The Crystal Kite Interviews: Pat Zietlow Miller's THE QUICKEST KID IN CLARKSVILLE wins in the Mid West Division (Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, Indiana, Ohio)

Winner for the Mid West Division

Lee: Congratulations Pat! Please tell us about your Crystal-Kite winning book!

Pat: THE QUICKEST KID IN CLARKSVILLE took a while to come together. Here’s what happened:

I wrote a first draft after being inspired by Jacqui Robbins’ and Matt Phelan’s THE NEW GIRL ... AND ME and its take on friendship. I’d also been hanging around my youngest daughter’s school, and the voices of the kids had gotten stuck in my head and made their way into my manuscript. This draft was titled THE FASTEST FEET ON FLEET STREET and had two girls competing to see who was the better runner, jumper and rope-skipper. 

I sent the draft to my critique partners and revised based on their suggestions. Then, I took the manuscript to the Rutgers One-on-One Plus conference. Chelsea Eberly from Random House turned on a huge light bulb for me by suggesting a historical angle. I decided to set the story in 1960, when African-American sprinter Wilma Rudolph won three gold medals at the Olympics in Rome. I rewrote the story so both girls idolized Wilma and wanted to be just like her.

The story went on submission and the inevitable rejections arrived. But then, I received a note from Chronicle Books, saying they liked the story, but thought there wasn’t enough Wilma Rudolph. I did more research and learned Wilma grew up in Clarksville, Tenn., which was still segregated in 1960. Blacks and whites went to separate schools, saw separate doctors and ate at separate restaurants. But after Wilma’s Olympic victories, Clarksville wanted to throw a victory parade. Wilma agreed, if the event was integrated. So that parade was the first integrated event in Clarksville history. Knowing that, I moved my story’s setting to Clarksville and had both girls attend Wilma’s parade. I removed the jumping and rope-skipping elements and had the girls’ competition focus only on running events loosely patterned after Wilma’s three Olympic events. And the title became THE QUICKEST KID IN CLARKSVILLE.

And THAT was the book that sold to Chronicle Books and won the Midwest Region Crystal Kite.

Author Pat Zietlow Miller

Lee: Love learning the story behind your story! How long have you been involved with SCBWI, and can you share what you feel you’ve gained by being a member?

Pat: I’ve been an SCBWI member for almost 10 years, and it’s been invaluable to my writing career. I still remember how nervous I was at my first event. I sat in back rows and lurked in corners, worried that someone would discover I didn’t belong and ask me to leave.

After that first conference, I met people, joined a critique group and kept coming back. I learned a ton from the other aspiring writers and the published authors, agents and editors I encountered. And, when I finally sold my first picture book after 126 rejections, everyone celebrated with me. That support continues today.

SCBWI is a spot where writers, illustrators and children’s book lovers at all stages of the journey can interact, learn from each other and revel in the wonder of children’s literature. The state and national conferences are great, but there also are online opportunities and local events. At $80 a year to join, it’s a bargain.

[Note: First year of SCBWI membership is currently $95. Renewing is indeed $80 a year.]

 Lee: Do you have any advice to share with other children’s book writers and illustrators?

Pat:

· Read everything you can in every spare moment you have. Never stop doing this. You will never have read enough.

· Write and rewrite and repeat. This is an infinite loop you will never escape.

· Write something new and try to be better.

· Don’t take rejections personally. Use them to learn where your manuscript needs improvement.

· Persevere. Improve. Believe.

Thanks, Pat! And again, congratulations!

Find out more about Pat here: http://www.patzietlowmiller.com/ and on Twitter at @PatZMiller

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee

The 2014 Crystal Kite Winners: SOPHIE'S SQUASH by Pat Zietlow Miller (SCBWI Wisconsin)

This week's Crystal Kite Winner Spotlight is on SOPHIE'S SQUASH, written by Pat Zietlow Miller.

It may sound familiar, because SOPHIE'S SQUASH also won the 2014 Golden Kite award for best picture book text. Well, Pat just keeps on winning, because her book also took home the Crystal Kite award for the Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, Indiana and Ohio division.

Multi Award-Winning Author Pat Zietlow Miller

I connected with Pat to celebrate her latest accolade:

Lee: For those who don't yet know, please tell us about your book!

Pat: SOPHIE’S SQUASH is a fiction picture book loosely based on the time my youngest daughter fell in love with a butternut squash when she was small. It’s my debut book, and I sold it through the slush pile to Schwartz & Wade. 

Lee: Oooh! A slush pile success story! How long have you been involved with SCBWI, and can you share what you feel you've gained by being a member?

Pat: I’ve been an SCBWI member for seven years. Wisconsin is my home base, but I’ve attended state conferences in Iowa and Illinois, as well. Joining SCBWI kick-started my writing career. The conferences I attended inspired me and helped me learn how to polish my writing, make the most of my manuscripts and submit them properly. I also met my agent, Ammi-Joan Paquette, at an Iowa SCBWI conference. 

In addition, I’ve made a lot of writing friends through the SCBWI who have been critique partners and partners in crime as we all pursue our writing goals. 

If I were to give one piece of advice to aspiring children’s book authors or illustrators, it would be to join the SCBWI. The returns hugely outweigh the investment. 

Lee: You also won the Golden Kite Award for Sophie's Squash. What impact has that had for you?

Pat: Winning the Golden Kite was a mountaintop moment for me. I didn’t expect it, and I didn’t realize the impact it would have on me until I was at the national SCBWI conference in Los Angeles this summer to accept the award. Everyone was so friendly and complimentary, and I got to meet several of my writing heroes and even speak to the 1,200 or so conference attendees in the main ballroom. 

(Lee interjecting to share that you can hear the audio of Pat's Golden Kite Acceptance speech here.)

Pat: It was sort of funny, because in my everyday Midwestern life, I usually blend into the crowd. There’s nothing about me that particularly stands out. But at the SCBWI conference, many people knew who I was and had read my book and seemed excited to meet me. That was a new experience. 

It made me realize how far I’ve come from the person who really, really wanted to write picture books but wasn’t sure where or how to start. It also made me realize how much there still is to learn and do and how much fun it’s going to be learning and doing all those things. 

Lee: Do you have any additional words of wisdom to share with other children's book writers and illustrators?

Pat: Work hard to learn the craft of writing or illustrating. Study the folks who do it best and absorb what they do into your own personal style. Keep working, even if what you’re producing doesn’t yet measure up to what you want it to be. Be patient with yourself and the process. Don’t rush something out before it’s really ready. Trying shortcuts probably won’t get you where you want to be any faster. Oh, and join the SCBWI.

Thanks, Pat!

I also contacted Michael Kress-Russ who, along with Jaime Swenson is co-Regional Advisor of SCBWI Wisconsin, to hear their take on Pat's win. Here's what Michael wrote:

As a community of storytellers for children we are all buoyed by the successes of our peers, and enriched by association when their efforts are met with much-deserved accolades. All the more so when a writer’s debut earns one of the highest awards in the world of children’s writing, prompting fantasies of one day dazzling librarians and classroom teachers with boasts of having “known her when.”

That the author in question is as humble, approachable and down-to-Earth as our own Pat Zietlow Miller only restores faith in the cherished and oft-challenged belief that the world is a fair place.

Congratulations, Pat. It couldn’t have happened to a nicer book.

- Michael Kress-Russick

Thanks to Pat and Michael, and Cheers to Pat for SOPHIE'S SQUASH winning the 2014 Crystal Kite Award!

You can find out more about Pat and her writing at her website here.

And learn more about SCBWI Wisconsin and their events here.

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee

Pat Zietlow Miller on "Sophie's Squash" - The 2014 Golden Kite Interview ...And your chance to WIN a copy!

This year's Golden Kite Award for Picture Book text goes to Pat Zietlow Miller, for "Sophie's Squash!"

Pat Zeitlow Miller, winner of the 2014 Golden Kite Award for Picture Book Text!

I contacted Pat to find out more...

* * * 

Lee: Can you tell us about finding out you'd won the 2014 Golden Kite Award for picture book text for "Sophie's Squash"?

Pat: I was at home. The phone rang, and my caller ID said “Lin Oliver.” I had never met Lin, but I knew who she was, of course. But I couldn’t imagine why she’d be calling me. I thought maybe it would be an automated message from the SCBWI talking about dues or some administrative change.

When I answered, and found out it really was Lin on the other end, I was a bit stumped. I knew about the Golden Kites, but I didn’t know what the timing was for them or how they were selected. 

Once Lin told me “Sophie’s Squash” had won, I was thrilled and shocked and giddy all at the same time. And, frankly, a little astounded. There were so many wonderful picture books published in 2013. 

Lee: The book's flap copy says that "Sophie's Squash" is based on a true story - your daughter, Sonia, once loved a squash?

Pat: Yes! When Sonia was 3 – she’s now 12 – she fell in love with a butternut squash we bought at the grocery store. She gave it a face, wrapped it in a blanket and carried it everywhere. She did the same with other items – like rocks and those small bags of flour. 

Lee: So what was the process of taking a real-life inspiration and make it a picture book?

Pat: Sonia’s love for her squash gave me the initial idea for the book. But by itself it wasn’t enough. If I had written the book exactly the way things happened in real life, it would have been an amusing anecdote, at best. 

And that’s kind of what my first draft was. It took me a while to build out a full story and figure out the problem (the rotting squash, a long winter apart) and the resolution (baby squash). 

Another Sonia memory helped me pull things together. When one of our cats died, we had it cremated. Then, we planted a tree, sprinkled the ashes and shared memories. (Of course, we also read Judith Viorst’s “The Tenth Good Thing About Barney.”) Once we were done, Sonia asked with utter sincerity, “Now, will a new kitty grow?” That memory gave me the nudge I needed to move the story in the right direction. 

I also feel compelled to admit that I was not as patient as the parents in my book. I smuggled Sonia’s squash out of her room before it started to rot and bought her a replacement. She didn’t seem to mind, but one of the benefits of writing fiction is you can make things turn out the way you wish they had in real life. 

Lee: You have some really funny lines in the book, including one moment when Sophie is putting her squash (that she's named Bernice) to bed, that reads:

"Every night, Sophie gave Bernice a bottle, a hug, and a kiss."
"Well, we did hope she'd love vegetables," Sophie's mother told her father.
"Shhhhhhh," Sophie said. "Bernice is sleeping." 

How do you approach writing "funny?"

Pat: My first reaction to this question is to say, “Darned if I know.” 

But that’s probably not helpful. 

The humor in this book is very close to my own, with some splashes of Sonia. She’s had a very dry sense of humor ever since she was little, and I’ve always enjoyed the juxtaposition of the maturity of her humor with her cute, small-child face. 

I didn’t set out to make the book funny, but there were just too many places to work in humor to pass them by. When those opportunities are there, it is terribly wrong to ignore them. 

Lee: There's also a warmth and loving tone to the book - it's a story about a girl who loves a squash like it's a friend of hers, and even when some other kids aren't so kind, Sophie's parents (and the narration) are supportive and non judgmental throughout. Can you talk about hitting that tone 'just right?'

Pat: This is something I worked very hard on. And I’d say it’s the common denominator in all the picture books I have coming out in the next few years. 

With the challenges of growing up, it’s important for children to see warmth, safety and family love in books. I don’t want to beat readers over the head with those things or – heaven forbid – work in a moral, but I want those feelings to be the underlying core of every story I write. Not every child has warmth, safety and family love, but they should know those things are possible and that they deserve them. 

I also like having parents in my books. A lot of children’s literature disposes of parents neatly early on. They’re dead or traveling or self-involved or dysfunctional. And, there are good reasons for telling stories that way. As a major Harry Potter fan girl, I understand those reasons. 

But I like having parents in my stories who might not be perfect, but who support their children’s efforts and love them, while still giving them room to figure things out themselves. They’re kind of a safety net while their children are teetering on the story’s high wire. 

Lee: I love that - parents as "a safety net while their children are teetering on the story's high wire." Nicely said!

Writers just starting out often look at picture books and their small word count and think, "Oh, that must be easy to do, it's so short." Those of us who have been at this a while understand just how challenging the short form can be! "Sophie's Squash" is your debut picture book - how many drafts did you write before arriving at the words that were published?

Pat: Oh, goodness. At least 10 full drafts with a variety of different approaches and endings. 

I wrote this story early in my efforts to become a published author, so I learned A LOT along the way. And as I learned, I revised. And revised. And revised. To keep myself amused through all the revision, I gave my versions creative file names like “Reheated Squash” or “Squash Leftovers.” 

The good news is that when I finally sold the story, I didn’t have to do too many revisions for my editor. 

Lee: When did you first join SCBWI, and can you share how that's helped you on your journey as an author?

Pat: I joined SCBWI about six years ago, and it’s been vital to my success. I attend state meetings in Wisconsin, where I live, and also in Iowa, which is relatively close to where I live. 

At SCBWI, I’ve made friends, found critique groups, learned from visiting authors and editors, and found my agent – the inimitable Ammi-Joan Paquette – after she spoke at an Iowa event. 

When I started, I knew nothing. SCBWI helped me figure out how to do what I wanted so desperately to do. And once I did it, the people there have been nothing but supportive of me and my book.

Lee: In addition to attending #LA14SCBWI - The 2014 SCBWI Summer Conference - to accept your Golden Kite Award, you'll also be on faculty, giving the Friday breakout session "When Less Is More - Cutting the Fluff Out Of Picture Books." Can you tell us more about that workshop?

Pat: For picture books to work, they need to be lean, using no more words than are truly needed to tell the story. What I see in a lot of beginning manuscripts – or manuscripts from folks who usually write for older audiences – is way more words than the story requires. 

And often, the writer could cut 200 or more words from his or her manuscript without sacrificing plot in the slightest. Some people are aghast when they hear this, but it’s true. 

I’ll be sharing techniques writers can apply to their picture books in progress to get rid of words that don’t add value to their story. 

Lee: Sounds invaluable!

What advice do you have for other writers working on picture book manuscripts?

Pat: Everyone says this, but it’s so true. READ. When I started seriously pursuing a career in children’s literature, I made a list of my favorite picture book authors – Cari Best, Dori Chaconas, Kelly DiPucchio, Jill Esbaum, Mem Fox, Kevin Henkes, Mary Lyn Ray, Liz Garton Scanlon and Judith Viorst to start – and I checked out every book they’d ever written from the library. 

I spent weekends really reading them and figuring out what made their books work for me. How did they handle page turns and tension? What did their words show and what did they leave to the illustrator? How did their endings tie everything up? It was basically my own master class in picture book writing, and it was one of the most enjoyable classes I’ve ever taken.

* * *

Thanks, Pat!

If you'd like to hear, learn from, and cheer Pat on as she accepts her Golden Kite Award, join us at the 2014 SCBWI Summer Conference, August 1-4 in Los Angeles. Registration and information here.

Would you like to win a free copy of "Sophie's Squash?"

Leave a comment here on this post in the next seven days, and we'll randomly choose one winner! 

(Make sure to include your contact email in the comment - if we can't reach you to let you know you've won, we'll have to choose another winner.)

Good luck!

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee