Thursday, May 31, 2012

Let's Ask - Question # 7

This week's Let's Ask question was for the fabulous Susanna Hill.
Thank you Susanna for sharing with us today!

My question for Susanna:  


One piece of advice I keep hearing is write what you know. You have a variety of children's books already published. Do you mind sharing how each book idea came about and which ones were your most fun to write?


Susanna writes:


There is no doubt that I write what I know. Family holidays and traditions, sibling rivalry, childhood milestones, new babies, sore throats, loose teeth, bad dreams, and life with pets.
Feelings (not just childish!) of joy, disappointment, discovery, wanting to be understood, anxiety, doubt, needing to feel important, surprise, accomplishment, and wonder.
Learning to count and tie shoes and ride a bike and make friends and play piano.
Planting a garden. Sleepovers. Baking cookies. Splashing in puddles. Losing a grandparent.
The everyday is where stories begin because that is where shared human experience lies.


Every single story I've written has been based, at least partly, on something I know. But many of them have other elements too, because you don't have to stick completely with what you know - there is plenty of room for learning things, and for imagination :)


    I have never been a groundhog, but I know what it's like to want people to believe in you (Punxsutawney Phyllis.). I'm not a witch and I can't do magic, but I know what it is to have talents that are completely different from the rest of your family (Millicent's Magic - not published but a story I love!) I don't have direct experience operating heavy machinery, but I understand the fascination it held for my son, and I was able to educate myself about it enough to write a book about machines and people working together to build a house (The House That Mack Built).


    So I take the things I know, and spin them with the things I learn or imagine.


    Punxsutawney Phyllis came to me in the car on a gray, wintery Groundhog Day. I was driving my kids to school, and the radio DJ mentioned that Punxsutawney Phil had declared 6 more weeks of winter. Where I live, it seems like we always have 6 more weeks of winter. I thought to myself, gee it would be nice if for once we could have an early spring! Then I remembered that one of the best things about being a writer is that you get to call the shots. So I thought, I'll write a story where Punxsutawney Phil predicts an early spring! But then I got to thinking some more and I thought, hmm... why does Punxsutawney Phil always have to be a boy? A girl could certainly do the job just as well! I put the two ideas together, and voila! Punxsutawney Phyllis!




    Not Yet, Rose is about my daughter waiting for my son - two years old and no real way to imagine the impact of a new sibling on her little world. I wanted to help her understand that having a brother or sister would be different than being by herself, but that different doesn't necessarily mean bad and in fact, can be quite wonderful.


     No Sword Fighting In The House - well, I have actually said that in my house on many occasions! :) There is a certain magic in sword fighting, apparently, that makes it fun whether you have wooden swords and shields (yes, my husband made my 5, 3 and 1 year olds wooden swords!) or plastic light sabers or cardboard wrapping paper tubes or sticks - as long as a lot of jumping on the furniture and yelling is involved it can't be beat :) In addition, kids (at least my kids) have a talent for taking things literally. So when you say "no sword fighting in the house" meaning "no violent games", they are perfectly capable of whacking each other outside instead and then saying, "But you said no sword fighting in the house! We weren't in the house!" Put the two together, and you've got a story.


    And Can't Sleep Without Sheep is about a little girl who has trouble falling asleep because her mind is so busy. It is my son who has the busy mind, but I have daughters also, so the main character is a combination - my son's sleep habits, my daughters' gender. Apparently I spend too much time in the car with the radio on, because this story also owes itself, in part, to something I heard on the radio - a commercial for mattresses that said something along the lines of, "Mattress uncomfortable? Tired of counting sheep? Come get our mattress." And I thought, what if there was a child (like my son) who had trouble falling asleep, and had to count sheep so much that the sheep got tired of being counted? And there it was - Can't Sleep Without Sheep :)


    I don't think I can pick out which ones were most fun to write. I have loved writing all my books - they have all been fun! - and my favorite tends to be whatever I'm working on at the moment because it's fresh and I feel excited about it, although I will always have a soft spot for Phyllis, Rose, and Can't Sleep!


So yes, I guess I write what I know!
And I love every minute of it!


Bio: Susanna Leonard Hill wrote her first book in 2nd Grade. It is called "The Girl and The Witch" and she will read it to you if she comes to your school! She is the author of 17 books for children (10 traditionally published although 1 is in Dutch :) and 1 digitally published with 6 more digital books forthcoming from A Story Before Bed.) She is a mom as well as a children's author. She loves reading, writing, and visiting schools to share her stories and her passion for writing with kids. She also loves horses and her two rescue dogs. Susanna is always happy to hear from readers, so please visit her website (http://www.susannahill.com), FaceBook page (http://www.facebook.com/SusannaLeonardHill), and blog (http://susannahill.blogspot.com) Twitter http://twitter.com/#!/SusannaLHill!


***


Thank you for visiting today!




37 comments:

  1. Another dose of inspiration this morning. Thanks Susanna and Jennifer.

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  2. Thank you so much for hang me, Jen! This was really fun! :) I enjoy reading this series each week, and was honored to be chosen to answer a question!

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    1. It was my pleasure Susanna - I can't thank you enough. I was so interesting to hear how your books ideas were born. I think I'm going to put your quote somewhere on my blog, I love this---> "The everyday is where stories begin because that is where shared human experience lies."

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  3. Great question and inspirational response from Susanna! I had somehow missed the info about the 7 digital books and am keen to know more :-)

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    1. All from A Story Before Bed, Joanna! 5 fractured fairy tales/nursery rhymes (Jac And The Beanstalk, The Old Woman Who Lived In A Shoe, The Old Woman Who Lived In A Zoo, THe Wolf Who Cried Boy, and Rumplestiltskin) and 2 lives of young artists (Marc Chagall and Frank Lloyd Wright). It's been lots of fun!

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    2. P.S. But only Jac is out - the others are in the works with no projected publication dates as yet.

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  4. It's fascinating how much seeps into a writer's subconcious and pops out the other side in a story. I find it's the same here. I'll read a book or hear one of the kids say something, and it sparks a story idea. Thanks Susanna and Jennifer!

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  5. Susanna, I am eager for a shoe-tying story! It is not easy to find laced shoes anymore - so many have velcro closures. What my DD considers 'tied' wouldn't last through half of an outdoor recess!

    Glad to read your answer and glad to have Jennifer ask the question!

    - Cathy

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  6. Thanks for the asking Jen. I want to know more about Millicent's Magic! And what in Susanna's life relates to that - not just the magic she performs with her books, blog, website, contests, advice, encouragement, prodding, humor. You know, something ELSE - lol!!!

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    1. Same here, I'd love to hear more about Millicent's Magic!

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    2. You're so nice, Julie :) Millicent's Magic is a story I wrote 10+ years ago. It's been to pretty much every publisher there is, I think :) It came close twice. I rewrote it twice for Dial and 8 times for Harcourt. Everyone who has seen it likes it... but just not enough. I love it though. It's about a little girl who doesn't want to be a witch - she wants to use her magical talents for something else :)

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    3. That's sounds adorable - my kind of pb. Sorry to hear it didn't take off yet.

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    4. I love your use of the word "yet" Jen :) My husband has been trying to convince me to self-publish Millicent for years - it's one of his favorites - and maybe I will. But I can't help hoping it might still find a home somewhere, although chances are very slim after all this time.

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    5. Before trying to self-publish, maybe try a smaller house for it?

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    6. Chin up Susanna! Did you read this post from Malachy Doyle? http://picturebookden.blogspot.com/search/label/Malachy%20Doyle

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    7. Thank you, Julie! That was a lovely inspiring story. I'm no Malachy Doyle, but maybe I should try Andersen :)

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  7. This is fantastic! I love this series of questions and answers, first of all, and Susanna has to be one of my favorite authors. Put the two together, and it's magic! Susanna's words about the everyday being where stories begin is so very good.

    Thank you! and I just want to say to Susanna, "More! More!"... please.

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    1. Thanks so much for sharing Beth - such good vibes as always!

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  8. Thanks Jen and Susanna! I love hearing where authors get their story ideas from.
    -Darshana

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  9. Jennifer, great insightful questions. Your questions allowed Susanna to give us a glimpse into how her internal story-board of sorts is initially created. Makes me think I need to keep some kind of taping device with me at all times. According to Susanna, the next great picture book may just be right down my hallway in my very own home...tee hee. Thanks ladies, great one!

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    1. Absolutely! That's why I carry paper in purse at all times. Thanks for dropping in Pam :0)

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  10. Stacy, Joanna, Kirsten, Cathy, Julie, Beth, Darshana, and Pam - Thank you all so much for stopping by and for your lovely comments. You guys are the best :)

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  11. Yay! I love learning new things about great people! Great interview you two!

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  12. Loved reading your ideas behind the stories! Thanks for sharing, Susanna!

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  13. Loved your answer, Susanna. The stories behind the stories were fascinating. I have one more questions for you. What's your favorite radio station? :)

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  14. Great post and showcase! I love Susanna's books.

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  15. Susanna and Jen what a BODACIOUSLY splendid post! I loved your answer as always, Sus. (That's my new shortcut to writing your name) Like it? :-) I always love discovering the ideas behind the stories from other writers. (To show myself I am not completely crazy at how I get my ideas. BTW, I'm starting Sus collection. An Iza one too. Studying my fav picture book authors is not a chore, it's fun! And it is teaching me loads. Mwah!

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    1. Same here Robyn. It’s definitely a lot of fun for me to study other authors as well. Thanks for the enthusiasm!

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  16. Great interview! Loved hearing about the inspiration behind each of these books. Especially fun this week because I checked out No Sword Fighting in the House from the library yesterday =)

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  17. I love Can't Sleep W/out Sheep and Not Yet Rose. I remember that after I finished reading Rose, I thought "What a lovely story." And I thought the illustrations were so cute I wanted to hug little Rose. So, thanks Susanna for sharing your wonderful stories.

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  18. How is it that I just found this series??? Jennifer, I remember a different blog and I guess I missed the change to your new one...or do you have two??? Anyway, I am here now. I subscribed!

    I really enjoyed hearing about the inspiration for your books, Susanna.

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Love to hear what you have to say!

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