The Soaring '20s Debut Authors Talk Goals

Art by Julie Rowan-Zoch, Soaring '20s Illustrator

by Kelly Carey

​June marks the half way mark of the year and is a perfect time to assess your progress on your annual goals and recommit to ending the year 24 Carrot strong. 

​We’ve invited the Soaring ‘20s picture book debut group to share their thoughts on how they stay motivated to hit their goals. 
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A big 24 Carrot Writing welcome to the high flying picture book debut authors and illustrators of The Soaring ‘20s. 

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What writing goals did you set that helped you find publishing success?

Early on in my writing career, I attended my first SCBWI Asilomar conference, and was given the sage advice to set goals that I have control over. So, not things like “sell 14 picture books,” which really involves many factors beyond my control. Ever since then, I have set yearly goals for myself at that Asilomar conference. I focus on goals that I can tackle as a writer, like improving my craft and tangible outputs. I found this old picture of the goals I set for myself in my second year at the conference (and I’m happy to say that chapter book draft turned into a four-book deal!). Which reminds me, since the Asilomar conference was cancelled this year, I better go find myself a post-it note...
​- Vicky Fang, author of INVENT-A-PET, illustrated by Tidawan Thaipinnarog (Sterling Children's Books, June 2020); LAYLAY AND THE BOTS series, illustrated by Christine Nishiyama  (Scholastic Branches, May 2020); and I CAN CODE board book series, illustrated by Jade Orlando (Sourcebooks, October 2020). ​

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The obvious first answer is setting a goal of writing. Everyone knows to get better at something you have to put in lots of hours of practice. Malcolm Gladwell says you need to practice for 10,000 hours to be great. That would take more than a year if you wrote nonstop and never took breaks to sleep, eat or watch The Tiger King. I do all those so I need to set specific writing times into my daily schedule.

These specific writing appointments are so helpful—especially for when you are feeling stuck, unmotivated or just plain busy. I once heard author Kathi Appelt speak at a conference and she suggested setting a goal of writing for five minutes each day. It’s a short amount of time that almost anyone can achieve and it transforms writing from a hobby to an everyday habit. When you’re feeling uninspired, you can do your five minutes and call it a day. But most days I find, once I start writing, I just keep going.

My personal goal is to write every weekday when my baby naps. Some days I write just a little, but many days I write until I hear her wake up ninety minutes later.

Some of the other goals that can help advance your writing career are:

• Read lots of books in the genre you’re interested in. If you want to write picture books, I recommend reading three picture books per day. If you want to write middle grade or YA, aim for a new book every week or two. Try to read newer releases so you really get a grasp on what’s working and what’s relevant. Read diverse authors. Read things you might not normally read. Ask friends, librarians and especially kids for recommendations. (My own children’s obsession with graphic novels has had a big influence on the trajectory of my writing career).
• Form or join a critique group. Then commit to sharing work with your group frequently. There is nothing like having a deadline to help you get the work done. Another perk of a critique group is getting to read the work of your peers and to take inspiration from it. (The first draft of my book The Stars Beckoned: Edward White’s Amazing Walk in Space was written immediately after I read another writer’s biography in verse and I challenged myself to do the same.)
• Stay positive. It’s really easy to let this business knock you down. There is SO MUCH rejection. Even when you’re having successes (a great critique, an offer from an agent, a book deal), you’ll still face new rejections. Surround yourself with supportive people, love your work and remind yourself why you do what you do. Everyone’s journey is unique, but I believe by setting attainable goals for yourself, you will become a better writer (and likely a more successful one).

-Candy Wellins, author of SATURDAYS ARE FOR STELLA, Saturdays Are For Stella, illustrated by Charlie Eve Ryan (Page Street Kids, August 2020) and THE STARS BECKONED: HOW EDWARD WHITE WALKED IN SPACE, illustrated by  Courtney Dawson (Philomel, Spring 2021).  

How do you motivate yourself to stay on track with your writing goals?

I respond well to gamification. Meaning if I turn something into a game or a tricky challenge, I do better creatively and am more productive. 

For example, I’ve noticed when I can’t get my kids to act on something they are supposed to get done, setting a timer to see if they can finish fast often makes a big difference. So, I also do this all the time with my own work in big and small ways. Whether my own timer for whatever I’m trying to accomplish is set for 3 days or 3 hours, I challenge myself to do hard things on tight deadlines. This has the added benefit of making me ditch my perfectionist self in favor of the part of me that wants to win the game and finish before the timer goes off. I don’t always make it, but it’s fun to try!
-Kjersten Hayes, author of THE ELEPHANTS’ GUIDE TO HIDE-AND-SEEK, illus. Gladys Jose (Sourcebooks Jabberwocky, April 7, 2020)

 Share one of your writing goals for 2020 and tell us why you’ve set that target?

I am so glad you asked. When I had signed up to participate in this blog post, I had jotted down a quick answer to expand on later: “GO ON SUB WITH WORKS FOR OLDER READERS.” I was making end-of-year goals, like one does, and flippantly imagining my success. Then the universe threw a pandemic at us, and I haven’t even opened the chapter book manuscript I had intended to give wings by now. I had also been noodling with an idea for a middle-grade nonfiction proposal that is still languishing in the back of my brain. So I will revise my goal, in the name of self-care and grace: Just. Keep. Writing. Maybe not every day. But to keep moving forward, and to be OK with whatever I can manage. 
— Lindsay H. Metcalf, author of BEATRIX POTTER, SCIENTIST, illustrated by Junyi Wu (September 1, Albert Whitman & Co.); author of FARMERS UNITE! Planting a Protest for Fair Prices (November 11, Calkins Creek); and co-editor, with Jeanette Bradley and Keila V. Dawson, of NO VOICE TOO SMALL: Fourteen Young Americans Making History, illustrated by Bradley (September 22, Charlesbridge)

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One of my writing goals for 2020 is to work on my middle-grade novel.

​The first novel I attempted years ago was a Young Adult Historical Fiction. I flamed out at 3k words when I realized I was in way over my head. I didn't know how to write a novel and having to do lots of research made it even harder. A year ago, I came up with a contemporary middle-grade idea inspired by events from childhood - no need to do research! With my picture books, I normally know the plot first and then the characters. However, with this novel idea, it's the opposite. My first milestone is creating an outline since I have to know where the story is going before I can write. To help me with that I’m relying on the following resources Story Genius and K.M. Weiland’s Outlining Your Novel. Wish me luck!
-Darshana Khiani, author HOW TO WEAR A SARI, illustrated by Joanne Lew-Vriethoff (Spring 2021, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Books/Versify). 

How are you balancing writing and marketing efforts during your debut year?

Am I? Sometimes I don’t think I’m balancing it at all. It probably doesn’t help to be under “stay at home” orders and going through a Pandemic.

Seriously, balancing writing and marketing efforts has been tricky, but it’s certainly made easier by keeping my tasks as organized as possible (I use a bullet journal), by having wonderful critique partners (aka friends), and being in a fabulous debut group. We go through lots of ups and downs, but there’s always someone there to pull us back up, keep us moving forward, remind us to breathe, write, read, relax and play!
​- Joana Pastro, author of LILLYBELLE, A DAMSEL NOT IN DISTRESS illustrated by Jhon Ortiz (Boyds Mill & Kane, Fall 2020) and BISA'S CARNAVAL illustrated by Carolina Coroa (Scholastic, Spring, 2021) 

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​For more information on The Soaring '20s authors, illustrators and debut books, visit https://www.soaring20spb.com/.  You can also find The Soaring '20's group on twitter at @Soaring20sPB.

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