resilient. It’s unlikely to see one growing alone. If you look at their leaves you might notice their saw-toothed edges, but if you look closer, you’ll see that their leaves are shaped like hearts. ​

Bio:
Pam Vaughan lives in Massachusetts and never had a pet mammoth – if she did, she wonders if her mammoth would enjoy doing some of her favorite things with her, like picking apples and playing ice hockey. Pam directs the Whispering Pines Writers’ Retreat and is co-assistant regional advisor for NE-SCBWI. Missy Wants a Mammoth, illustrated by Ariel Landy, Pam's debut picture book hits the shelves August 6, 2024, and Tenacious Won’t Give Up, illustrated by Leanne Hatch, launches in 2025. 
Learn more about Pam here and read a review of Missy Wants a Mammoth here.

~by Amanda Smith

I have always intuitively been aware of writing seasons throughout a year. Some months are naturally filled with demanding family or work commitments, while others provide more writing time. Throughout the years, I have tried to wrangle the seasons, to ignore natural rhythms, in order to be consistently productive each month.

Seasons do not easily conform to human whim. Anyone who has spent a year in New England knows one can cry, and cajole, and yell at March to be springy until the cows come home, but lovely weather does not arrive until mid-April. Similarly, writers can plan and plot and highlight and set timers, but life’s seasons continue to roll one into the other undeterred by our best organization.

So what is a writer to do? Jerry Spinelli famously advised to “write in the cracks,” which I used to embrace with weed-like ferocity. I tried to force my writing into every possible crack, exhausting myself and probably frustrating my family. There were times when I literally ran back to my desk after tossing another load of laundry into the washer, not to waste “a crack” - yelling at March to be warm. I can’t say that was super productive.

This year, I took on a new job that offered zero cracks. If allowed, this job would bleed into every tiny line like red lipstick on the wrinkly lips of my days and weeks and months. Don’t get me wrong, I love my job. But it’s a lot. Even in this tenacious job, the ever-present heartbeat of my writing seasons was present.
So I listened. I paid attention. And when, at a 24 Carrot Writing meeting, Megan mentioned that summer traditionally is a slower writing time for her, I sat up. She also experiences writing seasons? Curiosity overcame me. What really, are my seasons?

I pulled out my trusty bullet journals of the last four years and ran some stats. And here is what I learned, regardless of my career change. For me, January, February, and November are my most productive writing months (hello winter)! The summer months have their own rhythm, but are a close second, while, surprisingly April, and December are not too far behind. However, like clockwork, writing grinds to an alarming halt every March (maybe it’s all that yelling at the cold!) and May.

“How is this information useful?” you ask.

Knowing my natural writing seasons helps me embrace them rather than fight them, and that brings contentment to my writing schedule. When setting yearly goals, understanding writing seasons helps me plan big tasks for the predictably productive months. It allows me to be kind to myself during the months that are clearly already stacked with other responsibilities. Rolling with the seasons also helps prevent burn-out.
If you are a long-time 24 Carrot Writer, you probably have records of your achieved writing goals somewhere. I would like to invite you to browse your journals, and see if you can identify your writing seasons.
​
Because just like nature needs to take a break from all its blooming and growing and producing and buzzing, sometimes life demands that the writer takes a rest. Through rest comes restoration. And even though progress is not visible in those off seasons, just like tree roots go deep and sap flows beneath the surface, your stories are being nourished, gaining strength, becoming ready to bloom when you reach your proverbial mid-April!

By Kelly Carey

​​ 24 Carrot Writing invites you to celebrate June Year’s Eve!

In January, bubbly with champagne excitement and intoxicated by the shimmering crystal ball in Time’s Square, we set down our writing goals. Since writers are ambitious dreamers, we probably set very lofty goals. Good for us! That drive to succeed will get our manuscripts published.

But did you over promise? Did some unforeseen event steal time and attention from your writing? Did your January va-va-voom sput-sput-sputter out somewhere in March?

June Year’s Eve is not so much about watching the ball drop, but making sure you didn’t drop the ball on your writing goals. This mid-point in the year is the perfect moment to reassess, refocus, and reinvest in your writing. Start by giving your writing goals a solid scrubbing so they can be revised for success, and you can be reenergized to hit your targets.
​
You’ve set New Year’s resolutions, now is the time for June Year’s resolutions.

Happy June Year’s Eve and happy goal revising! 

Interview by Annie Cronin Romano

I was delighted to chat with Leo Landry, the children’s book buyer since 2018 at An Unlikely Story Bookstore, located in Plainville, MA, and owned by Wimpy Kid author Jeff Kinney. Leo is also a published author/illustrator.
 
How did you get your start as a children’s book buyer?
 
I first started at The Children’s Bookshop in Brookline, MA, where I was the manager and did all of the backlist buying as well. I was there for 20 years. I also worked in college bookstores for several years. I arrived at An Unlikely Story in October 2018, initially doing receiving and returns, and soon moved into the role of children’s book buyer.
 
Tell us a little about your process/criteria in terms of choosing what to bring into your store for picture books? Does the artwork catch your eye first? The title? The actual story/text?
 
The broadest view of it is that you really have to consider a few things with all the books you bring in: One is what your community wants—or at least what you think they want—and another is what you like and what you think your collection should reflect. That’s really the fun part. If you went to five different independent bookstores and looked at the kids’ sections, you’ll see, of course, the big books, but you will really be able to see the personality of the buyer. For instance, I tend to like the quieter things and softer artwork. If you made that a homework assignment, you would notice each buyer’s distinct taste store to store.
 
You could profile the book buyer!
 
Yes, you probably could! And in addition to those two points, the other factor is that there’s always things you can’t not have; if there’s an author that is huge, you have to have those books. What I typically do when I meet with a sales rep is first look at our prior season’s order and see how things from that order sold. For instance, when looking at sales history here, I can see that general fiction picture books sell well here, but nonfiction picture books, such as picture book biographies or history-related titles, don’t sell quite as well here. All stores have sales patterns and that’s important to know, to keep an eye on those patterns and watch for changes.

When I go through the catalog for any given publisher, I try to read all the picture books as much as I can, whether it’s digital or print, if offered, and I decide in that moment whether I want the book or I don’t. Then I make final decisions once discussing with the sales rep. For YA, I rely on the younger booksellers and the reps for input as well. The toughest part is there are just so many books published. I know I miss a lot of lovely books, but I must consider that books come out every Tuesday and there’s only so much shelf space. A picture book will only have a week or two as a face-out, which I know is disappointing to authors. To help there, we’ve added some end caps at the store, in addition to our new release section for PBs, where we put bookseller favorites for picture books, and those books consistently sell.
 
Would you say for board books, leveled/early readers, chapter books and middle grade, your process is the same?
 
Yes, it is.
 
Obviously you can’t read every middle grade…
 
No, though middle grade is kind of going down sales-wise, sadly, and it has been for four of five years. It’s less so for series; it is still going down, but much less so than middle grade. On the other hand, board books in our store have practically doubled in sales. Early readers and first chapter books are also on the upswing here. Middle grade series and above is on a downward slide, which I think reflects the industry as well. I feel like as those kids [driving the sales in board books through early chapter books] get older, we’ll see an increase in middle grade sales.
 
Many authors worry that if they go with a small/indie publisher, it will be more challenging to market and distribute their work. How much of a role does the size and recognition of a publishing house (i.e., the Big Five) play in your choices, or are you just as likely to purchase from smaller presses?
 
I’m just as likely to buy from smaller presses as long as someone lets us know about it, as long as we can access it. One small publisher that I really love is Graystone Kids. They publish a Cree-Métis illustrator named Julie Flett, who I’m a huge fan of. I’m always buying anything she has coming out. They use a distributor that prints a catalog, so I can access their list easily. As long as small presses are accessible through a larger distributor, that helps. I do believe that if a book is really good, it will find its way even if it is with a tiny publisher, though it might take a little longer. Of course, me saying “if a book is really good” is subjective.
 
Are there topics/themes you feel are lacking in children’s books? What topics/genres/themes would you like to see more of?
 
I can think of things I’d like to see less of…
 
Well, that was my next question!
 
I really want to see solid stories and less preachy, lesson-type books. A good story that’s entertaining. Every publisher every season has a lot of these “I am great, I am wonderful” vague, inspirational books, and I think there’s now too much of that. To me, a good story…you’re going to want to hear it again and again. Of course, the kids aren’t buying the picture books; the parents are, and they often want those social-emotional books. But if you think of the picture books with characters you love and want to go back to, those are memorable stories. That’s not to say you don’t need that social-emotional angle.

To me, a really good example of a picture book that is a great story and also has that social-emotional angle is the book Truman (Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2019). Those emotional themes are baked into the story, but that’s not the only thing there. It’s a good story with the underlying message; those types of books I always welcome. When it’s just a vague attempt at making everybody feel good, those books come and go.
 
Do you feel there are any themes lacking in middle grade and YA? Or is there an uptick in needed themes?
 
I feel like middle grade has a lot going on right now, which makes it sad that sales are down there. It’s much more mainstream to have middle grade with LGBTQ+ characters, characters with Native American authors, BIPOC authors and characters. They’re keeping up. It’s still very low, but it’s miles more than it used to be.
 
In YA right now, fantasy rules. A lot of YA is fantasy, but it keeps selling. Also, horror is growing. I’ve also noticed in the last year or two that historical fiction in YA and in middle grade, too, is creeping back in.
 
Is there a genre of children’s books that kids just can’t seem to get enough of?
 
Dinosaurs, trucks, mermaids and fairies for the young kids. It never ceases to amaze me—especially dinosaurs, that one just keeps going!
 
What were some recent children’s books whose success surprised you?
 
In the YA world, it’s all because of TikTok. There’s a title, Powerless (Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2023), a YA fantasy novel, that took off here because of TikTok. And it doesn’t even have to be a recent book. Something that came out five years ago can have a jump because of TikTok.
 
Also, in all areas the booksellers can make a huge difference in a book’s success. For instance, our bookseller Cassie, when she started last year, asked if I could bring in some picture book titles that were her favorites. I brought them in and she sells the heck out of them. I’m surprised because they’re books that we had when they were new and didn’t get back in after they sold through, but now she sells four or five a week.
 
What else was a surprise…well, every now and then, there will be a picture book that will take off and I didn’t expect it, like last year’s Sleepy Sheepy (Flamingo Books, 2023). It’s very cute and sweet, and we sold a lot of them, but I didn’t anticipate that. Another one that was sort of a surprise that I’ve reordered several times was Buffalo Fluffalo (Random House Studio, 2024). I also didn’t anticipate The Three Little Tardigrades (Godwin Books, 2024) would sell as well as it has. It’s a rewritten fairytale that also has STEM connections, so people really liked that about it. That sold out immediately.
 
What are the biggest challenges you face in being a children’s book buyer?
 
To me, it’s the shelf space. I wish our entire store was all children’s books, to be honest. I went once to Powell’s in Portland [Washington state] and I talked with one of the buyers there, and their children’s book area is 10,000 square feet. I was just in awe of that! I can’t imagine. So yes, for me, it’s shelf space, especially because here things really sell well when face out.
 
How does your experience as a published children’s author/illustrator influence your process in terms of buying?
 
I try to not be as dismissive as I may have been in my younger days because I respect what goes into the making of any book, and I know how hard everyone works on it, from the author, the illustrator, the editor, the marketing people, etc., and they all believe in that book. Before I turn something down, I really try to consider, based on my experience, if there is even the smallest audience for this book that we could reach. Because I know what goes into the making of a book, I try to be as respectful as I can.

​I also feel my 20 years working with The Children’s Bookshop owner Terri Schmitz influenced me greatly. She’s legendary amongst the reps who’ve been around a while for being the ultimate test of what would sell. She read everything, from picture books to YA, and she was just very thorough. I learned from her over the years to always look for quality.
 
What is your favorite part of being a children’s book buyer?
 
Definitely going back into the picture book area and just messing about. Sorting and putting things in order. I’ll say to my coworkers when I’m about to do that, “If you need me, I’m gonna be back with my friends.” That is just so awesome, rifling through everything, making sure it’s all in order, reminding yourself, “Oh my gosh, I forgot about this book. I’ll have to recommend this next time I think of it.” Just being with the books is my favorite part.

Leo Landry is the children’s book buyer at An Unlikely Story in Plainville, MA and a published author/illustrator. His books include: Homerun, Touchdown, Basket, Goal (Henry Holt & Co., 2019), Grin and Bear It (Charlesbridge, 2011), and Let's Sign Baby with Kelly Ault, author (Clarion Books, 2010). To see more of his work, visit his website at www.leolandry.com.

Guest blog by Janet Costa Bates and Nancy Tupper Ling 
​
 You head to the bookstore to do a storytime event. You’re all set to read to the little ones and enthrall them with your story.

 But what do you do when no one shows up?

No one.
Not one kid.
Not one adult.
Not even some drenched stranger
​looking to get out of the rain.

You hope.
You pray.
But, still, not one single soul.
What do you do now?

​​First, be grateful that you had your book buddy with you instead of going it alone. (This may not always be the case, but it’s a good idea when you can make it happen.)
 
Decide that since your book buddy is with you, you might as well enjoy each other's company. Walk, or better yet, skip around the store together. 

​You can act a fool and have fun. You can even take pictures or videos of yourselves acting a fool because - why not?   

​And since you weren’t able to entertain anyone while you were at the store, you can post the pictures and entertain people online. You might as well get some mileage out of the experience.
 
Make sure to thank the bookstore staff. After all, they likely tried their best and, like you, were hoping for a good turnout.
 
Lastly, assess. More social media promotion might help attract a crowd, but it might not. What else can you do to assure a better turnout next time?

• Try reaching out directly to family and friends who might be interested.
• Are there any nearby kid-related organizations that might bring in some families or at least post about your event?
• Do you know anyone close to the bookstore who would be willing to share the event with their friends, neighbors, and/or local organizations?
• Maybe you could arrange a giveaway for those who show up for your storytime. (MUST be present to win!)
• Be sure to talk to the bookstore manager or events person to see what they’re willing/able to do.

 
There are many things you can and should do to better your chances of having people show up for your event, but there’s absolutely no guarantee that anyone will. So, just in case, team up with a book buddy, have fun, and enjoy hanging out together. You’re in a bookstore, after all.

Janet Costa Bates is the author of Time For Bed, Old House (Candlewick, 2021) which received four starred reviews and was an NAACP Image Award Nominee. She is also the author of the Rica Baptista chapter book series featuring a Cape Verdean American girl navigating family and friend relationships. Two books in this series are Junior Library Guild Gold Standard selections. 

To learn more about Janet visit www.janetcostabates.com/ and purchase her books here and here. 
To learn more about Nancy visit  www.nancytupperling.com/ and purchase her books here and here. 

by Kristi Mahoney
​
​There is nothing more exciting than when we get to celebrate one of our own. Today we’re thrilled to announce that Amanda Smith, one of the founding members of 24 Carrot Writing, has a poem “Wonder” in a beautiful anthology launching this month. Bless the Earth: A Collection of Poetry for Children to Celebrate and Care for Our World (Convergent/Penguin, 2024) is a stirring collection celebrating our awe-inspiring planet.

Lessons We’ve Learned from Amanda
 
Perseverance
Every writer knows the sting of rejection in this industry. Whether from feedback on a manuscript, a pass from an agent, or a “not for me” response on a submission, those stinging rejections can make us consider giving up our craft. Amanda once told us that she thought about not writing anymore, but quickly reconsidered as she contemplated what she would do with the characters and stories still inside her.
​
Amanda not only follows her heart in all her writing endeavors, but she listens carefully to the stories and words inside her soul. Those tales pour forth with the calming and beautiful thump-thump of a heartbeat that makes those lucky enough to read Amanda’s words instantly fall in love with her work.

Thank you, Amanda, for reminding us that if we are truly passionate about writing, we must continue until there is not a story in our hearts asking to come out.
 
Nailing the Ending
Every month, a group of us at 24 Carrot Writing read picture books and discuss them from a writer’s perspective. Amanda is skilled at knowing the optimal time to end a story. (Hint: usually it’s sooner than we think.) She’s pointed this out on several occasions during our discussions, and now we find Amanda’s voice in our heads as we’re writing book endings. We find ourselves asking: Is this going on too long? Is there a better way to end this? What would Amanda say? Endings are so important to stories and we’re grateful that Amanda is constantly pushing us to polish them up until they shine. And more importantly reminding us to resist the urge to keep writing past the ending. (Did we mention the ending is usually sooner than we think?)
 
Limitless Creativity
As writers we all create. But Amanda has taught us that we shouldn’t limit ourselves when it comes to creativity. She has taken this to heart and has written drafts in many genres, from poetry, to picture books, to graphic novels, to young adult and, most recently, middle grade. Amanda’s creativity also transcends the writing world. She dabbles in painting and refers to herself as a “budding potter.”  However, anyone that has seen her pottery can attest she’s being modest because her pieces are true works of art. Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Big Magic, once said, “A creative life is an amplified life.” For years, Amanda has shown us this through example as she continues to weave her many creative passions together to make writing magic.
 

​Amanda - All of the members of 24 Carrot Writing agree that we are incredibly thankful to have found you on this beautiful Earth. Congrats on your recent published work! We feel truly blessed to know you. 

Amanda is a high school English teacher, an immigrant, a full-time mom, a budding potter, a joyful poet, and an enthusiastic writer. Several of her poems have been published in anthologies, most recently “Wonder” in Bless the Earth: A Collection of Poetry for Children to Celebrate and Care for Our World (Convergent/Penguin, 2024) which will be released in March 2024.

To learn more about Amanda visit her website. To order a copy of Bless the Earth click here. ​

Guest Blog by Hope Lim

Picture books are written for children, but they often appeal to both adults and kids, which makes the genre unique and special. A 32-page book can challenge and change the way we see and think of the world with immediacy due to its brevity, aided by amazing visual elements. Around the time I opened my eyes to the power of picture books, I read an interview with Stephen Fraser, who shared the following:
 
“Composing words in a story or any kind of book is a responsibility, as a kind of gatekeeper of literature. Don’t take that lightly. Writing should be both worthy of you and worthy of your reader.”
 
As an aspiring writer at that time, I was moved by this quote and felt the desire to create stories worthy of my reader and worthy of me. I was also drawn to the word, “responsibility,” which not only spoke to the power of words, but also reminded me of the importance of choosing each word deliberately in a picture book text. Over time, I have developed a fondness for writing stories with a simple narrative that also deliver a deeper meaning through the deliberate choice of words. 

In I Am Bird (Candlewick, 2021), birds represent being free from prejudices and bias, while also serving as a tool that connect people from different backgrounds.
 
In My Tree (Neal Porter Books, 2021), trees embody the circle of life and resilience of nature. A hopeful beginning is shown by a new plum tree taking root in the same place where an old tree once stood.
 
In Mommy's Hometown (Candlewick, 2022), an old river represents a steady force of life running through the city in different times as well as the presence and love of Grandmother. 
​

​Sourgrass (Beach Lane Books, 2024) is about two best friends who, whether they’re right next door or far apart, find a way to keep their friendship alive. In this story, sourgrass represents friendship, trust, promise, and the return of friend. For me, the return of spring each year is a sure sign of trust in nature, and I wanted to connect that with trust in friends.

I also used the change of colors through the seasons to show the main character’s state of mind, impacted by the absence of her friend. I enjoy adding extra meanings in my texts even though sometimes they may be too subtle to be noticed.

We are often told that the past has no power, but spotting sourgrass blooming in bright yellow flowers everywhere always takes me back to the same place in my memories. In my stories, including Sourgrass, the past matters, as a place where special memories reside. And in Sourgrass, Sofia finds a way to live in hope by connecting with her shared memories with May. 

Striking a balance between staying in a child’s frame of mind and telling stories with thematic elements that are open to interpretation has been challenging. But it gives me an opportunity to share my general reflections on life or on a specific time or event in my life. Most of all, it keeps me on the course of striving to create stories that are worthy of my readers and meaningful on a personal level.

Hope Lim is the author of I Am a Bird (Candlewick, 2021) illustrated by Hyewon Yum; My Tree (Neal Porter Books, 2021) illustrated by Il Sung Na; and Mommy's Hometown (Candlewick, 2022) illustrated by Jaime Kim. She lives in San Francisco, where she spots the yellow flowers of sourgrass every spring. 
​
To learn more about Hope visit her website and to order a copy of Sourgrass go here. 

by Amanda Smith

​The first time I heard these words by St. Francis of Assisi, they lit me on fire. I couldn’t shake them from my head. I planned my year’s writing goals around them, and I even wrote a blog in January of 2018 to spark some fire in you, dear reader. You may read it here, but the SparkNotes version is: Let’s do this! Let’s start with the necessary, then set goals for the possible, and in true Robert Browning fashion, let our “reach exceed our grasp” as we strive for those impossible dream-goals. Rah-rah!
​
During December 2023, as I did my yearly goal review and planning, I pondered the peg on which to hang my 2024 writing goal hat. St. Francis’ words fizzled somewhere deep in the synapses of my long-term memory. I pushed down that thought.

“Now listen here, St. Francis,” I told the holy friar from Assisi, “life looks different than it did in thirteenth century Italy. It even looks different than it did in 2018.”

Back then I had two boys in elementary and middle school. My stay-at-home mornings were mostly my own. Back then I could easily accomplish the necessary, reach past the possible, and plan for the impossible.
But this is 2024. After eighteen years at home, I’ve been given the opportunity to return to the classroom and finally teach what I’ve always wanted to: High School Literature and Composition. Even though it is fulfilling and exciting, it certainly leaves little head-space for doing beyond what is urgent. I also have a husband who works from home, a college kid on a completely different schedule than the rest of us, and a high schooler that wants to do EVERYTHING.

Post-pandemic 2024-me is telling 2018-me, “Girl, take a chill pill.”

But the old saint is relentless: “Start by doing what is necessary…” he whispers.
As I stare at the fresh new-year page of my beloved bullet journal, I calm my inner-skeptic and make space for his words. And would you know it? St. Francis’ wisdom hits differently than it did way back then:

The wonder of doing the necessary, is that the unnecessary gets stripped away.

We’ve all established goals and routines throughout the years of building our careers, but somehow, mine had become a heavy list of expectations that weighed me down and plucked the wings of my dreams.
Do I need to track all my reading in two places?
Do I need to persist in a monthly querying practice that gobbles up precious writing time, proves ineffective, and sucks the joy out of creating or is there a more sensible way?
Do I really need to plot my writing life months ahead, or is it okay to just draw pencil hearts in my journal on the days that might likely offer an hour or two of writing?

In the beginning of this new year, it is worth asking yourself whether your writing routines and goals still serve you and to strip away the excess until only the necessary remains.
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Now, if you are in the place where I was six years ago, where you can Robert Browning it, go for it. Please do. “Or what is a heaven for?”
But even then, add some St. Francis frugality to your writing goals.
What is truly necessary?
To write.
Let’s start there.
The prophet Zechariah said, “Do not despise the day of small beginnings.”
Small beginnings. One foot in front of the other.
Write.
And then do the next thing.
“Start,” St. Francis said.
That’s it.
Just start.

Guest Blog by Cedar Pruitt

​I think of poetry as the richest form of language, delivered with the sparest set of tools. The constraints of sentences, paragraphs, and punctuation have all vanished. And what remains? Words, pauses, and silence.
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When writing poetry, not everything makes sense—at least at first. For me, letting go of making sense is the magic and art of poetry. And sometimes that process leads to…a nonfiction picture book. 

I wrote my debut picture book in one poetic jumble on a snowy February day. The inspiration? A real-life event in which an owl flew out of a wildfire and into the co-pilot seat of a firefighting helicopter, where it stayed for several water drops.  

 Two years later, we’re celebrating the launch of  Fire Flight: A Wildfire Escape (Capstone Editions, 2024), illustrated by Chiara Fedele.
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Although Fire Flight followed dozens of other manuscripts and years of hard work, it was my first in which I completely handed over the controls to my inner poet. I allowed myself to experience the feeling of the story and stopped trying to write a narrative. I let go of my sentences, paragraphs, punctuation…and expectations. This is all to say that my first pass didn’t make complete sense.
 A snippet:

From the initial text you see above, only two phrases made it into the final book (“owl territory,” and “orange ribbons.”), but if I hadn’t released myself from the need to make sense, I don’t think I would have found those initial words. And the entire story wouldn’t have taken flight.

What I learned: Let go of the story. Find the feeling. Be free to choose only the words that make you FEEL the essence of the narrative. Apply silence liberally.  
 
My second picture book, releasing in 2026, is also poetic and non-fiction. This story took the opposite path. I didn’t burst out into poetry; far from it. Instead, I wrote laboriously complete sentences to document what my 7th grader learned in school. I focused on describing what it must have been like, late summer, for the teenagers who followed a long, cramped tunnel underneath a French forest until they reached hundreds of astounding cave paintings made 30,000 years earlier.

Eventually, I took that plodding narrative…and wrote about it in a way that made a lot less sense but had a lot more feeling – a poem.
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​A snippet:

​Ultimately, none of that made it into the final text, but it freed me to FEEL the beat of the heart of the main character – to let the spaces between words matter as much as the words do. That book, titled What Marcel Found: The Incredible Story of the Lascaux Cave Paintings (Beach Lane Books /Simon & Schuster, 2026) will be illustrated by David Litchfield.
 
What I learned: When you’ve told a story in a completely linear way that makes absolute sense, run it over with your poetry steamroller, and crush the syntax until you have silences that raise questions.
Know that the illustrations will add additional depth and truth to your non-fiction poetic story. 
 
If you ever find yourself stuck in your writing, just try to stop making sense. Embrace liberty in the way my favorite poet Frank O’Hara did. He wrote about everyday things with a joy and an intimacy that was unique. He really was free.
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Here’s to finding the beat of your own writing and the freedom of poetry in your work!

Cedar Pruitt holds an Ed.M. from Harvard University and works as a consultant of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. She also holds a lifelong love for the music of the Talking Heads. She lives in Massachusetts with her family and is represented by literary agent Mary Cummings of Great River Literary. To learn more about Cedar visit here.