~By Amanda Smith
​
You know those days where you spend an entire day revising a picture book manuscript, making dummies and cutting your manuscript into little strips and studying the dialogue to make sure your characters’ voices are distinct yet consistent?
But at the end of the day nothing looks much different.
Or those days you research agents to query, and after many hours, have nothing more than a list to show?
Do you sometimes feel that drawing up maps or house plans for your novel, or filling out character sheets are wasting writing time, because no actual words are added to your WIP?

A lot of the work we do as writers, cannot be measured in tangible, concrete ways. It is easy to discount these aspects of our work. Yet, all these things are part of the writing journey and we need to acknowledge them as valuable. That is why, at the beginning of this year, I knew I wanted to track my writing progress in a way that included all these aspects of writing.
 Enter: The bullet journal.
Wait, hear me out. I’ve also looked at bullet journal blogs and thought What is this chaos? or This seems like a giant time suck. But that is the beauty of a bullet journal: You can make it exactly what you need it to be.

To have a journal that functions for you, there are a few questions to answer:

1. What is the purpose of your bullet journal for you? What do you want it to do?
Some authors, like Kate Messner, use one journal to manage all aspects of their life. If that sounds ideal to you, I encourage you to read Kate’s blog regarding bullet journaling here.
However, I needed something dedicated to writing and writing-related business ONLY. The rest of my life, my children’s schedules and dentist appointments still went in a daily planner. What I needed was a home for all things writing.

2. How decorative do you want it to be?
I like pretty. I buy planners, folders and notebooks based entirely on looks. I want beautiful covers AND decorative pages inside. Very early on in my research I realized that, if left unchecked, the bullet journal, instead of the writing, would become the project. I could easily spend all my time making it pretty, with swirly calligraphy and coloring pages. But that was not the purpose. The journal was to be my tool. I settled on a simple, functional format, with a little pretty on each page. I do not spend more than an afternoon a month to prep the next month’s tracking pages. (I would not recommend setting up your entire journal at the beginning of the year. As you and your journal grow together and get used to one another, you are going to want the freedom to tweak the format.)
Also consider size here. I wanted room to spread out and use sticky notes and notecards, so my journal is 7X10 inches.

3. What do you need in your journal to move you towards reaching your goals?
I took some time over my Christmas break last year to research other writers’ bullet journals and noted which components would be helpful to me. Inspired by M.M Chouinard, I jotted down what I wanted to track in my journal.

Here is where I landed:

A Writing Dashboard with all my projects and in which stage of the writing journey they are - an overall view of all my current projects. I love using sticky notes on my dashboard, because I can easily move projects from the “Drafting” heading to the “Revision” heading as the project moves along. 

A place to track yearly and monthly goals. The image shows my monthly goals for September, but I also have a page in the front of the journal where my yearly goals are listed. I check in on those quarterly to see if I am on track.
​I like to tally reading with my monthly goals. Some writers have separate book logs in their bullet journals, while others like to use a coloring sheet glued into the journal.

Towards the front of the journal I have a page to track overall progress in my individual projects. For novels I mark progress by scenes. For picture books, I check a box every time I do a revision.

For every month I have a writing log to jot down daily word count. For revisions I write the section/ scene I revised and its changed word count. Notice the celebratory sticker at the end of the month? Don't forget to reward met goals with happy carrots!

On the page next to my writing log, I use Five Things a Day to track other writing related work such as agent research and days spent on querying, critiques, blogs, research, and so forth. Even though I hardly ever fill all five boxes for the day, I do learn a lot from looking back at these pages. I have learned, for instance, that I prefer not to write and revise on the same day.

I have a section designated for monthly blog meeting notes and blog related business. If you do not have a blog, you might want a designated space for website planning and maintenance, or social media strategies. 

A grid with sticky notes keeps track of queries for each project. I still keep detailed records in a spreadsheet, but with this tool I know at the drop of a hat exactly where which manuscript is.

Having everything writing related in one place made this a super productive writing and querying year for me. What do you need to track your progress and other writing related notes? I would like to encourage you to take some time over the next few months to come up with a custom-made system that will empower you in your writing journey.

In June, 2017, this appeared in my inbox:

If you’re intrigued by magazine writing, the first step is to find magazines to write for. There’s a list in The Book, available to members on the SCBWI website. Parents’ Choice Award-winning magazines are listed on their website (https://www.parentschoice.org/product-category/magazines/). If you are really serious, get an account on submittable.com, where you can Discover and Follow magazines, get on their email lists, and keep track of your submissions.
 
Next, go to a magazine’s websites and click on “submissions” (often cleverly hidden in the “contact” section). There, magazines list how to submit material, what format they want it in, and most importantly, what the magazine is currently looking for.
 
Finally, read a few issues. Get an idea of the tone of the articles and what kinds of topics they cover. Check your local library or request a sample issue.
 
If you write fiction, you’ll submit a full article. If you write nonfiction, most magazines ask for a query or pitch.
 
A pitch consists of a paragraph or two describing the scope of your proposed article, an outline, and a list of references you will use. Write your pitch in the format requested by the magazine. Your cover letter (or email) should include your qualifications and a hook: why are kids interested in this? Why is this piece right for Magazine X? As with querying agents and editors, your pitch and cover letter should be your best work and reflect your voice. When you’re starting out, submit pitches that are aligned with your career, hobby, or education.
 
If your pitch is accepted, make sure to meet your deadline (say no if you can’t) and write the number of words asked for, in the agreed-upon outline.
 
If your pitch is rejected, remember that most magazines are fewer than 50 pages, and there are other writers submitting their work. Pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and submit some more pitches. Or submit the pitch somewhere else!
 
Not only is magazine writing a great way to get published before you get published, but you will also gain an understanding of the publishing process. You’ll experience working with an editor, meeting deadlines, writing to spec, researching, and writing concisely. All skills that editors and agents appreciate.
 
For a more detailed look at the children’s magazine market, check out The Book, the SCBWI Non-Fiction & Work for Hire blueboard thread, and http://evelynchristensen.com/mags.html.

Meg Thacher’s debut book, Sky Gazing: a guide to the Moon, Sun, stars, eclipses, and constellations (Storey Publishing) comes out on October 13, 2020. Find her—and more magazine info—at megthacher.com.

To purchase a copy of Meg's debut book click here. 

by Annie Cronin Romano

You’ve heard the advice: read what you write. Do you write nonfiction picture books? Read hundreds of them. Are you a middle grade fantasy writer? Read all the fantasy MG you can get your hands on. Write dystopian young adult? You get the picture. 
​
Let me be clear. This is good advice. Solid advice. It is imperative to be aware of what is getting published in the area in which you write. It’s important to study it. What makes those books work? Why did it make it to the shelves? What is unique about the concept?

But what writers often overlook is that it is just as important to nourish our reading souls as it is our writing knowledge. That means reaching for that book outside the genre in which you write and reading for pleasure. Grab that commercial book club novel. Dive into that mystery or psychological thriller. Itching to check out a sci-fi series? Go for it. Pour a glass of wine and crack the spine on that romance. 

I write picture books and middle grade, and I read as much as I can in both those areas. For quite a while, that’s all I read. But since working in a bookstore and a library for nearly a year, I’ve been reading a lot more YA and adult books of all stripes. I needed to be familiar with what was on the shelves beyond just the children’s sections. When customers and library patrons come in, I have to be prepared to offer tips and guidance in a broader range of areas. And—Surprise! Surprise!—I discovered I could learn a lot from those books that–despite not being the type of books I write--offered a window into strengthening my own writing, regardless of the genre. I found myself considering pacing, character development, plot, setting: the elements that are required in any story, inspired from a different perspective. I wondered how I could try different styles and points of view, how I could switch up my characters and make them more engaging, how I could play with setting and voice. I was still reading for pleasure, of course, but I realized that even though a book isn’t specifically a mentor text to what I write, I can still learn about the art of writing from reading it. Eureka!
​
Of course, no matter what I read, I’m always enjoying myself. But often, I felt locked into a particular genre because it aligned with what I wrote. Now I read more outside my writing genres because it feeds my reader’s soul and, I firmly believe, makes me an even better writer. So yes, continue to read mentor texts and study the areas in which you write, but go beyond that, too. Make time to read whatever catches your fancy. Your inner reader and your thoughtful writer will thank you for it.

Hmmmmm...I have to say I don’t have a set-in-stone illustration process...unless you call “horribly disorganized” an illustration process. Plus I also write all my own stuff, so writing and drawing go hand-in-hand as the story evolves...let’s just say lots of random dialogue is littered throughout my sketchbooks. 

REGARDLESS! I WILL DO MY BEST TO EXPLAIN MY ILLUSTRATION PROCESS FOR YOU BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE!!!!

Shall we begin?

I’m going to include pics of my upcoming (Fall 2021) middle grade graphic novel, DEATH & SPARKLES, since it’s the project that has consumed me for most of this year.

Generally I start by thumbnailing everything out in my sketchbook. These are the roughest of rough drawings/stick figures. Sometimes I start from a specific scene and draw out from there, other times I just start at the beginning and work straight to the end. It helps with figuring out the composition of every spread, but really, this part is all about figuring out those page turns! Finding that big moment where a character is introduced, or where a twist is revealed, or even for when a good joke lands. ​

​From there I take it to the “rough sketches” phase, where you guessed it, I draw rough sketches of the thumbnails!

I try to keep these sketches as loose as possible. It helps me better understand each character by drawing them a ba-jillion times over, while also finding the funnest pose for each spread. This is actually my favorite stage of the illustration process. It's where my creative energy kicks into high gear, and I can really start to envision how the book is going to look.

As you can see, this stage is often mixed in with my thumbnail phase depending on how much of the story or text I have figured out, or if there’s an image that I really want to flesh out.​

After this I scan or take photos of my sketches and redraw everything on my iPad Pro in Procreate (which I highly recommend).

​I used to do this part on my iMac in Photoshop, but man, I've completely switched to this new method. My sketches seem cleaner and looser at the same time. The Apple Pen was a real game changer for me.

​

Rob Justus is the author illustrator of the picture book KID COACH (February 2020, Page Street Kids) and the upcoming DEATH & SPARKLES (Chronicle, Fall 2021). To learn more about Rob visit him here. 

To order your own copy of KID COACH, go to indiebound. 

Priscilla Alpaugh: Working on the Anthologies was a rare chance to work with such a large group of artists. It was wonderful to see each other’s work and be able to share constructive criticism with one another. It’s a treat to read the poems that the Lofters wrote. So many talented writers! It’s energizing to know that everyone is working towards the same goal.
It is always a challenge to combine different poems on one page or spread. I was lucky and got one of the easier combinations. In each case I went in with a pretty clear idea of what I wanted in the image. Starting with thumbnails for composition and then sketches for content led to a final sketch where I could also consider value. I typically combine watercolor and pencil digitally, but this time it was mostly all digital.

​To learn more about Priscilla, visit http://priscillaalpaugh.com/

Leanne Leutkemeyer: I enjoyed the feeling of community. I love the energy and excitement of being in a room with creative people. I enjoyed being part of the team. This project introduced me to so many wonderful and talented writers and illustrators. The timing of this project was perfect for me. It took my mind off the world and let me escape into oceans, play with whales and stingrays, and make art. The Zoom meetings helped fight feelings of isolation.
However, getting art direction from a group can be a challenge. It can be intimidating to sit shoulder to shoulder with artists you admire. In a meeting full of voices, it’s hard to catch and absorb all of the suggestions as they fly by. I scribbled many notes. It’s more challenging to have group input, but also exciting and inspiring to see the incredible work everyone was putting out.             
In which ways did it stretch me?  I developed new painting techniques to work large and discovered different scanning techniques. I’m excited about the new photoshop skills I’ve picked up through this project. In the past I’ve always fixed mistakes on the illustration as I painted or started over till I got it right. It’s pretty mind-blowing to be able to add an extra tail on a stingray while painting and know that I’ll be able to take the earlier one out that wasn’t working, and not have to repaint the whole illustration.

​To learn more about Leanne, visit ​https://www.leanneluetkemeyer.com/

​Amanda Davis: I was honored to have the opportunity to illustrate several poems in this year’s anthology. It’s the first time my illustrations are appearing in a published children’s book alongside many other talented creators to boot! For this particular anthology, illustrators brought to life the fun and crazy creatures of the sea. I knew I wanted to garner a likeness to the creatures in the poems while also putting my own original spin on them. Typically, my process involves drawing from my imagination or from real-life models or scenes. Since I didn’t have access to real-life models of vampire squids or narwhals, I knew this part of my process was going to be a challenge. With the help of the Loft team, I learned more about properly using reference images, avoiding copyright issues, and finding creative ways to craft original models using materials such as clay.  Because I was illustrating for publication, I also felt an added pressure to get it right. This meant practice, practice, practice and revise, revise, revise! I enjoyed working collaboratively with the other artists and design team who provided me with valuable feedback that helped polish my work. The whole experience was a learning process, and I’m grateful for the knowledge and patience of the Loft community. I can’t wait to share our beautiful, seaworthy collection with the world! 
To learn more about Amanda Davis, visit https://www.amandadavisart.com

Joy Nelkin Wieder: Working as a team was the most exciting and educational process in working on an anthology with other Lofters. I learned so much about marketing a children’s book from others on the team that I was able to apply everything I learned when my own book launched in January. Everything from writing up a press release, to making contacts at local bookstores and media outlets, to participating in book signings and presentations, to creating marketing materials such as flyers and posters. During the marketing of An Assortment of Animals, I took the lead in putting together art exhibitions of our original artwork from the anthology. Our framed illustrations were displayed at the Art and Frame Emporium in Westborough and the Hopkinton Art Center in Hopkinton. We currently have an online exhibit of illustrations with the Acton Memorial Library – check it out here: https://www.actonmemoriallibrary.org/events-programs/art-exhibition/ 

​Visit Joy's website at http://jnwieder.com/ to learn more.

Doreen Buchinski: ​I was honored to design An Assortment of Animals. It was a wonderful opportunity and a chance to challenge myself. As a graphic designer, I’ve created brochures, logos, promotional materials, etc., but hadn’t explored designing picture books. I was excited and terrified of the herculean project ahead. Applying principals of good design to the book layout—like alignment, balance, repetition, contrast, type, and space—was priority. Tasks included: researching fonts, colors, and on-demand printing, managing art files, emails, edits, and file prep, while also completing my own anthology illustrations. Yes, there were days when the project felt overwhelming—but I stayed focused on each day’s priorities. With superb anthology editors, Kristen Wixted and Heather Kelly, the Writers' Loft founder, at the helm, the development and completion of the book was successful. Collaborating with talented illustrators and authors, and displaying their beautiful art and poetry on the pages of the book were experiences I will always treasure. 

​Visit Doreen's website at ​https://www.doreenbuchinski.com/

Sarah Brannen: For me, the first step was picking the creatures I was going to illustrate. I went back and forth with the editors as they sorted out who would make art for which poem. I specifically requested jellyfish and they were kind enough to make that work. I also thought I’d like to do sea glass. I was an avid collector as a child and I still have a jar of my very best pieces, which include even rare colors like yellow and pink. 

Kristen Wixted and I talked a lot about how to group the poems. It was her idea to do a spread of things found on the beach, so that I could do a trompe-l’oeil image of everything spread out on the sand. At the last minute Kristen asked me to illustrate the very last poem in the book, Sea Serenity. My most recent book, A Perfect Day, is set on the ocean and it opens with a very calm image of the ocean at dawn. We both felt that something similar would be perfect to close the anthology as well. I sketched a very old wooden lobster pot buoy that I’ve had since I was little, although I changed the colors to white, blue and green. It’s meant to evoke, in some way, the earth itself. Old buoys have numbers carved into them so I put “2020” on the one in the illustration. 

​My web site is www.sarahbrannen.com.

Jodie Apeseche: When illustration assignments were divvied out, I was super excited. I felt that everything was in my wheelhouse-lobsters, cuttlefish, crabs, sea otters, seahorse and sea dragon-yup those would be fun.
 The tricky part was how to make my illustrations connect to the  poems while keeping in my style of painting. For example, after reading Lobster Rainbow more carefully, I was faced with a predicament. I had not realized that I would have to paint 6 different colored lobsters.  I couldn’t figure out how to do that without making a very cluttered illustration. 
 Solution, I created a lobster grid a la Andy Warhol. Problem solving is such a big part of illustration and I owe gratitude to author, Jean Taft, for pushing me to that end.

​For more about Jodie, visit  jodieapeseche.weebly.com or http://art-jam.net/

FRIENDS AND ANEMONES: OCEAN POEMS FOR CHILDREN is set to launch in November and is chock-full of whimsy, fun, and freaky animal facts that will delight children and adults. To learn more about the Writers' Loft visit  www.thewritersloft.org/ and www.thewritersloft.org/anthology for information regarding previous anthologies.

By Ashley Benham Yazdani
 
In most picture books the characters that we write about are humans, or animals, or at least some kind of organism. But what if you want to tell the story of a place? When writing my nonfiction book, A Green Place to Be: The Creation of Central Park, I sought to tell the story of one of America’s beloved landscapes and its two designers, Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux.

Bio: Ashley Yazdani is a picture book author/illustrator, reader, and nature lover. She received her MFA from the Illustration Practice Program at the Maryland Institute College of Art, and her BFA in Illustration from California College of the Arts. She has taught illustration courses at the Maryland Institute College of Art, and Towson University. Her debut book, A Green Place to Be, is currently available from Candlewick Press and can be found at your local bookstore. Her tools of the trade are watercolors, colored pencils, and Photoshop, but she also enjoys embroidery, block printing, and screen printing. When not pushing pigment or pixels around, Ashley can be found reading, sewing, or running around in the great outdoors. She lives in Minneapolis with her husband and son. ​

story is that you care so much about this story you’ll want everything to be perfect, thinking that everything in this story os a reflection of your taste and ability - but the problem is perfectionism kills creativity. Small breaks and critique groups can help during those moments of self-doubt. Though the reward of publishing my very own story makes it all worth it!

- Isabella Kung is the author/illustrator of No Fuzzball! (Orchard Books, August 4, 2020) ​

Watch webinars
I have probably learned the most about the craft of writing/illustrating picture books from webinars—particularly the ones offered by StorytellerAcademy.com and from regional SCBWI chapters. I’ve had the opportunity to learn from top-notch authors/illustrators, art directors, editors, and agents all from the comfort of my own home and for a relatively low cost. I find they often give me the confidence and/or inspiration to go just a little bit outside my comfort zone and try out new story structures, formats or techniques.

​To learn more about The Soaring 20's Picture Book group please visit them here. 

Korrie Leer is an author illustrator whose debut, BIG SIBLING GETAWAY (Albert Whitman & Co.), launches on September 1, 2020. 

We are thrilled to have Korrie join us as we continue to celebrate 24 Carrot Writing's Illustrator Bonanza! 

Korrie talks about her early rookie missteps, the revision process, how her artist eye informs her writing, and best of all how fan girl art keeps her motivated. 

My journey to becoming an author/illustrator was a long one! I studied elementary education in college and while I loved teaching (especially reading and literature), I found myself daydreaming about creating my own books.  
 
In the beginning, I did everything a new writer is NOT supposed to do. I wrote in rhyme (without any real effort in getting it right). I wrote stories using over 1000 words. I rarely sought feedback and when I did, I was reluctant to make changes. At this point in my writing career, the words came first. I wrote pages and pages in a lot of detail and then drew very obvious illustrations to go with it. The illustrations were showing the same thing the text was telling. (Another big no no.) 
 
After a few rejections from agents, I knew I had to make a change. I put a pause on the actual writing and illustrating, and put all of my energy into researching and learning. I joined Julie Hedlund’s 12x12, SCBWI, and basically read, watched, and listened to everything I could on writing for children. The best thing I did was attended a SCBWI conference. Not only did I learn A LOT from people already in the industry, but I made friends with new writer’s in the same position as myself – people trying to break into the industry.
 
Now, with a little more knowledge under my belt (I still have a lot of learning to do), the words and the pictures seem to come in whatever order they want, filling in in places where the other is lacking. Sometimes, a scene or a character that deserves a story will pop into my mind and I fill the words around it, other times I think of a concept that seems like a good idea and then have to think of the illustrations that can bring it to life. The biggest thing I’ve learned is that an illustration should give information that the text doesn’t.
 
While at first I approached picture books as a simple, straightforward way to tell a story to a child, I’ve come to realize that they’re actually very complex. Layers and layers of hints, and Easter eggs, and meanings are hidden inside each word, each picture. And while it’s much harder to execute, it’s definitely been more fun this way!

My art was MAJORLY revised on the road to publication and the first big critique came from my agent, Samantha Wekstein. The sample illustrations I queried her with had muted colors and characters with huge eyes, and I mean HUGE. They were messy and now looking back at them, probably not ready to be submitted. Luckily, Samantha liked the story enough and, I guess, saw enough potential in my art, to give me a revise and resubmit. (For those who don’t know, agents will sometimes respond to a query with a critique and ask for the author to send their updated materials.) I was so excited when I got that email, but I was also very nervous. I didn’t want to mess up the opportunity. 
 
When I started revising my art for BIG SIBLING GETAWAY, my husband and I were making a cross country move (in our tiny car with 2 cats) from New Jersey to California. I wanted to get back to Samantha as soon as possible. I wanted her to know that I could handle critiques and that I could be a client that would get back quickly. I drew in the car, in hotels in pretty much every state from east to west, and then finally finished an resubmitted when we reached San Francisco. It’s kind of crazy now that I think of it, but it was totally worth it. It’s still so surprising to see how far my art has come from those first few pages. 
 
​Oh yeah! Another giant change was the title. My book was originally titled THE GETAWAY BOX. The title change came from my publisher, Albert Whitman & Co. While I liked my original title, it had been done before and didn’t give potential readers a clear idea about what the book was about. As a writer, I never expected to change the name of my books, but  I love that THE BIG SIBLING GETAWAY addresses older siblings upfront. I wrote the book for them – they should know that! 
 
Below is an example of one of the first illustrations I queried and an example of one of the illustrations that is in the published book. 

  Funny enough, ZOO-MATE WANTED was technically my first book. I originally titled it I Belong in the Zoo. It rhymed (badly) and it’s illustrations were halfheartedly drawn in a sketchbook (also badly). It was… not good. I shelved it almost immediately after I was done writing it and referred to it as my “zoo book.” 
 
Shortly after, I began working on BIG SIBLING GETAWAY. It was only after I went through the major revisions on BSG that I realized that my zoo book might be salvageable. When I was finally ready to show ZOO-MATE WANTED to my agent, it was absolutely nothing like it was originally.
 
To be completely honest, when the idea to change I BELONG IN THE ZOO to ZOO-MATE WANTED came to me, I wasn’t immediately excited about the idea… I was bummed. I knew how much work it was going to be. Everything needed to change: the characters, the plot, the illustrations, the title. Luckily, because I had just done a similar revision (though not as intense) to BSG, I felt confident enough to give it a shot. And thankfully, after a few major revisions, it paid off! 
 
I don’t think experience has necessarily changed my creative process, but it’s definitely given me the confidence and the courage to take something that’s not great and make the changes and put in the work to make it something I’m proud of. I really believe that that is the one thing I would tell someone who wants to publish a book – any story you want to tell can be reworked and rewritten until it’s great, you just have to be willing to put in the work and make the changes. 

I am! And I’m super excited about it. Right now I’m working on a few hand painted canvas bags that I want to use in a preorder giveaway campaign. I love the idea of swag and I’m hoping that people will appreciate something handmade. Plus, I’m having a great time making them.
 
I’m also fully stocked up on bookmarks and bookplates! Right now, I’m still waiting on my local bookstores and libraries to decided how they’re going to handle their fall events with the current situation, but I’m confident I’ll find a way to get these goodies out into the world. 
 
I’ll definitely be sending some out from my twitter page - @korrieleer

​ I’m very passionate about my novel. I’ve been working on it for about 2 years now. (Writing is so hard! Lol) It’s been strange to go back and forth, working on picture books and the novel, mainly because in picture books I’m so used to limiting the text and letting the pictures give the majority of the information. While this habit of limiting text can be a challenge, I do think my illustration skills benefit my ability to craft a story with words in other ways. For example, because I do see these elements of my story so vividly in my mind, as if they were illustrations in a book, I know exactly what I want out of my writing – it just takes a little longer to pull the right words together. But I will say, I feel pretty accomplished when I feel that I’ve crafted the character or setting I see in my head successfully.
 
I also have a less relevant way my illustration skills benefit my novel writing – creating my own fan art. (Embarrassing but true!) If I’m feeling weighed down or stuck in a rut on my book, I find it really motivating if I have visuals. For example, in the middle of writing my first draft I didn’t think I would ever finish. I couldn’t imagine actually writing the entire book – I had major writer’s block. I took a break. During the break, I fantasized about the book being done and being real. I envisioned the cover, and it made me so excited, I drew it! I printed out my imaginary book cover and pinned it on the bulletin board over my desk. Having the “finished product” in sight gave me the motivation to keep going. Now, during my revision process, I’ll occasionally take a break and doodle a character or two. I found that having this related, but external outlet to the actual book has allowed me to see the book in different ways – plus it’s super fun!

Besides this novel doodling hobby, I do draw for fun – often! The main reason for that though, is not for myself. I actually babysit three kids (Hunter, Wiley, and LJ – hi, guys!) and they ALWAYS ask me to draw for them. For LJ – usually adorable animals, Wiley – army men and ships, and Hunter – athletes and sports scenes. The three of them have been my biggest fans and are usually the first people to see a new picture book idea. (I’m sure they’ll be super pumped when I show them their names in this.) So yes, I do draw often and when it’s not for a book it’s usually something I’m working on for one of them – and I absolutely love doing it! Plus, I usually get a special drawing back from them as well (:  
​

To learn more about Korrie visit her at https://www.korrieleer.com/. Click here to pre-order a copy of a BIG SIBLING GETAWAY. 

​Guest interview of illustrator Qing Zhuang

Often there is a cloak of mystery surrounding the relationship between an author and an illustrator. When illustrator Qing Zhuang signed on to illustrate How Long Is Forever?, I did what every good author is instructed to do. I sat down and zipped my lip. The idea, and it is a smart one, is to allow the illustrator freedom within their creative process without being hampered or interrupted by the pesky author.
 
It was hard. And I was grateful when the editor sent me sketches and asked for my feedback. But I wonder, what did that process feel like from Qing’s perspective? Let’s ask.

A few months after Charlesbridge bought How Long Is Forever?, I received an email from editor Karen Boss letting me know the Art Department had identified three potential illustrators for the book. I went into major cyber stalk mode. All three were fantastic, but the drawings on your website had me convinced that you were the best pick. Did you know I wrote a four page email back with pics from your website as proof? How did you first hear of the project? And what made you sign on?

I wish I could read why you liked my work best out of the three! The competition is SO fierce! I signed on because of how simple but deep it is. This is a story that can be as sweet or thought provoking as you want it to be. I just remember gazing up at the sky as a child getting lost pondering the nature of time and forever-ness.

“How Long is Forever?” Can spur such a philosophical discussion with young ones but it can also be about the down to earth experiences of familial love and the creature comforts we share with the people we love. 

It can be about losing a grandparent. When I showed the manuscript to my now husband, he started tearing up. He said it reminded him of his own grandfather who used to make him Chinese pancakes and that was his favorite memory that he will keep forever of this person whom he loved so much. I knew that this story can potentially mean something special to each reader so I was excited to be a part of it!  ​

​Qing Zhuang is an illustrator and elementary educator based in New York City. She holds a BFA in Illustration from Maryland Institute College of Art, Baltimore, and a MA in teaching from School of Visual Arts, New York. How Long Is Forever? is her debut as an illustrator. She is represented by Wendi Gu of Sanford Greenburger Associates. Qing's debut as both author and illustrator, Rainbow Shopping will launch from Holiday House in the summer of 2022. To learn more about Qing, visit her website at www.qingthings.com. 

To purchase a copy of How Long Is Forever? click here.