I waited on the porch, munching a crispy apple watching Emmy-Jane to ride up on her horse near Saratoga
Springs, NY.
Emmy Jane was born and raised in
upstate NY, where riding horses was part of her everyday life. Though time took
her elsewhere, she never forgot her love of horses or the lessons they taught
her. Along the way, after acquiring two masters degrees in her Field, she left
her doctoral candidacy in Clinical Psychology to start a family. Over the past
several years, watching her children grow has often reminded her of life
lessons she learned through her pony. Those reminders and her professional background
inspired Emmy Jane's first children's book series. It begins with the story of Twinkleberry
Pie for My Birthday, an uplifting family tale about a girl who learns her
assumptions are far from true on a day spent with a new pony.
I"m enjoying this big apple very much, Emmy-Jane.
So glad, Susan. Thanks for coming.
My pleasure. Tell me, how many books have you written?
Twinkleberry Pie for My Birthday represents my foray into
the book publishing world. Scientific and clinical writing had major roles in
my previous Field, but I haven’t written any related books. This is my first
published work of imaginative writing that introduces my children’s series. At
present, I have submitted the second story, Twinkleberry Pie in Wizzie’s
Orchard, and am working on the third.
Give a short synopsis.
The story is about a girl who believes she can ride a horse
independently because she has been learning to ride since age two. She thinks
her parents do not believe the same, as they have never allowed her to ride
without her mother holding a safety rope attached to the family horse. On the
day of her sixth birthday, an occasion she thinks her parents have forgotten,
she learns her assumptions are far from true when she receives a pony of her
own.
How much of yourself is hidden in the characters in the
book?
The book was loosely about my own childhood. I really did
have a pony named Twinkleberry Pie and I did receive her around the time of my
sixth birthday, but that’s where the true facts end. I used my background in
Psychology to form a story that imparts valuable lessons via its main theme of learning
from misconceptions, and its secondary theme of wanting unconditional parental
support but not always feeling that support.
Do you travel to do research or for inspiration? Can you share
some special places with us?
I’ve traveled for the sake of research. With the knowledge
that people tend to remember more of the big picture from their distant past
rather than the minute details, I decided to voyage to my hometown address and
the nearby area to take pictures of things I haven’t seen daily for decades.
Just as I suspected, the environmental visual cues helped me to remember some specifics
from events I haven’t contemplated in over 25 years. I was then able to create
colorfully descriptive fiction based on more comprehensive recall of days lived
long ago.
What advice can you give new writers?
I think all authors would agree that a manuscript for any
audience is only as good as its ability to keep the reader engaged in the story.
Regarding the children’s book genre, there’s a notion in the general public
that absolutely everyone can write a children’s story. Perhaps that’s true, but
writing one that resonates with its entire audience is another matter.
If I may state the obvious conservatively, adults are very
often the readers of children’s books. Therefore, those that stand out in the
genre, aside from those published by celebrities, are those that appeal to
people of all ages. Speaking as a parent, I can attest to the fact that many
stories fall short of appealing to adults. So I ask the following of children’s
story writers. What’s the point of writing something that a significant
percentage of your audience gets nothing out of reading, or worse, feels like that
act of re-reading it to a child who fancies it is an exercise in patience? I
might add a reminder that adults are also the majority buyers of children’s
books. In today’s economy, they should feel like they’re spending their money
wisely.
Given the competition in the fast-growing children’s book
market, I think that writers like me who are virtually unknown can’t afford to
fail to consider their whole audience as much as how they’ll use their unique
writing strengths to engage readers and build their brand. I’m taking my own advice
by utilizing pieces of anecdotes from my life with my background in Psychology
to share some of what I’ve learned personally and professionally in stories
that, I hope, entertain and resonate with readers of all ages.
Where do you store ideas for later use: in your head, in a
notebook, or on a spreadsheet?
I keep sticky note pads in multiple places in my house to
facilitate scribbling ideas that are unrelated to my current writing project.
Over time, I add to each in no specific order except as new developments in
each come to mind until I have enough collected thoughts to piece together
rough outlines.
Can you tell us your future writing goals/projects?
My ultimate goal is to diversify my writing across genres
through different types of book ideas that have been taking shape. For now, I’m
sketching outlines for the remainder of the Twinkleberry Pie series and
developing storylines for more children’s books.
Where can folks learn more about your book and up-coming events?
People can see more about my books and events on my author
page within my publisher’s website, http://www.publishwithcfa.com/emmy-jane.html.
They can also find information on my Facebook and Goodreads author pages, or my
Twitter page: http://www.facebook.com/EmmyJaneMSMA
Is your book available in print and ebook format?
My book was just released at the end of April. So far, it is
available in both print and kindle formats on Amazon at http://www.amazon.com/author/emmyjane.com.
Also, anyone who shops at Chicago area Target stores can buy book copies there
rather than waiting for delivery from Amazon. I’ll post announcements on my
website author pages, Twitter and Google+ as the book becomes available
elsewhere.
No comments:
Post a Comment