An Interview with Author Susan Taylor Brown - A Girl Who Wanted to Write

Susan Taylor Brown is the author of numerous books for children. The most recent is Hugging the Rock, an American Library Association 2007 Notable Children's book. When you visit Susan’s blog and website you will find out a wealth of information for writers, readers and bloggers. But first enjoy the interview.

Q: When did you decide to become a writer or did it just evolve?

It was/is a lifelong evolutionary process for me. I'm an only child with a very vivid imagination. As a child I was afraid to go to sleep at night and would imagine all sorts of monsters coming down from the ceiling to "get me" while I slept. I told stories about them, long, long stories about them, to get my mom to stay with me as long as possible. When I got older I started making up stories about the various TV shows I watched, changing the endings to suit myself. Usually that meant putting myself into the shows so I could be part of a big, normal (to me) family. Writing stories down progressed from there.

I've always sort of envied those writers who say they knew they wanted to be a writer from the time they learned to write their name on wide ruled paper in school. I thought I couldn't be a "real writer" because I couldn't pinpoint a time in my childhood that I knew had influenced my path to writing. The thing is, I wrote poetry for fun. English was easy for me because I loved to read and I loved to write. Because I was good at it, I got good attention. Which of course encouraged me to keep on writing. All through junior high and high school I wrote in spiral notebooks. Love poems to boys I liked. Hate poems to people that made me mad. But it was just something I did. I never thought I could actually make money at it or look at it as a career option until my first child was born.

I had tried all sorts of home businesses with zero success. One day I was walking around the block with a friend, both of us pushing babies in strollers, and my friend asked me what I would do if I didn't have to worry about making any money at it and I didn't hesitate for a moment before I said I would write. She pointed out that I might as well be doing what I wanted since it was obvious all the other things I was trying weren't making any money either. After we had a good laugh I realized she was right and I enrolled in a writing class the next week. That was over 25 years ago and I've been writing ever since.


Q: Is there any particular element of writing that comes more natural to you than others? For instance, plot, characterization, dialogue?

I think characterization comes easiest to me because my stories always start with the voice of a character whispering in my ear. Until I hear that voice, I find it hard to sit down and write the story. Each of my characters has a part of me that brings them to life.

Q: Which one gives you the hardest time?

Dialogue is always hard for me until I've been in the book for a while. At first it feels contrived. Well, the whole book always feels contrived for a while. But plot, plot is the absolute worst for me. Plot is a four-letter word. I have a really hard time with that one.


Q: What was your inspiration for writing your award winning book, “Hugging the Rock” in verse?

Hugging the Rock is, among other things, about making peace with things you cannot change. I never knew my father, well except for the bits and pieces (not much) that my mother and grandmother told that all added up to him being a horrible, rotten person. I have spent most of my life wondering about my father, wondering what kind of person he was, and what kind of person I might have been had he stuck around. Even though you learn how to pick up and go on, when there is a hole like that in your life it colors everything you think and do for the rest of your life. You can't help it.

Throughout childhood I got pretty good at making up stories about the kind of father I wished I had had. When I started writing I gravitated to the stories that tugged at my own heart, ones that had a main character trying to figure out where they fit into their family. I also knew I would have to write about my relationship, or lack of one, with my father some day. When I was divorced I watched my own children struggle to make sense out of it and wonder if they did something that caused the divorce. I couldn't write this story then, my own pain was still too raw, but it simmered under the surface. I also have several family members who suffer from mental illness and I have seen the devastating affect it has had on their lives and the lives of those they love. All that went into the idea stewpot and simmered for years. I couldn't write Hugging the Rock until I was at a place in my life where I felt safe and loved....I really needed that support system in place before I could tackle this tough topic.

Q: What type of book promotion works best for you? Are there any special strategies you’d like to share?

Oh boy, that's the million dollar question, isn't it? I think the best type of promotion begins long before you ever sell a book. You get your network in place with genuine connections, a combo of in-person and online networks, and you continue to build it, little by little so that when you have a book come out, your network is there, ready to support you. Every author needs to have a website, a place to refer people to learn more about you, your books, your speaking availability, etc. You don't have to blog but I think it helps because I think it makes you more real to your readers, more approachable. People want to buy from someone they know. If you aren't going to blog you should be online somewhere - Facebook, Myspace if you are writing for teens, or at one or two of the places you can find on this Social Media map put together by Lynn E, Hazen and myself. http://www.susantaylorbrown.com/freebies/LynnHazenSusanTBrownWebMap.pdf

I think blogging is the easiest for a lot of people to get started in and I really enjoy it. As for strategies, with regard to blogging (though I think it would ring true for other online networks as well) you need to remember that it is all about sharing. Even though you are doing this for you, to promote yourself and your books, you need to give the reader something first. You need to "pay it forward." Go visit other blogs and leave comments. Eventually people will come to your blog in return. Don't try to read and comment on 100 blogs a day. It will make you crazy. Find a few blogs that speak to you and begin to visit them regularly and leave comments. Grow your audience gradually. If you give good content, you will find an audience.

Q: I am sure you have experienced many memorable moments in your career. Is there one that stands out more?

I would say that one of the most memorable moments for me was being asked to speak at the 2003 Highlights Foundation Conference at Chautauqua. My talk was called Write Where it Hurts: Finding the Courage to Create (you can read a snippet of it here: http://www.highlightsfoundation.org/pages/current/writeWhereItHurts.html)

Q: Have you ever suffered from writer’s block? If so what seems to work for unleashing your creativity?

Every day and all the time. There are some days where I wonder why I am doing this because I have absolutely no idea what I am doing, what to say next, write next, etc. After I finished Hugging the Rock I was so spent emotionally that it took me a long time to find my way back to the words. Sometimes my block comes as a result of that sort of thing, using up all my energy on an emotionally draining project. Sometimes real life intrudes. I am not a disciplined person but I am an obsessive person. I also have a strong sense of guilt when it comes to meeting my deadlines. So for me I have a lot of projects going at once so that when I stall on one, I can move to another one, a new obsession as it were. And I almost always have WFH projects or articles due so I have those deadlines to force me to sit down and write. When the choice is write or not get paid, well, I find a way to write.

Getting unblocked is sometimes as easy as going outside and puttering in the garden for an hour. My subconscious continues to work while I am doing mindless tasks. Sometimes it's much more difficult. Sometimes I need to be kind to myself, to tell myself that I only need to write one true sentence per day. If I do that day after day for a while, eventually, the block breaks.

Q: What is the most important lesson you have learned about making a career as a writer?

That's a tough one because I am learning new things about this business all the time. I think it at a very basic level you have to realize it is a business. Publishers aren't in business to make you feel good or stroke your ego. They are in business to make money. You have to treat your career like a business, make business plans, stay on a budget, get educated, share your knowledge, develop your own marketing plan. No one is going to do that stuff for you. And treating it like a business means making decisions about whether or not to write for free (sometimes yes, sometimes no), when to push for more money and when to be willing to take a credit. It means acting long before you ever publish a book. Because it's a small world. Editors and agents move houses. Agents become editors. Booksellers become agents. Everyone is connected.

Q: How difficult is it for new writers to find an agent?

I think the difficulty comes from finding the right agent. And you might have to accept that you won't have the same agent for your entire career. It's hard to find one that both likes your work and that you feel you "click" with. But just like writing a book, you have to put in the time. Go to conferences, research the agents and agencies online. Actually conferences are a great way to meet agents because you can often get a critique of a manuscript which might open a door for you. The secret to getting an agent is really the same secret to getting published - write the best possible story you can, be professional, and send it out into the world. While you're waiting, get back to work on your next project.

Q: Tell us about your newest project. I understand you also offer on-line classes. Tell us where we can go to find out about your classes and other writing resources.

I'm working on a couple of things right now. A YA novel about boy searching for, you guessed it, where he fits into the family dynamics. He's an airplane fanatic so there is a chance for me to tap into a lot of years visiting air shows when my kids were young. I'm in the discovery phase of a couple of MG novels, both in prose, that I'm not yet willing to talk a lot about yet except to say that one of them deals with animals and the other with nature. And I'm working on another verse novel, this one loosely based on my experiences teaching writing to at-risk youth. For National Poetry Month I gave myself the challenge to write a new haiku every day, one that is inspired by my California Native Plant garden.

Yes, I am teaching Online Social Media for Authors and Illustrators in May. There are still a few spots left. I also offer one-on-one coaching/mentoring for social media via email, in person or over the phone. You can read the details here: http://www.susantaylorbrown.com/classes.html To keep up with the latest events with me, check out my blog at: http://susanwrites.livejournal.com

Susan, thank you so much for your time to answer these questions. I know everyone will enjoy visiting your website and blog as much as I do.

Carma

Blast Writer's Block Away with 10 Strategies!

Everyone gets it. There are no immunization shots for it. However, the important thing to remember when faced with writer’s block is to know....it is curable. The following strategies will boost your immune system and help you rebound better than ever.

1. Do not pressure yourself. In other words if you force your brain to write on command you could experience performance anxiety.

2. Work on another project or play some relaxing music. Music by master composers such as Beethoven, Mozart, Tchaikovsky and the like have been reported to be “music for the soul.”

3. Keep a notebook with you at all times to record thoughts, memories, jokes, dreams and so forth. Having simple items like this available when writer’s block rears its ugly head will provide you with multiple writing prompts to jump start your creativity.

4. Read a great book by a favorite author. This will do wonders and give you an itch to write for yourself. It will give you “I can do this” attitude.

5. Change your writing environment. If you are glued to your computer, take pen and notebook to your local library and write away. What better place to be inspired than in a room full of great books.

6. Get rid of the little dictator in your head that keeps pounding in your brain. Stand up and walk away. Do anything but write. Doing something physical like walking or jumping jacks is a great way to stimulate your creativity.

7. Take a ride to the park and meditate on nature. Think how awesome our world is and be thankful.

8. Write out of your genre. If you write fiction, write a short article on non-fiction. A little research on a subject unknown to you is one of the best ways to stimulate your creative mind.

9. Relax. The more you worry the harder it is to think clearly. Remember you are what you think.

10. Just do it. It doesn’t have to be perfect. Don’t worry if words don’t make sense at all. In most cases after you have written about a half page your mind will begin filling up with ideas faster than you can type. The excitement builds and you are writing again!

Write it down,
Carma

So You Want to be A Full Time Children's Writer.

That is great news. You have loved writing your entire life from elementary school to college and beyond. However, you never thought of it as a career until now. You could be a full time mom raising children with great insights on children's behavior. What if you are that grandma who is full of information from the experience of successfully raising a family? Or, you are a teacher thinking of retirement or in retirement and with a wealth of inside information on what children really like to read.

Understanding what kids want in regards to stories and books is a large part of the process of searching for subject matter. Here are some questions you may ask yourself:

1. Who do you write for?
2. What genre do you love the most?
3. Do you have a penchant for pre-teen kids or do you imagine connecting with a four year old and cuddling up with a fabulous picture book?

When I began analyzing and dissecting pros and cons of writing for children, I found the research pool ripe with subjects begging to be written about.

I confess my reason for choosing to write for children began with selfish motivation. I fantasized being resident author of my grand children's school. I was convinced the road to success could be achieved in three simple steps: 1) Take a course; 2) write a story; 3) become published and the whole world will applaud you. Then my bubble burst. Work? Writing is Work?

Obviously, I was operating under delusions of grandeur. However, it has not taken me long to understand the importance of patience and practice. An important discovery was made as I began to hone my craft; children's writers write for adults because adults decide what their children will read and what they will read to their children. If you can get your story past the adults, your chances of becoming published increase.

A children's writer can be instrumental in influencing children's education, self esteem and imagination. Most children's writers will choose a specific genre that fits their tastes and desires but some writers like variety and are flexible to write in a number of different genres. For instance, picture books, fiction, non-fiction, fantasy, mystery, historical, the list is long. Children's writers have to be flexible and think ahead for future trends by studying the children’s writer’s market. What is hot now will not be hot five years from now. Writing for children takes planning.

You might ask yourself “Where do I start?” The first step I recommend for all beginning children’s writers is to join the Children’s Writer’s Coaching Club led by author Suzanne Lieurance. Click on the link above and you will be taken to a page explaining what the Children’s Writer’s Coaching Club does each month.

Write it down,
Carma

10 Things Children Should Know About Prayer

by Susan Taylor Brown

1. Prayer is communication.
It can be spoken or silent. It can be a song or a story. It can be a picture or a dance.

2. Prayer can be done as often as you like.
Every week. Every day. Every hour.

3. Prayer can be done however you want.
There's no right or wrong way to pray.

4. Prayer can be shared, but doesn't have to be.
It can be done alone or with a favorite toy. It can be done with friends, family or pets.

5. Prayer can be done anywhere.
It can be done in your room or at the kitchen table. It can be done out in your yard, at the park or even at the zoo.

6. Prayer can be done in any mood.
You can be happy, sad, angry, scared or confused when you pray.

7. Prayer can be for yourself or someone else.
If you know someone who could use a little help - add them to your prayers.

8. Prayer doesn't need a certain structure, length or specific words.
Whatever words you use, long or short, however your prayer comes out is fine.

9. Prayer doesn't need a special occasion.
There are certain prayers appropriate to special occasions but you don't need to wait for a special time to pray.

10. Prayer doesn't have to be a request.
It can also be used to give thanks for what you have already received. "Thank You" is a perfect prayer.

Susan Taylor Brown is the author of the children's picture book, CAN I PRAY WITH MY EYES OPEN? (ISBN #0786803282) Deciding when and where to pray is something every child wonders and this non-denominational, multicultural book offers an answer. Every child is assured that they can pray when, where, and how they want --- and they will always be heard. The book is available at bookstores everywhere.


Publisher's Weekly called it "...a lovely book. Perfect in its directness and simplicity." Booklist says, "A nice place for parents and children to start a discussion about prayer."

Email: Susan@susantaylorbrown.com
Home page: http://www.susantaylorbrown.com
Permission granted to freely reproduce and distribute this page in its entirety.

I encourage all parents to read this lovely book with their children.

Write it down,
Carma

Put A Tweet in Your Twitter and a Face to Your Book

On Saturday the 21st I attended an East Bay Region SCBWI (The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators) workshop presented by children's authors Susan Taylor Brown and Lynn E. Hazen.

Needless to say, two hours is not enough time to absorb all the technical information about social networks unless you are a digital native like Susan Taylor Brown. She will be giving a more in-depth on line social media class for authors, illustrators and book lovers. May 4th – May 7th Class is limited to 20 students. If you are wondering how does a person manage all of this and still find time to write, go here to find out more about this class and how to contact Susan.

Lynn Hazen and Susan Taylor Brown compiled a social media web map list with links to examples. You may download a free copy at this link. When you visit Lynn Hazen’s blog be sure to click on the Kidlitosphere link, a society of bloggers in children’s and young adult literature.

Susan Taylor Browns middle grade novel, Hugging the Rock, a 2007 Notable Children’s Book from the American Library Association. A poignant story in verse about a girl trying to cope when her mother leaves home.

Lynn E. Hazen’s latest release, Shifty is her first Young Adult novel. Lynn also writes picture books and early reader books.

For added inspiration, Lynn closed by reading this fantastic poem by Gotta Book Gregory Pinkus. I’m Pretty Well Connected – a Web 2.0 Poem

Write it down,
Carma

Seven Ways To Craft a Children's Story From Good to Great!

1. Do not under estimate the power of a single word:
Every sentence needs to be peppered with strong words or at least have one. Not only the strongest but the right one. Strong verbs add credibility and specifics. Example: Tiger Woods roared into the Masters Picture…

How will you know? One way is to join a critique group like the Children’s Writer’s Coaching Club. Here you will work with published and aspiring writers and illustrators to create the writing career of your dreams. Join the club Here.

2. Story Movement:
When characters are going from place to place, get them there with minimum interruption. Don’t break the flow of movement with too many thoughts. You can pause the movement at various points. Remember the objective is to get your characters to a destination.

3. Back-story:
Back-story should be woven in small snippets. Don’t stop the flow to tell readers too much about WHY something is going on. Be brief

4. Description:
Weather, emotions, rooms, types of clothes a character wears and such things will add depth to a story, but too much clutters up a storyline, stops the flow of the plot. Don’t make the surroundings more important than the storyline.

5. Motive:
When you have a character do something without showing the reader why, this can make the character appear out of pace with the story. Readers can’t identify with the action unless a motive is shown.

6. Emotional scenes:
Once a character connects with their emotions give your readers enough information to feel character’s emotions. This can be done by revealing snippets of back-story and motive. Also using humor and hyperbole work well.

7. Less is more:
Remove unnecessary words and replace them with a powerful word or two that conveys the message. For example:

My mother was a witch.
It was cancer.

Less is best here because less is strong. The sparseness packs a punch. Two powerful lines using the “to be” verb are very effective. Readers remember the effect before they remember the line.

If you would like more detail you may reference Word Magic for Writers by Cindy Rogers, Children’s Writers Word Book by Alijandra Magilner & Tayopa Magilner, and The Frugal Editor by Carolyn Howard-Johnson

Write it down,
Carma

Your Children's Book is Finished - Now What?

Books do not sell themselves. Wouldn’t that be nice? It doesn’t matter if you self-publish or go the traditional route; marketing techniques are the most important part of writing. Read Suzanne Lieurance’s article:

A Dozen Ways to Market Your Book if You’re a Children’s Book Author

Whether you self-publish your books for children or you go with a traditional publisher, most of the marketing for your books will be left up to you, the author. Here are a dozen ways to market your books for kids:

1. Set up a website for your writing and include an opt-in box on the site so people can sign up for your mailing list. Sell your books directly from your site and offer a bonus when they buy the book directly from you. An autographed copy of the book is a GREAT bonus, for example. If you don't wish to keep copies of the book on hand to sell and mail yourself, then include a link from yourself to your publisher's site or other online bookstores that carry your book. But offer to mail anyone who buys your book an autographed bookplate.

2. Try to find some way to relate your book to the school curriculum. Then, create lesson plans, study guides, or discussion questions for your book. Turn these guides into simple .pdf files that teachers, librarians, and parents can download FREE from your site to use with your book. Also, write a press release that tells about your free lesson plans or study guides and how your book that has recently been released is now available to help classroom teachers get specific content across to their students. Submit this press release to online sites that will distribute it to a variety of online sources free.

3. If possible, form a partnership with some large organization that relates to the topic of your book. For example, if you've written a book about exotic animals, offer to partner with your local zoo. When they have special events, offer to be part of these events and show up to sell and sign your book. Incorporate information about the zoo into your promotional literature and in your local presentations.

4. Take part in local events that will give you the chance to sell your book and let people know you're a hometown author. I'm not talking about ONLY book signings at bookstores. Your community probably has some sort of street fair or community event in the fall or spring, where members of the local business association, or just local business owners, can purchase booth (or tent) space to promote their business. You can purchase space at one of these events to sell and sign your book.

5. Create a book trailer or have one created for you to generate more interest in your book. Put this trailer up at your site, of course. Also, get it on youtube.com and teachertube.com and other places online where your readers (and potential readers) are likely to see it. You can also have other friends and associates put the trailer on their websites with a link back to your site for more information about you and your other books.

6. Set up your own local book tour. Co-op with other local authors to do this.
Contact your local SCBWI (Society of Children's Book Authors and Illustrators) if you don't know any other local children's authors. Get in touch with a few of these authors and suggest you contact local bookstores to do a Children's Book Day or other event where you can all set up your books at a big table in the store and sell and sign your books. The bookstores might not be as receptive to having one author do a book signings if this is your first book, so no one knows you as an author yet. But, if several children's book authors can be present in the store for a signing - and all are seated at one big table - this will attract attention to people in the store. It will also give the store something to announce ahead of time in their newsletter or at their website. And, with several authors taking part in this, each author's readership (or just family and friends) will draw a crowd to the store, which will interest the person in charge of special events at the bookstore.

7. Take part in virtual book tours through blogs and podcasts. Again, contact members of your local SCBWI chapter. Many of these writers will have websites or blogs and they'd be happy to have you as a "guest blogger" for the day. Line up 5 of these sites to be a "guest blogger" and you've got a week long virtual blog tour!

8. Be sure you offer school visits as part of your marketing efforts. But expand your presentations to include local libraries, recreation or community centers, and even summer camps and after school programs.

9. Write and distribute a press release about your book if your publisher has not already done this. If you have never written a press release, though, hire a professional PR service (or freelance press release writer) to write the release for you and then submit the release to local publications, but also have it sent out by an online PR distribution service.

10. Scout around online and find as many appropriate internet radio shows as you can, then email the person who schedules guests for these shows and offer to be a guest. Start with Book Bites for Kids, of course.

11. Teach workshops about some aspect of writing for children and use your book as part of the class materials. Be sure the cost of the workshop includes the cost of your book.

12. Make article marketing part of your overall plan for selling your book. Find out how to write short articles and submit them to article directories in order to drive traffic to your website or blog.

There are all sorts of ways to market your book. You're only limited by your own creativity and imagination. Listen to Book Bites for Kids every weekday afternoon at 2:00 central time at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/bookbitesforkids for more marketing tips from other children's book authors.

And, when your pen won't budge, read The Morning Nudge. Find out more about The Morning Nudge at http://www.morningnudge.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Suzanne_Lieurance