Why go to ALA?

thoughts from Hazel Mitchell

If you're not a librarian or a publisher, why would you go to an ALA event? (And for those of you who don't know, ALA stands for American Library Association).

My question is, why would you not?

Twice yearly ALA holds a national conference in Mid Winter and in Summer. Venues rotate each year, so they could be in Chicago, New Orleans, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, DC etc. At some point there'll be one near you! And if you're an author or an illustrator (pubbed or unpubbed) take some time and go see what it's all about. If it's within traveling distance, you could just go for the day, otherwise, obviously, there's the cost of travel and hotel, which may be tax deductible. The cost of registering for the exhibition floor is minimal, some of the panels or events will cost extra. Personally, I could spend all day on the exhibition floor and not see everything. Even better -  get your crit group/friends/booklovers together and have a road trip!

Aside from bagging goodies, seeing amazing authors and illustrators, witnessing librarians en masse, browsing the stands of publishers large and small, you'll see a whole other side to the publishing industry and what makes it tick.

Of course, one of the best ways to get there is if you are invited by your publisher, all expenses paid. In fact, a couple of years ago I thought that was the only way you COULD go!

But not so .. anyone can attend the exhibition or register for events that happen all through the week. And if you're published and your publisher has a booth, ask them if they'd like you to do a signing while you're there and if they are willing to get you a pass. Good publicity for you and your publisher. That's my opinion - the world has changed and so has publishing. TIP - you have to invest in yourself and your career.

Signing at Charlesbridge Booth

As I said, you can spend a long time just walking the exhibition floor. If you've a pass go an hour early before everyone arrives, grab a coffee and spend quiet time browsing the stands and looking at next season's books - in peace.

When the doors open, be prepared for a stampede! Librarians in large quantities are a little scary! It IS wonderful to witness the enthusiasm and sheer love of books pouring forth. Many of the publishers give away free copies (or at reduced cost) and arcs/f&g's and they're highly sought after. It's wonderful to have a copy of the book before it hits the shelves! Especially if you can get it signed by the author or illustrator. (Something to treasure on the dark days of winter).

Mo Willems!

Brian Selznick managed to get a photo with me ;-)

Yes, it's a chance to mingle with the great and the good! Maybe you'll only ever see so much children's writing and illustrating talent in one place. The publishers bring out the stars and the signing lines can be very, VERY long. Just the chance to say hello to a literary hero or have a photo with them is inspiring!


You never know who you will bump into round each corner...

Olivia!

Erin and Phillip Stead with Neal Porter watching over.

Editors and art directors are sometimes on the stands along with the hard-working marketing personnel. But this is NOT the place to pitch your idea or go for a hard hitting sell! People are here to talk to librarians and sell books. Not saying that occasionally there's time for a chat or to fall into conversation, and who knows where it could lead? In any situation be professional. If the meeting suggests it, leave your promo card and ask for theirs. TIP - be interested in what's new on their list and you'll always find something to talk about.

With Ellen Hopkins

During the day there are events happening on the floor. Different stages have authors and illustrators talking and demo-ing throughout the day - check out the schedule and mark who you want to listen to. This year I got to hear Ellen Hopkins reading from her new book. Then I got a hug too!

Artist's Alley always has an interesting display of art and artists to talk to.

Jon Klassen receives his Caldecott!

There may be panels you can attend free of charge, so again check the schedule. You may need to register for some of these before the conference.

Aside from publishers, all kinds of book related businesses exhibit at ALA and there are lots of things to browse.

Summer ALA is home to the Newbery/Caldecott awards (among other ceremonies). Treat yourself and buy a ticket for the banquet. TIP - go along to the venue and wait until after the eating has finished. Then interested listeners can sit on chairs placed at the back of the banquet hall to listen and see the awards presented. While the banquet is happening you can hang at the bar! The awards are magnificent, it's great to be in the atmosphere.

Coretta Scott King Breakfast

See your heroes. And talk to librarians!

Beautiful dessert at the Caldecott Banquet

The Coretta Scott King Breakfast is a wonderful event I'd highly recommend.Again, a fantastic atmosphere and will bring you to tears.

S&S Dessert Party

Outside of the exhibition itself you'll find peripheral events going on - a pre-Caldecott talk for example, or other events featuring YA authors. Often local Kidlit groups will organize get togethers. Best of all if you can swing an invite to one of the big publishing houses 'dessert' evenings GO!

Candace Fleming, Anastasia Suen and Eric Rohmann.

One of the nicest things is meeting up with friends you might not have seen for a while. Often people in the book industry are far flung, and events like this are the only time they get together.

With Kirsten Cappy of Curious City

All in all it feels like coming home.

See you at Las Vegas summer ALA 2014!

Find out more about ALA here:
http://www.ala.org/conferencesevents/ala-upcoming-annual-conferences-midwinter-meetings

And for a look at Summer 2013 Chicago ... http://ala13.ala.org/

Thanks for visiting Turbo Monkeys!

Find out more about me at www.hazelmitchell.com

See my latest book trailer for 'One Word Pearl' from Charlesbridge/Mackinac Island Press.

Come meet me at:
Princeton Book Festival, NJ Sept 21st NERA Reading Event, Portland Maine
Sept 19th
NESCBWI Illustrator's Symposium,
Nov 2 Manchester, NH.

One Year Later...

Mentish Retreat November 2012

It's hard to believe it's been a year since we launched Turbo Monkey Tales. So much has happened since our first blog post! In honor of our anniversary we thought we'd all take stock and offer our own personal Year in Review.
So, without further ado, here's what the Turbo Monkeys have been up to for the last twelve months!

Hazel Mitchell

• New books include: 1,2,3 BY THE SEA from Kane Miller, ONE WORD PEARL from Charlesbridge and DOUBLE CROSSED AT CACTUS FLATS from ABDO. 
• Completed illustrations for HIGHLIGHTS MAGAZINE and educational books. 
• Spoke at SCBWI conferences in Paris and New England.
• Signed with a school booking agent http://authorvisits.com
• Visited several book festivals (including Bologna Children's Book Fair, The London Book Fair and ALA Chicago), book stores and schools!
• Now working on a new book with Charlesbridge due in Fall 2014!

Amy Allgeyer Cook

It’s been a pretty exciting year for me. I (finally) finished the first draft of my young adult novel, Water for Starfish, during NaNoWriMo, then spent the next six months in revisions. 

On May 14th, I sent out my first wave of agent queries. Over the next two months, I received full requests, form rejections, more full requests, rejections on fulls, more full requests and … more rejections. Then, on July 15th, came an offer. YAY! Big squees! I let the other agents who had open queries or full manuscripts know that there was an offer on the table. And I gave them two weeks to finish reading and get back to me. Two weeks later, I had three offers of representation from three absolutely freaking amazing agents, every one of whom would have been stellar to work with. Unfortunately, I had to pick JUST ONE! 

After a very thoughtful weekend spent in Reno with some very dear writer friends, I decided to go with Danielle Chiotti of Upstart Crow Literary. I’m so excited to be a part of the Upstart Crow team and to be working with Danielle, especially!

Sarah McGuire

Last year, our blog's first day was also the first day of preservice in my school district. That seems fitting, since it was also the first year that I taught Creative Writing, which was truly an adventure.

Since then, I...

• Finished the Highlights workshop with Patti Gauch in October, which helped my jump into revisions on VALIANT
• Started submitting VALIANT on February 14
• Spent spring break angsting about VALIANT while vacationing at the oh-so-fabulous When Words Count retreat. (Yay for sweepstakes!)
• Signed with Tracey Adams of Adams Literary in April (I'm still happy dancing!)
• Finished school year and VALIANT revisions the way most teachers do– sleep deprived and somewhat incoherent
• Drove cross-country to help a friend move to Washington state. I even stopped in Reno on the way back to meet with a few of Monkey tribe! VALIANT has traveled as well- venturing out into the world as it looks for a home.

This week, it begins again. During preservice, I'll be preparing for Algebra II, College Algebra Trig, and of course, Creative Writing. 

Craig Lew

In this year of the Turbo Monkey: 

1) My movie ROCK JOCKS released in Theaters in June - Available on iTunes and Amazon http://www.rockjocksthemovie.com

2) My Augmented Reality App BPZapp became available in the iTunes App Store and Google Play 

3) My Augmented Reality graphic novel, THE GOTHS: THE HUNTRESS (available on Amazon) was a finalist in the Indie Excellence Book Awards.

4) My latest acquisition, SMELVIN AND GOULASH BOY (written by Amy Allgeyer Cook, Edited by Lorin Oberweger, illustrated by Hazel Mitchell) will release in print, iBook and enhanced with Augmented Reality in Fall 2013.

5) Spoke at the Boise Cutters and Idaho Media Professionals Film Groups

6) I adopted Smittens, the kitten with the marshmallow mittens. 

7) Raced in the Idaho State Criterium Cycling Championships and lived

8) Met many new people and made some amazing friends.

I have two pending deals which could be huge...but I cannot talk about them yet.

Julie Dillard

Year highlights:

I feel really fortunate to have had the opportunity to attend TWO inspiring conferences this year--the Ventana Sierra Advanced Writers Workshop and SCBWI's Summer Conference in Los Angeles. I'm attacking my stories with fresher enthusiasm because of the focused time those experiences provided to hone in on craft and process. I am in a rewarding new teaching position, which means I have to draw on all the thoughtful advice I get from fellow writers to make progress in the limited time I have. One method I've adopted is getting up at 5am to sneak in an hour of writing before rushing off to work. The best side effect is having the story simmer in my head all day long! The very best part of this year has been, through conferences and great meet-ups with writer friends, abundant reminders of how very kind, funny, and compassionate--even heroic--people who write for children can be. Bring on the new year!

Kristen Crowley Held

Just a couple of days after our first blog post in 2012 I participated in the awesome online children’s writers conference WriteOnCon. This year’s conference starts tomorrow and, trust me, you won’t want to miss it! I also found inspiration at several in person SCBWI conferences and events where I reconnected with old friends and discovered new ones. By far my favorite part of this past year was attending the book launches of several writerly friends and crit buddies. I also had the pleasure of seeing my name in the acknowledgements of a real live book for the first time (if you haven’t read Katherine Longshore's TARNISH, go buy a copy right now, I’ll wait!). After much back and forthing, I broke up with my MG fantasy novel once and for all (or at least until I can figure out how to make it the wondrously magical thing I want it to be). With the help of a two week fast draft class run by Candace Havens, I wrote a “discovery draft” of the YA mystery (BLURT) I started at our mentish reunion at the fabulous St. Mary’s Art and Retreat Center in Virginia City, and next month I’m off to the Writer's Police Academy to make sure my manuscript “won’t bleed red ink later.”  I’m excited about getting BLURT to the beautiful/shiny stage and will be hopping on the query roller coaster later this year. Wish me luck!

Ellen Jellison

For the past year, I’ve been working on a middle grade historical/fantasy novel set along the Danube River in 170 AD. Ancient Roman and Germanic mythology is woven throughout the story, at times in real life, then fading back into mythology. Getting it right has been a challenge. The book is called JUSTUS, although I call it my Never Ending Revision. I’m finally on the last chapters, so yippee!  Two conferences that I recently attended and can highly recommend are the Speakeasy Literary Society’s retreat at Fallen Leaf Lake, and Terri Farley’s Ridin’ Writer’s Workshop. Both were intimate in nature, yet very powerful. I left both with new friendships, new ideas, and a rejuvenated determination in finishing JUSTUS, no matter how long the journey! My favorite word is perseverance, one familiar to all writers and illustrators . . . hang in there and keep on truckin’!

Marilyn Hilton

This has been a wonderful year with the monkeys! Although I didn't lose the 10 pounds I'd hoped to, I read lots of fabulous middle-grade and young-adult novels that have entertained, inspired, amused, educated, and enlightened me. I also attended several writers conferences and retreats, including three SCBWI regional conferences with Kristen, the Speakeasy Literary Society Retreat in April with Ellen, and the SCBWI Summer Conference in LA with Julie and Craig. It was a treat to have that time with them and so many other inspiring writers of children's literature. In October, a YA manuscript I'd been working on won the First Page contest at the SCBWI San Francisco North & East Bay conference, and I've continued working on that manuscript, along with a few others. But most of my writing time and energy this year have been spent working on revisions of my debut middle-grade novel, FOUND THINGS, which will be published by Atheneum in summer 2014. (The photo is me with my wonderful editor, Namrata Tripathi.)

I can't imagine having taken this journey so far without the monkeys, and I'm so excited to see what the next year brings for us all!

One Word Pearl and the Beautifully Full of Words Hazel Mitchell

by Amy Allgeyer Cook

Today, I'm super happy to be interviewing my dear friend and fellow Turbo Monkey Hazel Mitchell, whose latest illustrations hit the shelves last week in the darling new picture book One Word Pearl, written by Nicole Groeneweg.

So, Hazel, give us the pitch for One Word Pearl.

Pearl loves words. All kinds of words. Words make up songs, stories, poems . . . and what does a lover of words do? She collects them, of course!

But one day most of Pearl’s words are blown away, leaving her only a few which she keeps safely in her treasure chest. After that day she uses each word carefully—one at a time, until she has no words left. When her teacher asks her questions at school, she doesn’t answer. When her friend wants to know what she has for lunch, she can’t respond. What will Pearl do without her precious words? Will she ever find them?
One Word Pearl explores the power of words to transform, inspire, and cultivate imagination. This whimsical story is the winner of the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP) Children’s Book Competition in the Picture Book category.

(ISBN 978-1-934133-53-8 $17.95 HC  -- Ages 5–8)

It sounds fantastic. What’s your favorite part of the story?

A look at the Bologna Children's Book Fair

by Hazel Mitchell

This year I visited the Bologna Children's Book Fair in Italy and I wanted to share my experience and the benefits of visiting this prestigious event.

The Fair was celebrating it's 50th year. It was my first visit to Bologna and I combined my visit with a trip home to England (where I was born) and also the Paris Europolitan SCBWI conference.

I was lucky enough to hook up with the SCBWI Illustration Co-ordinator for Europe (Kirsten Carlson who is a wonderful artist! and we shared a cute little apartment that was VERY reasonable compared with hotel rooms, right in the heart of the old city. We could walk everywhere or easily get the bus/taxi. Restaurants were on every corner and it was easy to buy groceries etc.

Bologna is the most fabulous city. The architecture is beautiful, the food amazing and the people so friendly and accommodating. This was my first trip to Italy and I am longing to go back!

I felt very safe there walking around on my own, even at night. There are so many museums, shops, art galleries, so if you go, try and give yourself a little time to get around the city as well as the fair.

Every 2nd year the SCBWI have a booth at the fair and it's a good idea to go in that year, (if you're an SCBWI member), because there will be lots of people to connect with, hangout with and go to dinner with! Find out more at http://www.scbwibologna.org/ - they will have a booth there in 2014 and lots of SCBWI happenings.

The fair is HUGE. In reality it is very much about selling rights and watching the business happening on the floor is fascinating. The halls are many and filled from wall to wall with publishers from every region of the world. It's an education to look at books from other cultures, too. You'd do well to study the guide before you get there and find out where the publishers are that you'd like to visit.

Make sure you have comfortable SHOES, stay HYDRATED and take RESTS. It's fun just to stop, find a resting place and watch the book world go by.

 Be sure to have coffee and arrive before the crowds.

So why go? For me, I was curious to visit this legendary book fair and to network with publisher's from around the world. There is also a very big contingency of illustrators attending and events for illustrators. So if you are an illustrator it makes complete sense to go.

I have to say if you're a writer, it's a big investment for what will be a great experience, but much harder to network. Having said that I know plenty of writers who've been and there are many, many editors and agents around to chat with if you network hard.

In this pic you can see the famous 'illustrator's wall' behind me where everyone leaves their postcards.

Each year there is an exhibition of illustrators which you can enter via the Bologna Fair website. It's very interesting and usually includes many avant garde illustrations from across the globe. This year there was also an exhibition of Peter Sis' work and Peter gave many talks throughout the Fair.

Peter Sis talking about his life and career in the Illustrator's Cafe. You do have to listen to the Italian translation though, which can make the sessions a wee bit ... long. Take a sketch pad!

 

There's lots of other great things going on, like the digital cafe which ran great panels and discussions. You will find a plethora of panels and talks to attend.

The fair runs for 4 days. It's not terribly expensive and illustrators can apply for a discount voucher to reduce the price.

Nearly all day the big publishers are in meetings and it's hard to get on their stands unless you have an appointment ...

Some of the publishers will see portfolios and they announce this on their stands for particular times during the day. I do have to say, though, standing in line with a bunch of what mostly seemed to be art students for hours didn't seem to me to be a good use of my time, but I'm sure some people are discovered that way! For me, I was happier browsing the stands and chatting to marketing/editors/art directors if available and giving them a card and taking one to follow up later.

There is a LOT to see and much of it is great fun and a visual feast. I did two days at the fair and didn't see all of it!   Here's a tip .. after the exhibition officially closes, many of the booths have drinks parties (and food!) so seek these out,  

eat cheap and meet contacts and new friends! But for goodness sake, remember those comfortable shoes!

Here are some MAD MEN ....

While you are walking around, look above when you're standing in the Illustrator's Cafe and you will see a big glass room. Go up the escalator and gaze at the rows and rows of tables and chairs, (like something from 1984), seating agents talking to buyers and look in wonder. THIS is where the real business happens!

If your publisher is there, maybe you'll find your book on display too! There are very few signings at Bologna, it's not that kind of fair. It is all about the selling.

One thing there is a lot of at Bologna is wonderful food, even in the cafes at the convention centre. This was a lovely light lunch I had on one of the days.

 And, of course, after all the walking and talking was done, there was dinner and wine and FRIENDS!

 I would thoroughly recommend a trip to Bologna, even if it is only once in a lifetime. Plan carefully, and have a great time!

Toodles
Hazel

http://hazelmitchell.com
"One Word Pearl" coming Fall 2013
Click here for my events diary

Monkey #1s: The One Thing You Wish You'd Known When You Were Just Starting Out

Amy:  I wish I’d worked harder at studying the craft when I first started (and not just spewed words onto a page.) You do learn by writing, but it’s a trial-and-error sort of learning.

Craig:  That YA should be in first person.

Ellen:  I wish rejection letters had not had such an impact on my early writing, and that I should persevere.

Hazel:  I wish I’d started earlier.

Julie:  Do it entirely for love of it, for the writing itself. That's the only thing (besides the friendships) that will keep you going.

Kristen:  There's no such thing as a day off when you're a writer.

Marilyn:  I wish I had known that writing would take lots of guts, determination, and manufactured confidence

Sarah:  (I heard it but I didn't believe it.) It's going to take a while. It's going to take time to be half as good as I'd like to be. It's going to take a while to become familiar with the industry. But more than that, it's okay if it takes that much time. Lots of good stuff happens along the way, if you have the courage and sense of adventure to stick it out.

So you're going to self publish ... you found yourself an editor. But what about the art?

by Hazel Mitchell

You got options. We all got options, these days. Let's look at the possibility that you're going to self publish your story.

Maybe you're not doing this because you are abandoning traditional publishing. There could be several reasons that you're going down this path.  I'm hoping it's NOT because you are desperate to have a published book in your sticky mitts. Self publishing (and making a success of it) has to be one of the hardest (and most expensive) ways for an author to see their book in print. Maybe you have a niche book .. you know your market, you can sell a lot of copies. Or traditional publishing doesn't appeal to you - you want to keep control of your book and sell it for many years to come. Or you have a good online base and are going to sell online. Or you love marketing and a challenge!

Whatever the reason it's becoming more and more of a requirement for your book to be as PROFESSIONAL as possible to succeed in an over-crowded market place. Whether your project is a physical book or an e-book, there's a whole support team you may need. No, wait, very PROBABLY need!

You've got a great story. Maybe it's a novel, non-fiction or a picture book. For reasons (as above) you are not submitting it to publishing houses. You're going it alone.


Route One - you use an 'all inclusive' publishing house. They do everything from editing to marketing. Read no further.
Route Two - you are going to put this book together yourself and hire all the individuals.

You'll need:

An editor. (Don't skimp on this one - an editor is a damned fine idea. God made them for a reason. OK, they have issues, but they are GOOD issues). You are the creator, not the editor. Publishing has worked good for this long for a reason. Everyone has their own job to do!

An illustrator. (Maybe you are also the illustrator? Fine) Hmm .. let's come back to that one.

An art director. Really? What the hell do they do anyway??

A book designer/graphic designer. (No, you can't just knock up the whole thing in word or similar.)

A proof reader. (Hire a pro, or maybe your editor will offer this service).

A printer. (Shop around.)

A marketing professional. (You, possibly.)

A PR person. (Nice to have.)

An understanding partner. And lots o' stamina. And not a small amount of investment (hence understanding partner.)

That's a lot of people right?

And here's the thing. Unless you are a professional artist/illustrator, most creators will need to hire someone to produce a cover and any internal art. Find the best you can. (That's the best, not the cheapest.) Don't be surprised if your favorite book illustrator isn't interested. They're usually busy working on their own projects. But good illustrators can be found to produce self-published projects. But expect to pay industry prices. Check references and see previous work.

You may be lucky and find an illustrator who can also do the book design. If not, then find a good book designer.

But wait, I was talking about art directors. You understand the need for an editor, but an art director? Hell, you know what looks good, why pay someone to tell you?

Because a professional art director can save you a lot of money in the long run. Without someone to oversee or place a guiding hand on the entire project, then your vision, (and all the money you're investing in it), may come to nothing. 

You CAN get by without an art director. But I'd suggest, (just as any sane person would hire an independent editor), it's as important to have an art director look over the total design BEFORE it's produced or illustrated. Someone who can pull the project together, advise on any design issues and look at the art from an outsider's POV.

It could be the difference between a project booksellers can't wait to get on their shelves, or that festival organizers are begging to have at their events. A poorly produced book, however stellar the writing or art, will NOT get a second glance from a professional buyer. Or hold the attention of a reader. Think about it.

Seeking out these individuals is a bit harder than locating an independent editor. But it can be done. Ask your editor if they know an independent art director that would work on your project. If you hire an illustrator or book designer, they also may be able to refer you. Ask contacts or your local SCBWI chapter for any information they have. Get a copy of the Graphic Designer's Handbook and leaf through the directory. Also of help might be The Graphic Artist's Guild and the Art Director's Guild. And then there is always the internet - but check references! A great website to look at for talented individuals is http://www.creativehotlist.com/.

What I wouldn't suggest you do is call an art director at a publishing house. They are working for someone else!

Don't leave it to chance. It could be the difference between a successful book or the waste of a great story.

(Also ... if you know any, OR are a freelance AD, leave a comment!)

Toodles!
Hazel

See my latest books at - http://hazelmitchell.com/Hazel%20Mitchell%20Books.htm
I'll be speaking next at the Europolitan SCBWI, Paris, France on 29-30th March.

An Illustrator's Bucket List by Hazel Mitchell

Last night I thought, 'Oh lummee! It's my turn to blog tomorrow.  And I hadn't a clue what I was going to write about. And then, happily, two illustrator friends messaged me on much the same subject: AGENTS.

Alright, that's a misnomer, I am NOT going to yak on about agents. (Important though they are.)

What those conversations did get me thinking about was my 'ILLUSTRATION BUCKET LIST'.

This began just about as soon as I started to think seriously about my 'career'. (Or lack of one.)

IN THE BEGINNING the list was pretty short:

• Have the nads to spend more than 10 minutes in a children's book store without feeling overwhelmed/excited/suicidal.
• Get published and be fabulously famous. And rich.

I missed a hell of a lot of interim steps out! Like the whole illustration process for one (and two, three, four and five). Luckily I got me to a workshop.

MY BUCKET LIST GREW

• Learn more about kid's books. 
• Go to a conference. Meet some people.
• Get published and be fabulously famous. (And rich).

I reacquainted myself with the children's library and recalled books I loved as a kid plus reading a **** load of new books.
I went to an SCBWI conference.

NEW BUCKET LIST

• I know nothing. (Do something about it.)
• Create a portfolio. One that I would dare show to people.
• Create a website.
• Get a platform.
• Get an agent.
• Get published and be fabulously famous. (And rich).

I DID do something. I read, I listened, I networked, I went to more conferences.I began to draw like I hadn't in years. I started working on dummies. I submitted. I got rejected. I got rejected. I got rejected.

WORKING ON A NEW LIST

• I know nothing. (Do more about it.)
• Create a portfolio. With better work in it.
• GET A STYLE. (What is style??)
• Change website (again).
• Mail out postcards.
• Work on platform. And Blog. And Facebook. And Twitter. And ...
• GET an agent.
• Create more time to work on CRAFT. (gulp. This will mean analyzing my life and work)
• Get published and be fabulously famous. (And rich).

I continued to immerse myself in gaining as much knowledge as I could. I worked on my illustration. I submitted and mailed out. I got rejected. AGAIN. and AGAIN.

BACK TO LIST

• I know nothing. (Do more about it.)
• Work on portfolio.
• Try not to worry about style.
• Simplify website.
•  Mail out postcards. Work on contact list.
•  Work on platform. And Blog. And Facebook. And Twitter.  Don't spend too much time online.
• Get an agent.
• Work on CRAFT. 
• Get published and be fabulously famous. (And rich).

So a few years passed. I found I could now spend a lot of time in bookstores without breaking out in a sweat and feeling totally inadequate.
I was beginning to recognize a glimmer in my work that looked like SOMETHING and not the hodge podge of regurgitated learning from my past life as a fine artist/graphic designer/other. It was - voice.
The time and effort in giving myself a fast education in the children's book industry (via conferences, workshops, internet, books) was paying off.

I got my first real book to illustrate.

PRESENT LIST

• Work on CRAFT. Seek out places to learn more. Be a sponge. Be INSPIRED!
• Create.
• Enjoy.
• Promote.
• Wait for the right agent.
• Hope to work with great art directors and editors.
• Find the balance between work, supporting everyday life, living, and letting the stories out.

All I want to say, (really), is that everyone's list is different, and rightly so. I am amazed at the paths of my fellow artists and writers. There's NO right or wrong way, there is only YOUR way. Our wants and needs change. For me it was from a 'tick list' that gave me a lot of stress, all of those things I thought would lead me on the path to 'success'. Not that we don't find those things helpful along the way! And I needed them to get me motivated. But the 'along the way' is where we are, not where we are going. The most important thing to me now, is to do work that inspires the reader and inspires me. That's where satisfaction lies.

So far I wouldn't change a thing.

Toodles!
Hazel
http://hazelmitchell.com

My newest book is out March 1st '1,2,3 by the Sea',
written by Dianne Moritz and published by Kane Miller.

In the coming months I will be presenting workshops at 'Europolitan 2013' Paris, France and NESCBWI 2013 Springfield, MA.

Writer, Heal Thyself: First Aid for Creative Types from Julie Dillard

So many of life’s worthwhile adventures include RISK.  We might suffer scrapes and bruises on the journey, whether it’s climbing a mountain, falling in love, parenting, or choosing the life of a writer/artist… 

A Cautionary Tale about a Girl Who Stood on a Chair to Hang Art

While I haven’t scaled Kilimanjaro and I’m hopeless when it comes to matters of the heart (running for one's passport is apparently not "a healthy choice"), I do have experience with effective first-aid for kid ouches. I have ice packs shaped like frogs and bunnies, bandages of every size, ointments, sticky sweet pink, purple, and red concoctions, thermometers, and a slew of books about what to do with that seal cough or goose egg.

Surely we risk-taking creative types deserve a toolbox full of comforts and cures, too, but what to put in it? Ice packs in the shape of character arcs? Bottles of fantasy-inducing potions?

I got a referral to some creative specialists and asked what they would put in a first-aid kit for various writer injuries and ailments.  There were a number of references to the healing properties of whiskey and pale ale, of course. Heather Petty touted the magical properties of Swedish Fish candies (and having read her work, I do not doubt their powers).

Gummy Muse?

In the course of my research, Kristen Crowley Held shared her experience with a writer's "first aid kit made by her husband:

Dan once made me a writer's kit when I went off to a cabin in the woods to write by myself. He checked out a bunch of books on writing/books on the subject I was writing about from the library and included them in a box with some chocolate and a note that I keep in my wallet to this day.

Mustache + Glare= Impact

(Swoon, huh? I know I wasn't the only one who made a point of leaving THAT up on the screen for a horribly neglectful spouse to "happen upon." Cough.)

Presuming you are not married to Kristen’s winner of a husband either, we just might need to (sigh) stock our own writer/illustrator first aid kits.

Next time you face

·         waiting-induced rashes of the psyche,

·         “we just bought a book exactly like it” scalds

·         conflicting rejection vertigo (I love the plot, but not so much the  character/I love the character but not so much the plot),

·         sluggish plot movement (plotstipation), 

·         or the common cold of the writing soul—self doubt,

 see if one of these cures just might deserve a place in your “artist’s first aid kit”:

Therapies:

Editor/Mentor extraordinaire Harold Underdown shows how it's done

• Snack break (posting pictures of it on Facebook optional)
• Walk it off (Nature + Escape)
• Clean or organize (bonus points if you beautify your working space). Charlene Ellen swears by a broom and a yard full of leaves to brush off the mental cobwebs.
• Change  (Abandon your laptop for a giant sheet of butcher paper, etc.)
• Meditation (I've been wanting to do this forever for presence of mind and stress relief--anyone use meditation to good effect? I'd love to hear about it!) Om.

My Biggest Fan

Fill Your Habitat with Creativity-Inducing Things:

Craig Lew's Muse

Favorite pens/tools (Craig Lew vows nothing inspires like a fountain pen)

Pets (because they know how AWESOME you truly are) 

Writer’s notebook or a sketchbook (No censorship—just brainstorming. Let go of the pressure to produce and just play.)

Kristen Held told me of a friend who lights a scented candle whenever she writes, so now when the smell of cinnamon-infused wax wafts through the air, a Pavlovian response kicks in and the muse shows up. (I’m so adopting this. Where is that coconut cream pie candle?)

Nathalie Mvondo (Multiculturalism Rocks!)  agreed that the candle thing works, and she reminded me of the healing/helping nature of music. Work on a playlist or station for that project to get your groove on. Tried Pandora yet? I actually have a station called "emotional writing music." Yep. 

All these things remind me of the importance of a happy habitat for writing. What would help make your working space more inviting and productive?

Second Opinions:

When the writing or drawing life has you under the weather, get a second opinion. Phone a friend, set up a writing evening, enter a contest, or sign up for that conference you're on the fence about--artist friends are the ultimate first responders.  Take that risk of reaching out and branching out. It'll be good for you--and your work.

With a little collaboration, you, too, can feel, well--

star-powered

First Aid Manuals: As creative types, we're naturally drawn to books, right? 

Here are a few books you might take a look at for your first aid kit:

The Artist’s Way  by Julia Cameron (Thanks for the recommendation, Marilyn Hilton!)

Steal Like An Artist : 10 Things Nobody Told You About Being Creative by Austin Kleon 

How Not to Write a Novel :200 Classic Mistakes and How to Avoid Them--a Misstep-by-Misstep Guide by Howard Mittelmark and Sandra Newman

What acts, rituals, items, or books have you found helpful for writer comfort and mental health?   I'm stocking up!