Meet Tori Corn: Writing Books That Inspire Empowered, Independent Thinkers

Three years ago, after attending the June NJ SCBWI conference, I was standing on the platform of the Princeton Junction station waiting for the New York train.  Another woman was also standing on the platform and we struck up a conversation.  Little did either of us know how that chance meeting would change both of our lives. 

Shortly after the conference, Tori started working with my writing teacher, the amazing Jill Davis (please see my interview of Jill posted on September 24, 2012, http://robinnewmanbooks.wordpress.com/2012/09/24/the-amazing-jill-davis/).  And shortly thereafter Tori signed with Liza Fleissig[1] of the Liza Royce Agency.  And Liza sold not only one but two of her picture books to Sky Pony Press that will be hitting store bookshelves in the next few weeks and spring 2014.   

I recently had the opportunity to catch up with my friend, the amazingly-talented Tori Corn.

Tori, did you always want to be a writer?

No, but I do remember sitting in my room when I was a teenager and writing a novel.  It was a love story.  Actually, what I really wanted to be was a ballerina or an artist.

Are there any books that have particularly influenced you as a writer?

I love so many picture books, but Wemberly Worried, Doctor De Soto, My Lucky Day and Dandelion are probably among my all-time favorites.  I also love James Marshall’s retelling of Red Riding Hood, as well as Hollie Hobbie’s Toot and Puddle (her illustrations are simply exquisite).  But if I had to pick one author who has influenced me the most, it would have to be Kevin Henkes.

How did What Will It Be, Penelope? and Dixie Wants an Allergy come about?

When my children were young, we lived across the street from a park where a Mister Softee ice cream truck was frequently parked (over the years, I bought a lot of ice cream for my kids!).  In any event, there were lots of choices and many children would take forever to make up their minds, including my youngest son!  And I found myself thinking: “Come on . . . what will it be?” and that’s how the idea to write a picture book about indecision came about.

Dixie Wants an Allergy was inspired by my other son’s allergy to gluten.  He felt bad that he was the only one who had to eat special food at school.  So, I wanted to write him a funny story that would make him feel better about his allergy.

I know that you’ve also been working on a historical fiction novel.  Can you tell us a little bit about the book? 

I don’t want to give away too much, but it’s based on an extraordinary event that occurred in Europe during World War ll.  And the incident saved many, many lives.  It’s an incredibly inspiring story.  I’m still very much in the research phase, but stay tuned!

Are you working on any other books at this time?

Yes, I tend to juggle projects.  I become obsessed with whatever I’m working on until I hit a brick wall and then I put the manuscript aside for weeks or months.  I find the distance is very helpful.  I always seem to have greater clarity when I return to the manuscript after some time away.  Right now I’m working on a picture book called Mootilda’s Big Moove.

Can you give us some insights into your creative process?  Do you create a dummy of your picture books?  

I’m always amazed when I sit down at my computer and the next thing I know three hours have passed.  When things are working well, I find it difficult to stop writing.

In general, when I get to the point where I feel like I’m finished with a draft of a picture book or a chapter, I share it with my writing group and they critique it.  Sometimes they say things that inspire me and I can’t wait to go home and make the changes.  Other times, they say things that make me feel like I’m not on the right track.  When that happens, I usually put the project aside and work on something else.  When I go back and read the story a few weeks (or months) later, I can usually figure out what’s not working and have some idea of how to make the changes.

When I’m finished writing a picture book, I create a dummy.  That makes it easy for me to do the final edits.  I usually have too many pages and creating a dummy helps with the cutting.  It used to be difficult for me to edit my manuscripts but now I actually enjoy the process.

Do you have any advice for writers who are just starting out? 

My advice for writers who are just starting out is to join a writing group, attend SCBWI writing conferences and workshops, take classes and stay on the path no matter what.  Be open to criticism and listen to what editors, agents and other writers have to say.  They want to help you!  If five people are telling you the same thing, you should listen.  All that said, sometimes you have to stick to your guns and stay true to yourself.  If you absolutely love something about your story, you should leave it in, unless of course, an editor or agent is asking you to change it!  The most important thing is don’t give up!

I know that in your past life you were a colorist/textile designer.  Have you also considered illustrating books?

Yes! I’ve taken picture book illustration classes at the School of Visual Arts.  I love to paint and draw and hope to one day illustrate some of my own books.  I illustrated the cover for my website, http://www.toricorn.com.

How can your fans get a hold of you?

They can go to my website, http://www.toricorn.com, or send me an email at:  tori@toricorn.com.

And how can your fans get their first copies of What Will It Be, Penelope?

It’s available for pre-order at:

Barnes and Noble

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/what-will-it-be-penelope-tori-corn/1113641784?ean=9781620875421

Amazon

http://www.amazon.com/What-Will-Penelope-Tori-Corn/dp/162087542X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1367884517&sr=1-1&keywords=what+will+it+be+penelope

Tori is having a book signing of What Will It Be, Penelope? at The Corner Bookstore, located at 1313 Madison Avenue, on Tuesday, May 22^nd from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.  

I hope everyone can make it!  I can’t wait to buy my first copies of What Will It Be, Penelope?  Woo-hoo!

Tori, thanks so much for answering my questions.  All the best and much success.

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[1] Thanks to Tori I also signed with Liza Fleissig.

Be There or Be Square! 2013 NJ SCBWI Annual Conference (Registration Ends April 30, 2013)

I’m not one to shamelessly use my dog to plug an event (What kind of lowlife would do that?),

BUT if you write kids’ books and/or illustrate, and you want to get your manuscript and/or illustrations in front of editors and agents, know the business better, or just hang with your peeps, then this is the conference for you!  And there are only 7 days left to register.

Here’s the important info:

Where:  Crowne Plaza & Holiday Inn Express Princeton SE, 900 Scudders Mill Rd, Plainsboro, NJ 08536 (609-936-4200)

When:  June 7-9, 2013

How:  http://www.regonline.com/builder/site/Default.aspx?EventID=1193012

Even if you feel like your work isn’t ready, it still doesn’t hurt to go.  Why?  So glad you asked.  Because with all those writers, illustrators, editors and agents, not to mention amazing classes, how can you not be inspired and recharged!

Oh, and if that pitch (and don’t forget the picture of the dog!) didn’t do it, the hotel has a pool!

The Car Ride and Listening 101

My six-year-old son is currently in the doghouse for not listening, among other infractions.  So all use of electronic devices, including the holy iPad, has been suspended until further notice.

Of course when issuing the sentence, I didn’t give much thought to timing, as we got in the car for a three-hour ride to Long Island last night.

At the beginning of the journey, there were tears, complaints, and lots of talk about legal action and the good ole: “You are the worst parents ever” banter that after the first hundred times gets stale and all you can think to say is:  “I think you need new material.”

But after this wondrous first leg of the journey, I realized that there was a certain beauty in not having the iPad around.

My husband is the king of making up silly games, and we named every animal we knew, then every animal in an electronic game, and then we made paper airplanes, and played tic-tac-toe.  When the entertainment was beginning to thin, I did something I never did.  I asked my son if he wanted to listen to a picture book I was working on.   After all, he was within my reading demographic.  So, he listened.

“What do you think? I asked.

“I don’t like it.” He shot back.

“Why not?”

“Because.”

“Ok.”

And then silence.  But a few minutes later, there were questions from the peanut gallery.

“I don’t get the ending.  Why does Jimmy want a broken toy?  No kid wants a broken toy.”

And silence again.  Until he shot back with: “You need to fix the ending.”

And that was that.

With all the questions, it made me realize that perhaps the ending was not working so well as I had thought.

When I first started writing I had a writing teacher who didn’t see the value in reading your work to kids before the final product was done.  And I always wondered, why not?  After all, aren’t they the intended audience?  Wouldn’t you want to hear their thoughts?  I found it really refreshing to get my son’s opinions.  I love that he was a critical listener (not to mention has the occasional ability to listen, but that’s a whole other story!) and had different ideas about where the story should end up.

I never thought I would say this, but I’m looking forward to the car ride back.  And I wonder what he’ll think of this other story I’ve been working on.  If he’s willing to give a listen!

p.s.  If anyone has cool names for a robot, please send them my way!

GUEST BLOG: Education Professor and Children's Author Rosanne Kurstedt Chats about Teaching Writing to Kids Using Picture Books

Reblogged from Laura Sassi Tales:

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Today I’m delighted to have Rosanne Kurstedt as my guest. I met Rosanne at last November’s NJSCBWI Writing Retreat and was struck immediately by her passion for picture books. She not only writes them, she also encourages teachers to use them as models for teaching writing.  Today she’ll be chatting about how educators can use picture books to support students’ writing.

Read more… 831 more words

Reblogged from Laura Sassi Tales.

If You Write Picture Books, Do Something Smart: Make a Dummy

One thing my thickheaded brain learned late in the process of writing picture books and early chapter books/easy-to-reads is the value of making a dummy book.  Now, I wouldn’t even think twice about doing one—if not more, in the course of working on just one book.

But you may be asking what’s a dummy? And why does a writer have to make one? Good questions.  So glad you asked.  A dummy is just a mock-up of your book.  And once you’ve written out your story and the bones are pretty much there, doing a dummy helps with the fine-tuning.  You get to see how the story lays out, where your ah-ha! page-turners fall, where you might need to add a page-turner, and most of all, you get to cut, cut and cut some more.

Since word counts are such a huge issue these days, getting your word counts down as much as possible will help strengthen the story.  Although editors say picture books shouldn’t be more than 1000 words, what I keep hearing is that you need to shoot for the 600-700 word range, if not shorter!

Whether you’re working with picture books or early chapter books/easy-to-reads, your book needs to fit into 32 pages.  Since most picture books are 32 pages (although there are some that are 24 and 40 pages, think in terms of groups of eight), after front matter (the title page and copyright page), you’re left with about 28 pages to work with.

My dummies are not sophisticated.  Although I have heard that there are programs you can use to layout your story, I like the old-fashioned method.  My tools of choice are:

• 8 sheets of paper (9 if you’d like to do a fancy, inspirational cover), folded in half.
• Rubber cement glue
• Scissors

This past week I spent a good amount of time working on a dummy for the fourth book in my easy-to-read detective series.  (I still can’t believe I’m in the fourth book already.)  And while doing the dummy, I realized the story still needs some tweaks.  But unlike the first 1000 drafts, doing the dummy helps me see that the finish line is in sight—well, at least for the next round of edits.

Rosanne L. Kurstedt, Celebrating the Bond Between Working Parent and Child

Acclaimed author of the self-published picture book, And I Thought About You (illustrated by Lisa Carletta-Vieites), an Honorable Mention recipient at the New England Book Festival, Rosanne L. Kurstedt, Ph.D., is an adjunct literacy professor at Fordham University and William Paterson University.  She presents at national and international conferences on topics related to literacy, is an educational consultant, and co-author of Teaching Writing with Picture Books as Models (Scholastic, Inc., 2000).

I had the pleasure of meeting Rosanne at last year’s NJ SCBWI conference and we recently had the chance to catch up over coffee in Manhattan.

Rosanne, thanks so much for doing this interview.

And I Thought About You celebrates the special bond between a working mother and child.  How did And I Thought About You come about?

And I Thought About You was inspired by a bedtime routine my older son and I shared while we lived in Hong Kong. Every night, after reading books together, we would talk about what we had done that day.  After sharing what we did, we’d say “and I thought about you.”  Even though the events of our day would typically change the one constant was that we were in each other’s thoughts throughout the day.

I had published a professional book for teachers entitled Teaching Writing With Picture Books as Models so I was no stranger to the picture book genre.  In fact, I had been writing stories for most of my life.  When I realized the “and I thought about you” routine would make a great picture book, my professional and personal writing lives converged. This was truly exciting.

What led you to self-publish And I Thought About You?

I had sent the manuscript to a few publishing houses.  One was really interested.  We went back and forth with a few revisions and then all of a sudden they just passed.  I was crushed.  Then an editor at another big publishing house said she loved the manuscript and had had a meeting about it.  She said she would send me some editorial suggestions.  After a year of emailing her every 6 weeks to see what was happening, I never received the suggested edits.  Each time I emailed her she said, yes she was still interested and apologized profusely for the delay.  After the year, I asked if I could pursue other avenues and she said yes.  I sometimes wonder if that was a wise choice on my part but at the time it felt right.  I didn’t know the industry that well at the time (and I’m still learning) and if I had known more about how it all worked, I might have been a bit more patient.  On the other hand, if she didn’t move on it in the first year, it might not have been the manuscript for her.

Devastated by those two close calls, I put the manuscript away for a while.  I was also in the throws of my dissertation so I didn’t have much time to write creatively anyway.

Fast forward a few years.  I joined a writing group and started writing again.  I really wanted to get this book out into the world because I believe the message is universal, one that could provide joy and comfort for many families.  In addition, it demonstrates to children, on their level, that while their parents might not be physically with them all the time, they are always in their thoughts and hearts.  I think that’s very comforting for children.  Since the book celebrates a small and simple family routine, I knew it could inspire others to do the same: celebrate those routines they’ve already developed or help them begin to develop their own.

The self-publishing industry was growing so there were more options for independent authors.  I began looking into the various options but never did anything.  Honestly, I was afraid—until my mother-in-law, who was dying of cancer, told me one night while I was staying with her in the hospital that she wished she had followed her passions more.  Wished she had taken the time to invest in those things that truly made her happy even if others close to her didn’t fully support her.  After hearing her talk that night, I was committed to making And I Thought About You a reality.  And that’s when I made the decision to self-publish.

Probably a longer answer than you expected but it was a journey.  That’s for sure.

How did you hook up with illustrator Carletta-Vieites? 

It took a while.  I contacted a few agencies and also searched Internet illustrator databases but never was able to decide on one illustrator with whom I wanted to work.  Then, one afternoon, while sitting in Lisa’s backyard (she and I are neighbors) she shared with me her passion for art and her need to keep up with it—despite how busy she was (a working mom with two young children) because it provided her with a much-needed creative outlet.  I told Lisa about my passion for writing children’s books and suggested Lisa might want to illustrate one.  A bit apprehensive, Lisa read the manuscript and was particularly drawn to And I Thought About You.  And the partnership began.

After three years, a new baby, and many changes on the job front, Lisa completed the illustrations and together she and I researched our publishing options.  We decided to publish And I Thought About You with Mascot Books through their Author Program.  The Mascot Books Author Program allows prospective authors to publish their children’s books in a way that combines the freedom of self-publishing with all the support a publishing industry leader has to offer.

In traditional publishing, I keep hearing that authors and illustrators rarely collaborate.  Has this been your experience while working on And I Thought About You?

Definitely not.  Lisa and I worked very closely together from beginning to end.  Together we decided on the medium she would use to get the right mood for the illustrations and then we shared ideas about individual sketches, font choices, color palates, really everything.

As a self-published author, handling sales and marketing, how do you get the word out on your book? 

We have tried to get the word out in a variety of ways.  We’ve done book signings and readings at local bookstores, schools, and daycares.  We’ve attended book festivals and submitted And I Thought About You to contests.  As you mentioned in my bio, And I Thought About You received an Honorable Mention at the New England Book Festival (which was so exciting).  We have a Facebook page, a blog, a website of course, and I tweet a lot.  We’ve sent media kits to magazines we thought would be interested in the book.  We’ve also had some bloggers do book reviews and interviews.  The marketing piece takes a lot of time and persistence.  It’s not easy.

Do you have any advice for authors and illustrators considering self-publishing?

Research your options and the various companies out there.  They are not the same.  Be careful of the fine print and added costs for fulfillment.  Once you decide on a publisher or decide to do it completely on your own, do some marketing before the book is released to get some buzz.  Also join forums and follow blogs that are in line with the theme or topic of your book.  Be prepared to devote many hours to crafting materials and setting up events.

Can you give us the scoop on some of your current projects?

The publishing of And I Thought About You and the overwhelmingly positive response we’ve gotten has re-energized me and my writing.  Currently I’m working on a few picture book manuscripts and have an idea for an early chapter book series but nothing has been written on that yet.  I will try to get these new manuscript traditionally published at first and then who knows.

What’s your writing schedule like?

Sadly, I don’t have a writing schedule.  My other commitments just don’t permit it.  I do however, try to write or do something related to my children’s writing every day.  I carry a writing notebook around with me and when I’m in the midst of revising a manuscript I always carry a copy in my bag.  I’m often writing or revising between meetings or while waiting/watching my kids at their various activities.

How can your fans get a hold of you if they would like you to do an author visit or would like to purchase a copy of And I Thought About You?

Love the notion that I would have fans.  I can be reached at Rosanne@rlkurstedt.com.

And I Thought About You is available for purchase at:

Amazon, http://www.amazon.com/And-I-Thought-About-You/dp/1937406652/ref=sr_1_fkmr1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1363529531&sr=8-1-fkmr1&keywords=rosanne+l.+kurstedt

Barnes and Noble, http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/and-i-thought-about-you-rosanne-kurstedt/1109938477?ean=9781937406653

Rosanne, I cannot thank you enough for doing this interview.  All the best and much success.

Mara Rockliff’s Me and Momma and Big John wins BIG!

The Golden Kite Award, first given by the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators in 1973, is one of the most prestigious awards given by the industry.

This year Mara Rockliff’s beautiful book, Me and Momma and Big John (illustrated by William Low), took home the prize for picture book text. Me and Momma and Big John was also selected a Charlotte Zolotow Honor Book.

A few months back, I had the privilege of catching up with both Mara and William Low for a reading of their book at Bank Street Bookstore. http://robinnewmanbooks.wordpress.com/2012/12/19/an-afternoon-at-bank-street-bookstore-with-mara-rockliff-and-william-low/

For a complete list of the Golden Kite Award winners, please see: http://www.scbwi.org/Pages.aspx/2013-Golden-Kite-Award-Winners

For a complete list of the Charlotte Zolotow winners, please see: http://www.education.wisc.edu/ccbc/books/detailListBooks.asp?idBookLists=221

Congratulations Mara, and to all the winners! Way to go!! Woo-hoo!

Ready, Set, Action! It’s the 16th Annual New York Int’l Children’s Film Festival

With Oscar buzz in the air, it seems like a perfect time to mention the New York Int’l Children’s Film Festival taking place from March 1 – 24.  Featuring “over 100 animated, live action and experimental shorts and features from around the world plus gala premieres, special events, filmmaker Q&As, filmmaking camps, audience voting, and the NYICFF Awards Ceremony.”  For ages 3-18.  The festival is taking place at multiple theatres throughout Manhattan.  For more info, including how to purchase tickets and showtimes, please check out: http://www.gkids.com/

Heads Up: SCBWI Work-In-Progress Grants Change Submission Procedures

I love contests.  And in particular, I love the SCBWI Work-In-Progress Grants because if you win (this has yet to happen to me), it’s a nice nod from the industry.  But even if you don’t win, you still have a chance of getting a Letter of Commendation from the SCBWI, and that’s also an extremely nice nod—one that deserves mention on your resume.  And if for some inexplicable reason you don’t get anything, you still have a writing sample (or illustrations as the case may be) that is good to go and ready for submission to publishers and/or agents.  So, it’s a win-win situation all around.

This year’s submission procedures have changed.  The SCBWI is taking submissions for the Work-In-Progress, Barbara Karlin, and Don Freeman Grants from March 1 through March 30^th.  So, for all you procrastinators, there’s still time.  The submissions are electronic only this year.  Only pdfs are being accepted.

Please see the links below for the submission requirements for each of the particular grants:

Work-In-Progress Grant:

http://www.scbwi.org/Pages.aspx/Work-In-Progress-Grants

Barbara Karlin Grant:

http://www.scbwi.org/Pages.aspx/Barbara-Karlin-Grant

Don Freeman Grant:

http://www.scbwi.org/Pages.aspx/Don-Freeman-Grant

Best of luck! May the best writer or illustrator win.

The Rockdoves, Cool Music for Kids Made with Parents in Mind

My all-time favorite kids’ band, The Rockdoves, has an awesome new album, Be A Song.

It’s available on Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/Be-A-Song/dp/B00ASWGIW4), CDBaby (http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/therockdoves1),  iTunes (https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/the-rockdoves/id405309072), or directly from The Rockdoves website at therockdovesnyc.com.

And if you want to go to the best concert ever, you can catch them live on the following dates:

Sunday, March 3, 4PM @  City Treehouse – 129A W. 20 Street, NY, NY 10011

Sunday, April 7, 11AM @  Karma Kids Yoga – 104 W. 14th Street, 2nd Fl., NY, NY 10011

Sunday, April 14, 3PM @  The Next B!G Thing: A Family Concert Series to Rebuild Hoboken Charter School, The Community Church, 600 Garden St., Hoboken, NJ 07030