Inquiry XI: Jill Santopolo

Today I am delighted to welcome Jill Santopolo to The Day Job.

Jill is author of two middle grade mysteries: Alec Flint, Super Sleuth, the Nina, the Pinta and the Vanishing Treasure, and The Ransom Note Blues: An Alec Flint Mystery. She is also the accomplished executive editor at Philomel Books a Penguin Young Readers Group. Jill holds her MFA in writing for children and young adults from Vermont College. She lives in New York where she likes to read, write, run and do an occasional cartwheel. You can find out more about Jill Santopolo and her books at www.jillsantopolo.com

Let's get started!

EEM: Did you always want to be a writer?

JS: I always wrote stories—I actually just came across a box of my earlier works this weekend (kindergarten and first grade mostly)—but I never really thought I’d be someone who would write stories as a job. I just wrote because I liked writing. Luckily for me, I got the chance to make some money doing something I loved to do.

EEM: When you began writing, was it instant success and riches or did you find you had to work other jobs in order to continue your dream of being a writer?

JS: I’m still working other jobs! I edit books and teach fiction writing. Truthfully, I’m not sure I’d ever write full-time. I like switching things up and concentrating on different aspects of the writing and book-publishing industry.

EEM: What jobs have you held, current or in the past, to help sustain your writing career?

JS: Right now I’m an executive editor at Philomel Books, an imprint of Penguin Young Readers Group, and I edit everything from picture books to edgy teen novels. I’m also an adjunct professor at McDaniel College where I teach an online fiction writing class.

EEM: Which job was the most challenging or strange to you?

JS: I think both jobs are challenging in that I have to figure out ways to give feedback—to students and to authors I edit—that help them to realize their true potential. In both cases, I want the people I’m working with to become the best writers they can and make their stories the best that they can, and (hopefully) my comments will help them get there. I take that responsibility very seriously, and because of that, I find it challenging.

EEM: What was your favorite thing about this job?

JS: My favorite thing about being an editor is seeing a book an author worked really hard on succeed and sharing in that happiness.

EEM: Least Favorite?

JS: I hate, hate, hate having to reject manuscripts. A ton of submissions I get just aren’t right for me for one reason or another, and I know I have to pass on them, but I feel bad about doing it because I know that the authors have spent a lot of time creating those pieces.

EEM: Did your day job(s) allow you to write regularly? Or did you have to get creative to get those word counts in?

What other effects did it have on your writing?

JS: Getting the regular writing in is hard. I’ve become a bit of a juggler and have had to accept the fact that some weeks I just might not be able to get the keyboard time in. But because my time is limited, when I do sit down to write, I’m very focused and get a ton done. I also have figured out ways to pre-write in my head so that when I sit down to put fingers to keys I know what I’m going to say.

EEM: Have you ever based a loved protagonist or an evil villain on one of your co-workers? Wished you had?

JS. Ha! I have. But that’s all I’m going to say about that.

EEM: What are you working on now and is the process any easier than your first work?? If so, in what capacity (people noticing it, the writing itself, the confidence?)

JS: I just sent a manuscript off to my agent that’s pretty different than the first two books I have out. And I just started something that’s different than all three of the stories I’ve written before. So in some ways the process is easier because I’m more confident that I can make it work, but it some ways it’s just as difficult because I try to challenge myself to grown and stretch as a writer with each project I tackle.

EEM: Would you change anything if you could begin your writing journey over again?

JS: Hmm, I’m not really sure. I think everything happened the way it happened because of the people I knew and the places I’d been up until that point. I’m not sure if things would’ve worked out any other way…

Hrm....So Jill is just about the only author/writer that I have ever interviewed to admit to adding a co-worker into her work as a protagonist or villain. How about you?

Inquiry XX: Lori Calabrese

Happy Monday! Today, I would like to introduce children's author Lori Calabrese

Lori Calabrese is an award-winning children’s author. Her first picture book, The Bug That Plagued the Entire Third Grade, was awarded DFP’s Best Children’s Book Award. She writes for various children’s magazines, is the National Children’s Books Examiner at Examiner.com and enjoys sharing her passion for children’s books at festivals, schools and events. Visit her website to learn more, www.loricalabrese.com.

EEM: Did you always want to be a writer?

LC: I never imagined I’d be a writer and if you had told me I’d be a children’s author, I never woulda thunk it! I’ve always been a reader, but didn’t realize my passion for children’s books until I had my own kids. Having the opportunity to share stories with them night after night is a time that I really cherish. I think that’s why it’s so important to me to write the best book a child can read.

EEM: When you began writing, was it instant success and riches or did you find you had to work other jobs in order to continue your dream of being a writer?

LC: You mean you missed my episode of MTV Cribs? Just kidding, of course. I’ve quickly learned that writers write because they have a passion for it. Unless you’re Stephanie Meyer or J.K. Rowling, chances are you’re not going to be able to quit your day job. Children’s authors love creating stories and making words sing and the ultimate payoff is seeing children enjoy your books.

EEM: What jobs have you held, current or in the past, to help sustain your writing career?

LC: After graduating high school, I attended Pepperdine University, Boston University, and St. John’s University. I might not have known where I wanted to go to school, but I did know that I wanted to work in television. I graduated from St. John’s University in Queens, New York with a B.S. in Communications and had a ten-year career as a TV producer. When I decided to become a stay-at-home, I made the leap into full-time freelance writing and to sustain my writing career, I write for children’s magazines, write work-for-hire books, and write for web content sites.

EEM: Which job was the most challenging or strange to you?

LC: The most challenging was working as a TV producer. You’re under tight deadlines, under the pressure of live television, and you often work long hours.

EEM: What was your favorite thing about this job?

LC: My favorite part of working as a TV producer is really hard to pinpoint. I loved the pressure of live television, making sure everything went off without a hitch, and working with some fascinating people. But I also loved post-production and the editing process, too.

EEM: Least Favorite?

LC: My least favorite would have to be the travel. I’ve been on one too many bumpy flights!

EEM: Did your day job(s) allow you to write regularly? Or did you have to get creative to get those word counts in? What other effects did it have on your writing?

LC: Fortunately, I was able to write as a TV producer. Although I was writing scripts for TV shows and DVDs, I was constantly able to hone my writing skills and creativity. I think as an author all your life experiences influence your writing style and contribute to finding your voice. Even though my experience writing scripts for television shows and DVDS was completely different than writing children’s stories, I think it’s definitely influenced my style and helped get me where I’m at today.

But it wasn’t until I left my job as a TV producer that I started to freelance and focus on getting those word counts in. Today as a freelance writer, I’m able to write regularly, and although I might have different projects going on, I do my best to focus on my Work in Progress whenever possible.

EEM: Have you ever based a loved protagonist or an evil villain on one of your co-workers? Wished you had?

LC: I haven’t based any of my characters on one of my co-workers. These days, I get most of my inspiration from my two boys. They constantly crack me up and have such a fresh take on the world. In fact, the idea for The Bug That Plagued the Entire Third Grade came to me when one of my sons had the flu. When everyone asked how he was doing, I would say, “He caught the bug.” It made me stop and wonder why we say that. Something clicked, so I expanded on the play on words of getting sick and catching an insect. Hence… “The Bug” was born.

EEM: What are you working on now and is the process any easier than your first work?? If so, in what capacity (people noticing it, the writing itself, the confidence?)

LC: I’m currently writing a contemporary young adult novel and, although it’s the second novel I’ve written, I don’t find the process any easier than the first because the subject matter is different, the characters are different and it’s a lot like starting from scratch. Although I constantly learn from what I read and write, I think as a writer you’re always learning.

EEM: Would you change anything if you could begin your writing journey over again?

LC: You live and you learn and everything you do stems from experience. I don’t know what I would do differently. I always say after the fact that I wished I did this or didn’t do that, but the truth is everything I’ve done so far has gotten me to this point and I definitely look forward to the road ahead.

EEM: Thank you for taking the time to answer these interview questions!

LC: Thank you so much for having me!

Inquiry XIX: Anne Broyles

Today I am pleased to welcome MA author, Anne Broyles.

Originally from Arizona, Anne Broyles lives in Andover MA. She is the author of "Shy Mama's Halloween," and "Priscilla and the Hollyhocks." As a scholar of theology, Anne has written and co-authored nine other books in the religious field. Her current focus is primarily on middle grade and picture books. When Anne isn't writing she enjoys doing school visits, hiking, traveling and, of course, reading.

EEM: Did you always want to be a writer?

AB: I thought of myself as a writer from the time I was small, and still have one of my first “books”—two pages of colored paper stapled together of very short stories and illustrations. Yet it didn’t occur to me that writing was a career choice until I was in high school. Even then, I didn’t know anyone who made a living writing until I’d made my own decision of career. I became an ordained minister after college and seminary because it combined many of my gifts: helping people, writing, public speaking, drama, music, dance.

EEM: When you began writing, was it instant success and riches or did you find you had to work other jobs in order to continue your dream of being a writer?

AB: I write for the pleasure of writing, not for fame or money (though if either of those came, I’m up to the task!) My two children’s picture books have received what Cynthia Leitich Smith calls “non-revenue-producing awards” and I enjoy the rewards of satisfied readers, interacting with students and teachers at school visits, and connections with other writers. I’ve published 17 books for adults and youth in the Christian devotional field and that has given me lots of opportunities for travel, public speaking, and interaction with authors and editors.

EEM: What jobs have you held, current or in the past, to help sustain your writing career?

AB: I was a hotel chambermaid and cashier at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island, housecleaner, nanny for 3 British kids, and worked at numerous churches during college. After I got my B.A. I went right to seminary, ordination and work as a solo pastor in a local church parish when I was 26.

EEM: Which job was the most challenging or strange to you?

AB: During seminary, I spent one summer as a bar and nightclub minister in the resort area of Lake Okoboji, Iowa. I worked 9 p.m. until 2 a.m. and was supposed to go from bar to bar looking for people to help. What made this job tricky? I was undercover; I could not tell anyone I was a minister, so only the bartenders knew why I was there. As a young, single woman, cruising from bar to bar drinking only OJ and chomping down beer nuts, there was a fine balance between looking approachable enough to be a listening ear, and appearing ready to be picked up for a one-night stand. I didn’t always strike that balance and had to fend off some persistent men!

EEM: What was your favorite thing about this job?

AB: Working nights meant days off to enjoy the lake and recreational activities.

EEM: Least Favorite?

AB: I had to walk home at 2 a.m. in the midst of all the drunk and disorderly men who had stayed until the bars closed. I always carried my keys between my fingers to protect myself, and walked really fast, but I never felt safe until I was inside my cottage with the door locked behind me.

EEM: Did your day job(s) allow you to write regularly? Or did you have to get creative to get those word counts in?

AB: No matter what my job, I have always written, but it has sometimes been hard to find the energy to work all day and also create quality writing time (plus relate to family and friends, exercise, and have time for reflection/thinking/daydreaming).

From the first year of my professional life as a United Methodist minister, I wrote magazine articles and high school curricula in addition to my 60-hour a week ministry. I couldn’t NOT write. But I often felt pushed and pulled between the two careers, time-crunched and stressed at not being able to give enough time to writing.

What other effects did it have on your writing?

AB: In 1996, as I madly typed away on an impending deadline assignment, I received a call that a 21-year-old woman from our church had accidentally overdosed on alcohol and heroin. I left my computer, drove to the hospital, and spent the next twelve days going back and forth to Bridgette’s hospital bed until she was taken off life support. Those were stressful, emotional days as I tried to do my other church work, interact with my family and complete the writing assignment. I felt an anguished push and pull between responsibilities, and didn’t get much sleep.

The following year, an emergency surgery saved my life and kept me in the hospital for eight days. Having almost died brought clarity. I realized that while someone else could do my job as a church pastor, no one else could write the stories in my head. Five months later I took early retirement from ministry and began to write full-time. I’ve never regretted the decision.

EEM: Have you ever based a loved protagonist or an evil villain on one of your co-workers? Wished you had?

AB: No.

EEM: What are you working on now and is the process any easier than your first work?? If so, in what capacity (people noticing it, the writing itself, the confidence?)

AB: I am working on several picture books and an historical young adult novel. The process is easier than it was in the beginning because I know more about the craft of writing and have two great critique groups, but it is a hard time to sell some of what I write.

EEM: Would you change anything if you could begin your writing journey over again?

AB: Sometimes I wish I had started writing and working on craft sooner.

EEM: Thank you for taking the time to answer these interview questions!

The Lanternlight Dreamers

I am so pleased to announce that it is official! The Lanternlight Dreamers has been scooped up by Jill Santopolo at Philomel/Penguin. The release date is not yet available, but as it becomes available I will post! I am so excited to work with Jill once again and am so thankful for having a wonderful agent, Ammi-Joan Paquette, who supports my projects so well.

Good news, but off to work all the same!!

Inquiry XVIII: Laurie Adams

Today we are pleased to welcome Laurie Gifford Adams.

Laurie Adams was born in New York State, but currently resides in Connecticut where she works as a teacher and writes her stories. Author of Finding Atticus, Laurie Gifford Adams is a member of SCBWI, IWWG and RWA. She is currently working on a collaborative project about internet safety. She has a husband, a daughter, a son, a cat and a dog. When she is not writing she is reading, gardening horseback riding, walking or coaching.

Let's jump right in!

EEM: Did you always want to be a writer?

LA: I have always loved writing. I still have my earliest attempts at being published when I was 13 years old and sending horse stories to horse magazines. I received lots of form rejection letters, but what amazes me even now is that those rejections didn’t have a negative impact on my desire to write. I just kept at it.

EEM: When you began writing, was it instant success and riches or did you find you had to work other jobs in order to continue your dream of being a writer?

LA: Success? Riches? Well, to answer the latter first, if you’re expecting to get rich from writing, then you better readjust your expectations. The majority of people can’t even make a living writing, let alone get rich. If you’re writing because you are passionate about the experience, then you’ll be blessed with a different kind of “rich”. (That may sound trite, but for me, it’s true.)

EEM: What jobs have you held, current or in the past, to help sustain your writing career?

LA: I was a newspaper reporter for a few years, and I have written and published many freelance articles in magazines, but my main income is from teaching English in a public school.

EEM: What was your favorite thing about this job?

LA: As a writer, I have several favorite things about being a teacher. First off, once I got my masters, I no longer had to go to school during the summers so I was free to spend more hours writing. (However, I have discovered that I’m actually more productive during the school year because I’m on a tight schedule so I schedule in writing time. In the summer it’s easy to get distracted sometimes because I figure I have all the time in the world to get to those revisions or to start that next chapter.

My other favorite thing about this job is, because I’m writing middle grades/YA, I have a built in audience when I need to bounce ideas off others or when I need to research how teens would react to a situation or how they talk. It’s very convenient to just stand in the hallway and pretend I’m watching out for trouble in the halls when really what I’m doing is paying attention to how the kids interact with one another. Sneaky, I know, but so perfect!

EEM: Least Favorite?

LA: My least favorite part of teaching is the amount of time it takes me outside of school. Too often I have to grade papers or create a test or lesson for the next day when I’d rather be writing. There’s a whole lot of frustration connected to that when you have characters who are dying to be active.

EEM: Did your day job(s) allow you to write regularly? Or did you have to get creative to get those word counts in?

LA: I’ve worked on writing through a good many lunch periods at school because I couldn’t bear to be away from the story for the entire day. At night, because I also have two kids (who are now in their early 20’s) I’ve always had to specifically set aside time to write in between their activities and taking care of family life. It’s not easy to find that time and balance when you’re working full time and have the family, but if you dedicate a certain time that’s your writing time, then at least for me, as I see the clock getting closer to that time I find my mind starts to switch gears. Does it always work? No, sometimes there are too many distractions, but when I sit down to write, I make sure I’ve reserved myself at least a two hour block of uninterrupted time. It’s worked for me.

What other effects did it have on your writing?

LA: I’ll never forget several years ago after I’d been teaching about 6 or 7 years I was on my way to school one day and I had been able to eke out a little writing time before I left. I was so into the story and so upset that I had to leave my writing to go to school that I cried throughout the entire drive. That only happened to me once, but there have been many times over the years where I’ve been very frustrated to not be able to write when the creative juices are flowing.

EEM: Have you ever based a loved protagonist or an evil villain on one of your co-workers? Wished you had?

LA: I have never based a protagonist or villain on a co-worker, but I have based characters on kids I grew up with, my parents (as grandparents), my husband’s elderly uncle whom everyone loves after they meet him and, in FINDING ATTICUS, Atticus, the Golden Retriever is actually a combination of the Golden Retriever we had for fifteen years and our much beloved mixed breed dog that we have now. I do have one secondary character in FINDING ATTICUS who was named after a co-worker.

EEM: What are you working on now and is the process any easier than your first work?? If so, in what capacity (people noticing it, the writing itself, the confidence?)

LA: I am currently working on two projects. First, the project that is almost complete is an Internet safety book that I’m collaborating on with a cop. He approached me with the idea and after we spent several sessions brainstorming to see if we were compatible with our ideas, we decided to give it a go, and it’s worked very well. We are on our last round of edits and revisions now and hope to be done very soon.

The other book is a next in the series after FINDING ATTICUS. I love to write “issue” and “lesson” books, so this next book deals with an autistic child and bullying as the main conflicts.
As for the process, as soon as you start at the beginning with the next project, you’re starting from scratch with blank pages that need to be filled. As a result, I wouldn’t say the process gets easier; however, each time I complete a book, I bring away from it new learning as a writer, so I guess probably it’s a little easier because I use previous knowledge to start out one step ahead of the last book.

One very cool thing is that people are constantly asking me when I’m going to be finished with the next book. It’s a pretty cool feeling to know I have “fans” who are waiting. (It’s also a lot of pressure to know they’re waiting, so it’s a double edged sword, for sure.) Knowing people are waiting for it does make it more exciting to write, though. I just hope in the end the wait will be worth it for them.

EEM: Would you change anything if you could begin your writing journey over again?

LA: If I could begin my writing journey over again with the knowledge I have now, I would join writers groups sooner (because I’d find out about them) and I would take advantage of conferences and workshops. The more I write, the more I feel like I have to learn and that makes me want to take more classes. Networking is essential in this business. The more people you meet, the more information you’ll have for your writer’s toolbox. Maybe writing a book is a solitary job, but when you’re not at the keyboard, get involved with other writers. Once I figured that out, my confidence as a writer went up significantly.

EEM: Thank you for taking the time to answer these interview questions!

LA: Thank you for inviting me to participate. It’s always great to reflect on why I do keep at this despite the frustrations.

Pause!

This week, work is taking all my time. Busiest week of the year! Check back next week for a new interview! In the meantime, I hope you are doing more writing and reading than I am!

Inquiry XVII: Erin Dionne

Today I am excited to welcome Erin Dionne to The Day Job.

Erin Dionne is a writer who lives in New England that I had the pleasure of meeting at the first Kinship Writers Association Literary Festival. She is the author of Models Don't Eat Chocolate Cookies and The Total Tragedy of a Girl Named Hamlet. She is currently working on a new Middle Grade novel ELSIE WYATT HATES LOVES MARCHING BAND. When Erin isn't writing her fabulous stories, she is busy outside of Boston with her husband, daughter and dog named Grafton. She roots for the Red Sox, teaches English at an art college and sometimes eats chocolate cookies. To read more about Erin Dionne and her books you can visit her on the web at www.erindionne.com

EEM: Did you always want to be a writer?

ED: I have a memory book that my grandmother gave me when I was in kindergarten. It has a page for each school year K-12, and there’s a place for a photo, a few lines about what you want to be when you grow up, best friends, favorite color, etc. In first grade, in my big, scrawly handwriting, I filled in the blank “When I grow up, I want to be AN AUTHOR.” So…yeah. Basically, ever since I could read, I wanted to be a writer.

EEM: When you began writing, was it instant success and riches or did you find you had to work other jobs in order to continue your dream of being a writer?

ED: Ha! I’m still working at other jobs! I think instant success and riches comes to very few writers—it’s a marathon, not a sprint. And, really, if you’re in publishing for the money, you’re in for a rough ride.

EEM: What jobs have you held, current or in the past, to help sustain your writing career?

ED: Before I published any fiction, I worked as a marketing assistant in a publishing company. I learned about the industry (I was in the college math textbook division, but it still taught me a lot!) and its cyclical nature. I also worked in journalism as both a magazine editor and a freelance newspaper writer (I wrote for the real estate section in a small local paper). This helped me learn how to work with deadlines and work with editors. Now, I’m a college English teacher. It’s a job I love and it gives me time to write and be with my family. Oh, I also worked at a bookstore, which was really enlightening!

EEM: Which job was the most challenging or strange to you?

ED: Being an editor was definitely challenging. Our magazine was published monthly, and we had several months of lead time, so we’d be developing the December issue in September. I had to come up with stories for each issue, assign them to writers, field pitches from freelancers, and write my own pieces. I was the multitasking queen!

EEM: What was your favorite thing about this job?

ED: Seeing an issue come together was pretty amazing, and I got to do cool stuff like interview Adam Sandler and Matt Stone and Trey Parker (the creators of South Park).

EEM: Least Favorite?

ED: It was super stressful; the magazine launched right before the dot-com bubble burst. It lost funding, everyone lost their jobs, and the whole thing crashed and burned in a spectacular fashion.

EEM: Did your day job(s) allow you to write regularly? Or did you have to get creative to get those word counts in?

ED: My day job of teaching gives me a lot of flexible time that I can use for writing. Although, being the mom of a toddler eats into most of that flexible time! I rely on a strong family support system so that I can work and mom and teach.

EEM: What other effects did it have on your writing?

ED: Being a professor and talking about writing all the time really helps me to evaluate my own work and push myself as a writer. It also means I’m comfortable speaking in front of an audience, which—believe it or not—can be a major part of a writer’s life. I do school visits, talk to library and parent groups, and present at conferences. So those teacher skills come in to play a lot.

EEM: Have you ever based a loved protagonist or an evil villain on one of your co-workers? Wished you had?

ED: I haven’t based anyone on a colleague, although I always look to my teacher friends for advice and will name the teachers in my book after them.

EEM: What are you working on now and is the process any easier than your first work?? If so, in what capacity (people noticing it, the writing itself, the confidence?)

ED: Right now I’m in the middle of edits on my third tween/middle grade novel, ELSIE WYATT HATES LOVES MARCHING BAND. I’ve heard that every time you write a book, it’s like you’ve never written anything before in your life—and I’m definitely finding it true in this case. I have different expectations of myself, my work, and my goals. Plus, there are new external pressures that come with following up published works. So it’s been nerve-wracking and stressful. I just keep reminding myself that I’ve done this before and gotten through it…and I keep a lot of chocolate on hand.

EEM: Would you change anything if you could begin your writing journey over again?

ED: Part of me wants to say that I should have started regularly submitting work two or three years before I actually did (does that make sense?), but in retrospect, the nearly ten years it took me to get published were valuable ones. I honed my voice and discovered what types of stories spoke to me. So, no. I wouldn’t change a thing. I’ve learned so much along the way; every step has been valuable.

EEM: It has been a pleasure! Thanks so much for dropping by!